2025 Budget Turkey Watch Report

An analysis of the transparency and accountability of the budget process

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps, Budget Turkeys

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 $413.5 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 Census Undercount’s Toll on Florida Roads

/ Categories: Research, Census, Transportation, Census Institute

In 2020, Florida was one of six states with a statistically significant census undercount. Florida failed to count 3.48 percent of its total population (750,000 residents). The census count is used to apportion legislative seats and allocate federal funding. Florida’s census undercount cost the state at least one—potentially two—congressional seats and up to $21 billion in federal funding through the end of the decade.

Florida Economic Forecast: Q1 2025

2024-2030

Florida's economy has been growing to new heights these past years -- reaching nearly $1.5 trillion. The Q1 2025 economic forecast by Florida TaxWatch examines key trends in population growth, employment, income, GDP, and tourism, offering valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and taxpayers.

Florida TaxWatch 2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Pre-Budget Edition

Florida TaxWatch’s 2025 Legislative Session Wrap-Up report provides a concise but comprehensive overview of the extraordinary budget impasse that extended this year’s session to June 6, 2025, the narrow scope of allowed legislation (including the General Appropriations Act, budget conforming bills, the House and Senate tax packages, and the Rural Renaissance bill), and the high-stakes negotiations that will resume on May 12 in conference committee.

Taxpayer Independence Day 2025

/ Categories: Research, Local Government

Florida TaxWatch’s Florida Taxpayer Independence Day 2025 report commemorates the symbolic April 21 date when the average Floridian has earned enough to satisfy all federal, state, and local tax obligations. In 2025, Floridians spend 110 days—until 11:24 a.m.—paying taxes each year before they begin earning for themselves.

Extending the Local Communication Services Tax Increase Moratorium and a Sales Tax Exemption for Broadband Equipment Should be Part of Any Tax Relief Package this Session

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps

Florida TaxWatch's CST and Broadband Equipment report examines the impact of the high Communications Services Tax (CST) on broadband infrastructure investment and consumer expenses. The report details how Florida’s current CST ranks among the highest in the nation and explores its effects on both businesses and low-income households, who are particularly vulnerable to the disproportionate burden of such taxes on essential wireless services.

Fair Share Taxes Driven Away by Electric Vehicles

/ Categories: Research, Transportation

Proposed solutions include redistributing a portion of the sales tax collected at EV charging stations to the STTF and adopting a hybrid approach that combines higher registration fees with targeted EV taxes. These proposals aim to ensure that all drivers contribute their “fair share” toward maintaining Florida’s transportation infrastructure in the face of rapid technological change.

The Voter Guide for the City of North Port’s May 13, 2025 Referendum

/ Categories: Research, Local Government, Voter Guides

The City of North Port, Florida's second fastest growing city in the United States, faces significant challenges from rapid urbanization, population growth, and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ian's devastating impact in 2022. This Florida TaxWatch report examines the implications of the May 13, 2025 special election referendum, which asks voters to decide on several critical municipal issues.

Using Microelectronic Sensors to Continuously Monitor Vertical Infrastructure

/ Categories: Research

This Florida TaxWatch report explores how microelectronic smart sensor networks can proactively monitor vertical infrastructure to detect issues such as structural fatigue, corrosion, or damage before they lead to catastrophic failures, as seen in the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse (98 deaths) and the 2018 Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse (6 deaths).

The What, Why, and How of the Florida TaxWatch Budget Turkey Watch Report

Legislator Resource

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps, Budget Turkeys

Florida TaxWatch’s annual Budget Turkey Watch Report for 2025 meticulously examines the state budget to identify appropriations that deviate from sound fiscal management principles. Below is an expanded overview of what Budget Turkeys are, why they are identified, and how they are determined.

