Amid standoff with Senate, House quits session three days early! Interesting development this afternoon. The impasse over Medicaid expansion prompted this move, but please go ahead with your e-mails and phone calls. The Senators are still there, but they representatives may be at their local offices temporarily. They will be back in Tallahassee soon. They have to pass a budget – it’s the law.
http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/04/28/house-abruptly-adjourns-exiting-the-capitol-with-session-in-freefall/ Author: John Kennedy
House abruptly adjourns — exiting the Capitol with session in free fall
The Florida House abruptly adjourned Tuesday afternoon — ending its work in a 2015 regular session deadlocked over the Senate’s push for expanding health coverage.
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, brought the House to a close shortly after 1:15 p.m. — three days before Friday’s scheduled adjournment. House Democratic Leader Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach said that his minority caucus got word of the move about “10 seconds before” it happened.
Crisafulli, though, said the House’s exit made sense. “I don’t think it’s healthy for the process (for us) to stay here and continue to talk about something that neither side is changing their view on,” Crisafulli said.
“Hopefully, the Senate president and I can sit down and figure out how to determine when we’re going to come back and hold a (special) session,” he added.
The Senate continued in floor session to work on legislation Tuesday afternoon. But Crisafulli said that with the health coverage battle stalling talks on crafting a state budget, that also removed the possibility of settling other major issues that involved spending.
“Typically this time of year, we’d be sitting here working on the budget,” Crisafulli said. “That’s what my members expect to be doing right now. We’re not doing that. So today was an opportunity for my members to go home and reset.”
