Jim Turner - News Service of Florida

The Senate on Friday released a proposed $117.36 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year that includes $200 million directed toward the citrus industry.

Gov. Ron DeSantis argues that Floridians would prefer reducing homeowners' property taxes over a proposal by Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez for a sales-tax cut.

Perez equated a 2022 law that provided exemptions to public-records and public-meetings laws for presidential searches to a “spoil system,” which he said the House bill (HB 1321) seeks to rectify.

The wide-ranging bill, HB 1535, looks to address hurricane-related issues from shelter regulations to directing how cranes are positioned when storms approach landfall.

Lawmakers will use the estimates to craft the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget, which will take effect July 1.

Both proposals are named after Lucy Fernandez, a 17-year-old killed in 2022 when a 29-foot boat she and 13 others were on hit a channel marker near Boca Chita Key.

Legislation under consideration would rename the Gulf of Mexico in 52 sections of state laws. A separate bill would require schools to begin acquiring instructional and library materials that reflect the change.

Before any votes occur, legislators are expected to seek feedback from local governments on the economic effects of cutting proprty taxes.

State port officials say they can attract more cargo companies if they can add drydock storage space, and rail and road improvements to haul items to markets.

Jeanette Nunez, a former House member from Miami who was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ running mate in 2018 and 2022, will make an annual base salary of $850,000 at FIU, her alma mater, and Adam Hasner will make a base salary of $875,000 at FAU.