TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With just days left in Florida’s legislative session, lawmakers appear no closer to addressing some of their biggest issues and what voters say is their biggest concern: the rising cost of living.
Major proposals aimed at lowering costs for Floridians have stalled amid deep divisions between the House, Senate, and governor, leaving little time for meaningful relief before the scheduled end of the session. Efforts to lower property insurance costs, reduce utility bills, and expand Medicaid have all stalled as negotiations between the chambers and the governor continue.
WATCH: Florida legislature nears end of session with little progress on cost of living
Meanwhile, long-discussed property tax reforms appear likely to be pushed into a special session later this year. The House approved a plan that would have eliminated non-school homestead property taxes in 2027 if 60% of Florida voters approved on the November ballot.
The Senate declined to take up the measure. President Ben Albritton had concerns that the change would have been too burdensome on rural cities and counties— preferring to keep working on a proposal, potentially outside of the 60-day session.
“It’s again, the distinction between rural Florida and urban Florida,” Albritton said earlier this year. “It’s very different if you’re tinkering with 6 or 7% of the budget versus tinkering with 80% of the budget. Big difference. So yes, it’s hard. Do I think it’s doable? Absolutely.”
For some longtime lawmakers, this year is particularly dysfunctional. Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, was among those Democrats seeking a slate of insurance reform legislation that failed to receive committee hearings. She said the GOP majority had missed a chance for real change.
“We've done a lot of nothing,” said Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton. “I've just been around a long time. I haven't seen it this bad before.”
The slow pace of legislation is also reflected in the numbers. As of Monday afternoon, just 69 bills had reached the governor’s desk. That’s far below previous years — lawmakers approved 262 bills last year and 313 the year before.
The lack of productivity has drawn criticism from former House Speaker Paul Renner. He’s currently seeking the GOP nomination for governor in 2026, and warned current Republican leaders to focus on finishing strong.
“Decide whether you want to end on a good note or be remembered as somebody who got nothing done,” Renner said.
Current House Speaker Danny Perez, R-Miami, acknowledged Monday that work remains unfinished. He said, contrary to the rumor of an early departure, the House would remain in session throughout the week, approving bills with the Senate. However, the most important task of the year—passing a state spending plan — would need overtime, Perez said.
“With respect to the budget, as it is abundantly clear to all of you, we will not complete the 2026-2027 State Budget by the end of this week,” Perez said. “Allocation conversations are proceeding. We will update you when we have news to share.”
House and Senate negotiators are still working to bridge a roughly $1.4 billion gap between their competing spending plans. Rep. Juan Porras, R-Miami, said House members are trusting leadership to resolve the dispute.
“I think the speaker said in his speech, there are some fundamental differences on how we fund the budget, and I trust in our leadership and our speaker almost blindly,” Porras said.
Senate leaders have largely stayed quiet about the negotiations but continue to project optimism as the session winds down.
Lawmakers are already scheduled to return to Tallahassee for a special session on congressional redistricting in April. Beyond that, however, the path forward remains unclear as the Legislature enters the final days of a session marked by stalled priorities and unfinished business.
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