Florida lawmakers defy DeSantis in rift over state budget

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Florida lawmakers defy DeSantis in rift over state budget

2025-03-27 05:59 Last Updated At：06:01

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Once floated as the heir to Donald Trump’s GOP, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is used to getting his way in Tallahassee. He has wielded power like no other governor in the state’s recent history and enjoys a Republican supermajority in both chambers.

But as the governor approaches the end of his second term, that same supermajority is testing his power and checking his control over state spending and executive agencies, in a way DeSantis hasn't seen since he was elected in 2018.

For six years, DeSantis has kept lawmakers in line with his veto pen, bringing the statehouse’s then-leaders on stage in 2022 to stand behind him as he slashed $3 billion in the Legislature’s prized projects and smiled for the cameras.

“They may not be clapping about that,” DeSantis joked at the time, “but that’s just the way it goes.”

But when DeSantis returned to the Capitol for this year's session, he found an emboldened coequal branch of government willing to check and balance his power.

In recent weeks, Republicans and Democrats alike have grilled DeSantis administration officials on their spending, pushed legislation that would require agency heads live in the county where their department is headquartered, and advanced a proposal that would ban the use of state funds to advocate for or against a proposed constitutional amendment. That measure comes after DeSantis marshaled multiple state agencies to oppose two measures on the ballot in 2024 that would have legalized recreational marijuana and expanded abortion access.

Addressing his colleagues on the House floor Wednesday, Speaker Daniel Perez said “state government has a spending problem.”

“In the past, this House has justifiably called out local governments for misspending and mismanagement,” Perez said. “But we have been reluctant to turn our gaze on ourselves and hold state government to those same standards.”

Then, in another rebuke of DeSantis, the Florida House voted Wednesday to override the governor's vetoes of four items from last year's budget, totaling more than $5 million to help fund local water projects, a payroll system for state prisons and a program for veterans in crisis.

The veto overrides, which require a supermajority vote in both chambers, underscore lawmakers' willingness to push back against the popular Republican governor — and fiercely defend their own constitutional duty to craft the state's budget.

“This session, we have focused on restoring the institutional role of the Florida House of Representatives,” Perez said.

It is the second time that lawmakers have voted to override DeSantis' budget vetoes. The first came in January, when DeSantis called legislators back to the Capitol for a special session on immigration. In a bold act of defiance, lawmakers quickly tossed out the governor's proposals and laid out their own vision — and then voted to override his veto of $57 million for legislative support services, the first time in 15 years the Legislature had taken the move.

Republican state Rep. Michelle Salzman, who chaired one of the work groups overseeing the review of the governor's vetoes, called the process a “great opportunity."

“Many legislatures throughout America do this on a regular basis. So while it's something that we haven't done in a very, very, very long time, it's not something unique,” Salzman said. “It is the checks and balances of the government.”

Also on Wednesday, Perez announced a proposal for the state to permanently lower its sales tax from 6% to 5.25%, at a time when DeSantis has been pushing to roll back the state's property taxes.

Speaking to reporters, Perez voiced support for cutting property taxes. But he raised questions about how the governor's proposal could impact local services like fire departments and police forces.

“If the governor were to give us a proposal, we can have that conversation,” Perez said.

Democrats, who have long criticized the governor but are far outnumbered in the state Capitol, have cheered their Republican colleagues' willingness to exercise their independent authority in overriding the governor's vetoes.

“It’s great to see that the Legislature is flexing its coequal branch of government muscle,” Democratic state Rep. Kelly Skidmore told reporters.

The votes send a message to the governor, she said, “that you’re not in charge as much as you thought you were.”

The Golden Globes are tonight. Here's what to look for and how to watch and stream the show

The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. This year, is anyone ready to party?

Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night's 83rd Golden Globes. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros.

A celebratory mood might be even more elusive given that the wide majority of the performers and filmmakers congregating at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, oppose the policies of President Donald Trump. Likely to be on the minds of many attendees: the recent U.S. involvement in Venezuela and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Good in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

But through their ups and downs, the Globes have always tried to put pomp over politics. Host Nikki Glaser has vowed as much.

“You’d be surprised that half the room had no clue why I was saying ‘Venezuela,’” Glaser told The Associated Press earlier in the week, referring to her comedy-club warm-ups. “People aren’t getting the news like we all are.”

Glaser, a comic known for her roast appearances, has promised to go after A-listers in her second time hosting.

“We’re going to hit Leo,” Glaser said. “The icebergs are coming.”

Here’s what to look for at this year’s Globes:

The Golden Globes kick off at 8 p.m. EST on CBS while streaming live for Paramount+ premium subscribers. E!’s red carpet coverage begins at 6 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press will be have a livestream show beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern with a mix of stars' arrivals, fashion shots and celebrity interviews. It will be available on YouTube and APNews.

The overwhelming Oscar favorite “One Battle After Another” comes in with a leading nine nominations. It’s competing in the Globes’ musical or comedy category, which means the drama side might be more competitive. There, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” and Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” are all in the mix.

But thus far, “One Battle After Another” has cleaned up just about everywhere. Much of Paul Thomas Anderson’s cast is nominated, including DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti and Benicio Del Toro.

If it and “Sinners” take home the two biggest prizes, it will be a banner night for Warner Bros. even as its future hangs in the balance. The studio has agreed to be acquired by Netflix is a deal worth $82.7 billion. Movie theaters have warned such a result would be “a direct and irreversible negative impact on movie theaters around the world.”

The merger awaits regulatory approval, while Paramount Skydance is still trying to convince Warner shareholders to accept its rival offer.

After an audacious promotional tour for “Marty Supreme,” Timothée Chalamet is poised to win his first Globe in five nominations. In best actor, comedy or musical, he’ll have to beat DiCaprio, a three-time Globe winner, and Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”).

In best actress, comedy or musical, Rose Byrne is the favorite for her performance in the not especially funny A24 indie “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” One prominent nominee in the category, Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”), won’t be attending due to her schedule in the West End production “Dracula.”

Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”) is the clear front-runner in best actress, drama. In the star-studded best actor, drama, category, the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”) may win over Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”) and Joel Edgerton (“Train Dreams”).

In the supporting categories, Teyana Taylor and Stellan Skarsgård come in the favorites.

The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards. After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.

But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can really boost an Oscar campaign. Last year, that seemed to be the case for Demi Moore, who won for “The Substance” and gave the night's most emotional speech. Mikey Madison (“Anora”), however, scored the upset win at the Oscars.

A few potentially good moments this year went instead in a Golden Eve ceremony earlier this week. There, the Cecil B. DeMille and Carol Burnett honorees, Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker, accepted their awards.

One to watch, if he wins, will be the Iranian director Jafar Panahi. His revenge drama “It Was Just an Accident” is up for four awards. Panahi has spent most of his career making films clandestinely, without approval of authorities, and was until recently banned from leaving the country. Last month, he was sentenced to a year in prison, which would be only his latest stint behind bars if Panahi returns home to serve it. This week, protests over Iran’s ailing economy have spread throughout the country in a new test to Iran's leaders.

For the first time, the Globes are trotting out a new podcast category. The nominees are: “Armchair Expert,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “SmartLess” and “Up First.”

In TV, HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” — another potential big winner for Warner Bros. — leads with six nominations. Netflix’s “Adolescence” comes in with five nods.

But the most closely watched nominee might be “The Studio.” The first season of Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire memorably included an episode devoted to drama around a night at the Globes. (Sample line: “I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something.”) “The Studio” is up for three awards, giving three chances for life to imitate art.

For more coverage of this year’s Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards