Lawmakers closed out the $65 billion budget this morning that includes nearly $2 billion in taxes and fees, including a $380 million property tax increase if school boards approve it.

Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander and House counterparts David Rivera and Marcelo Llorente resolved most of their disagreements over the weekend and sealed the deal this morning without sending any unresolved disputes to Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul.

One of the losers in the deal: Florida Forever, the state’s land-buying program received no new money. But the budget chiefs did agree to issue $250 million in bonding authority from this year. They could not sell the bonds because of a decline in real estate transaction taxes used to pay them back.

The legislature closed a real estate tax loophole during the session that they hope will generate enough money to keep Florida Forever running next year.

A last-minute change this weekend shifted $25 million for Florida Forever to the Everglades clean-up program, bringing the total for that to $50 million.

Also included in the budget are more than $800 million in fees, including a hike in driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations and court filings. And smokers will pay an extra buck-a-pack for cigarettes to raise about another $800 million to be spent on the state’s Medicaid program.

State workers earning more than $45,000 a year will see a 2 percent salary cut but university workers are exempt. That amounts to a $30 million cut from general revenue, far less than the $100 million in state employee pay cuts the House had original proposed.

School boards, meanwhile, got the OK to hike property taxes an additional 25 cents per $1,000 of value with a majority vote. Voters would have to sign off on the tax increase at the general election in 2010. The tax increase would raise $380 million for school districts statewide if implemented by all 67 counties, including nearly $17 million for Palm Beach County.

Bright Futures will no longer cover tuition hikes, including the 8 percent tuition increase included in the budget. Lawmakers also gave universities the ability to raise tuition up to 15 percent.

After two years of Republican Gov. Charlie Crist clearing a path for his party to the political center, is the traditionally arch-conservative Florida House following suit?

“It’s probably less fiscally conservative than we’ve been in the past,” said House Speaker Pro Tem Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton. “But we’ve listened to a lot of our constituents who have said, ‘I can live with this tax or I can live with a little bit of an increase.’ “

After 60 days in the annual legislative session, the GOP-dominated House has agreed to changes condemned in years past as a violation of the party’s “small government” principles.

And as lawmakers head into overtime this week to wrap up the state budget, Republican House leaders say they’ll support a cigarette tax hike along with $800 million in new fees for drivers, court costs and state park visitors, among others.

More here.

Rep. David Rivera, a House budget chief, backed off two of his priorities: a request to ban using state money for college and university travel to Cuba or for stem cell research.

Rivera suggested he agreed to take the items out of the House’s proposed budget because there was no money for stem cell research in either his or the Senate’s proposed spending plans and because the Senate agreed to let his alma mater Florida International University issue bonds to build a health center.

Rivera dropped the items into the budget during horse-trading with Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander yesterday. Alexander also introduced a new item: a $5 million annual payment for one of his pet projects, the University of South Florida Polytechnic at Lakeland in his district.

Rivera also backed off another last-minute proposal that would have required first-time Florida drivers to take a driver improvement course.

Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said yesterday that the Senate would not approve issues like the driver’s license schools that were part of bills that did not pass or were not debated during the session.

Still unresolved is where to get $13 million for county and local libraries. The state must spend at least $21 million to draw down $8 million in matching federal funds.

Both sides agreed to spend the full amount but the House wants to take the money from transportation spending and the Senate does not.

Lawmakers won’t begin working out a gambling proposal until Monday, Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander said late Saturday evening.

Alexander, looking weary, said he was concentrating first on settling spending differences because of the time constraints that require a 72-hour waiting period before lawmakers can pass the $65 billion budget on Friday.

Alexander has a reason to be tired.

The Lake Wales Republican is the sole budget negotiator for the Senate.

But he’s got three House chiefs to deal with: David Rivera on education and economic development, Marcello Llorente on health and human services and criminal justice, and Bill Galvano on gambling.

House and Senate budget chiefs agreed to a $1.7 million payment this year to Marissa Amora and her family as part of the 11-year, $18.2 million settlement for the girl who suffered life-altering injuries while in the state’s care.

The state agreed to the settlement last year but Department of Children and Families officials failed to request this year’s second payment to the family as an oversight, they and Senate President Jeff Atwater said.

The payment was included in late-night negotiations between legislative leaders on differences over next year’s $65 billion spending plan.

Fear not, bookworms.

House budget negotiators raided nearly $13 million from transportation spending to keep money flowing to county and local libraries.

That would bring the total for county and local libraries back to $21 million if the Senate signs off as expected at the next horse-trading session at 8 p.m.

Without it, the libraries would lose about $8 million in matching federal aid.

Palm Beach County would have to fire librarians and scale back on new books and other materials if the cut stays, county officials say.

