The Florida House and Senate tee up their budget plans

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The Florida House and Senate released budget proposals Friday that could leave negotiators faced with ironing out a $4.4 billion gap over the next month. The Senate released a $117.36 billion proposal, while the House offered a $112.95 billion package. The Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Budget Committee on Wednesday will take up the proposals and could make changes. The proposals then will go to the full Senate and House, setting up negotiations on a final spending plan for the fiscal year that will start July 1. The annual legislative session is scheduled to end May 2. Senate and House leaders said the proposals would hold down spending. “This (Senate) budget reflects a return to a more normal budget spending pattern, aligned with our revenues over the long-term,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said in a prepared statement. “Our revenues are increasing, but instead of spending all of (the money) we have, we are paying down debt, setting aside reserves, and creating opportunities for significant tax relief, so Floridians can keep more of their hard-earned money.” The House said its proposal is lower than the current year’s budget and lower than a $115.6 billion proposal released by Gov. Ron DeSantis. “This budget reflects our chamber’s values of conservative fiscal stewardship and accountability,” House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said in a prepared statement. “This budget also reflects decisive action to rein in recurring spending and refocus on the true needs of everyday Floridians.”