TALLAHASSEE — A wide-ranging tax cut bill from the Senate was expanded Monday to include exemptions on sales taxes on tickets for Association of Tennis Professionals tournaments.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the package (SB 7046), which initially projected $34.1 million in consumer savings by offering an end-of-the-year discount period for sales taxes on select hunting, fishing and camping goods – including guns and ammunition – that was created last year.
The package also expands the charter schools eligible to share in the distribution of school taxes collected from a voter-approved property tax levy, the source of tax dollars provided to “fiscally constrained” counties and bans government policies that establish net-zero policies regarding climate change.
In voting against the proposal, Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman said the language infringes on the home rule of local governments, particularly regarding net-zero policies, which seek to offset carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
“If a city wanted to have buses that are electric, under this net-zero policy they wouldn’t be able to promote that,” said Berman, D-Boca Raton. “The way the bill is worded you can’t give a preference for that.”
The House version of the bill (HB 7031) would put the hunting, fishing and camping sales tax “holiday” period from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, rather than the Sept. 7 start date in the Senate plan. The House proposal also shifts the back-to-school sales tax “holiday” from all of August to July 20 through August 20, and lifts some taxes for the full fiscal year on American-made beer and select firearm accessories including holsters, magazines, muzzle devices, sights and suppressors.
Subscribe to The Florida Jolt Newsletter!
Other pieces in the House measure amend the type of railroads that can qualify for the corporate income tax, exempts some property being leased for Space Florida projects, and reduces both the pari-mutuel tax on cardrooms and the tax on slot machine revenue.
The two proposals will be part of formal budget talks that have yet to begin with less than two weeks remaining in the scheduled regular session.
Another contentious part of the Senate bill would expand the types of charter schools that can receive money from a local sales tax increase ballot measure.
Democrats have expressed opposition to that provisions, but Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who presented the proposal on Monday, said charter schools tied to universities and colleges are not recognized in current state law regarding the distribution of the property tax levy.
“The policy of the state of Florida is that charter schools are public schools and that they should share in the same per-student funding that other public schools share in,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz said the bill includes a measure preventing the reassessment of property taxes when a home is bequeathed to a direct descendant, such as a child, grandchild or great-grandchild. Also, real estate listings would be required to post estimated property taxes.
The Senate proposal would lift taxes for three years on tickets to ATP Masters 1000 tournaments or any Women’s Tennis Association’s WTA 1000 tournaments.
Other parts of the bill prohibit local governments and special districts from imposing special assessments against more than 400 square feet of each RV parking space or campsite at RV parks and permanently exempt liquified petroleum gas tanks 20 pounds or less from sales taxes.
Other stories you may want to read:
John R. Smith: How Close Is Your Thinking to the Average Florida Voter?
- DeSantis Highlights ‘Personal Agenda’ of Lawmakers as Budget Stalls - March 11, 2026
- Broad Transit Packages On The Move - March 4, 2026
- Death Warrant Signed For Former Police Officer - March 2, 2026