Budget Update
During the third interim committee week, lawmakers continued to hear presentations outlining the issues facing the state. But unlike the first two committee weeks, more acute topics were raised as lawmakers begin to set the agenda for the 2019 Legislative Session.
Notably, the House and Senate budget committees did not meet as a whole this week as originally planned. Still, the budget chiefs — Sen. Rob Bradley and Rep. Travis Cummings — met as part of the Joint Legislative Budget Commission to amend last year’s Bright Futures spending. The panel agreed to spend $25.3 million more on the scholarship program. Bradley called the increase a “positive,” suggesting it’s a sign of increased participation in Bright Futures that is tied to the Legislature’s recent expansions of the program.
The two influential budget chairs also spoke to reporters about some of the immediate budget concerns facing the state. To that end, Hurricane Michael is a recurring talking point.
One interesting and early budget remedy to help with recovery for the storm — expected to be costlier than Hurricane Irma — is to enlist the aid of Triumph Gulf Coast, which oversees the spending of funds recovered after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis originally floated the idea to recruit the nonprofit’s help. Bradley appears open to the concept: “That is a large pot of money, the Triumph funds,” he told reporters. “And I think some of the efforts that the Triumph funds were looking to address dovetail very nicely to some of the concerns that were raised for economic development and infrastructure issues that were hurt (because) of Hurricane Michael.”
