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Scott vs. Fasano: Corrections battle heats up

Senator Mike Fasano
Senator Mike Fasano

By James Call

Tallahassee, FL – Birds singing, flowers blooming and budget fights at the state capitol are all signs of spring. The budget chief in the Florida Senate wants one of his committee chairs to apologize for his treatment of the Governor's staff during a committee meeting. However James Call reports, Senator Mike Fasano says he is not sorry for asking what he called tough questions.

Senator Fasano grilled a Scott budget aide last week about plans to lay off hundreds of corrections officer and appeared to hold one official who had been on the job for just four days responsible for past policy decisions. Late Monday, the Governor's office issued a statement that Scott's budget aides would no longer attend Fasano's committee meetings. They would spend time instead, said a spokesman, talking to those folks serious about passing a jobs budget. An aide who was scheduled to address the subcommittee on criminal justice did not attend Tuesday's meeting. Senator Fasano.

"I'm disappointed that the governor has taken that position. But there is nothing we can do so uh, we'll do our best not to make anyone feel bad in the future as far as questions. But again we do oversee a 70- billion dollar budget and we have a responsibility to the people that elected us we are accountable to them and I'm going to continue to ask tough questions certainly if the governor is going to take that position that is not going to change the way I've been a legislator."

Florida lawmakers must close an approximate four billion dollar shortfall for next year's budget. The governor submitted a budget proposal to lawmakers that reduces spending by five billion dollars. Fasano is opposed to plans to shut down two state run prisons and pronounced parts of the Governor's Department of Corrections proposal as dead on arrival. Senator JD Alexander chairs the Senate Budget committee and he said at this point in the process he wants all cost savings options on the table.

"I would tell you I believe we need to look at cost savings efficiencies across all aspects of state government and ruling out any particular cost saving would be inappropriate at this point."

Fasano had coupled questions concerning a plan to expand private prisons with putting families on the unemployment line while increasing profits for a private corporation. Alexander said Fasano's line of questioning of administration officials was less than ideal.

"My view is that a committee should handle itself differently. And probably owes an apology to those folks and ya know when everybody calms down, hopefully we can get back to the business of the state. No I don't like the idea but uh, I certainly understand their sentiments given the way they were treated."

Fasano said no one in the senate has talked to him about apologizing. He said he thinks the governor's aides should have been prepared for his line of questioning.

"Why people would be so upset-- why two people would be so upset that they feel over tough questions that were asked. I mean, there have been a lot of tough questions asked over the 17 years that I have been in the legislature. There will be a lot more tough questions when I'm gone out of this process. Uh you know if people are that sensitive they shouldn't be in this business."

Senate subcommittees are conducting budget workshops this week. Next month economists will agree to a revenue estimate. It will determine how much money lawmakers will have to spend when they meet in the spring session and write a state budget for the year beginning July first.