Money for libraries is one of the budget issues unresolved that House and Senate budget chiefs are negotiating until noon tomorrow.

After that, House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater take over.
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Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander added $5 million this morning to the state university budget to hire teachers for one of his pet projects, the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, located in his Senate District 17.

Alexander included the new item in a counteroffer to House counterpart David Rivera, R-Miami, during budget negotiations this morning.

The $5 million would be a permanent annual boost to the Lakeland school’s budget if the House agrees.

Alexander said he put the money in “so that we can put that effort which has been approved by the Board of Governors and get ready to go.”

The money will be go to “hire the faculty and get the students programs up and running. We can make that a reality just like we’re doing with our med schools and other things,” Alexander said.

The extra money for USF comes as lawmakers are trimming about 4 percent from the state university system budget and are hiking tuition 8 percent.

Axing state aid to public libraries could cost the state $8 million in federal funds.

Budget negotiators swept all of the $13 million in state aid to public libraries late this week, raising alarms among librarians and county officials.

Florida could lose $8 million in federal aid for libraries if it doesn’t spend the $21 million it spent last year. Currently, the budget includes $8 million in library funding but that would go to the Department of State instead of local governments.

Under the current proposal, Palm Beach County libraries would lose about $1 million this year and other local libraries in the county would be out another $400,000, according to Todd Bonlarron, PBC legislative affairs director.

The cut would result in layoffs and fewer books and other materials, Bonlarron said.

“In these difficult economic times, our residents are turning even more to our libraries to assist in job searches, in looking for means of financial assistance, and in researching opportunities for personal growth and development. If there ever was a time to assist our state’s libraries, it would be now,” he said.

Lawmakers are trying to find a way to restore some of the funding, Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander said this morning during budget negotiations with the House.

“It’s one of those issues we’re working through and trying to figure out how it can be done,” Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said.

Gov. Charlie Crist dropped by to check on the talks.

“Well libraries are a great thing. I’m sympathetic to it and want to make sure that we do everything we can to maintain them. It’s important,” Crist said.

Judges would be allowed to consider domestic violence issues when determining child custody and visitation arrangements under a bill on its way to Gov. Charlie Crist.

Sen. Ted Deutch, a Boca Raton Democrat, sponsored the measure (SB 904) in response to the horrific deaths of two Lake Worth youngsters at the hand of their father.

Ten-year-old Nelson and 8-year-old Crystal Camacho died after their father, Tony, set his suburban Lake Worth home ablaze days before Christmas in 2006. Camacho died of smoke inhalation after stabbing Crystal in the back, severing her spine and leaving her paralyzed as flames engulfed their home.

Camacho’s ex-wife Jennie Carter had requested a restraining order and supervised visitation for the children. That was never granted.

Deutch read an e-mail from Jennie Carter before the Senate unanimously voted in favor of the bill.

“I thank Sen. Deutch and the other senators for taking time to listen to my heart,” Deutch read. “I haven’t had tears of joy since my kids were taken away from me and I owe it all to you guys.”

The Senate delivered a double whammy to commuter rail by squashing a proposed Central Florida commuter rail system and failing to bail out the financially troubled Tri-Rail.

They voted 23-16 against an amendment combining a $2-a-day rental car surcharge to raise money for Tri-Rail and okaying the controversial $500 million-plus deal between the state and transportation giant CSX to create a Central Florida commuter system.

The surcharge, sought after for years by Tri-Rail officials, would have given county commissioners in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade the ability to impose the rental car tax until 2014, when voters in each county would then have to sign off on it.

The proposal could have raised $180 million over four years for the rail system, necessary to keep service from slowing down and workers from getting fired, argued Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat who co-sponsored the amendment.

Supporters of SunRail linked the project with Tri-Rail to try to sway Democratic South Florida lawmakers who opposed the CSX deal because it leaves the state liable for accidents caused by the rail behemoth.

“How can I vote against three of my own counties? That is a very difficult position to be in,” objected Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami. “You know that old saying. You’re darned if you do and you’re darned if you don’t. So that’s where we stand today on this floor. Many of us.

Bullard voted in favor of the amendment, as did Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach. Palm Beach County Democratic Sens. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres and Ted Deutch of Boca Raton voted against it.

Lawmakers officially extended the 2009 regular session, scheduled to wind up today, for a week.

They’ve limited business next week to only bills that are in conference at midnight.

Right now that’s of course the budget because of the $6 billion spending gap they’re grappling with. Add to that the complicated gambling deal that House and Senate leaders will wrestle beginning this weekend. And they’ve also sent to conference a bill that would lower the amount of money tobacco companies have to put up in bonds when they appeal cases they’ve lost.

