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Ryan RayMarch 7, 2016

The Budget Conference Chairs held their final meeting Monday night, finalizing all remaining differences between House and Senate proposals and approving “supplemental funding issues” paid for with money from what is informally known as the “bill pot” or more informally still as — sprinkle money. Chair Rep. Richard Corcoran and Vice Chair Sen. Tom Lee wrote into the budget a mixture […]

Ryan RayMarch 3, 2016

In a swift 15-minute meeting Thursday night, the full bicameral Budget Conference Committee closed out all remaining differences in the chambers’ massive health care and general government budget silos, swapping tens of millions of dollars and making significant progress towards reconciling their respective $80-plus billion proposals. “We could go huddle up for 30 seconds and […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

After the initial meeting of 2016 legislative budget conference Friday evening, senior budget writers – in particular House Budget Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran – told reporters the Legislature had so far more or less ignored two of Gov. Rick Scott‘s key priorities Corcoran said their current proposal contains “zero” towards a $250 million dedicated Florida Enterprise Fund for […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 11, 2016

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Now the horse-trading begins. The Florida Senate on Thursday unanimously passed its $80 billion budget 40-0, setting up the conference process where legislators grind out a budget each year. Both sides of the aisle united to pass the spending plan, though some Democrats still raised concerns. Jeff Clemens of Lake Worth, for instance, suggested extra money would […]

Ryan RayJune 16, 2015

At a final budget conference meeting that began at the tender hour of 11:05 p.m. and ran until nearly midnight, state budget writers failed to fully address new state funding for hospitals — the primary impetus for the June special Session to begin with. But they did find time to load up the budget with […]

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 […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 10, 2015

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center — included in the list of hospitals with some of the highest Medicare charges in the nation — could get a $1 million gift from the Florida Legislature. House and budget health care conferees on Tuesday made their best and last offer to settle differences between the House and Senate […]

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 […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 8, 2015

As lawmakers work on a 2015-16 spending plan with a $1 billion Low Income Pool for health care spending, Gov. Rick Scott continues to push for more money and is looking to the courts to help him get it. On Monday, attorneys for the governor filed a five-page motion with the federal court in Pensacola […]

Ryan RayJune 7, 2015

Tallahassee’s withering June heat seems to have made sunshine fashionable again in the Florida Capitol. As House and Senate lawmakers conferred during the weekend to reconcile their disparate budget proposals, transparency was the tool of choice for certain key budget writers. Going against the usual appropriations grain where budget priorities are wheeled and dealt among […]

Tag: budget conference

Lawmakers close out budget with $123 million in new projects

House and Senate close out health care, general gov’t budget silos

Rick Scott’s office claps back at budget chiefs after priorities snubbed

Senate unanimously passes its proposed 2016-17 budget

In last-minute budget talks, lawmakers add some $300+ million in new spending in dark of night

Andy Gardiner lays out Senate schedule for rest of Session

NW Florida hospital with high Medicare mark-ups could get $1 million from Legislature

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

Rick Scott demands mediation in Medicaid lawsuit with feds as lawmakers craft budget

Jack Latvala, budget writers “horse trading in public” on member projects funding