You said goodbye, I said good night

It wouldn’t be a real “sine die” without a little bit of drama, and Monday’s slightly delayed ending to the 2017 session was no exception.

The suspense surrounded an education package (HB 7069), a House priority that narrowly escaped death in the Senate. It passed on a 20-18 margin — a 19-19 tie would have killed it. Even Senate education budget chief David Simmons, the Altamonte Springs Republican whose job it was to present the bill to the Senate, voted against it.

That was a few hours after Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, apologized for letting a budget-related bill turn into a 278-page measure.

“If there’s fault to be had for one of these bills that has gotten a little bit out of control, just understand that we won’t do this again under my watch on this committee,” Latvala said. “I promise you.”

But the approval of that bill, and a few others, cleared the way for lawmakers to approve a budget that weighs in at $82.4 billion and an overall spending package (when the other measures are included) of $83.1 billion for the year that begins July 1.

With Gov. Rick Scott openly talking about the possibility of vetoing the entire spending plan, the budget was approved by veto-proof margins in the House and Senate.

“I think there’s a lot in the budget that the governor’s going to like,” said Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.

There are also things Scott certainly won’t like, foremost among them the elimination of economic-development incentives and the paring back of tourismmarketing dollars.

Lawmakers failed to pass legislation this year carrying out the medical-marijuana constitutional amendment approved by voters in November, leaving implementation to a state health agency.

By Thursday, Negron was asking members whether they had any ideas for how to break a logjam between the House and Senate on the pot legislation.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran predicted legislators will return to the Capitol and pass a comprehensive measure that eluded them during the twomonth regular session.

“I believe there should be a special session, and there will be a special session,” said Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes. “I’m confident that we can get to a resolution.”