The resolution extending the session confused Sen. Ronda Storms who wanted to know if all bills could be considering after midnight tonight.

“I would want to add comfort if that’s your question or disappointment if that’s your concern,” replied Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach.

Discussions will be restricted to gambling, the budget and the tobacco bonding issue, Atwater promised.

“Everything else mercifully will end,” he pledged.

But not on time.

The Senate was supposed to close out the day at 6 p.m. But discussion about the controversial CSX/Sunrail deal prompted Atwater to extend the session to 8 p.m.

Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously gave state transportation officials the ability to pay losing bidders on big-ticket contracts.

The provision was included in a transportation package (HB 1021) similar to one Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed last year because of a different issue.

Department of Transportation officials have been paying the losing bidders “stipends” for years without the authority to do so. The change in law, if Crist approves it, would allow FDOT to keep up the practice on state road projects. The federal government also allows it.

Department officials say they need to pay the losers so they can use portions of their rejected plans in other projects.

The department has spent millions paying losing bidders over the past few years but has no record of how many of the rejected bids they’ve used or how much cash they’ve dropped on them.

Blackjack and slots are off the table for Palm Beach County but a second dog track is now in the cards.

The PBC provisions are included in a House counteroffer on gambling offered this afternoon that would also allow Broward’s dog track and two horse tracks to offer blackjack. The proposal would limit blackjack at the Seminole Tribe’s casinos to the Hollywood Hard Rock.

But the tribe could not run the card game anywhere else and the state’s other pari-mutuels wouldn’t be able to offer it either under the House’s counteroffer on gambling.

Allowing blackjack anywhere was a big move for the House, the chamber’s chief gambling negotiator said.

“This is not the time in the game to just be taking nibbles so we made a decision to make a move pretty much to the brink of where we can,” said Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton. “But if we are to get some resolution that that provision would have to come into play.”

The House rejected the Senate’s opening bid that would allow the Palm Beach Kennel Club to have slot machines if voters approved it.
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The Florida House just approved a bill that would cap annual property insurance increases at 10 percent for Citizens policy holders. But the 80-35 vote didn’t come easy.

Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, tried to blow up the bill (HB 1495) with a series of amendments he said would force the state to be more honest about the risks associated with the state-run insurer.

“I don’t know why I waste my breath, but I’m not going to be hushed,” Hays said, saying his fellow Republicans should be “embarrassed” by the bill.

At one point during debate, Hays called “bull-crap” three times on House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton. Hays’ microphone was not on and Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, pulled Hasner away from the confrontation.

After the vote, Hays then confronted Reps. Dean Cannon and Will Weatherford, who are expected to eventually succeed Larry Cretul as the top Republican in the House. Hays pointed at the pair several times, while staffers stood in front of the group, trying to block the view from the press gallery.

Eventually, the conversation moved to the side of the chamber, where Hays received a talking-to from Cretul and House Sergeant Ernie Sumner.

The Senate unanimously signed off on a bill that was supposed to include a bail-out for South Florida’s TriRail commuter system.

But a controversial component that would have spent more than $500 million to create the controversial SunRail commuter rail system near Orlando ultimately threw TriRail under the bus.

A $2 rental car surcharge that would have gone to pay for TriRail was the carrot to lure opponents of the SunRail deal – where the state would pay transportation behemoth CSX more than $500 million to purchase track and make improvements on its rail lines – to support the measure (HB 1021).

But Sunrail backers did not have enough support and quietly withdrew amendments on a Department of Transportation package with no discussion this morning. Bye-bye, TriRail.

Watch for it to come up on other transportation bills. Backers have until the end of the day to push both or either rail deal through.

The package does include a provision allowing state transportation officials to pay losing bidders on high-dollar contracts, which they have been doing for years without the authority.

DOT says they need to pay the losers so they can use components of their plans in other projects.

Although they’ve spent millions of dollars paying losing bidders on “design/build” contracts, transportation officials have no record of how many of the “stipends” they’ve paid for have been actually used or for which projects.

“So as I understand the stipend is we pay the losing bidders?” Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico asked the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Andy Gardiner.

“I think that’s subject to interpretation,” Gardiner, R-Orlando, replied.

The Senate made a slight change to the bill and it goes back to the House.

House and Senate negotiators are getting nowhere settling a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida and making changes for dog and horse tracks.

They met only once since given the task Wednesday of bringing the chambers closer together on schismatic proposals that on the Senate side opened gambling wide open and on the House side clamped down.

The House never responded to the Senate’s opening bid Wednesday night and it appears doubtful the committee will get much further, if at all, today.

They’ll bump the issue to Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander and one of the House chiefs, Alexander said.

