TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s 2026 legislative session has reached its halfway mark, and while House and Senate leaders insist everything is moving along just fine, the scoreboard tells a slower story.
Out of more than 1,800 bills filed this year, just two have cleared both chambers. None of the session’s marquee priorities — from property tax relief and artificial intelligence regulation to gun law changes, the House’s sweeping health package, or the Senate’s “Rural Renaissance” plan — have crossed the finish line.
Watch full report from Forrest Saunders
At the start of session, Republicans who control both chambers sought to tamp down concerns that lingering tensions from last year’s drawn-out budget fight would spill into 2026.
“I think we have to not get so caught up in the process, and look more at, where do we end up at the end of the day?” said Rep. Taylor Michael Yarkosky, R-Clermont, in December.
Leadership has largely stuck to that message.
When asked what his “halftime speech” would be for Floridians, Senate President Ben Albritton struck an upbeat tone.
“Well, what, our halftime speech? That’s fun,” Albritton said. “What I would say is, is that we’re halfway through, right, there’s still two quarters left to play.”
But Democrats argue the slow pace feels less like patience and more like a stalemate.
“It seems like we’re at a big impasse. We’re at a situation where they’re testing each other and using everything as leverage,” said Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton. “And it’s really disappointing, because our constituents are the ones who lose out.”
There’s still no clear agreement on several of the session’s biggest policy debates, including rural economic development proposals dubbed “Rural Renaissance,” the House’s healthcare overhaul, efforts to loosen gun restrictions, competing AI proposals and potential property tax changes.
House Speaker Danny Perez acknowledged that property tax plans remained nebulous as session got underway.
“What ends up being voted on is somewhat still up in the air,” Perez said earlier this session. “We don’t have a position from our friends across the hall or the executive branch on what details they are proposing for our constituents to eventually vote on, but we’ve taken the initiative. That’s what the House does.”
Now, attention is shifting to the one must-pass item: the state budget.
“You know, the budget’s the one thing we have to do,” said Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor.
Both chambers rolled out their spending plans this week, kicking off negotiations to reconcile billions of dollars in differences — not only between the House and Senate, but also with the governor.
That same process last year devolved into weeks of overtime, keeping lawmakers in Tallahassee until June before a final agreement was reached.
So far, Republican leaders say there’s no reason to expect a repeat. But with major policy fights unresolved and the budget clock ticking, the second half of session will determine whether this year ends in smooth compromise — or another late-session showdown.
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