Speaker Perez announces framework for budget deal and session extension; calls tax cut "historic"

Summary

Speaker Daniel Perez told the House the House and Senate have a framework for a budget deal that would include a $2.8 billion tax cut—$2.5 billion recurring—and a $1.6 billion recurring sales tax cut; he also announced a concurrent resolution extending the session and asked members to prepare for conference committee meetings the week of May 12.

Speaker Daniel Perez announced on the House floor that the House and Senate have reached a framework for a budget deal and asked members to remain in Tallahassee for conference committee work.

On the floor, Perez described the deal as “historic” and said the package would include a $2.8 billion tax cut, $2.5 billion of which would be recurring, with $1.6 billion recurring from a sales‑tax cut. "This will be the largest tax cut in the history of Florida," Perez said, and added the state would become “the only state in the history of The United States to permanently cut a sales tax.” He asked members to plan to be in Tallahassee the week of May 12 and supported Representative Garrison’s House concurrent resolution (HCR 1631) to extend the regular session to June 6 for conference work.

Perez told members he preferred to “get it right” rather than “do it fast,” and urged active participation in conference committees; he said the package will be lower than the governor’s budget and will reflect House priorities. The House adopted HCR 1631 by voice vote and later resumed message work.