May 6

Welcome to this week's edition of the FAHSA Link!

Lawmakers End 2010 Legislative Session -- The Florida Legislature concluded the 2010 Session on Friday, April 30, shortly before 9 p.m. Lawmakers chose to forgo the customary sine die which signals the end of session and opted not to gather in the rotunda between the Senate and House chamber to celebrate their accomplishments with the Governor. Instead, House members adjourned without waiting for the Senate to finish. After the Senate concluded its business, House members moved to the Senate where they said their good-byes. By that time, Governor Crist had left the Capitol for a meeting in Miami. It was pretty obvious that the Governor was not part of the plan, after announcing his decision the previous evening to break from the Republican party.

The 2010 Legislature began on a fast track by passing a bill (HB 7033 by Economic Development & Community Affairs Policy Council, Rep. Dave Murzin and Rep. Jennifer Carroll) to delay a $1.8 billion increase in unemployment tax payments for Florida businesses. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Crist before the end of the first day of the 2010 Legislative Session. In sharp contrast to that first day, the session ended with a fractured political environment and the possibility of the Governor vetoing all or part of the $70.4 billion budget bill.

Faced with a $3.2 billion deficit, lawmakers not only managed to pass a balanced budget, they increased spending by approximately $4 billion for FY 2010-11 without increasing taxes or fees. The budget includes $2.3 billion in federal stimulus money that starts to dry up next year. It counts on $430 million in Seminole gambling money that has been accruing while Governor Crist and lawmakers hammered out a deal to give tribes exclusive rights to high-stakes card games and slots.

Even though many House leaders insisted that they would not bank on $1 billion in expected Medicaid stimulus money from the federal government, the final budget includes $270 million in hoped for dollars. The rest of the deficit was plugged with money raided from trust funds and cuts in health and human services programs.

There's still a lot up in the air as Gov. Crist's veto pen and rumors of a special session to deal with public corruption loom.
Crist has line-item say over the budget and also has indicated his concerns about property insurance and abortion legislation that will come across his desk. In addition, he is disappointed that Florida's lawmakers failed to pass anti-corruption measures, which were among his top priorities. If Crist does call lawmakers back to Tallahassee, he may ask them to revisit the state budget, particularly public school funding or he may reconvene to consider a constitutional amendment that would ban drilling off of Florida's beaches.

FAHSA's 2010 End of Session Wrap-up Regional Meeting Conference Call will be held on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. (EST). FAHSA's public policy team will review the major issues and priority bills and will discuss Florida's big challenges for 2011.