Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
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The Associated Press’ annual planning session is akin to binge-watching press conferences. This year, Gov. Rick Scott, Republican and Democratic leaders of both legislative chambers and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam were on the docket.
Scott unveiled his proposed budget for the year that begins July 1.
What was found in the $83.5 billion plan was far-fetched projections of cuts in parts of the budget that Scott doesn’t like and at least one non-starter with the House of Representatives.
Scott would boost per-student funding for public education, to $7,420.99, an increase of 3 percent. But that would rely heavily on an infusion of $557.9 million in additional local property taxes resulting from an increase in property values.
The state would reduce payments to public hospitals by $298 million. It would also save $581 million by allowing the managed-care plans that handle Medicaid patients to tweak how they reimburse hospitals. And $50 million in funding for inflation and automatic Medicaid increases would be eliminated.
Leaders weren’t eager to jump on board. And House Speaker Richard Corcoran, a Land O’ Lakes Republican, ruled out using the proceeds of increased property values, saying it constituted a tax hike.
The speaker also suggested he was willing to push the legislative session into overtime because of the disagreement.
“We will not raise taxes,” Corcoran said. “And if that means a lengthy year, we’re prepared for that. But we will not raise property taxes — not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”