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Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2018

A line-item to fund veterans workforce training wasn’t zeroed out, state Sen. Anitere Flores said Thursday. The apparent move raised eyebrows among some watchers of the Health and Human Services budget conference. Both chambers seemed to agree on $1 million in the 2018-19 state budget. “We’re just changing the funding source,” she told Florida Politics. “We […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 28, 2018

Medical providers and law enforcement leaders came out fighting on Wednesday, urging the Florida House to restore funding for opioid addiction treatment. The House budget eliminates funding for 52 community providers under the state courts system, 45 programs under the Department of Children and Families (DCF) program, and 10 programs run by sheriffs and law […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 28, 2018

The Florida Senate’s budget proposes “harmful proviso language and a $19 million funding cut” to Florida Healthy Start, the program said Monday. If passed, it “will devastate the program’s ability to provide essential services that support healthy pregnancies and outcomes for Florida’s most vulnerable families.” Since Healthy Start was created in 1991, Florida has seen a […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 26, 2018

The 2018 Legislative Session is looking likely to end on time. The Senate is proposing $87.3 billion in its version of the 2018-19 state budget, with the House proposal coming in at $87.2 billion, according to documents released Friday. Gov. Rick Scott in November released an $87.4 billion budget, his last as governor and the largest […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 25, 2018

State government can’t count on continued money from Seminole Tribe of Florida casinos, a roundtable of state economists decided Thursday. After taking a pass on the issue earlier this month, the Revenue Estimating Conference agreed to label the money—over $200 million a year—”nonrecurring.” In other words, not likely to repeat. Lawmakers can still decide to count the expected funds […]

Jim RosicaNovember 14, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott built gambling money from the Seminole Tribe of Florida into his proposed $85 billion state budget for 2018-19. The Tribe and the state this summer settled a lawsuit over its ability to exclusively offer “banked card games” such as blackjack. Since then, “the payments associated with banked card games that the state has held […]

Jim RosicaOctober 9, 2017

A Senate panel on Monday cleared a ‘water bill’ aimed at cleaning up some of the state’s waterways. The Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee OK’d the measure (SB 204) with a unanimous vote. Legislative committees are meeting in the Capitol this week, in advance of the 2018 Legislative Session that starts in January. The bill, by […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 29, 2017

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Gov. Rick Scott said Friday he will propose a 10 percent pay raise for juvenile detention and juvenile probation officers in his 2018-19 recommended budget. That budget is expected to be revealed at The Associated Press’ annual legislative coverage planning session on Nov. 2 at the Capitol. Scott will recommend $8 million in pay raises to support officer recruitment and […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 15, 2017

The Legislature’s chief economist has told lawmakers that next year’s relatively tiny budget surplus will be erased because of costs from Hurricane Irma. Amy Baker, director of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, presented a working version of the state’s long-range financial outlook to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission on Friday. She explained that extra costs to […]

Tag: 2018-19 state budget

Veterans training still being funded, Anitere Flores says

Substance abuse treatment advocates fight for funding

Florida Healthy Start program decries budget cuts

House, Senate release 2018-19 budget proposals

‘Risky money’: Gambling dollars unlikely to repeat, forecasters say

Blackjack cash bolsters state budget

‘Water bills’ already on the move in the Senate

Rick Scott backs raise for juvy officers

State surplus money ‘gone’ because of Irma