By By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida, Jan. 5, 2015 – TALLAHASSEE – Florida lawmakers will return to the Capitol next week for an election-year legislative session.
Expect the 60-day session to start amicably enough, with the House and Senate poised to quickly pass bills about water policy and boosting opportunities for people with disabilities — priorities of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.
But as always, the true sausage-making will happen near the end of the 60-day session, as lawmakers race to pass bills, tack on amendments and negotiate a budget. Here are 10 issues to watch during the session, which starts Jan. 12 and is scheduled to end March 11:
BUDGET: Lawmakers will enter the session with a surplus as they prepare to negotiate a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. Gov. Rick Scott has proposed a $79.3 billion spending plan as a starting point. Among other things, Scott wants to set a record for per-student funding in public schools, boost economic-development incentives and cut taxes. But a key question could focus on the size of the surplus. State economists have predicted a $635.4 million surplus, while Scott’s administration contends the number could be as high as $1.6 billion. The resolution of that issue could help determine how much money is available for education, health care, economic-development incentives and tax cuts.
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