Senate seeks school funding change as budgets pass

The Florida House and Senate have passed different proposals for what’s shaping up to be an $80 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

The bill would allow the state’s Medicaid program to use so-called step therapies for prescriptions that require patients to try less expensive drugs before obtaining more expensive ones.

The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday did not hear amendments or take a vote on the bill.

Under the bill, at least half of the boost in education funding would have to come from state funds, not the required local effort.

Republicans who control the House and Senate have about a month to negotiate a final budget.

Public School Funding- While the two chambers are close on per-student funding, how to pay for that (state revenue vs. local property taxes) may become an issue.

“My rationale is, unless there’s an impact on the millage or rolling that back someway somehow, then we better be writing checks back to individuals on property taxes, because local governments don’t need to have windfall profits because that money’s not coming to Tallahassee”, said Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island.

“This is a matter of legislative authority”, said Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, R-Naples.

The Senate, meanwhile, unanimously approved its version of the budget, which does not specifically ban funding for Planned Parenthood. Afterward, Benning said he has never voted for a budget bill of any sort in his time in the Senate. The House has also set aside enough money for a large tax cut package. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth.

Gov. Rick Scott has pushed the Legislature to cut taxes by $1 billion this year.

“I can tell you that, in my view, if we even begin to entertain tax cuts remotely in the area of that billion-dollar number, it would be fiscally irresponsible of us”, Lee said.