House Speaker Daniel Perez says it\u2019s \u201clooking tough\u201d for Florida lawmakers to complete a budget by the end of next week, the scheduled end of the legislative session.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re still having conversations in the hopes of eventually getting closer,\u201d Perez said on Wednesday afternoon. \u201cWe have a fundamental disagreement on what the budget should look like.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Senate\u2019s proposal is around $115 billion, which is nearly $1.5 billion more than what the House wants.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t think that I’m very flexible on wanting to spend more money,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it’s not just about the overall number. I think it’s also about how it’s spent. But we aren’t even at that part of the conversation yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cWe aren’t talking about specific allocations. We’re talking about the bigger number, and that’s something that, although we are still conversing, it is a very light and short conversation that I wish would move faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year<\/a>, lawmakers extended the session by a month and a half to figure out a budget and tax package. If the budget\u2019s not done on time again, legislative leadership could also decide to call a special session for the budget.<\/p>\n \u201cA decision has not been made,\u201d Perez said.<\/p>\n