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House Republicans Meet In Closed Meeting To Talk Healthcare

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli talks to reporters after the House Republican caucus' closed-door meeting.
The Florida Channel

Florida House leaders are being criticized for a closed-door meeting of Republican lawmakers to talk about healthcare issues.

State law requires most meetings between elected officials to be public. But House Speaker Steve Crisafulli says no policy pending before the chamber was discussed, and he believes the closed meeting was appropriate.

“Our general counsel went through my talking points. I was very scripted. And he said everything we were doing in that meeting was perfectly within the confines of the law.”

House Republicans talked about the Senate’s Medicaid expansion plan and ongoing negotiations over federal funding for uncompensated hospital care. The House has neither plan in its budget, while the Senate has both—leading to a budget standoff between the two chambers. There are concerns the state may not have a budget by the start of the July 1 fiscal year.

Follow @HatterLynn

Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. 

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