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Michael MolineJune 9, 2017

The Senate has teed up a compromise school-funding bill designed to help send the Legislature home from its special session. But the senators held off a final vote until the House makes good on its promise to OK an economic development bill that contains $60 million in higher education projects. The Senate passed the latter […]

Michael MolineJune 8, 2017

Senate President Joe Negron insisted Thursday, for the second time in as many days, that he emphatically was not party to any deal between Gov. Rick Scott and the House over public education spending and economic incentives. Any suggestion otherwise, Negron told reporters following the day’s Senate session, is a “false narrative.” There is evidence, he […]

Michael MolineJune 8, 2017

The Senate rejected amendments Thursday that might have blocked a meeting of minds with the House on public schools funding — including bids to tie the legislation explicitly to economic development investments. “These issues have been parsed out separately,” said Sen. Gary Farmer, who offered both amendments. “Let’s put them together. And let’s candidly assert […]

Michael MolineJune 8, 2017

The Senate’s versions of legislation pumping money into public schools, hospitals, Enterprise Florida, and Visit Florida — and establishing a regulatory framework for medical marijuana — cleared the Appropriations Committee Thursday. The votes — either unanimous or nearly so — sent the measures to the Senate floor. They also augured confrontations with the House involving […]

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 […]

Michael MolineJune 7, 2017

The Senate’s frustration at the cosy new relationship between Gov. Rick Scott and the House showed during debate in the Committee on Commerce and Tourism on a compromise economic incentives and tourism-marketing plan. Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, presenting the bill, noted the criticism over “backroom dealmaking” involving the budget approved during an extended regular session […]

Michael MolineJune 7, 2017

The Senate voted Tuesday to override Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of the public schools budget, plus a number of higher education building projects. The first override was an “insurance policy” intended to keep the schools open after July 1 if this week’s special session of the Legislature breaks down. “This is an insurance policy. We […]

Staff ReportsJune 2, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott signed a nearly $83 billion state budget Friday, and released a list of line item vetoes amounting to nearly $12 billion. The vetoes included individual projects worth $409 million — much of the rest represented Scott’s rejection of efforts to take money from dedicated trust funds. As promised during a morning news […]

Staff ReportsMay 30, 2017

The House released a county-by-county list of budget line items Tuesday, ranging from a $26.8 million loan for a highway project in Alachua County to $64,820 in adult education money in Washington County. Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office dropped the list without comment, but it followed by four days Florida TaxWatch’s annual list of budgetary “turkeys” […]

Michael MolineMay 29, 2017

Of the missteps the Legislature committed this year, the most egregious was a failure to live up to its promises that the budget process would be more open and transparent than ever before, according to Florida TaxWatch chief Dominic Calabro. In an interview tied to TaxWatch’s release of its annual list of budgetary “turkeys,” Calabro praised […]

Tag: 2017-18 state budget

Senate holds off on school funding until House acts on higher education

Joe Negron doubles down: He was not party to any special session deal

Senate avoids loading down schools funding bill with hostile amendments

Budget panel sends schools, economic development, Medicaid bills to the floor

As Special session opens, the Florida Senate asserts its prerogatives

Senate bristles at House ‘Holy Grail’ version of economic incentives package

Senate votes to override veto of public education budget as ‘insurance’

Rick Scott signs state budget — minus nearly $12 billion in line item vetoes

House releases document listing state budget line items by county

Legislature failed transparency test this year, TaxWatch chief Dominic Calabro says