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State lawmakers are back in the state Capitol for a three day special session, called by the Governor, to increase funding for schools, tourism marketing and jobs incentives. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the first day was anything but smooth.

As one of its first order of business, the Senate took the unusual step of overriding the Governor’s veto of the Public School Funding portion of the budget.

“We’re only doing that as a first step as a process here that will improve our school funding” explained Senate Budget Chairman Jack Latvala.

Rick Scott vetoed that section of the budget, calling for a hundred dollars more per student. the Cost, 215 million. Latvala calls the override a precaution.

“If we get into some sort of controversy and we don’t finish the rest of our business, we have the alternative in place to keep our schools open” says the Clearwater Republican.

We were meeting with House Speaker Richard Corcoran as the Senate was debating the override.

“What you can’t have in a special session is to try re-litigate and reopen those things you already agreed to during the regular session. And so what I think the Senate is trying to do is reopen a massive tax increase. We’ve said over and over we’re not going a massive tax increase to pay for education” says the Speaker.

Still undecided is if the Senate will try to override more of the Governor’s vetoes.

Corcoran makes it clear there’s no appetite for any override in the House.

“No. I think that it’s pork. the Governor vetoed the pork, and that’s the way it should be” says Corcoran.

If the discord continues without resolution by Friday, lawmakers will either have to extend their session, or be forced to come back before July. As of now, there is no money in the budget for public schools after July first.

The Senate hopes to increase school funding through the growth in commercial property tax values, which the House rejected in May, which is why you saw the push back from House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

While lawmakers remain divided at the State Capitol over how to pay for increases in public school funding, they have agreed to take up legislation implementing medical marijuana. Governor Rick Scott was asked to add marijuana to the agenda and he did so quickly. Co Sponsor Katie Edwards says the issue over how many dispensaries will work out to a patients benefit.

“And I think it is a fool hardy argument to argue over caps  because as we are seeing, we’re changing patient preferences. they want home deliver. They want delivery at their physicians office. So making sure we can remove those obstacles, get it to patients as quickly as we can. Safely as well. that’s out  function” says Edwards.

Lawmakers have spent the last month working out the details of the compromise on marijuana. No county in Florida saw less than a 55 percent approval rating, while most counties saw well over a 60 percent approval level for medical marijuana. re-litigate

Florida lawmakers are back at the State Capitol tomorrow for a three day session, called by the Governor to boost eduction, tourism and jobs funding. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the costly sessions have become so frequent, it is hard to call them special.

Webster’s defines Special as something distinguished by some unusual quality.  Between 2000 and 2015, lawmakers held 25 special sessions. The Cost to taxpayers, 3.8 million. The frequency of sessions is nothing new. Pete Dunbar represented Pinellas County for 10 years beginning in 1978.

“”Every year but one we were back here for a special session” he recalls.

Dunbar says deadlines, like the 60 say session, make lawmakers more efficient, even if they don’t always meet them.

Sot: Pete Dunbar

“Coming back of three days to conclude that unfinished business, is better than being here until December.”

And despite the two hundred thousand dollars being spent to bring lawmakers back here, that’s just a  drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money schools are likely to get when this is all over.

Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto says the resulting increase for schools, which will top 200 million more, makes the session worth the cost.

“We’re back up here to invest more money in public education. That’s a great use of our time and it is for the benefit of the students across the state, so I think its a good expenditure, yes” says Benacquisto.

Public Schools agree. Andrea Messina represents the Florida School Boards Assn.

“We wish it would have been done in the regular session, but if thesis how it has to come, we believe it is a good investment.”

And while the extraordinary sessions may not be so special, they are always unpredictable.

Sot: Pete Dunbar

“I’ve seen several comments that maybe it’s not as done a deal as people would like to think it is.”

And if Dunbar’s right. You heard it first here.

And if lawmakers can’t finish in the three days they’ve been allotted, the cost will climb between 50 and 70 thousand dollars a day.

