Florida lawmakers closed this month’s special legislative session Friday with a $78.7 billion spending plan and Gov. Rick Scott signed the budget Tuesday. The special session was called after state lawmakers closed the regular spring session early over a budget impasse on healthcare and healthcare spending. The final budget passed without the Senate’s proposed plan to expand Medicaid to an additional 800,000 low income Floridians.
Lawmakers also ended up steering $400 million dollars to hospitals to offset the expiration of a federal program that reimburses hospitals for the cost of treating indigent patients. Legislators approved tax cuts touted by Gov. Scott, but at a much lower level than what Scott had proposed. Meanwhile, Gov. Scott has angered lawmakers by vetoing $461.4 million dollars from the budget. Our panel of state capitol reporters and political science experts take a closer look at the session and the biggest winners and losers in the coming fiscal year budget.
Guests:
Roger Green, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at Florida Gulf Coast University
Steve Bousquet, Tallahassee Bureau Chief for the Tampa Bay Times
