By STAFF REPORTS
As the 2026 Legislative Session nears, lawmakers continue gathering for Interim Committee meetings through early December en route to the Jan. 13 Legislative Session commencement.
Legislative leaders have yet to provide clear guidance on their environmental priorities and this session being Gov. Ron DeSantis’ last as the state’s chief executive, it’s unclear what policy and budget recommendations he might have.
Some topics that may come up during session:
Budget Discussions
Most in Tallahassee are preparing for continued budget tightening, as state economists are predicting state revenues to begin a downward trend toward a state deficit if spending doesn’t decline. This has spurred more legislative calls to cut spending as well as work by executive branch agencies to create cost-cutting measures. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has also spent time touring the state touting wasteful spending at the local level.
What all of this amounts to and how budgetary concerns affect environmental grant programs remain to be seen. Last session, some legislators questioned all the spending on the Everglades and whether agencies receiving funds need to get large infusions of budget when more than $1 billion had been unspent as of March. Land buying programs – including Florida Forever and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program – have both been priorities in recent years as well and highlighted for their successes. Nearly $1 billion was included in last year’s budget for various land buying programs.
Appropriators are likely headed to intense budget discussions as these funding issues loom, particularly as a federal shutdown may add additional budgetary pressures for state agencies.
Property Taxes
Not unrelated to budget discussions, the talk around eliminating property taxes has been going on for most of 2025. DeSantis began publicly discussing the idea in early 2025, encouraging the Florida Legislature to create proposals, which did not occur during Legislative Session 2025.
However, House Speaker Daniel Perez created a Select Committee on Property Taxes to begin discussions and create proposals to cut or change property tax collection. As the Committee met, members shared information from their districts, and a panel of local government leaders discussed the potential impacts of changing property tax collection on local budgets.
In October, Representatives filed eight different property tax proposals, which are expected to be discussed during Legislative Session 2026. The Florida Senate has filed no similar property tax cut bills as of print time. If the Legislature can agree on a property tax package, it would end up on the 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide.
FWC Bear Hunt
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is in the permitting stages of its bear hunt process, according to FWC Chief Conservation Officer George Warthen, who presented to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government on Oct. 8.
Minority Leader Lori Berman peppered Warthen with questions about the data backing the need for a bear hunt and whether a hunt was necessary at all. FWC Commissioners approved the hunt in August, the first in a decade. More than 163,000 people have applied for permits.
“This hunt – and previous hunts – are rooted and based in science,” he said. “Not only the quotas that are set this year but the long-term management goals set in the rule are beneficial for bears and for people and all backed in science.”
It’s unclear if legislators opposed to the already approved hunt will attempt a legislative remedy.
Key Committees:
Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government
Jason Brodeur (Chair)
Lori Berman (Vice Chair)
Kristen Arrington
Colleen Burton
Nick DiCeglie
Erin Grall
Stan McClain
Jason Pizzo
Ana Maria Rodriguez
Barbara Sharief
Keith Truenow
Senate Environment and Natural Resources
Ana Maria Rodriguez (Chair)
Debbie Mayfield (Vice Chair)
Kristen Arrington
Bryan Avila
Nick DiCeglie
Gayle Harrell
Tina Scott Polsky
Carlos Guillermo Smith
House Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee
John Snyder (Chair)
Adam Botana (Vice Chair)
Lisa Dunkley (Minority Ranking Member)
Jon Albert
Jose J. Alvarez
Webster Barnaby
Robin Bartleman
Yvette Benarroch
Dean Black
David Borrero
Nathan Boyles
Yvonne Hayes Hinson
Jim Mooney
Michelle Salzman
Meg Weinberger
House Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee
Adam Botana (Chair)
Jim Mooney (Vice Chair)
Kelly Skidmore (Minority Ranking Member)
Adam Anderson
Alex Andrade
Yvette Benarroch
Dean Black
Nathan Boyles
Bill Conerly
Lindsay Cross
Tom Fabricio
Richard Gentry
Randy Maggard
Monique Miller
MIchael Owen
Michele Rayner
Allison Tant
Debra Tendrich
