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A closer look at the 2011/2012 Florida budget process. By Anastasia Dawson Created with information provided by University of South Florida Associate Vice President of Government Relations Mark Walsh.
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A closer look at the 2011/2012 Florida budget process By Anastasia Dawson Created with information provided by University of South Florida Associate Vice President of Government Relations Mark Walsh
The budget currently being created will go into affect July 1 for the 2012 fiscal year, which ends July 30. • The budget has to accommodate a deficit of about $3.6 billion, Walsh said. What is the budget?
The process began with Gov. Rick Scott’s presentation of a recommended budget before the legislative season started March 8. From there, the Senate and the House of Representatives created their own budget proposals. Differences between the two proposed budgets are set to be resolved during meetings with a joint conference committee, Walsh said. The Process
The product of that meeting, a comprehensive budget called a General Appropriations Act, is then given to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President to be signed. Gov. Scott has line-item veto power over the bill and ultimately signs it into law, Walsh said. • Walsh said a final budget must be voted on before the legislative season ends May 6, 2011. The Process
A few of Scott’s proposals: • Appropriate $1.836 billion in General Revenue and $230.7 million in operational lottery proceeds to the state university system (SUS) – this amount is similar to current SUS budget without stimulus money and other non-recurring funds. • Freeze the base resident undergraduate tuition rate at $95.67 per credit hour • Require all Bright Futures scholarship recipients to fill out a FAFSA to receive award. Also raises SAT/ACT requirements for award. • Appears to “zero-out” the state supplemental appropriation to all private institutions.It's unclear if the funds traditionally appropriated to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and other public entities is included in the lump sum to the SUS or “zeroed-out,” Walsh said. • Because Scott has the final say on the state budget, the finished product will likely meet some, if not all, of these aims. Gov. Rick Scott’s Proposal