TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Legislators Zero In On State Budget, PIP

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2007

Lawmakers have returned to Tallahassee to slash the $72 billion state budget by $1.1 billion and reconsider no-fault auto insurance in Florida. Here's the schedule:

•The special legislative session, which could last through Oct. 12, starts today with meetings of the full Senate and House at 9 and 9:30 a.m., respectively. The House Policy and Budget Council will hold a public hearing at 1 p.m. on proposals to reduce spending. Senate appropriations committees are scheduled to meet at 3 p.m., along with the Senate Finance and Tax Committee.

•The House and Senate expect to take up their proposed budgets for preliminary votes on Friday, with joint conference committees meeting later that day to begin negotiating differences between the two chambers. Lawmakers hope to resolve differences between the two chambers by the end of Monday to return a joint budget proposal to all lawmakers on Tuesday for final debate and votes by week's end.

The schedule remains less clear for deliberations on mandatory auto insurance, a new addition to the session agenda.

Lawmakers met in committees on Tuesday to discuss ways to restore the state mandate that all drivers carry personal injury protection, known as PIP. The state's PIP requirement expired Monday because lawmakers, unable to agree on changes to the law, did not renew it this year. Gov. Charlie Crist responded on Monday to pleas from House Speaker Marco Rubio by adding PIP to the special session agenda.

The House plans to hear proposed PIP legislation in committee today, and the Senate will hear proposals Thursday. Lawmakers in both chambers expect to vote on a PIP bill next week.

Catherine Dolinski

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT