Lawmakers have started to file proposed budget earmarks for local projects as they return to the Capitol to prepare for the 2026 legislative session.

After a contentious legislative session this year that required overtime to hammer out a budget, Florida lawmakers could again face decisions about limiting spending during the 2026 session.

Six weeks after the state budget was expected to be completed, Florida legislative leaders have finished negotiating details of a spending plan.

Florida would hold a sales-tax “holiday” each August for back-to-school items, while sales taxes would be eliminated on commercial leases and such things as hurricane supplies and sunscreen, under a tax package that House and Senate leaders released Friday evening.

House and Senate budget leaders Monday rushed to finalize a new state spending plan, while Gov. Ron DeSantis continued calling for giving property-tax rebates.

New laws in Florida mandate stiffer criminal penalties for immigrants in the U.S. illegally than for everyone else.

Amid a slew of new bills during Florida’s Legislative special session this week tackling illegal immigration, one stands out among the rest.

Florida already has an official state pie — key lime — but might soon designate strawberry shortcake as the official state dessert.