Another House session adjourned with no acknowledgment of the closed-door budget meetings that, by our count, have now stretched over 10 days since the two chambers passed competing spending plans.

So when the House doors opened, reporters immediately sought answers from Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, who last week was the face of the House GOP budget negotiations.

Not anymore.

“Both the speaker’s office and the Senate president’s office have been talking really since Thursday,” Cannon said. “I’ve got a ton of confidence in Speaker Cretul and President Atwater that they’ll get the job done.”

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander thought you were close to a deal last week?

“Like I said, since Thursday, all the communications have been between the speaker and the president. So I don’t know where he gets that.”

What’s your understanding of how close the speaker and president are to a budget deal?

“Again I haven’t been involved in any of those conversations directly since last Thursday. At that point it all went to the presiding officers. I know they’re working on it … I’ve got a lot of confidence in Speaker Cretul and President Atwater.”

Will other issues be involved in an extended session?

“You’ll have to ask the speaker and the president.”

Tags: Dean Cannon, state budget

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