Gaetz:  No budget talks during holiday break

By the News Service of Florida

With lawmakers expected to take next week off for the Passover and Easter holidays, budget talks between the House and Senate will begin after lawmakers return to Tallahassee, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said Wednesday. "During the week off we don't want to have conferences going on," Gaetz said after speaking at the Florida Chamber of Commerce's International Days event at Florida State University. "Every representative and every senator ought to have the opportunity to keep an eye on things they're interested in. And they can't do that back home." Gaetz said the conference schedule for the appropriations committees should be available by the end of next week. The House has approved a $75.3 billion spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1. The Senate has countered with a $74.9 billion proposal. Both packages exceed the $74.2 billion budget proposed by Gov. Rick Scott. The session ends May 2, but the budget has to be finalized by April 29 because of a required 72-hour review period.