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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 […]

Ryan RayJune 9, 2015

On Tuesday, the Department of Management Services’ Joint Task Force on State Agency Law Enforcement Communications once again discussed a business case from January that recommends a competitive bidding process to achieve the adoption of a suite of “P25” radio standards. As the state looks to upgrade its outmoded, analog law enforcement radio system the […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 8, 2015

Senate budget Chief Tom Lee said on Monday the House is “doing the bidding” of Gov. Rick Scott in pushing to increase funds to Enterprise Florida. The remarks followed Sen. Jack Latvala‘s abrupt move to adjourn the Tourism and Economic Development budget conferee meeting early Monday morning just minutes into the meeting and as the House […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

The House on Friday rejected a Senate-driven health care expansion plan, passed a $300 million tax reduction package and capped the day by releasing the allocations that tell the story behind the budget deal that the Legislature agreed to this week. Working through staff, legislative leaders reached a deal on how to divide nearly $28.9 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Ryan RayJune 3, 2015

The intense intra-cameral friction that defined the 2015 Legislative Session seems not to have dissipated after a few weeks off but rather compounded, culminating in the most antagonistic legislative hearing of the year at Tuesday’s meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee. There, budget chief Tom Lee led a chorus of indignant senators who excoriated AHCA deputy director Justin […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 3, 2015

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The multibillion health care fight in has been “sucking the oxygen” out of the Capitol and has taken attention off Amendment 1, Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee said Tuesday. Lee, the Senate’s chief budget writer, told reporters after an Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday afternoon that “frankly, Amendment 1 is a big deal and deserves more attention […]

Peter SchorschJune 2, 2015

This week, the Florida Legislature reconvenes to complete its only constitutionally mandated job: close a multibillion-dollar budget gap. But that’s not the only business politicians have on their agenda. Under Florida law, legislators can schedule and hold political fundraisers up to the June 1 Special Session, when they (hopefully) approve a nearly $80 billion budget […]

Tag: Tom Lee
A sign that reads, Gaza Solidarity Encampment, is seen during the Pro-Palestinians protest at the Columbia University campus in New York, Monday April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

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

State task force considers competitive procurement process for law enforcement radios

Tom Lee says House is “doing the bidding” of Rick Scott on Enterprise Florida funding

Budget deal increases health care funding by $450 million

Finally … chambers set for Saturday conference on budget

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

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

House-Senate health care fight inflected by Twitterverse

Amendment 1 getting short shrift because of health care battle

The hypocrisy of Tom Lee: Senator fundraised before Special Session, counter to what he suggested