The House gave in to the Senate on where money from higher education would come from to help advance budget talks that finally moved into the conference phase Tuesday night.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said the higher education deal shouldnt be considered a victory for either chamber, but instead an example of the two sides working to settle a complex issue.
It was very gracious of House leadership to work with us on that, Alexander said.
It was just not a place the Senate could go and I think they understood that. It wasnt a bargaining position. It was just something that the Senate could not support.
Committees set up from both chambers began negotiating various allocations that dont match up in the approximately $70 billion fiscal packages that have been separately put together by the House and Senate.
Tuesday morning, the talks were seen to have slowed, with the holdup being the sources of the pending cut to higher education.
The Senate has been looking to use $300 million from undesignated reserves to be drawn out of the 11 state universities, while the House has included $200 million in recurring academic programs for the university cuts.
In the end, the House negotiators agreed to focus on the Senate proposal.
In a release, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, said the budgets, following recommendations from Gov. Rick Scott, are very similar.
Guided by the goals that both chambers share, and thanks to the tireless work of Chairman Alexander and Chairman (Denise) Grimsley (R-Sebring), we were able to produce budget allocations that address a more-than $1 billion shortfall, increase pre-K-12 education funding by more than $1 billion and set aside the ample reserves, Cannon stated.
A final fiscal package must be completed by next Tuesday to provide the required 72 hours cooling-off period before the final vote can be taken on the budget.
Cannon released a schedule Tuesday night and advised members to anticipate the House recessing from scheduled floor sessions for conference meetings through the week.
Alexander expects the budget process to continue into the weekend.
The difference in how to draw money from the states universities to help patch a $1.4 billion shortfall in the proposed budgets from both chambers was considered a big enough hindrance that senators Tuesday morning reiterated their bipartisan support from the start of the session for Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, to extend the session -- if necessary -- for the budget process.
In January, Sens. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Chris Smith, D-Oakland Park, gathered the signatures of fellow senators as a sign of support, giving Haridopolos the discretion to hold off the budget process while awaiting updated revenue projections made closer to the start of the next fiscal year.
Smith and Gaetz repeated they are united on the budget. Gaetz said Tuesday he would support remaining into the Tallahassee spring.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
