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Everglades Funding Returns

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By JEROME R. STOCKFISCH

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 29, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Top negotiators put an austere state budget to bed Sunday afternoon without a traditional $100 million allocation for Everglades restoration. By Monday morning, money was once again flowing to the River of Grass.

Rep. Ray Sansom, R-Destin, the top House negotiator, and his Senate counterpart Lisa Carlton, R-Osprey, announced Sunday they had compromised on the final sticking points of the $66.2 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. They had been charged with resolving the "bump list" - differences between the two chambers that members could not resolve themselves, and "bump" to the higher-ups.

The request for $50 million for the Everglades from a Department of Environmental Protection trust fund came late and came from above, Carlton said.

"It was not on the bump list," she said. "The president contacted me, and asked me if there was a way that we could fund the Everglades, and the speaker did the same thing."

Negotiators had been previously unaware the funding was such a priority of Senate President Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, and House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami. The requests came after most major news outlets - including the Tampa Tribune - reported that the budget had closed out with no Everglades funding.

The spending proposal is expected to be released today. By state law, it must sit for 72 hours for review, meaning lawmakers should be able to vote on the budget on time for a Friday conclusion of the 2008 legislative session.

Reporter Jerome R. Stockfisch can be reached at jstockfisch@tampatrib.com or (850) 222-8382.

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