Ron DeSantis returns to Tallahassee as budget special session enters second week

Ron DeSantis flew from Space Coast Regional Airport to Tallahassee International Airport on May 13, a 44-minute hop aboard the state-owned Cessna Citation Latitude N943FL. The trip came the same afternoon he appeared at Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee to sign Senate Bill 2004, a measure aimed at cracking down on puppy mills, per a statement from the governor's office.

The return to the capital lands DeSantis in the middle of a special budget session now in its second week. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat and Yahoo News, the House, Senate, and Governor remain billions apart on spending plans ranging from $113.6 billion to $117.4 billion, with a July 1 deadline looming. This is the second consecutive year lawmakers have needed overtime to finalize a budget.

The flight is one of several recent hops between Tallahassee and South Florida. On May 12, DeSantis flew from Tallahassee to Palm Beach County and back, and on May 11 he shuttled between Tallahassee and Jacksonville. The pattern reflects a governor balancing bill-signing events in the southern part of the state with the legislative grind unfolding in the capital.