Fla. would get less stimulus from US Senate bill

Feb 11, 2009 1 min read

TALLAHAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The governor’s budget director says a stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Senate would be about $3 billion less stimulating for Florida than the House version.

Jerry McDaniel told Gov. Charlie Crist and other top state officials Wednesday that Florida would get about $10.4 billion under the Senate measure. The estimate for the House bill is $13.7 billion.

Florida also still could lose up to $4.55 billion in education stimulus money because it isn’t spending as much on education as it did on 2006. The legislation requires at least a 2006 spending level to get stimulus money.

The state is lobbying congressional negotiators to drop that provision or let U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan waive it on a case-by-case basis.