©2024 The News Service of Florida
Individual lawmakers’ budget requests have reached $3.8 billion in the Senate and $5.99 billion in the House, as the Legislature prepares to return to Tallahassee next week for the 2024 session.
A key part of the session will be crafting a budget for the state’s 2024-2025 fiscal year, which will begin July 1.
Included in newly filed budget requests, Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chair Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, is seeking $87.55 million — through two requests (Senate Forms 2539 and 2540) — to help build a College of Dentistry at Florida Atlantic University.
Meanwhile, Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, has proposed $50 million for medical services at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Pinellas County (House Form 3555).
“A large portion of the hospital’s patient load is covered by Medicaid and reimbursements do not fully cover the cost of providing these critical resources,” McClure wrote in the request. “This funding will augment reimbursements so the hospital can continue to provide necessary world class [sic] care to Floridians.”
Also, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, has proposed spending another $35 million for a project at the historic Hotel Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine.
The request (Senate Form 2409) would help cover costs for a structural remodeling of the hotel, which is part of the Flagler College campus.
The hotel received $35 million in the budget for the current fiscal year.
