Topic: Budget Conference

House and Senate negotiators agreed to environmental spending including $167.8 million for Lake Okeechobee and Everglades restoration projects, $25 million for springs protection and $17.5 million in new revenue for conservation lands. Sen. Joe Negron, the Senate's budget chief, called the proposed budget "really strong" but some environmentalists said conservation lands and springs protection came up short.

This week, the House and Senate began conference meetings to work on a new state budget, a bi-partisan trio of Senators said a pension reform plan approved by the House won't make it out of the Legislature and the House passed a trauma-center 'train' bill. Read more . . .

The Senate includes no new money for conservation land buying. Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron said he's hoping to spend more to protect the Indian River Lagoon. "There's a delicate balance between Lagoon funding and the overall Florida Forever funding," said Negron.

Among the issues to be decided by the House and Senate budget conference chairmen are spending on local water projects, agricultural water programs, conservation land-buying and the Lake Okeechobee-Everglades flow system.

The chambers embarked on the budget conference process Monday night as they haggle over how to spend about $75 billion in the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The Senate and House have different plans on spending for local water projects, springs restoration and petroleum site cleanups.

Much of the "work plan" put forth by both House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz has either been accomplished or is on track. But two big-ticket items favored by Weatherford - expansion of vouchers and a move to push most new state workers into a defined contribution pension system - have hit turbulence in the Senate as session enters its final two weeks.

The priorities of House Speaker Will Weatherford, large ominibus bills and the finalization of the budget will all be in play in the session's final weeks.

The Senate Appropriations Chairman speaking from the floor said he expects an initial budget conference meeting will be held the afternoon of Monday, April 21.

The House and Senate are still wrangling on how to cut up to $105 million in taxes. Lawmakers have already passed a $395-million cut in vehicle registration fees and now the debate is over a variety of carve-outs for industries or a broad-based cut for people.

Correctional officers say they want "equal pay for equal risk" with state police. They say Florida can afford a $30 million pay increase when the state has a projected budget surplus of $1 billion.

The chambers' spending plans are closer than in recent years as lawmakers enjoy a $1.2 billion projected surplus. The differences will be worked out over the next several weeks. Lawmakers have until early May to pass a spending plan.

Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, the ranking member of the Agriculture & Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, said the problem with the budget process is "the magic of an allocation coming out of thin air." He said it is a process that involves closed-door meetings and little time for input for representatives and the public.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam requested nearly $26 million in new spending on water programs and projects. The House provided $35.6 million -- more than Putnam requested -- and the Senate provided $8.4 million. "The Senate in my opinion came up short on several programs," said Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula and chairman of the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee.