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2017-18 state budget - page 6

House, Senate moving closer on civil and criminal justice spending

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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. Thatā€™s according to Rep. Bill Hager, the lead House negotiator, speaking following a conference subcommittee hearing Saturday morning. ā€œThese are really not sticking points. Itā€™s really the philosophical difference,ā€ Hager said. The talks opened with a $200 million gap between the House and Senate positions ā€” the former intending to…

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

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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 Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations conference committee. The panel met again at 8 a.m. Saturday.Ā Earlier this week, legislative leadership agreed on roughly $83 billion…

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Environment and natural resources conferees go light on details

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If you can read a spreadsheet, you might be able to figure out the offer the HouseĀ madeĀ Friday morning on the agriculture, environment, and natural resources budget. If you canā€™t ā€” well, lead House conferee Ben Albritton wasnā€™t willing to explain it to you. Albritton distributed a spreadsheet listing the House position, but declined to discuss it. Even when asked by Rep. Loranne Ausley. Sen. Rob Bradley, chairing the hearing, conferred with Albritton ā€” inaudibly, to the audience ā€” then announced:…

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

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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. ā€œMany of you on this conference committee, as well as advocates for your positions in the audience, have what we traditionally call placeholders, in the hopes that somehow these…

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Rick Scottā€™s demand for budget priorities leaves Carlos Trujillo unfazed

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House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo did not appear especially intimidated by Gov. Rick Scottā€™s tough talk on the state budget Thursday evening. That $200 million Scott seeks to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike, for example? Not likely. ā€œThat showed up about a week ago, and weā€™d already gone a far way down the road as far as crafting our budget,ā€ Trujillo told reporters. ā€œItā€™s something I wish had been included in the original budget, and its something I wish we…

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Rick Scott demands full funding for tourism, development

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Rick Scott did not look like he was negotiating. The governor fired a shot over the bow of the Legislature, all but demanding full funding in the state budget for his 2017-18 priorirites: $200 million to begin fixing the dike at Lake Okeechobee, $100 million for VISIT FLORIDA, and salvaging Enterprise Florida from House Speaker Richard Corcoran‘s wrecking ball. “All three of those project impact jobs,” he said. “And whatever happens after this sessionā€”I’ll have 610 days to goā€”I’ll spend…

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Budget conference committee gets down to work, with time running short

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The House-Senate budget conference committee convened Thursday, exchanged pleasantries, and dispersed to begin working toward a compromise $83 billion spending plan for next fiscal year. ā€œLet the games begin,ā€ said Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, whoā€™ll serve as chairman of the conference. ā€œWe look forward to making quick and aggressive counter-offers, and we look forward to passing a budget on time,ā€ said Carlos Trujillo, the House budget chairman and vice-chairman of the conference. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President…

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