Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineMarch 2, 2017

Affordable housing advocates urged the Legislature Thursday to spend all of the state’s dedicated housing money for its intended purpose, saying that more than 910,000 Floridians pay more than half their income for shelter. Representatives of the Sadowski Housing Coalition — including Associated Industries of Florida, AARP, the Florida Realtors Association, the Florida Chamber of […]

Michael MolineFebruary 22, 2017

The House Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee began voting on nearly $500 million in member project bills Wednesday, as its chairman warned that the panel’s approval does not guaratee a project will make it into the final House budget bill. “Our point here is to try to vet these to the extent we can in the […]

Michael MolineFebruary 15, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott‘s proposal to cut Medicaid reimbursement payments to profitable hospitals that stint on charity care may run into trouble in the Senate. During hearings Wednesday before the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, members including Chairwoman Anitere Flores raised objections. “The governor’s office has made some assumptions, based on the fact that some […]

Michael MolineFebruary 15, 2017

State attorneys and public defenders face off in court, but they agreed on one thing during a meeting Wednesday of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice: Their staff attorneys need pay raises. Trouble is, committee chairman Aaron Bean isn’t convinced there’ll be enough money to pay for that, as much as he sympathizes. […]

Michael MolineFebruary 14, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget would shift nearly 77 percent of the $293.4 million earmarked for low-income housing next year to other state priorities. That works out to $224 million from state and local housing trust funds that won’t go for their intended purpose. State law reserves a portion of the take from documentary stamp […]

Michael MolineFebruary 8, 2017

A House budget panel debated sweeping money from housing, transportation and economic development trust funds to meet spending cuts imposed by House leaders. The House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee also entertained a suggestion that Visit Florida, the state’s tourism promotion arm, operate on local tourism taxes, instead of state general revenues. Rep. Mike La Rosa, […]

Michael MolineFebruary 7, 2017

House members had filed 319 bills seeking money for local projects as the deadline for such legislation fell Monday. They would cost more than $708 million if enacted. Under rules approved when Richard Corcoran assumed the speakership, members must file a specific bill describing each project they hope to insert into the state budget. The […]

Michael MolineFebruary 7, 2017

The House Appropriations Committee gave a respectful reception Tuesday to Gov. Rick Scott’s $83.5 billion state budget Tuesday, with chairman Carlos Trujillo praising the spending plan as “conservative.” “It’s a very fair budget,” Trujillo told reporters following the meeting. “It was balanced. Some different priorities than we’ve expressed here in the House. But, overall, I […]

Michael MolineJanuary 31, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott proposed an $83.5 billion state budget Tuesday that would include $618 million in tax cuts, $85 million in economic incentives, nearly $4 billion for environmental protection, and more than $5.1 billion for public safety. Florida has added more than 1.2 million jobs during his tenure “because of our continued focus on cutting […]

Michael MolineJanuary 10, 2017

House Appropriations Committee Chair Carlos Trujillo promised Tuesday to get to work this year on attacking budget deficits that loom during the next two years. Trujillo directed committee members to begin scrutinizing state spending and looking for programs to trim or cut. At the same time, he reiterated the House leadership’s determination to look for tax cuts, […]

Tag: 2017-18 state budget

Sadowski Coalition seeks full funding for affordable housing in state budget

House Transportation and Tourism panel begins vetting member projects

Senate may balk at Rick Scott’s plan to hit hospitals over charity care

Lawyers for the state tell Senate committee they need pay raises, too

Rick Scott’s budget would raid affordable housing trust funds

House budget panel weighs raids on trust funds, Visit Florida’s future

House members’ project bills would add $708 million to state budget

A cordial House reception for Scott’s budget, despite off-stage rancor

Rick Scott’s $83.5 billion state budget goes heavy on tax holidays

House budget chairman starts looking for programs to cut