No visible sign of budget agreement
TALLAHASSEE (AP) – With a week left to resolve budget issues, Republican legislative leaders were still searching for a starting point Wednesday after an unsually long five days of behind-the-scenes discussions that had minority Democrats fuming.
Gov. Charlie Crist and Senate President Jeff Atwater, though, declared they’re optimistic the budget will be settled on time. Lawmakers have through next Wednesday to finish it so they can comply with a 72-hour cooling off period before the regular session ends two days later on May 1.
Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, have spoken privately trying to hash out overriding issues. Those include how much and what kind of new taxes and fee increases should be included in the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, and how much money should go to each major spending area.
“A lot of people are in the dark,” said Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee. “Members want to know what’s going on. This love-in that they are having between each other – how they like each other – is not the most important thing.”
Each leader has praised his counterpart in statements to their respective chambers, but they’ve disclosed only generalities about their talks. Republicans defended that approach.
“I reject the concept that anyone’s in the dark,” said House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach. He said everyone understands the leaders must agree on the basics before conference committees can hold formal negotiations to resolve spending details.
Rep. Ron Saunders, a Key West Democrat who once served as budget chairman, though, said he’d never seen anything like it.
“They’re saying they are transparent,” Saunders said “Yes, they’re transparently having secret meetings.”
Republicans have shrugged off grand jury criticism that legislative leaders have too much authority on budget decisions. That “has the potential to breed corruption,” the panel said Friday in an indictment that charged former House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin, with official misconduct. He was accused of directing millions to Northwest Florida State College, which then gave him a $110,000 job.
The House has passed a $65.1 billion budget proposal while the Senate’s plan that would spend nearly $550 million more. The Senate also has included tax increases on tobacco – $1 a pack for cigarettes and $1 an ounce for cigars and smokeless products – and on certain multistate corporations and real estate transactions.
Cretul on Tuesday said he’s willing to consider most of the Senate tax proposals that aren’t in the House plan if Atwater would accept deeper spending cuts. Atwater on Wednesday said he’s open to more education, criminal justice and general government cuts.
Atwater said he’s not nervous and “didn’t find it concerning at all” that time is running short. Crist, as usual, also was upbeat, saying he’s been in “constant communication” with Atwater and Cretul.
“They obviously want to get done on time,” Crist said. “I think everybody does and I think they’ll get there.”
Some lawmakers don’t share that optimism.
Sen. Stephen Wise, a Jacksonville Republican who chairs a panel overseeing pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary school spending, put the Legislature’s chances of finishing on time at “slim to none.”
“I just don’t think you can get it unless there’s a miracle I don’t know about,” Wise said.
Lawson predicted the session probably would be extended.
Lawmakers also don’t know if they can count on all the federal stimulus money they’ve budgeted.