The Florida Legislature opened a special session Monday to decide on the state budget and debate how Florida should move forward in regard to our health care future. The Senate offered a plan that supporters, including many business interests, sugarcoated in conservative buzzwords such as "a free-market approach," even though the plan is anything but. As we say here at The James Madison Institute, pro-business isn't always pro-free market. 

The White House interjected itself in Florida’s battle over Medicaid expansion, releasing a new report Thursday morning detailing both the projected economic and health impacts Medicaid expansion would have on the state.

The Florida Senate continued to truck along with its Federal Health Insurance Exchange program proposal on Wednesday, passing the bill by a vote of 33-3.

Medicaid expansion once again took center stage in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday when the committee took up several amendments sponsored by Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, to the Senate’s health care proposal.

With the Florida Legislature currently in special session to pass a budget and debate Medicaid expansion, an expert on state affairs offered his take on what will happen in Tallahassee.

Barney Bishop, now the president and CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting and formerly the president and CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) and the executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, was in Orlando on Tuesday to attend Gov. Rick Scott’s “Economic Growth Summit” and shared his thoughts about the special session with Sunshine State News. 

A self-identified “nonpartisan” political group has it in for House Republicans opposed to Medicaid expansion, but the group has deep ties to Democratic heavy-hitters despite saying it’s not affiliated with any specific political ideology.

Medicaid expansion took center stage within the first few hours of Special Session A, and the House and Senate don’t seem to be any closer in bridging the divide over the issue despite being away from Tallahassee for nearly a month.

Legislators and lobbyists are ready again to descend on Tallahassee, as the Florida Senate and House try to put together a budget, grapple with Medicaid expansion and tie up myriad loose ends during a special session that kicks off Monday.

While the Senate backs Medicaid expansion, Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida House remain against it. This deadlock wasn’t broken in the regular session, mandating the need for the special session which is scheduled to last until June 20. The state Constitution mandates a new Florida budget by July 1.