TALLAHASSEE - Following up on a promise made to lawmakers a year ago, Gov. Jeb Bush will likely veto additional funding for high-speed rail service when he signs a $53.5-billion budget Monday for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The state has already spent $20-million on planning for the so-called bullet train that could cost $2.2-billion to link Orlando and Tampa by 2009, and 10 times that much to eventually connect other Florida cities.
"The governor has some concerns about the money for the High Speed Rail Authority," said spokeswoman Jill Bratina said Sunday. "He had indicated that last year and asked the Legislature to address their tax exemption, which they did not."
Bush has opposed the state's participation in building a high-speed rail service from his first day in office in 1999.
Florida voters, however, passed a constitutional amendment in 2000 requiring the state begin building a high-speed rail network.
While Bush has concerns about the costs to the state of getting a high-speed rail system in place in the most populated areas of the state, he has the option to leave some money in the budget to help build intermodal transportation centers in those areas.
Lawmakers, however, adhered to the governor's penchant for receiving a budget free of special projects.
But it took a 16-day special session for lawmakers to finally agree on the spending plan for fiscal year 2003-2004.
On May 27, the last day of this year's first special session, they signed off on their deal that gives school districts money to start reducing class sizes, but left little money for teacher pay raises.
They're now deadlocked in special session No. 2, which was called to unravel a medical malpractice standoff between doctors, lawyers and insurance companies.
The budget Bush signs Monday includes money for the Florida KidCare program, which provides low-cost children's insurance, but caps enrollment. More money is provided for Florida's troubled child welfare program, but only about half of what the Department of Children & Families said is needed.
"Overall it's a good budget," Bratina said. "We're able to fund critical needs without raising taxes at a time when most other states are looking to cut."
Florida, however, did not escape totally.
Lawmakers cut funding for the arts and historical programs by half, slashed funding for a smoking prevention program aimed at teens from $37-million to $1-million and eliminated one of the three state offices that represents death row inmates.
And lawmakers were forced to authorize an 8.5 percent tuition increase at the state's 11 public universities to offset cutbacks in the higher education budget.
Although they approved it largely along party lines, Senate Republicans voiced their displeasure with trying to balance the budget by using $1.3-billion in one-time sources of cash and some $800-million from trust funds, accounts dedicated for specific purposes and not general spending.
