February 2026 Legislative Session Report
As many of you know, I returned from Tallahassee at the end of last week. I was there representing both Gulfport and the Suncoast League of Cities alongside Jennifer Webb, who helps organize and strengthen the League’s advocacy on behalf of Suncoast municipalities. I’m grateful to Jennifer and the League for sponsoring the trip and for the important work they do ensuring we have a coordinated and effective voice in Tallahassee.
The Legislature is now in its fifth week of committee meetings, and week six may likely be the final week for House subcommittees. At this stage, the window for hearing bills narrows quickly, which means many bills will not be heard.
Both the House and Senate released their proposed budgets this week. Each comes in below the Governor’s recommended spending plan — by roughly $2.5 to $3.8 billion. Lawmakers will spend much of this week debating competing proposals. Per discussions, negotiations appear challenging, as the Senate has signaled it is not willing to trade policy positions for funding items. Meanwhile, the House is moving a number of bills toward the Senate knowing these are not the bills the Senate wishes to discuss.
As always, the legislative process itself is complex — bills continue moving through multiple committees, revisions, and negotiations, very often with rapidly changing agendas.
Jennifer and I met with senators, aides, and staff to discuss legislation affecting municipalities. Because schedules shifted frequently or delayed— reportedly due to the delay of the House budget — we were only able to attend two Senate committee hearings, both with extremely long agendas.
I’ll share some key issues we focused on:
Local Business Tax
When the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation stopped collecting these taxes, cities were assigned the responsibility. The tax helps support local oversight and safety practices. Without it, we lose an important public-safety tool.
Sovereign Immunity
This proposal increases the liability cap to $300,000 / $450,000, adjusts it for inflation after five years, ties it to CPI, and prohibits settlements above the cap. I testified on this bill in the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. If this fails, it could contribute to more frivolous lawsuits, insurance premium increases, and other concerning matters.
Post-Disaster Land-Use Regulations (SB 840)
This bill refines last year’s legislation affecting communities after hurricanes. It:
- restores key local planning authority
- focuses restrictions only on actions that delay repair or reconstruction
- removes the private right of action and one-sided attorney feesFe
- shortens the land-use freeze tied to recent storms
- shortens the sunset date June 30, 2026
Property Tax Proposals (HB/SB 213, 203, 209)
One of the largest remaining questions is property taxes.The property tax proposals may ultimately be moved into a special session.
As voters consider these proposals, it is important to be aware that property taxes fund essential local services, including:police and fire protection, code enforcement, parks, athletic fields and courts, senior programs, the recreation center, cultural facilities, trails, marinas, building services, stormwater systems, wastewater infrastructure, and more.
We could face the possibility of losing as much as a third of our revenue.
Why this matters
I have only referenced a few bills out of thousands. Many of the bills moving through Tallahassee directly affect how cities can operate. Some proposals limit home rule — our local decision-making — including zoning, land planning, spending authority, development review processes, impact fees, our services, and more. Some would require cities to meet added mandates without funding support from the state.
Staying aware and engaged during the legislative session is important. These updates are not abstract policy debates — they shape what services our city can provide and how decisions are made locally.
If you have questions about any legislation, please feel free to contact me and I will gladly share what I’ve learned.
I was also able to have a discussion with one of our lobbyists. They are working on three appropriations for us and shared that legislators are primarily focused on recovery at this time.