Will Florida Senate still be ‘adults’ during special session?

With just 54 days before the start of a Florida government shutdown, there is both reason to cheer and for concern. Such is the price, at least at the moment, for living in paradise.

The good news is House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner have tentatively agreed to call a special session. Lawmakers will meet for three weeks beginning June 1. The bad news? The two chambers are still no closer to resolving their differences.

Senators still want federal health care funding to expand Medicaid in a program that would require participants to pay co-pays and premiums, be employed or look for work. The program, they say, will insure 800,000 more Floridians and ease a looming health care crisis.

The House still wants nothing to do with Obamacare. They believe Washington is a shaky partner that is forcing Florida to participate in an unsavory federal program. They’ve offered to use $600 million in state revenue to help the poor and uninsured get better medical service.

What’s fueling the standoff is the $1 billion-plus budget hole state lawmakers face with the end of another federal program, the Low Income Pool. The LIP program gives money to hospitals to help them cover the costs of caring for lowincome and uninsured patients.

Federal officials had warned the state since July that LIP funding would end on June 30. They had advised the state to accept Medicaid expansion instead of relying on a temporary funding.

Last week, Gov. Rick Scott filed a lawsuit to force the Obama administration to continue the LIP funding. This week, Scott went to Washington to urge Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to keep the funds flowing. The governor left empty handed.

“The federal government should not just completely cut off a federal health care program for low-income Floridians that has been working for years,” Scott said in a statement. “That is just wrong for Florida families. We want the HHS Secretary to approve our LIP waiver.”

Meanwhile, the 160 legislators have high-tailed it back to their respective districts. Some are meeting with constituents to explain what occurred in Tallahassee that passes for governing. Others are just glad to be out of the capital. Almost all of them will be out raising money.

The only constitutional requirement lawmakers have is to approve a budget, and most state budgets usually don’t come with this much drama. The House and Senate have had their differences, but usually the two chambers get together and reach agreements on new budgets before the regularly scheduled session of the Legislature ends. No such luck this time.

Lawmakers will try again, but there’s no guarantee of a quick fix.

There is talk the House may up the ante by cutting the amount of money set aside for tax cuts to put toward replacing most of the federal LIP funding.

The rest will have to come from local property taxes.

There’s also talk that a bloc of still-irate moderate Republican senators may join the 14 Democrats to prolong the drama and hold out for a better outcome. Even though, the outlook is that the Senate ultimately reaches an agreement, it won’t be easy, or very pretty.

For administrators of city and county programs, local school districts and other government agencies, it’s a game of chicken they don’t want to play.

They’re the ones who must figure out how to help clients, pay contractors and mollify employees if the new state budget is late.

“In the event the budget impasse is not resolved, should I be anticipating a shutdown in auto registration services heading into July?” Mike Fasano, a former lawmaker and now Pasco County tax collector, asked the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Few believe that a government shutdown will ever take place in Florida. The legislators themselves aren’t getting much flak about the meltdown over the budget from constituents, outside of maybe a few health care officials and media pundits. It’s all good — so far.

No one really wants a shutdown. The Senate has been the “adult” in this dispute. In the end, they’ll continue to act the part and back off Medicaid expansion to prevent a historic calamity. Douglas C. Lyons can be reached at dlyons@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4638 or on Twitter @douginflorida.