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Michael MolineJune 7, 2017

That deal everyone assumed Gov. Rick Scott struck with legislative leaders to ensure a smooth special session? It didn’t exist. At least, it didn’t include Senate President Joe Negron. Scott invited him to Friday’s press conference held to announce that he was calling a three-day special session on education, Visit Florida, and Enterprise Florida, Negron said […]

Ryan RayJune 16, 2015

At a final budget conference meeting that began at the tender hour of 11:05 p.m. and ran until nearly midnight, state budget writers failed to fully address new state funding for hospitals — the primary impetus for the June special Session to begin with. But they did find time to load up the budget with […]

Ryan RayJune 11, 2015

Thursday morning the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee ruled that the state’s “communications services tax” — currently undergoing revision in the Legislature’s budget talks — is unconstitutional. Judge L. Clayton Roberts, writing for the majority in a 20-page opinion, ruled that the CST contravenes state law because it unfairly favors cable providers in […]

Staff ReportsJune 10, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott, who faced a deadline on 56 bills presented to him by the Legislature by today, signed 55 of them into law today. See below for a list of the bills that made the cut, per a news release from Scott’s office: HB 21 Substance Abuse Services – This bill establishes a voluntary […]

Staff ReportsJune 10, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner announced a few programming notes after a more or less pro forma floor Session late Wednesday morning. Among them: The 6 o’clock rule — which has been broken a handful of times this conference season, including an 8:45 meeting of the Education budget panel — remains in effect whether budget chiefs Richard Corcoran and Tom Lee come to […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 10, 2015

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center — included in the list of hospitals with some of the highest Medicare charges in the nation — could get a $1 million gift from the Florida Legislature. House and budget health care conferees on Tuesday made their best and last offer to settle differences between the House and Senate […]

Ryan RayJune 9, 2015

The presiding officers of the Legislature’s two chambers, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, made a show of unity Tuesday after a turbulent beginning to 2015 Special Session A. They issuing a joint statement early Tuesday afternoon saying they will allow budget conference subchairs to continue to work out their differences rather than have leadership […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 8, 2015

As lawmakers work on a 2015-16 spending plan with a $1 billion Low Income Pool for health care spending, Gov. Rick Scott continues to push for more money and is looking to the courts to help him get it. On Monday, attorneys for the governor filed a five-page motion with the federal court in Pensacola […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 7, 2015

Florida legislators over the weekend tried to hammer out budget decisions on everything from hospital spending to money for Everglades restoration. But as they slogged through spreadsheets, proviso language and dollar amounts, fault lines quickly developed between the House and Senate over everything from member-backed projects, education policy and whether to borrow money to pay […]

Ryan RayJune 7, 2015

Tallahassee’s withering June heat seems to have made sunshine fashionable again in the Florida Capitol. As House and Senate lawmakers conferred during the weekend to reconcile their disparate budget proposals, transparency was the tool of choice for certain key budget writers. Going against the usual appropriations grain where budget priorities are wheeled and dealt among […]

Tag: 2015 special Session A

As Special session opens, the Florida Senate asserts its prerogatives

In last-minute budget talks, lawmakers add some $300+ million in new spending in dark of night

Appellate court rules state communications tax unconstitutional

Rick Scott signs raft of 55 bills into law

Andy Gardiner lays out Senate schedule for rest of Session

NW Florida hospital with high Medicare mark-ups could get $1 million from Legislature

Andy Gardiner, Steve Crisafulli agree in joint statement to extend budget conference

Rick Scott demands mediation in Medicaid lawsuit with feds as lawmakers craft budget

House, Senate remain divided over major budget items

Jack Latvala, budget writers “horse trading in public” on member projects funding