Welcome to

A federal program called LIP – which supports hospitals treating low income patients is going away, and has caused a budget roadblock in the state. Medicaid expansion has come up as a potential fix to the problem, but as Matt Galka tells us, a secret meeting of House republicans indicates a standoff between the House and Senate will continue for the foreseeable future.

Member after member of the House Republican caucus filed into their closed door meeting Tuesday. Open government laws require lawmakers to hold open meetings…except when they’re not discussing pending legislation.

Rep. Steve Crisafulli/(R) House Speaker

“Our General Counsel went through our talking points. I was very scripted, and he said that everything we were doing in that meeting was perfectly in the confines of the law,” said Republican House Speaker Steve Crisafulli.

2015’s biggest issue – Medicaid expansion – was discussed. But since the House won’t take up the issue, they say they weren’t breaking any laws. And they repeated that they won’t take up the Senate’s plan which could help 800,000 Floridians – elongating a standoff.

“We had 8 hours of debate on this issue of their plan, we don’t even get hearings over there, we don’t get agenda’d over there, that’s the issue,” said Rep. Richard Corcoran, the House’s Speaker in Waiting.

At the same time House Republicans were holding their closed door meetings, State Senators had a public presentation on Medicaid.

Florida’s chief economist Amy Baker said losing federal LIP funding will have a substantial impact.

“Roughly the impact would be to lose about 20 thousand jobs over this five year period,” she said.

The Senate isn’t changing their tune on pushing Medicaid expansion as a fix.

“It’s important that everybody sees these numbers, and it’s important that everyone sees where we are, when we don’t finish with a budget, I think that everyone knows when they look at this, why,” said Senate President Andy Gardiner.

Without a budget, lawmakers will have to spend taxpayer money to go into overtime or call a special session.

Governor Rick Scott has stood against Medicaid expansion this year, but the Senate’s budget chairman said a recent face to face indicated the door was open to Florida possibly accepting federal money. The budget doesn’t need to be finalized until July 1^st.