Education, nursing homes win in new state budget

TALLAHASSEE — Lawmakers agreed to an $88.7 billion budget Thursday, increasing funding for K-12 schools, nursing homes and land conservation projects while providing modest tax cuts as members eye the campaign trail.

A constitutionally mandated 72-hour “cooling off” period for the budget means lawmakenough ers must return to the Capitol on Sunday to vote on the spending plan, forcing lawmakers to extend the session past Friday, the original last day of the session.

It is the second straight year that the Legislature failed to complete their work on time.

The budget also includes a $168.6 million tax cut package that includes a sales tax holiday on back-to-school items from Aug. 3-5, and a sales tax holiday from June 1-7 on hurricane preparedness items, such as generators, batteries and tarps.

Some Democrats objected to the tax cuts in light of the state’s ongoing opioid crisis. There were 5,725 opioid-related deaths in 2016, a 35 percent increase over the prior year.

Lawmakers agreed to Gov. Rick Scott’s request for $52 million to address the crisis. But Democrats say it isn’t to slow the epidemic and note GOP leaders found $400 million to put toward school safety in light of the Parkland mass shooting last month.

“This is a year that we should be funding people who need the help, not tax breaks,” said Sen. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach. “If they wanted to find $100 million to help opioid