Heat, lightning in air as economic development funding flies

Two $10 million line items were at issue in Sunday’s meeting of Transportation & Economic Development budget conference panel, the third this weekend as lawmakers from both chambers of the Legislature sit down to hash out their considerable budget differences.

The controversial public-private “All Aboard Florida” rail plan favored by Gov. Rick Scott made progress in securing full funding, as $10 million was agreed to for a “Quiet Zone Improvements Grant Program” that would help mitigate noise along the proposed tracks that would bolster passenger rail in South Florida.

The Senate adopted the House position on the grants, bringing this year’s total spending for rail development and related grants to $191.4 million.

Not every item was so agreeable.

The House in its initial offer — which the Senate responded to in Sunday’s sole meeting of the panel — budgeted another $10 million for Space Florida. The program induces businesses to set up shop near Cape Canaveral and the Space Coast, which as panel co-chair Rep. Clay Ingram noted, was adversely effected by the recent loss of federal money for the NASA shuttle program.

“$10 million is what ya call real money,” said Latvala on Sunday, objecting to the addition of such a large expenditure so late in the process.

“I don’t think the Senate will be comfortable agreeing to that particular item until we get some more information,” Latvala told Ingram.

Latvala later told assembled reporters that “there won’t be many bump issues in this committee, but that may be one of them,” referring to Space Florida funding, now amounting to almost $30 million in the House’s budget proposal.

An area of concern for two panel Democrats was the “cultural facilities” program, administered through grants to local governments and entities.

Rep. David Richardson expressed dismay at its current $5 million level of funding, below last year’s base appropriation. The money goes to a list of projects scored and ranked by the Department of State and disbursed in order of priority.

Latvala explained that last year’s higher total was the result of a post-budget “bump” move by presiding officers, who had money left over after finalizing the budget — “sprinkles from heaven,” he later called it — and suggested that “lightning could strike again.”

“I just want some lightning to strike on this side of the table,” responded Miami-Dade’s Richardson, desirous of cultural dollars for South Florida.

Latvala’s Zeus-like response:

“I think that can be arranged.”