Budget talks possible over weekend

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – House and Senate leaders said Thursday that formal budget negotiations could take place this weekend as lawmakers try to wrap up the 2020 legislative session.

House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, advised House members to stay in Tallahassee because of a “good possibility” that budget conference committees will meet during the weekend.

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A short time later, Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, offered a similar message when speaking with reporters.

“I feel good where we are with the Florida House of Representatives. The speaker of the House and I have continued to communicate, negotiate. On the optimistic side, I would tell the members to be prepared to go into conference at some point this weekend.” Galvano said. “It’s nothing certain, but that’s how we feel about the progress.”

The legislative session is scheduled to end March 13. But Oliva and Galvano said earlier this week that they expected that the session to go into overtime because of delays in negotiating the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

A budget would have to be finalized by Tuesday for the session to end March 13. That is because of a legally required 72-hour review period before lawmakers can vote.