“Florida Legislature Back at Work on the 2026 Budget” This is Something to Think About 05.13.26

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“Florida Legislature Back at Work on the 2026 Budget”

Bill Bunkley’s “This Is Something to Think About”

Air Date Wednesday, May 13, 2026

The Florida Legislature is back in session, set to tackle the fiscal budget for 2026- 2027. It is unfinished business from the regular 60-day session of the Legislature from back at the beginning of the year.

They must complete the budget by July 1, 2026, to meet Florida Constitutional requirements. If not, the Florida government would be shut down.

The Florida Senate is proposing a $115 billion budget, while the Florida House is proposing $113.6 billion, about $1.4 billion less than the Senate.

Now it's up to the leadership in both chambers to agree on a compromise on the $1.4 billion difference between the House and Senate. Once the overall number is hammered out, individual lawmakers from each chamber will begin negotiating each line item in the budget.

Bill Bunkley is a 20-year veteran Salem Media talk show host based in Tampa. The Bill Bunkley Show airs on weekdays from 3 to 5 pm across central Florida. Bill is also President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention (Southern Baptist Convention Churches), among other churches and entities. He has served as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 30 years at the state capitol in Tallahassee. By the Grace of his Lord Jesus, he is a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018 with AML Leukemia, having successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant that same year. In 2025, he underwent successful open-heart surgery to repair a heart valve. His wife is Toni, his son is Zac, and he attends Idlewild Baptist Church.

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