Alexander said he’s one of the “few folks that’s not beholden to any of the interests” angling for help on gambling. Some Miami-Dade County lawmakers are looking for a way to reopen Hialeah Race Park. They and some Broward County lawmakers want something to help their pari-mutuels compete with the Seminoles, as do some Tampa Bay officials. The Palm Beach Kennel Club hopes to add something to its gambling arsenal. Central Florida pols want to keep the state’s multi-billion thoroughbred industry alive.

On top of that, lawmakers are trying to come up with something the Seminoles will agree to that will also be lucrative for the state. The Senate is counting on using money from a gambling deal with the tribe to put into savings.

Earlier in the week, Senate President Jeff Atwater said the task would be a “very, very heavy lift.”

It doesn’t appear lighter thus far.

“Hope springs eternal but all I can do is my best,” said Alexander, R-Lake Wales.

Circulating around the Capitol this morning on what was supposed to be the last day of the 2009 legislative session is bit of comic relief for those stuck here for another week.

The “Top Ten Shovel Ready Signs it’s time to Sine Die” probably won’t get a chuckle from those outside the Capitol complex but here they are anyway.

10. SunRail compromise: train now runs one way on Alligator Alley
9. Revised Gaming Compact: Seminoles get the Knott Building
8. New Director of OPPAGA: Brian Pitts
7. Bright Futures now consists of vaccine shot and a pack of Marlboros
6. Chris Smith says it looks like rain.
5. Tobacco tax revenue earmarked for the Sorenson/Detert outdoor lounge
4. Florida’s unemployment phone # now 1-800-ask-gary
3. Technical amendment deregulates phone service and traditional marriage
2. Drafting error: Trinity plate now has picture of Obama
1. Carole’s pregnant

Kidney patients would get access to supplemental insurance under a bill headed to Gov. Charlie Crist and backed by NBA champ Alonzo Mourning, a kidney transplant recipient.

Crist is expected to sign the “Alonzo Mourning Access to Care” act (HB 675), approved unanimously by the House last week and the Senate today.

Mourning visited with lawmakers and urged them to support the measure that would give Floridians under age 65 suffering from end stage renal disease access to Medicap coverage to help pay the costs of expensive treatments and medications.

About 2,000 kidney patients in Florida need the extra insurance so they don’t have to spend down their savings to become eligible for Medicaid.

After 11 years, Irv Slosberg finally got his wish.

A bill making it a primary offense to drive without wearing a seat belt is on its way to Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk.

The House passed the measure (SB 344), named after Slosberg’s daughter Dori, who was 14 years old when she was killed in a car crash in 1996, and Katie Marchetti, a 16-year-old Tampa girl who died in a car crash in 2006. Crist is expected to sign it tomorrow.

Slosberg said he started pushing the bill in 1998 when he testified before a state House committee considering a similar proposal. More than a decade later, his tenaciousness paid off.

Getting the legislation passed was Slosberg’s reason for running for – and winning – a seat in the state House. The Boca Raton Democrat served from 2000-2006 but was never able to get lawmakers to sign off on the bill.

“It’s my daughter watching down on us,” Slosberg, near tears, said outside the House chambers shortly after the 95-20 vote. “I feel that she’s watching down on me and on us, the community, and making sure that what happened to her…making sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else, what happened to our family.”

“Because wow does this change your life,” he went on. “After she died I did four things. I went to the gym. I went to Starbucks. I went to the cemetery. And I cried. For three years.”

Proposed Christian-based license plates that depict the image of Jesus Christ and a cross created quite the stir among civil libertarians and Jewish lawmakers last week.

Those tags probably won’t make it onto the back of Florida vehicles this year.

But a plate that some senators found objectionable made it onto a bill this afternoon.

By a voice vote, the Senate gave preliminary approval to the “Can a Brotha Get a Break” tag – with the smiling visage of Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson.

“Mr. President, this has been a tough session,” Lawson, whose North Florida district includes Tallahassee, the home for many of the state’s employees.

“I want to know, can a brother get a break?” he asked.

The proceeds from the tongue-in-cheek tag, Lawson explained, would go towards grief counseling for state workers, whose paychecks are slated to get skimpier and who may be getting pink slips as lawmakers slash agency budgets.

Senate Alex Villalobos, presiding over the chamber, objected.

“I believe this is in violation of Senate decorum,” Villalobos, R-Miami, said when an image of the plate was displayed on the large screen behind the president’ podium. “That is one ugly tag we have here.”

Sen. Arthenia Joyner apparently felt slighted.

“What about the sisters?” Joyner, R-Tampa, wanted to know.

The measure was put onto another license tag bill creating an autism plate, a biodiversity plate and a “Go Green” plate.