Lawmakers called it quits during the regular legislative session, but with a sense of “mission unaccomplished” returned to the Florida Capitol this week to hammer out an agreement to appease the will of Florida voters who said “yes” to the constitutional amendment last fall.
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Gov. Rick Scott added the medical marijuana issue Wednesday afternoon to his call for a three-day special legislative session scheduled to last through Friday. The House passed it 103-9 before the Senate voted 29-6.
In all, that would reduce the expected funding cuts by $260 million.
If legislators fail to reach a final deal, schools could lose billions in funding.
Wielding the veto pen, the Governor cut out nearly $12 billion from the new state budget, as part of a deal with House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron to fund two of Scott’s pet projects.
But the Senate started down a new path, filing a bill that proposes paying for the extra K-12 funding partly through property taxes from new construction.
House Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues, who shepherded the measure through his chamber, told colleagues Friday that lawmakers “have a responsibility and a duty” to implement the amendment, approved by more than 71 percent of voters, or else the regulatory framework would be decided by the courts. Each grower would be limited to opening 25 dispensaries. Lawmakers put $50 million toward the Herbert Hoover Dike, a priority for Scott that the Legislature rejected during the regular session.
Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, complained bitterly about having to vote for funding for both Visit Florida and the new grant program. “I think that is why you are seeing the Senate capitulate”, Brandes said. Doesn’t it sound good?
“It will be implemented on probably July 1st and then on Independence Day or before I will strike out again for the people of Florida because I’m right and usually when I sue I win and I expect to win then”, said Morgan.
“We’re glad that they’re coming together and that they’re reaching common ground, but we’re not just going to rubber-stamp an agreement that two parties made without our priorities being taken into account”, Negron said.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle had been calling for a special session on the matter.
In the middle of debating medical marijuana, the Senate recessed for a half hour to draft a last minute amendment. “They have no political capital to spend up here”, said Sen.
But there’s a catch: Caps are set to increase by five for every 100,000 patients registered to use marijuana, and license holders can sell unused dispensary slots to one another.
The current version of the budget bill (SB 2500-A) moves the Senate closer to the House’s position.
The cap on dispensaries – which would end in 2020 – and the number of medical-marijuana operator licenses would increase as the number of patients eligible for the cannabis treatment grows. More on the ideas being considered by the Hillsborough County School Board HERE.
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The Pensacola native can receive low-THC cannabis under legislation passed in 2014 but would like to be able to use higher-strength medical marijuana and see more product variety than he has now.
