Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) President and CEO Jeff Kottkamp released the following statement in response to Governor Ron DeSantis announcing his Fiscal Year 2026-27 state budget vetoes, totaling $1.7 billion, including nearly $810 million in line-item vetoes, according to his June 29, 2026, letter submitted to Florida Secretary of State.
"Florida TaxWatch reviewed this year's budget for FY2026-27 and identified 621 items totaling $829.7 million that qualified as 'Budget Turkeys' – appropriations that bypassed or violated established budget procedures or legislative and public scrutiny. In addition to projects that qualify as Budget Turkeys, Florida TaxWatch highlighted other areas in the budget, which included an additional 484 member projects totaling $441.1 million. The FY2026-27 budget included nearly 2,000 local member projects worth $2.7 billion. The vast majority of vetoed appropriations were member projects, and this is yet another indication that the member project process is out of control.
"Of the 621 appropriations worth $829.7 million that we identified as Budget Turkeys, Governor DeSantis vetoed 184 of them, which equate to $130.9 million in savings for hard-working Floridians and their families, as well as $98.8 million (158 items) of the $441.1 million in specific line-items we recommended he review with 'especially close scrutiny.' There were 342 projects Florida TaxWatch identified in the Turkey report, worth $229.7 million, that were ultimately vetoed by the Governor.
"While the Sunshine State continues to enjoy a AAA credit rating, with nearly $18 billion in reserves, we caution future legislatures to be prudent with taxpayer dollars. As noted in our Budget Turkey Report, we are particularly troubled by the proliferation of local member projects in the budget that do not address a statewide need or a need in a fiscally constrained county. We applaud the Governor for using his veto pen to eliminate many of the items we identified as 'Turkeys' from the budget. Florida TaxWatch will never stop advocating for the hardworking taxpayers of our state and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are allocated through a transparent, accountable, and deliberative process."
To access Florida TaxWatch's 2026 Budget Turkey Watch Report, please click here.
About Florida TaxWatch
As an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute, and the trusted "eyes and ears" of Florida taxpayers for more than 47 years, Florida TaxWatch (FTW) works to improve the productivity and accountability of Florida government. Its research recommends productivity enhancements and explains the statewide impact of fiscal and economic policies and practices on taxpayers and businesses. FTW is supported by its membership via voluntary, tax-deductible donations and private grants. Donations provide a solid, lasting foundation that has enabled FTW to bring about a more effective, responsive government that is more accountable to, and productive for, the taxpayers it has served since 1979. For more information, please visit floridataxwatch.org.