Last-minute deal struck to end Legislature’s special session on time
Florida legislative leaders agreed on a series of issues Friday to end a three-day special session on time.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, and Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, agreed to support a $215 million increase in state spending per student in public schools, or $100 more per pupil, and up to $60 million in higher education projects that Gov. Rick Scott vetoed last week.
The revived projects, including ones for Miami-Dade College, the University of Florida, Florida State and other institutions will be part of a bill that Scott is eager to sign that also restores the budget of Visit Florida at $76 million and creates a new $85 million infrastructure fund.
As part of their deal, the Senate and House also agreed to spend $50 million to begin improvements to the Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee to reduce algae blooms that have extensively polluted area waters. Overall, it’s a token contribution to a $2 billion federal government project scheduled for completion in 2025.
The dike project was initially sought by Scott, who said that President Donald J. Trump promised to help obtain federal money for the public works initiative.
In addition, the House will accept a Senate proposal on tourism that allows small -county tourism organizations to use local bed tax revenue as matching money to draw state tourism dollars. That was a priority of Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.
Corcoran refused to go along with the Senate’s plan to override Scott’s vetoes of college and university construction projects.
The House also rejected a Senate request to restore $260 million in payment cuts to Florida hospitals under the Medicaid program.
The special session, called by Scott a week ago, nearly collapsed Thursday night after Negron lashed out at what he called a “fake narrative” that he had reneged on a deal with Corcoran and Scott.
Talks resumed late Thursday night involving both leaders, their top staffers and Jackie Schutz Zeckman, Scott’s chief of staff.
Scott had requested $200 million for the dike project during the regular session, but neither the House nor the Senate showed much interest.
Contact Steve Bousquet at bousuqet@tampabay.com and follow @stevebousquet.
This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Last-minute deal struck to end Legislature’s special session on time."