Florida Legislature 2026: At least a billionaire got his waterslide

In this episode: Florida’s 2026 legislative session ends with one more development showdown on the floor of the Florida Senate, a weaker-than-expected deal on data centers, and a bunch of big decisions punted to a special session on the state budget that will be held later this spring. A recap of 60th and final day of the Florida Legislature’s 2026 session.

Show notes:

The bills discussed in today’s show:

Senate Bill 628 — Traffic Facility Designations

Passed the Senate by a 31-4 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)

House Bill 1451 — Utility Services

Passed the Senate by a 30-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)

House Bill 1279 — Education

Passed the Senate by a 36-1 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 81-16 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor

House Bill 905 — Foreign Influence

Passed the House of Representatives by an 83-17 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor

Senate Bill 484 — Data Centers

Passed the Senate by a 31-6 vote and now goes to the governor (vote sheet)

House Bill 399 — Land Use and Development Regulation

Passed the Senate by a 27-11 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by a 73-27 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.

Fontainebleau amendment to HB 399

Failed to pass the Senate by a 17-20 vote (vote sheet)

Rural boundaries amendment to HB 399

Failed to pass the Senate by a voice vote

Senate Bill 180 amendment to HB 399

Ruled out of order by House Republican leadership

Senate Bill 7044 — Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund/Executive Office of the Governor

Passed the Senate by a 29-7 vote (vote sheet) and the House of Representatives by an 80-20 vote (vote sheet) and now goes to the governor.

The stories discussed in today’s podcast:

Florida lawmakers clear path for Fontainebleau water park despite opposition

A developer wants to build a giant data center in Palm Beach — after lobbying for a tax break in Tallahassee

Buried in the budget: Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump and Newsmax

A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments

Landowner behind ‘Blue Ribbon Projects’ bill gave $300K to Florida leaders before session began, records show

A gun company gave lots of money to Florida lawmakers. Now it’s lobbying for legal immunity.

Gun money in the Florida Legislature

Florida politicians may give Big Sugar legal power to go after activists and silence critics

They said they wanted to help farmers. They really wanted to hurt environmentalists.

Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com

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