There is still time for Florida lawmakers to hammer out a budget. But a review by Florida TaxWatch shows there’s still some separation between the House and Senate when it comes to education, water and tax cuts.
When legislators return from a recess next week, they are expected to begin the budget conferencing process, where members from both chambers negotiate differences in funding levels, the organization said. Florida TaxWatch says it wants lawmakers to focus solely on resolving funding discrepancies, and resist the urge to add new projects during this time.
“Budget conferencing is a very important step in the budget process, but it is a time to review and compromise the differences in programs already approved by the state’s elected officials,” said Dominic Calabro, Florida TaxWatch’s president and chief executive, in a release. “TaxWatch encourages lawmakers not to add new projects that have not been, and will not be, vetted by the full legislative body during conference proceedings.”
Both budgets increase spending above current-year funding, but the House budget is slightly higher, spending a total of $75.3 billion, Calabro’s group said. That increases funding by nearly $1 billion. The House has earmarked more funding to education, human services, and environment and transportation.
The Senate, on the other hand, is looking to budget $74.9 billion, or $600 million above current spending. It caters more to criminal justice, general government and courts.
Both sides, however, have put aide $3 billion for reserve, something Florida TaxWatch says it commends. However, both the House and Senate also plan to sweep up to $325 million from the state trust funds into the general revenue budget this year, something the organization is not a fan of.
“Sometime sweeping trust funds into general revenue is necessary,” said Kurt Wenner, the organization’s vice president for tax research. “However, the process should include transparency and accountability measures that allow lawmakers to better evaluate the need for breaking the trust.”
