Bruce Ritchie
House Republicans on Thursday defended their 2015-16 state budget on Amendment 1 spending before passing it through the chamber over Democratic opposition.
The $76.2 billion House budget includes $742 million as provided by voters in November for Amendment 1 for water and land conservation programs. Environmental groups say the budget ignores the voter intent of Amendment 1 by short-changing land acquisition.
House leaders say the budget includes $205 million in bonding for the Florida Forever land buying program including water resource development projects, springs protection and Kissimmee River restoration. But environmental groups argue the amount going toward Florida Forever is $10.5 million.
Rep. Matt Caldwell, a Republican from North Fort Myers, told House members he disagrees with environmentalists that the intent of Amendment 1 was to restore the $300 million spent annually on Florida Forever prior to 2008. He said supporting documents for Amendment 1 never called for $300 million, and the sponsoring committee, Florida’s Water and Land Legacy, only requested $170 million prior to the legislative session.
“What I take exception to, particularly from those outside of this chamber, is that we are not implementing the amendment,” Caldwell said. “Well, we are putting $742 million into a specific part of the budget specifically for Amendment 1 purposes. And we are spending it on purposes that were authorized by the amendment.
“I don’t know how you can take that as any other thing than implementing the amendment,” he said.
Caldwell said after the House adjourned that he was responding not to debate on the budget but newspaper editorials and columns along with emails and telephone calls from Amendment 1 supporters who want $300 million for land acquisition.
Will Abberger, chairman of Florida’s Water and Land Legacy, said the group had supported a budget amendment in the Senate to provide $300 million from bonding for the Florida Forever program. But that amendment by Sen. Thad Altman, a Republican from Melbourne, was withdrawn Wednesday.
The budget passed 86-29 over opposition from Democrats, who cited the minimum $300 million funding provided to Florida Forever and its predecessor program from 1990 until 2008.
“I don’t think we’ve put together a budget that reflects what the voters wanted,” Rep. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, the House Democratic leader, said after the vote.
Abberger said that like with the Senate budget, his group believes the House budget falls short on the Florida Forever program.
The Senate on Wednesday passed an $80.4 billion spending plan after adding $35 million for land acquisition. The proposed plan had included $2 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program.
Conference committee meetings will be held in an attempt to resolve the budget differences prior to the end of the 2015 Legislative Session on May 1.
Bruce Ritchie (@bruceritchie) covers environment, energy and growth management in Tallahassee.
