TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Senate unanimously passed a $95 billion budget and will now have to work out differences with the House.
The spending proposal passed Wednesday is $2 billion below the House's $97 billion budget, which is expected to be approved Thursday.
The Senate proposal is almost $3 billion more than the state’s current budget, a reflection of an economy that’s bounced back from the coronavirus pandemic quicker than expect.
While there are program cuts, there might be wiggle room to increase spending. State economists earlier in the week predicted Florida will collect about $2 billion more than previously expected, and the budget doesn’t factor in $10 billion in federal relief money.