2024 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up

The 2024 Florida Legislative Session Wrap-Up provides a comprehensive overview of the key bills and budget issues addressed during the session. Lawmakers passed a $117.5 billion budget, which includes over $1 billion in tax relief measures and leaves nearly $10 billion in total reserves. The session also saw the passage of significant legislation in areas such as healthcare, education, insurance, and the environment.

Highlights include the "Live Healthy Act" to address healthcare workforce shortages, school choice expansion, property insurance reforms, and major investments in water quality and conservation. The budget funds pay raises for state employees and teachers, increases per-student funding, and supports affordable housing initiatives. A record number of local member projects, totaling $2.8 billion, were also included.

This in-depth analysis covers the bills and budget issues that passed, as well as noteworthy legislation that did not pass. It provides valuable insights into the priorities and actions of the 2024 Florida Legislature, making it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current state of Florida policy and its potential impacts on taxpayers and residents.

Documents to download

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Florida’s Space Coast is Well-Positioned to Dominate the Future of the Aerospace Industry

Florida’s Space Coast is Well-Positioned to Dominate the Future of the Aerospace Industry

For more than 60 years, Florida’s Space Coast—anchored by Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS)—has served as a premier gateway to space, driving tourism, high-tech jobs, and statewide economic output. After major federal program shifts in the 2010s led to significant regional job losses, Florida’s modern commercial-space resurgence—supported by Space Florida’s strategy to diversify the supply chain, modernize infrastructure, and attract private capital—has positioned the Space Coast to lead the next era of aerospace growth.

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New General Revenue Forecast Adds $572.5 Million for the Next Budget

New General Revenue Forecast Adds $572.5 Million for the Next Budget

The General Revenue (GR) Estimating Conference met on January 23 to adopt Florida’s latest GR forecast—the estimate that tells lawmakers how much is available for the next state budget. The updated forecast adds $572.5 million to the amount available for the upcoming budget year, but while meaningful, it amounts to only about one percent of total GR collections.

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Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk

Clearwater’s Plan to Establish Its Own Municipal Electric Utility Puts Taxpayers at Risk

Florida TaxWatch examines the City of Clearwater’s plan to acquire Duke Energy Florida’s electric distribution assets and establish a municipal electric utility (MEU) in response to concerns over electric rates and service quality. While the City’s feasibility study projects modest short-term rate savings, Florida TaxWatch finds those projections rely on unrealistic assumptions—most notably an “overnight” conversion that ignores the likely decade-long, costly eminent domain process required to acquire Duke’s assets. Drawing on national municipalization case studies, the report highlights high failure rates, underestimated acquisition and severance costs, loss of economies of scale, and substantial financial exposure for taxpayers. Florida TaxWatch concludes that the proposed MEU represents a high-risk endeavor with limited upside and recommends the City pursue a renegotiated franchise agreement with Duke Energy Florida as a more prudent path forward.

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