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State budget: What to watch as lawmakers work to bridge $1.4B gap

Florida lawmakers are divided by a big dollar gulf – $1.4 billion – as they work overtime on finalizing a state budget for the year beginning July 1.

But the massive gap between the Republican-ruled House and Senate is comprised of a dizzying array of hundreds of small- and mid-size differences.

In row after row of budget spreadsheets, the two sides split over whether to steer state dollars to some rural county jail renovation, pay for dozens of water projects, or fund this traffic improvement or that greenway.

Then there’s even bigger stuff.

Here are five major issues budget-writers are trying to settle in this month’s special legislative session:

House, Senate move closer on education budget — with key differences

The first day of the legislative special session on budget negotiations has inched lawmakers a little closer to an agreement on what the state’s education funding will look like.

Key differences between the House and Senate budgets still exist, including the House’s proposal to include $5 million for the University of Florida’s Hamilton Center; an almost $22.5 million transfer of the Sarasota-Manatee campus at the University of South Florida to New College; and no funding for the Schools of Hope program, compared to the Senate’s $6 million.

But in the House’s first conference offer for Pre-K-12 budgets, the House did concede to some of the Senate’s positions, including providing $200,000 for “patriotic portraits” in classrooms; and not providing $15 million in recurring grants and $5 million in nonrecurring capital outlay from the Department of Education to Catholic schools, which the House had initially proposed.

Jimmy Patronis Introduces Bill Improving Urgent Mental Healthcare for Veterans

Representative Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) has introduced a bill designed to improve access to urgent mental health care for veterans.

The Never Fight Alone Act ensures that veterans can access these services through community providers, protects veterans' right to choose their mental health care provider, reduces approval delays, and requires congressional approval before any changes to community care access.

"Northwest Florida is home to one of the largest veteran and military communities in the country," Rep. Patronis said in a press release. "Heroes that answered the call to serve our nation and protect our freedoms shouldn't come home to red tape from the very country they risked everything to defend."

Rep. Patronis further emphasized that "President Trump and Secretary Collins have made historic strides in reforming the VA, and this legislation builds on those efforts. Our heroes deserve care that is fast, local, and trusted, and I'm proud to file legislation that ensures no veteran is ever left to fight alone."

Search committee recommends Education Commissioner Kamoutsas for Polk State president

The Polk State College Presidential Search Committee has recommended a single finalist in its search for the college’s sixth president — Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas. Since July 2025, he has served as Florida’s commissioner of education, following his recommendation for the position by Governor Ron DeSantis.

The announcement of a single candidate comes as a surprise, as original documents outlining the search charged committee members with recommending “a final group of applicants.”

The plan was to invite the group to campus for final interviews and public forums in early June.

In March, Polk State College Board of Trustees revised rule 1.10 regarding the selection of the college president to eliminate language mentioning a screening committee and a requirement that any candidate hold a doctorate.