Florida lawmakers jump-start budget talks as DeSantis feud simmers. Take a look by the numbers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Lawmakers in both chambers of Florida's Republican-dominated Capitol advanced their respective state budget plans on Wednesday, but the proposals remain billions of dollars apart — and differ from Gov. Ron DeSantis ' spending plan for the upcoming year.

Wednesday's floor votes on the budget proposals have kicked off formal negotiations between the House and Senate. It's part of the Legislature's constitutional duty to pass a balanced budget each year.

In recent days, DeSantis has sparred with legislative leaders, particularly House Speaker Daniel Perez, slamming House Republicans' plan to lower the state's sales tax rate as a benefit for tourists and foreign visitors. The governor has pushed lawmakers to instead cut property taxes, although proposals on the issue have stalled in the Capitol.

Following DeSantis’ failed Republican presidential bid and as he approaches the end of his second term, lawmakers are testing his power and checking his control over state spending and executive agencies in a way DeSantis hasn’t seen since he was elected in 2018.

Here's a look at Florida's budget proposals, by the numbers:

A $113 billion budget

The House wants to trim the state budget down to $113 billion. That's a big gap from the $117.4 billion spending plan advanced under Senate President Ben Albritton. Meanwhile, DeSantis' proposed budget lands in between, at $115.6 billion. The House aims to cut what Perez calls excessive state spending, and would lower the state's sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. The Senate's current plan does not include that sales tax cut, although Albritton is floating his own push to cut sales taxes on some clothing purchases, as first reported by Florida Politics.

Cut the sales tax by 0.75%

The House's 0.75% cut to the sales tax would cost the state $4.88 billion and local governments nearly $540 million next fiscal year, per a House staff analysis of the bill.

Perez calls that across-the-board financial relief for Floridians, unlike the tax cuts for homeowners that DeSantis wants. The governor has blasted the idea as a tax break for “Canadian tourists and nonresidents,” and is pushing to lower property taxes while calling House Republicans “obstructionists.”

“Because I’m doing property, so they got to do something else,” DeSantis said.

Perez, who has clashed with the governor and led a push to restore more than $60 million in projects that DeSantis vetoed in last year's budget, has defended his chamber and its priorities.

“I welcome disagreement,” Perez said, “because I love the conversation. That’s how you end up at a better product.”

$4 billion for school vouchers

Lawmakers propose setting aside about $4 billion for the state's school voucher program, which provides scholarships for families to send their children to private schools, regardless of household income. Two years after lawmakers expanded the program to all K-12 students, state officials say there are more than 500,000 students using the scholarships, which amount to about $8,000 per student per year.

Only 72 hours

If lawmakers are to end this year's legislative session on May 2 as scheduled, they'll have to wrap up budget negotiations by April 29. That's because under state law, once there’s a budget agreement, lawmakers can’t vote on it for 72 hours. It’s a mandatory cooling-off period so the massive spending document can be reviewed before it’s finally approved.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's tariff agenda is injecting uncertainty into the budget deliberations, raising questions about how a financial downturn could cut into state revenues.

“There are always surprises” as lawmakers hurtle towards the finish line, Albritton told reporters. Still, he said he's confident he and his counterparts — some of the biggest personalities in Florida politics — will forge a compromise.

“I have every expectation in working with the House and working with the governor ... we’ll figure it out,” Albritton said.

___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.