TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV\/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – Day 10 of a special session brought no signs of progress on the state budget as negotiations moved behind closed doors.<\/p>\n
Public meetings on line items ended last week. A small group of lawmakers is now trying to hash out the differences and close a $1.4 billion gap.<\/p>\n
House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said lawmakers are left in the dark near the end of week two.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost hard to talk about it because there\u2019s been such a lack of transparency in the process,\u201d Driskell said.<\/p>\n
Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that most members have no idea what is going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, these members probably have no idea either what\u2019s going on,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n
Driskell said it is time to move on.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, things are just too up in the air. Personally, for my taste, I\u2019d like to see us get this budget done and move on and do the work of the people of Florida,\u201d Driskell said.<\/p>\n
More Florida politics:<\/p>\n
DeSantis last week compared waiting for a budget to waiting for a new pope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, it\u2019s like, it\u2019s kind of just like a little cabal of people that kind of like decided. And it\u2019s like, it\u2019s almost like, you know, is there like white smoke coming out of, yeah, it\u2019s just, and so do we have a budget?\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n
There has been no update on what is holding up the budget. The House has been hard on cuts, leaving very little wiggle room in the Senate.<\/p>\n
DeSantis is encouraging lawmakers to get their only constitutional requirement done.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I would just encourage everybody that\u2019s a part of that in the legislative, get it done, show how it\u2019s done, show how Florida gets it done. We have a great track record. I don\u2019t think you want to fritter that away now over really, I think, pretty minor disagreements,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n
Driskell said she is not sure if the budget vote will happen next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Thursday the 21st, and we still have not heard what day we\u2019re coming back next week. If we\u2019re coming back next week,\u201d Driskell said.<\/p>\n
The budget special session is scheduled to wrap up next Friday. The fiscal year starts July 1.<\/p>\n
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