House, Senate panels approve Fla.’s budget
TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Appropriations panels in both Republican-controlled legislative chambers approved differing versions of Florida’s next state budget in contrasting styles Tuesday – unanimously in the Senate but on party line votes in the House.
Each includes millions in new or increased user fees that generated debate in both houses. The Senate budget also builds in other new revenue sources generally favored by Democrats and not in the House plan. They include higher tobacco taxes, the state’s share of expanded Seminole Indian and other gambling, and the closing of some tax loopholes.
“The House hasn’t dealt with some of those issues,” said Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee. “In these hard economic times you’ve got to have some revenue.”
The House’s proposed $65 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is split in two parts and each cleared a separate appropriations council.
The Senate’s version is $600 million higher and won approval from the chamber’s Ways and Means Committee chaired by Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales.
“It’s not the final budget,” Alexander said. “It’s a lot of moving parts before you get to the end.”
The plans in both chambers make millions in spending cuts although each largely spares public schools and includes about $3 billion in federal stimulus money. The House budget is about $500 million less than the state now is spending while the Senate version is about $100 million more.
Floor votes are expected in both chambers next week. Joint conference committees then will try to reconcile differences before the 60-day legislative session ends May 1.
House Democrats objected to a host of new fees in a proposal covering education and economic development spending.
Rep. Marty Kiar, D-Davie, criticized provisions that would increase fees on teacher certification exams and limit participation in a teacher bonus program.
A separate House bill (HB 5011) raising nearly $738 million through higher fees also drew Democratic brickbats, but it, too, won partisan approval from the Council on Education & Economic Development. The measure includes raising the original fee for a driver license from $27 to $30 and a renewal from $20 to $22.
“This is a tax on the everyday person,” said Rep. Ronald Brise, D-North Miami.
Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, defended the higher fees as a way to spare education, health care and public safety from deeper budget cuts. He also noted some were being raised for the first time in at least 20 years.
Senators from both parties expressed reluctance, but only two – Lawson and Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach – voted against a Senate fee-raising bill (SB 1778) in Ways and Means.
The second House panel approved a spending plan covering prisons, health care, and environmental programs. Democrats there objected to a proposed 4 percent pay cut for state workers making between $26,400 and $80,000 a year. Employees with higher salaries would face a 5 percent pay cut.
“That is wrong,” said Rep. Yolly Roberson, D-North Miami Beach. “Those people have mortgages, those people do feel the hard times too.”
House Republicans said cutting salaries was better than layoffs.
“Certainly a 5 percent cut is hard, but a 100 percent pay cut is extremely hard,” said Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he doesn’t like either option and remains cool to increasing fees as well as taxes.