By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-966672.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Florida lawmakers are engaging in an annual rite of spring, a wild rush of lawmaking as their Legislative session heads towards a Friday adjournment. James Call reports, House and Senate leaders are cobbling together a state budget that includes billions in spending cuts, millions in tax cuts and a major policy change which is in effect a pay cut for teachers and other government employees.
The spending plan will be balanced with $4 billion dollars in cuts to health care, education and public safety programs. And a measure requiring government employees to pay into their pension plans. Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich started her critique of the budget at the $540 reduction in per student funding of the public school system.
"It's unconscionable. And then to expect some of this shortfall in revenue to be made up on the backs of teachers that will pay three percent into FRS, I mean, and hospitals. It is just overall very draconian cuts that are going to be hurting people all over the state, very vulnerable people, children education health care seniors."
Legislative leaders ruled out any increase in taxes and fees to close a budget shortfall. They hope to find a billion dollars in savings in Medicaid reform, hundreds of millions in savings in a prison privatization plan. And they say a billion dollar cut to schools is softened by requiring teachers and other government workers to pay three- percent of their salary into a retirement fund. Senate Education chair David Simmons acknowledged it is in effect a pay cut for teachers.
"I'm not happy with that. It's not something anyone can say with any kind of joy.
It's the kind of thing that you just have to face up and say how do you go ahead
and balance a budget. And that was part of balancing the budget."
The Senate President and House Speaker needed to wrap up negotiations on what is expected to be a nearly $68-billion dollar spending plan Monday for a vote to take place Friday. Lawmaking kicks into a frenzied pace in the session's last week. Senator Paula Dockery said until the budget is put to bed everything remains in play. Lawmakers, staff and lobbyists review every bill and amendment on guard against last-minute maneuvers to resurrect ideas that died in committee.
"There are some rumors of things so right now everybody is in defensive mode looking where things are going to pop up. And we're skipping around on the calendar a lot so we know some points of order we're going to make and some votes we want to vote "no" on, but it's hard to jump around..."
A handful of Senators are expressing concerns about budget conforming bills. They are the way laws are updated to conform to spending decisions. This year, Dockery and others say it appears they are being used to implement policies that failed to pass the Senate. Senator Dennis Jones said he is uncomfortable with backdoor maneuvers to implement policy changes.
"I think the issues with growth management, the courts and the union issues -- they need to be cited on their own. The other thing that concerned a lot of us is deregulating these professions When they were really only debated on the House side not the senate. That is a terrible precedent for the senate. I mean I've been here since 1978, I've never seen occupation professions created or done away with in just one House. It has always been both the House and the Senate so that is a
big gray area with a lot of questions."
Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Speaker Dean Cannon are putting the finishing touches on a spending plan that will include $70 million in tax incentives to encourage businesses to locate and expand in Florida, a reduction in property taxes levied by water management districts and a three-day back to school tax holiday. State law requires a 72-hour cooling off period between when
lawmakers receive a state budget proposal and a vote can be taken. Friday is the scheduled end of session which means a budget has to be delivered to lawmakers Tuesday for the session to end on time on Friday.
Monday, Rep. Chris Dorworth made his way across the Capitol Rotunda to the House Chambers after a brief visit to the Senate. Dorworth said he thinks it is more important to get the budget right and balanced than it is to meet a Friday deadline.
"You're talking about a substantial amount of money that impacts the lives of a great number of people. So I think that is a somewhat false deadline in my mind. Because the most important thing we can do is get the balanced good and reasonable and restrained and in a position where it minimizes its impact on Florida families and promotes a quick recovery and if it takes a day or two or an extra week I think I would rather get it right."