• The Florida House and Senate are at odds over budget proposals, tax cuts, and the inclusion of a research center named after Senator Darryl Rouson in a mental health bill (SB 1620).
• House Speaker Daniel Perez accused the Senate of 'emotional blackmail' by linking the Rouson center to the mental health bill, while Governor DeSantis criticized the House as the 'House of Pettiness'.
• The budget gap between the House and Senate is $4.4 billion, leading to a legislative session heading into overtime and potentially requiring a special session to resolve the spending plan.

The Florida Legislature is facing a significant budget impasse due to disagreements between the House and Senate. These disagreements extend to policy issues, including the funding and naming of a mental health research center after Senator Darryl Rouson. The House removed the Rouson center from Senate Bill 1620, leading to accusations of 'emotional blackmail' from the Speaker and a rebuke from Governor DeSantis who referred to the House as the 'House of Pettiness.' The failure to reach an agreement on total allocations for the budget has left talks between the House and Senate in limbo, with the legislative session heading into overtime.

• What: The Florida House and Senate are in conflict over the state budget and a mental health bill (SB 1620), specifically regarding the inclusion of a research center named after Senator Darryl Rouson.
• Who: Key individuals involved include Senator Darryl Rouson, House Speaker Daniel Perez, Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Ed Hooper, Senator Kathleen Passidomo, and Senator Rosalind Osgood.
• When: The events occurred leading up to and during the final days of the 60-day legislative session, ending May 2, 2025, with the session heading into overtime.
• Where: The events are taking place in the Florida Capitol, involving the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate.

The conflict between the Florida House and Senate reveals deep divisions in budget priorities and policy implementation. The dispute over the Rouson Center is symbolic of the larger struggle for power and influence between the chambers. Governor DeSantis' criticism of the House adds another layer of complexity to the situation. The failure to reach a budget agreement could have significant consequences for state programs and services. The accusations of 'emotional blackmail' and 'pettiness' highlight the increasingly partisan atmosphere in the Florida Legislature. The disagreement regarding tax cuts further complicates the budget negotiations, making it more challenging to reach a compromise.

I think the work of the commission is more important at this time.

Maybe this will be some indication why on Day 58 of this Session, we don’t have a budget agreement. This is what we deal with. We will make it right, or else.

But the action of the Senate today — to name a center after Senator Rouson as a means of emotionally blackmailing the House into doing what they want — is unconscionable. The comments of ‘or else’ were a threat to the Florida House and beneath the dignity of the Florida Senate.

The Florida House of Pettiness in all its glory…

It hurts. It hurts because I’m somebody in recovery.

The senators were rightfully outraged, but they should direct their outrage at their own chamber who made this move in an attempt to push a backdoor project and used the good senator’s legacy to do so

The Florida Legislature is facing a critical juncture as disagreements over the budget and key policy issues, particularly regarding mental health funding, have led to a stalemate. The conflict between the House and Senate, compounded by Governor DeSantis' criticism, underscores the deep divisions within the state government. The failure to reach a budget agreement necessitates either an extension of the session or a special session to resolve the spending plan, with potential implications for state programs and services. The future of the Rouson Center remains uncertain, pending further negotiations between the chambers.