With just one week (tentatively) remaining in the 2019 Legislative Session, lawmakers wrapped up the first part of budget negotiations required in order for the House and Senate to agree to a spending plan expected to total somewhere around $90 billion.
Remaining funding issues for different silos of the budget will now be worked out between Orange Park Republican Rep. Travis Cummings and Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican. Any unresolved issues between those two will get bumped to Senate President Bill Galvano and House Speaker Jose Oliva.
So far, legislative leaders have been optimistic about wrapping up their work before the planned May 3 end to the Legislative Session. The two chambers are aligned on some major spending decisions in silos like health care and public education, although some differences remain on line items.
On environmental spending, for example, the House and Senate are still at odds over how much they want to spend on Florida Forever, the state’s land-purchasing program. Water projects also remain a sticking point.
Money for affordable housing programs administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity also is on the table for Bradley and Cummings’ budget talks.
One unique discrepancy in the higher education portion of the budget is how the House and Senate want to use $13 million. The Senate has proposed spending the money on the University of Florida and Florida State University. The House, meanwhile, wants the money to go toward the state’s regional universities.
Although it’s not a major issue, lawmakers have seemingly agreed to a plan to finance a plane for Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has traveled the state through unorthodox methods ever since taking office. Now, a $3.8 million line item could help lease or eventually purchase a plane for the executive branch.
