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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 […]

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 […]

Mitch PerryJune 9, 2015

(UPDATE: This proposal is now dead. See this report). Last month Florida Politics reported on how state lawmakers might bring back the issues of regulating transportation network companies (TNC’s) such as Uber and Lyft in the Special Session now underway in Tallahassee. But such legislation failed to make the official call as presented by House […]

Ryan RayJune 8, 2015

A day after Transportation & Economic Development budget conference chair Sen. Jack Latvala touted his open, public approach to dealmaking with the House, things got testy at a Monday morning meeting as budget offers grew further apart and the conversation was brought to an abrupt end. Committee vice chair Rep. Clay Ingram, like Latvala a Republican, began […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

Budget conferees have agreed to target $400 million in recurring general revenue to hospitals and, as of Saturday morning, to not fund graduate medical education. Eliminating the funding — a $100 million concession for the Florida Senate — is a “work in progress” Sen. Rene Garcia said. Rep. Matt Hudson quickly agreed. “It’s certainly not off […]

Ryan RayJune 5, 2015

Moments after the House voted down a bipartisan plan to expand access to health care for hundreds of thousands of Floridians, those championing the efforts lamented the missed opportunity. Senate President Andy Gardiner issued a statement saying, “The critical health care challenges facing Florida still remain. This weekend, members of the Legislature will begin a […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 5, 2015

The Florida Senate was in session for less than five minutes on Friday before adjourning. Senate President Andy Gardiner announced that the House and Senate had agreed to budget allocations and that the two chambers would begin hammering out the differences in the proposed spending plans for the 2015-16 fiscal year beginning at 9 a.m. […]

Ryan RayJune 4, 2015

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After an hours-long procession of skeptical questions from House Republicans, Rep. Mia Jones led the Senate’s so-called “FHIX 2.0” bill — SB 2A, a bill to expand health coverage to Florida’s more than 800,000 uninsured via private plans largely funded by the federal government — to a procedural milestone, as the bill was rolled over for […]

Ryan RayJune 3, 2015

The Senate’s FHIX 2.0 health care insurance plan carried the day in the upper chamber by a vote of 33-3 Wednesday afternoon. It came after an hours-long session of back-patting and exhortations to the House to join them on their quest for a health care “revolution,” as one senator called it. Warm feelings and high-minded speeches rang […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 3, 2015

With the drama over health care playing out according to the expected script, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is finally ready to pivot to passing a new state budget. The Senate on Wednesday passed its health care coverage bill and sent it over to the House, where it is anticipated that chamber will vote down the […]

Andy Gardiner lays out Senate schedule for rest of Session

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

Proposed state study could put local government regulation of Uber, Lyft on hold

From horse trading to horse whipping: budget talks break down over economic incentives

Chambers agree to $400 million in general revenue to hospitals, zero for doctor training (for now)

FHIX supporters say fight will go in spite of House rejection

Finally … chambers set for Saturday conference on budget

Senate’s FHIX 2.0 proposal advances in House — for now

Jeff Brandes bucks Senate, votes “no” on revamped FHIX health care plan

Health care bill OK’d, Senate ready to work on budget through weekend