2025 Budget Turkey Watch Report

An analysis of the transparency and accountability of the budget process

2025 Budget Turkey Watch Report Cover

Florida TaxWatch’s 2025 Budget Turkey Watch Report delivers an independent, line-by-line review of Florida’s conference budget worth $115.1 billion. It identifies 238 appropriations totaling over $413 million that bypassed established vetting procedures or public scrutiny—designating them as “Budget Turkeys”—and flags an additional $799.5 million in member projects that merit heightened executive review.

The analysis places these findings in the context of a 100-plus-day legislative session marked by deep policy disagreements, a historic budget impasse, and more than 1,600 local member projects exceeding $2 billion. It details how many of these projects circumvent competitive grant processes or displace funds from statewide priorities, cataloguing the most problematic categories: university and college construction, agricultural promotion facilities, local parks and boating projects, transportation earmarks, historic and cultural grants, and water-quality line items redirected to member-specific projects.

Florida TaxWatch recommends that the Governor rigorously evaluate each flagged appropriation for alignment with core state functions, transparency, and return on taxpayer investment—vetoing or redlining as necessary—and urges the Legislature to establish statutory, competitive selection processes for recurring project categories to restore accountability, protect statewide priorities, and ensure prudent fiscal stewardship.

Download Full Report (PDF)

Meet the Author:

Kurt Wenner
Kurt Wenner
Senior Vice President of Research
LinkedIn

Documents to download

Previous Article The Census Undercount’s Toll on Florida Roads
Next Article The Potential Impacts of New Tariffs on Florida’s Economy
Print
5907
4Upvote 0Downvote
«October 2025»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
2930
Interdisciplinary Pain Management As a Means to Help Address Solvency of the State Employees' Health Insurance Trust Fund

Interdisciplinary Pain Management As a Means to Help Address Solvency of the State Employees' Health Insurance Trust Fund

With the Trust Fund projected to face a nearly $1.7 billion shortfall by FY 2029-30 without action, Florida TaxWatch outlines a pragmatic path that reduces costs by treating pain more effectively—not just shifting them to employees.

Read more
1
Could Florida Experience a Significant Water Shortage?

Could Florida Experience a Significant Water Shortage?

New EDR projections show a widening state funding gap—more than $50 million in FY 2025-26—with total demand still trending upward through 2045.

Read more
23
New Labor Data Shows Weaker Labor Market Than Previously Expected

New Labor Data Shows Weaker Labor Market Than Previously Expected

Since January 2025, the federal interest rate has remained unchanged at 4.25 to 4.5 percent. The rates have been steady in hopes of curbing inflation and bringing it down to two percent, as unemployment numbers were not concerning until now. The latest revision data, however, will likely push the Federal Reserve to cut rates in their next meeting this month to 4.00 to 4.25 percent.

Read more
45
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829303112
3456789

Archive