Update — 7:30 p.m. May 14, 2026

The Senate and House moved closer Thursday evening on wastewater funding and Everglades restoration, though significant gaps remain on other major environmental spending lines.

The chambers aligned on wastewater grants at $350 million, with the House more than doubling its original $175.3 million offer and the Senate trimming its set-aside slightly from $360 million.

Both chambers have agreed, too, on North and South funding for the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) at $25.7 million combined, the Western Everglades Restoration Project at $20 million, and Deepwater Horizon restoration at $77.6 million.

There was also major progress on the EAA Reservoir component of the CEPP, with the House coming up from zero to $249.3 million while the Senate held at $424.7 million.

But neither chamber, so far, has budged from its spending position on flooding and sea-level-rise, with the House sticking to $160 million and the Senate holding onto a $50 million proposal.

The Ocklawaha River Restoration remains unresolved as well, with the Senate easing slightly from $69.6 million to $65.5 million while the House continues to offer nothing.

Asked whether there was a specific dollar amount lawmakers hoped to land on for all Everglades-related funding, Sen. Jason Brodeur, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government, said no.

“We keep getting a lot closer, so that’s better,” he told reporters after meetings broke for the night. “If you watch the ping-pong back-and-forth, at some point we’re going to get pretty close to where we’re going to land it.”

Rep. John Snyder, Chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee, nodded subtly in agreement.

Total Department of Environmental Protection spending is close to equal, with the House at $2.5 billion and the Senate at $2.49 billion.

___

Original report — 7 p.m. May 12, 2026

Senate budget negotiators reoriented the chamber’s environmental and infrastructure spending priorities in their opening offer to the House, shifting hundreds of millions of dollars between wastewater projects, Everglades restoration efforts and other water programs while keeping overall environmental spending largely intact.

The Senate’s first offer in budget conference negotiations boosted funding for statewide wastewater grants by $235 million above its original proposal, raising the total from $125 million to $360 million.

The House, by comparison, is offering $175.3 million.

Senate negotiators also eliminated a separate $154.2 million line item for water projects that appeared in the Senate’s initial budget plan, matching the House proposal.

The changes, made Tuesday afternoon, came hours into a budget Special Session expected to run 18 days through May 29. Lawmakers failed to get the state spending plan — the only legislation they’re constitutionally required to pass each year — across the finish line during the regular Session that ended March 13.

Some of the most significant water-related shifts involve Everglades restoration and related environmental projects.

The Senate increased proposed funding for Ocklawaha River restoration from $15 million in the chamber’s original budget to nearly $69.6 million in the conference offer.

Another major increase came in funding tied to the Central Everglades Planning Project’s (CEPP) EAA Reservoir component, for which the Senate boosted funding from about $365 million to nearly $424.7 million.

The House offered $0 to that line item.

Senate negotiators also sharply reduced funding for CEPP North, the project’s northern component, cutting 2026-27 funding for the proposal from roughly $70.4 million to about $10.7 million.

Funding fell significantly, too, for the Western Everglades Restoration Project that broke ground in July 2024, dropping from about $58.6 million in the Senate’s original budget to $20 million in the latest offer.

But the Senate restored full funding for restoration projects connected to BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, increasing the proposed set-aside from roughly $19.4 million to $77.6 million.

Senate funding for statewide flood and sea-level-rise projects was also cut in half, falling from $100 million in the chamber’s original proposal to $50 million in the conference offer. The House is holding steady at $160 million for that category.

The Senate’s reallocations Tuesday increased its proposed budget for the Department of Environmental Protection from roughly $2.3 billion initially to $2.46 billion by the time negotiators walked away from the table for the day.

The House, so far, has not budged from its comparatively modest $1.73 billion offer.

The post Budget conference: Senate, House flow closer on Everglades, flooding, wastewater spending appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..