Long list of unresolved TED items bumped to budget Chairs

As lawmakers work to finalize the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, remaining items in the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development silo are being bumped to budget Chairs Ed Hooper and Lawrence McClure.

Here’s a look at where the biggest divisions remain.

The biggest dollar fights

The largest single dispute by dollar is a technical one. The Reed Act Project line in the Department of Commerce sits at $128.1 million in the House offer and at $770,650 in the Senate’s — a $127.3 million gap.

The largest substantive housing fight is the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) Innovative Housing program, administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, where the Senate is holding at $100 million in general revenue plus $12 million in trust authority. The House has it at zero. 

Three other big housing and economic development items remain unsettled. The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund — the Governor’s discretionary economic development tool — sits at $45 million in the Senate and just $5 million in the House, not surprising considering the House’s ongoing strife with Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Senate slots $71.5 million for housing and community development fixed capital outlay, with the House at $36.95 million. The Rural Infrastructure Fund within the proposed Office of Rural Prosperity gets $20 million in the Senate offer, while the House remains at $5 million.

Camp Blanding vs. the State Guard

Within the Department of Military Affairs, the House wants to invest roughly $50 million in Camp Blanding — the centerpiece being $40 million for an infrastructure project, with another $6.5 million for the base’s REVAMP program, $2 million in minor repairs, and a cluster of equipment additions. The Senate is at zero across all of it.

In the other direction, the Senate proposes funding the Florida State Guard at roughly $12 million — including 32 full-time-equivalent positions at $3.88 million, $3.9 million for training and recruitment resources, $3.6 million for operating expenses, and $601,000 for workload funding. The House is at zero across all of it.

Arts and culture

In the Department of State, the chambers are split on roughly $20 million in culture and museum funding. The House is offering $23 million for cultural and museum grants, with the Senate at $11.85 million. For Culture Builds Florida, the House wants $3.06 million while the Senate is at $1.63 million.

The House is proposing $5.09 million for the Cultural Facilities Program, with the Senate at $2.69 million. For Department of State local initiatives, the House wants $3.64 million, but the Senate is only offering $1.1 million.

Smaller budget differences

A handful of smaller items round out items yet to be reconciled. The Florida Highway Patrol’s Tactical Aviation Command sits at $4.96 million in the Senate and $0 in the House. The Senate wants $2 million for Florida Highway Patrol aviation support, while the House is at zero.

For the Statewide WebEOC initiative, the Senate is holding at $500,000, while the House wants more than $3.6 million. A line for the Division of Emergency Management’s enterprise business solution includes $3.3 million from the House but zero from the Senate. The Senate wants $800,000 and one full-time-equivalent position for the Department of State African American Heritage Preservation Network. The House is at zero.

Senate President Ben Albritton said in a memo Friday the conference is “proceeding very well” and that lawmakers are on track for a vote on the final budget the week of Memorial Day. Hooper and McClure plan to work through the weekend with staff to prepare offers for consideration early next week. No conference meetings will be held before 10 a.m. Monday.

“It takes time to reorganize after the bump,” Albritton wrote.

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Ed. note: This story was drafted with assistance from AI. Editorial judgment, sourcing, and final review were performed by Peter Schorsch and the Florida Politics editorial team.