The Swampy Catch-Up: April 23-May 2, 2025

Budget Battle Finalized

The $115.6 billion HB 5001 budget dominated the session’s end. By April 25, House and Senate conference committees finalized details—Gov. Ron DeSantis sought property tax cuts, but lawmakers prioritized sales tax holidays, including exemptions for firearms and ammunition. The Senate passed it 39-0 on April 29, and the House followed 105-3 on April 30, securing funds for salaries, hurricane recovery, and DeSantis’ priorities like law enforcement raises (flsenate.gov). DeSantis signed it May 1, though tensions lingered—House Speaker Daniel Perez had accused him of “temper tantrums” earlier (April 16).

Child Labor Laws Passed

HB 317/SB 830, relaxing restrictions on teen employment, cleared hurdles. The Senate Rules Committee advanced SB 830 on April 23, and the Senate passed it 37-2 on April 25, allowing 13-year-olds to work summer jobs and 14-year-olds to work until midnight on school nights (flsenate.gov). The House approved HB 317 on April 24 (78-34). Signed into law April 30, effective July 1, 2025, it’s a win for businesses but raised concerns about school performance.

Gun Laws Expanded

HB 759/SB 814, lowering the rifle purchase age to 18 and permitting campus carry, moved swiftly. The Senate passed SB 814 on April 24 (28-11), and the House approved HB 759 on April 25 (76-38) (flsenate.gov). DeSantis signed both on April 30, expanding Second Amendment rights. HB 15/SB 190, requiring secure handgun storage in vehicles and vessels, stalled in committees without a vote (flhouse.gov).

Condo Reforms Enacted

SB 1742, addressing post-Surfside (2021) condo financial burdens, passed the Senate on April 22 (39-0) and the House on April 24 (88-26) (flsenate.gov). Signed into law April 29, it eases repair cost burdens for condo owners, though delays in House action drew criticism.

Development Bills: Wins and Losses

• SB 110 – Rural Renaissance: Sen. Corey Simon’s $200 million plan for rural housing, roads, and a Prosperity Office was incorporated into the House’s tax package on April 21 and passed with HB 5001 (flsenate.gov). It’s funded, effective July 1, 2025, promising rural growth but raising concerns about overdevelopment.

• SB 1118 – Land-Use Shift: This bill, transferring zoning power to the state and banning local land-use votes since 2011, remained stalled in the House since March 22 and died without a vote (flhouse.gov). Local governments dodged a potential sprawl increase.

• HB 771/SB 432 – Local Assessments: These bills, prohibiting special assessments for infrastructure like sewers or sidewalks, saw no action and expired in committees (flhouse.gov). Local funding for projects remains intact for now.

County Commissioner Term Limits

Outcome: SJR 802 stalled after the Senate Community Affairs Committee—no floor vote by session’s end on May 2 (flsenate.gov). HJR 679 passed the House but died in the Senate, failing to align with SJR 802 (WUSF, April 18, 2025). The constitutional amendment didn’t make the 2026 ballot—county commissioners dodged the limit for now.

Past Efforts: A Mixed Bag

This wasn’t the first swamp skirmish over commissioner term limits:

• 2023 Session – SB 1110/HB 477: Sen. Ingoglia’s SB 1110 proposed eight-year term limits for commissioners, retroactive to November 2022, but died in the Senate Rules Committee. The House’s HB 477 focused only on school board limits (eight years), which passed into law (Florida Association of Counties, April 23, 2023). No commissioner limits enacted.

• 2024 Session – SB 438/HB 57: Ingoglia and Salzman tried again. HB 57 started with eight-year limits, amended to 12, then reverted to eight to match SB 438. It required counties like Broward, Lee, and Polk (with 12-year charter limits) to vote on eight-year caps in November 2024. HB 57 passed the House State Affairs Committee but died on the House’s Second Reading Calendar (flhouse.gov; WUSF, February 15, 2024). SB 438 was postponed in Senate Rules and expired (Florida Politics, February 28, 2024).

Why It Keeps Fizzling

The push for county commissioner term limits faces swampy resistance:

• Local Control: The Florida Association of Counties and commissioners like Leon’s David O’Keefe and Wakulla’s Ralph Thomas argue voters should decide locally, not via state mandate. Twelve of Florida’s 20 charter counties already have eight- or 12-year limits, but most (especially rural ones) don’t (News4Jax, March 17, 2025).

• Incumbent Power: Long-serving commissioners, like Leon’s Bill Proctor (elected 1996), say competition keeps them sharp—term limits just clear the way for lawmakers eyein’ cushy commissioner salaries (WFSU, January 28, 2024).

• Legislative Split: Hardline conservatives (Ingoglia’s camp) insist on eight years, but moderates and Senate holdouts prefer flexibility or local choice, tanking consensus (Florida Politics, February 28, 2024).

Funnies to Lighten the Load

• Goat Bandit Cameo: A Volusia County incident involving a naked man stealing a motorcycle with a pet goat (April 15, WESH) snuck into April 23 budget talks—a House rep jested, “Fund goat pens, not just guns!”

• Mullet Man’s Legacy: The March 25 cloud-seeding rant for SB 56 (signed April 10) lingered—Senate floor chatter on April 24 referenced “Sky King” and Eye-Rollin’ Gertie’s exasperated look as session fatigue set in.

The Stinky Wrap-Up

The session closed May 2 with HB 5001 funded, HB 317/SB 830 putting teens to work, HB 759/SB 814 expanding gun rights, and SB 1742 aiding condos. SB 110 boosted rural areas, AND SB 1118 flopped. DeSantis’ budget clash and goat bandit quips kept it lively. The swamp’s quiet now—2026 looms! #SwampScoop