Florida will likely not face a budget shortfall next year or the year after, that makes for the best budget projection the state’s economists have seen in six years. But, Senate Budget Chief JD Alexander says while the state’s financial situation is improving, it has a ways to go.
“You know, it’s better, but we’re not out of the woods yet. I wish we were,” said Alexander.
The state’s Chief economist Amy Baker updated Alexander and members of the Joint Legislative Budget Commission Wednesday on the positive outlook. Baker says so far, economists are not seeing a budget gap for the next year, like they’ve had in in the past. But, she warns if there’s any change of more than 71-million dollars in anticipated revenues, lawmakers could again be dealing with having to make deep cuts.
That number does not take into account cost overruns in Medicaid or what could happen if a judge decides in favor of state workers who filed a lawsuit to stop paying three-percent of their salary toward their retirement.
