BRADENTON, Fla. - With a month left in Florida's legislative session and a hefty surplus to spend, the House proposed the state's highest budget ever, totaling $75.3 billion.
The House plan for fiscal 2015 is about $400 million higher than the Senate's version.
Both Republican-led chambers filed spending plans late Thursday with differences to be sorted out in conference.
The proposals take advantage of more than a $1 billion surplus, thanks to the improving economy providing for higher spending on core state priorities like education as well as tax relief and lawmakers' pet projects.
The House's version includes a $27.6 billion general fund that is $200 million higher than the Senate's proposal.
The Senate would put more into savings for emergencies with $3.2 billion in total state reserves versus $2.9 billion in the House plan.
"The Florida House has passed a fiscally responsible budget that maximizes every dollar, increases our commitment to per-student funding in education, makes strategic investments in infrastructure, and provides half a billion dollars in tax relief to Floridians," said a statement by House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
The total amount of bonds in each budget to finance new projects was not immediately available.
In his budget proposal, Gov. Rick Scott proposed $2.7 billion in bonds, representing one of the largest authorizations in recent years. Some $2.4 billion was for the Florida Department of Transportation's massive Interstate 4 expansion and renovation project through Orlando, with another $300 million in bonds for other FDOT projects.
Some $500 million in tax and fee reductions are included in the both budgets proposed by lawmakers, most of whom face reelection this year.
Both chambers supported the single largest tax relief bill, a $400 million rollback of vehicle registration fees hiked during the lean years. It was signed into law by Scott the day before submitting legislative spending plans.
House Bill 5601 was passed the same day as the budget with lawmakers saying that it offers a "broad-based approach" to additional tax relief measures estimated to have a fiscal impact of $141 million.
HB 5601 would remove the state sales tax temporarily for four programs, including three days for school supplies, 12 days for hurricane supplies, three days for energy and water efficient appliances, and seven days for memberships at work-out gyms.
The bill would also offer permanent sales tax exemptions for child restraint systems and youth bicycle helmets, increase the exemption for corporate income taxes, provide $20 million in non-recurring funds to lure television program production to the state, expand the new markets tax credit program, among other measures.
For the most part, most lawmakers in both houses have agreed on funding and other matters, and are eager to get the 60-day session behind them as they are prohibited by law from raising campaign funds while in session. The session ends May 2.
It is a major election year with Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, facing former Gov. Charlie Crist who has registered to run as a Democrat. Members of the state Cabinet, state representatives, and half of the state Senate are also on the ballot this fall.
