Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Michael MolineApril 30, 2017

House and Senate negotiators agreed on $40 million in water projects and a $23 million higher education budget Sunday, but major decisions on charter schools, Lake Okeechobee restoration, and more remained unsettled. Carlos Trujillo and Jack Latvala, respectively the House and Senate budget chairmen, made progress during what Latvala said would be their last meeting […]

Michael MolineApril 29, 2017

House and Senate higher education conferees agreed Saturday to trim cuts to developmental education programs at state colleges, but sent a disagreement about control of state university support foundations up the chain of command. Lead Senate negotiator Bill Galvano indicated at one point during an afternoon meeting that the developmental spending might have to be […]

Michael MolineApril 29, 2017

The main things separating the House and Senate on civil and criminal justice spending is whittling down Senate member projects and construction costs in the juvenile justice and prison systems. That’s according to Rep. Bill Hager, the lead House negotiator, speaking following a conference subcommittee hearing Saturday morning. “These are really not sticking points. It’s […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2017

Don’t expect any movement in the budgets for Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA at the conference committee level. “I’m authorized to negotiate quite a few things in this budget and there’s a few things I’m not, and those would be among the things I’m not,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, the St. Petersburg Republican chairing the […]

Michael MolineApril 28, 2017

House and Senate negotiators have agreed on per-student spending in the PreK-12 education budget — and it wouldn’t go up much compared to existing spending. The Senate side on Friday accepted the House call for 1.2 percent increase — to about $7,220. The conferees were still talking about how much to spend on the House’s […]

Michael MolineApril 28, 2017

House negotiators gave ground toward Senate President Joe Negron’s ambitious plan to bolster Florida’s state colleges and universities Friday. They accepted a series of spending amounts for specific programs. “Tuition assistance was real big in our offer,” House negotiator Larry Ahern said. “We’ve moved to a lot of the Senate positions. We concur with a […]

Michael MolineApril 28, 2017

The Senate debated Friday whether to raise Florida’s homestead exemption to $75,000 on property values of as much as $125,000 — a key to the chamber’s budget compromise with the House, but bitterly opposed by local governments. The increase would be subject to approval by Florida voters, but is a high priority for House leaders, […]

Michael MolineApril 28, 2017

If you can read a spreadsheet, you might be able to figure out the offer the House made Friday morning on the agriculture, environment, and natural resources budget. If you can’t — well, lead House conferee Ben Albritton wasn’t willing to explain it to you. Albritton distributed a spreadsheet listing the House position, but declined to discuss […]

Michael MolineApril 27, 2017

Sen. Bill Galvano delivered the bad news first as the House and Senate opened conference negotiations on higher education spending Thursday evening. The Senate would have to cut at least $21 million in projects from its version of the budget to reach the level agreed upon with the House, he said. “Many of you on […]

Michael MolineApril 27, 2017

House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo did not appear especially intimidated by Gov. Rick Scott’s tough talk on the state budget Thursday evening. That $200 million Scott seeks to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike, for example? Not likely. “That showed up about a week ago, and we’d already gone a far way down the road as […]

Big budget questions headed to House and Senate presiding officers

Conferees bump university foundation-control question to budget chairmen

House, Senate moving closer on civil and criminal justice spending

Top line tourism, economic development money closed out, chair says

PreK-12 conference eyes paltry per-student spending hike, with supplements

House warms to Joe Negron’s ambitious higher education agenda

Homestead exemption boost moves from Rules Committee to full Senate

Environment and natural resources conferees go light on details

Senate offers to cull $21 million in projects as higher ed conference opens

Rick Scott’s demand for budget priorities leaves Carlos Trujillo unfazed