Despite Uncertainty and Significant Downside Risk, Florida’s New General Revenue Forecast Adds $1.3 Billion to the Money Available for the New Budget

Budget Watch | March 2025

/ Categories: Research, Budget/Approps

Florida TaxWatch’s Budget Watch report for March 2025 examines the state’s updated General Revenue forecast, which adds approximately $1.3 billion to the money available for the new state budget. After a long streak of collections exceeding estimates, January’s shortfall signals a shift amid mounting economic uncertainty.

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Q2 2019 Broward Schools SMART Program Report Review

Distributed to the Bond Oversight Committee on February 25, 2019, this report examines the SMART program quarterly report for Q2 of FY2019.

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An Analysis of Point-of-Care Testing & Treatment for Influenza, Influenza-Like Illness, and Group A Streptococcus

Point-of-care tests are simple medical tests that can be conducted at or near the point of care. Point-of-care tests bring the test immediately and conveniently to the patient. Legislation has been proposed that would permit pharmacists to diagnose and treat influenza and strep at community pharmacies, using point-of-care tests that have approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. TaxWatch undertakes this independent analysis of point-of-care testing and treatment of influenza and strep at the at the request of Representative Rene Plasencia, the sponsor of the proposed House legislation.

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Palliative Care in Florida: Challenges and Options for Florida's Future

This report, part of a series of TaxWatch research reports on long-term care, focuses on the benefits of palliative care and opportunities to increase use of these services in Florida. From our research, it is clear that community-based palliative care warrants special attention as a distinct and promising healthcare service. 

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Truth in Property Taxation Can be Hard to Come By

The TRIM process is a vital taxpayer protection tool and we should continually strive to make it better. Lessening the ability of taxpayers to access this information weakens the law. Taxpayers deserve to get concise, accurate and unvarnished information about how local government decisions affect the property taxes that they pay.

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Independent Assessment of the Economic Impacts of the Florida College System

On January 30th, 2019, Governor DeSantis signed an Executive Order establishing the goal to make Florida number 1 in the U.S. for workforce education by 2030 and to ensure that Florida students are ready for high-demand, high-wage jobs. In this report, TaxWatch takes a fresh look at the return on investment of the Florida College System.

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Budget Watch - New GR Estimates Reduced Slightly

The eagerly awaited final General Revenue (GR) estimates to be used for the next state budget are out. Legislators and appropriations lobbyists were hoping for an infusion of cash to ease a tight budget year, made even tighter by hurricane-related costs and the competing costly priorities of the Governor and legislative leaders. Well, that did not happen. The estimates did not change much, decreasing by a total of $7.4 million.

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The True Cost Of Public Education In Florida 2.0

Per-student spending is an easy-to-use measure by which taxpayers can evaluate public school spending and efficiency. Most taxpayers, however, have little or no idea how much is spent per student in public schools. The most commonly reported per-student spending figures in Florida are based solely on funding provided through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). For the 2017-18 school year, Florida public schools would have spent an average of $7,307 “per student” in FEFP funding. TaxWatch research shows that this is not, in fact, the true cost of education in Florida.

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Reducing the Communications Services Tax Would Provide Relief to Virtually All Florida Families and Businesses; Florida’s High Tax Rate is Punitive, Distortionary, and Non-Competitive

Since the enactment of the Communications Services Tax (CST) Simplification Act in 2001, Florida TaxWatch has released several reports recommending that the Legislature reduce this burdensome and highly regressive tax on consumers. Florida’s CST is very high, relative to both other states and the sales tax on the purchase of other goods. This high rate makes the tax punitive and distortionary, and makes the state less competitive than other states, including the potential for reducing investment in broadband network infrastructure. 

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The Future of Florida’s Film Industry is in the Hands of the Legislature

Imagine that you are a producer, scouting locations for your new tv show. You need a sunny climate with easy access to beaches. Your network has green-lit a full first season, and you need somewhere to set up shop. You don’t have an unlimited budget, though, so you have to make the call based on what location gives you the best balance of cost and atmosphere. Are you coming to Florida?

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