In a document leaked by a whistleblower, The National Security Agency or NSA concludes that a Tallahassee based Voter Registration software company was apparently the victim of hacking by unknown Russians prior to the 2016 election. The three page classified document says VR Systems was hacked by someone opening a Microsoft document that allowed intruders to set up email accounts and approach the elections vendors clients. Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections attorney Ron Labasky says even with the intrusion, hackers never got access to ballots or voting software.

“I think the important thing for the public is that the story is not directed toward our ability  to cast and count ballots, unless, someone goes in and begins to remove names from the voter registration system, when people show up to vote, forcing them to cast a provisional ballot or something that nature” labasky tells us.

VR Systems says it was alerted to the danger by a client, the company advised its clients not to open the suspect email. FBI agents briefed Florida elections supervisors of the threat last August.

In a statement, Secretary of State Ken Detzner says “Florida’s online elections databases and voting systems remained secure in 2016. We have multiple safeguards in place to protect against elections fraud and prevent any possible hacking attempts from being successful.”

Among the 409 million in projects vetoed by Governor Rick Scott are three line items that would have provided just over three million dollars to Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Florida.  As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the budget called for the money to be used to begin studying medical marijuana.

Because marijuana is considered a dangerous drug under federal law, research on how cannabis works and any side effects is few and far between. State Senator Bill Galvano pushed for lawmakers to change the status quo and get answers.

“I want to know the real effects. What are the negative effects? What are the downsides” galvano told us on May 2nd.

Lawmakers responded with two million going to the University of Florida and just over a million to Moffitt Cancer Center, but the funding didn’t make it past the Governor.

In vetoing the marijuana research cash, Rick Scott wrote that UF and Moffitt both had plenty of money to fund the research on their own. Marijuana lobbyist Jeff Sharkey says the vetoes are ill times.

“Research allows doctors and physicians to understand the impact of medical marijuana on these various conditions. This was a start to move this process forward” says Sharkey.

And, While Florida lags, In Canada, this government sanctioned medical marijuana grower has a full time medical doctor on staff. We traveled to the grow house as part of the National Conference of State Legislatures, where we me medical director Dr. Richard Lucas, Tilray’s Medical Director.

“You can start looking, for example, at plants that MLS patients tend to use at a higher majority than other people with different symptoms” says Lucas.

Lawmakers will be back in the Capitol Wednesday, but Medical Marijuana isn’t on their agenda. It could be added, but it is highly unlikely they will try and revive the research money, which is another way of saying research will have to wait at least another year.

Scott vetoed 370 thousand dollars tied to Moffitt because lawmakers didn’t pass a bill setting up regulations for medical marijuana. Now unless, lawmakers act, the Department of Health will decide how to regulate medical cannabis.

The man accused of murdering an FSU law professor nearly three years ago will likely stand trial in November. The State asked a judge to set a date in either July or November. Prosecutor Georgia Cappleman expects the defense to agree on the November date.

“I just spoke to the opposing counsel, who seems to think his co counsel will think that the November date will work, but no so much in July. I’ll be happy if I get it tried this year” says Cappleman.

Three people have been charged in the murder One has turned states evidence and will testify against the other two. The family of the slain professors wife are also suspects, but they have not been charged in the case.

State lawmakers will be headed back to the Capitol next week for some unfinished business. Governor Rick Scott today vetoed portions of the budget in what is an apparent deal to boost school funding and fund the Governor’s top priorities.

Applause at Enterprise Florida’s board of directors meeting greeted the Governor after he announced a tentative deal to keep the agency alive.

“This wouldn’t, didn’t happen because of hard work last week. it happen because of the hard work over months and months and months and months” Scott told the Directors.

Lawmakers will be back in the Capitol next Wednesday for three days. On their agenda,        increasing public school funding, putting 76 million into Visit Florida, and 85 million for attracting businesses. The deal was first announced in Miami  at a press conference in Miami.

“I want to thank our Senate President Negron for being here and Speaker Corcoran for being here” Scott said to open the event.

The presence of legislative leaders indicates there is a deal in concept.

“You know the way I always think about it is I ran on jobs. And by doing that we have more money for education, More money for the environment. More money for a lot of things” says Scott.

Florida School Boards had been calling for a budget veto over inadequate funding, something they would have not done if the 210 million increase had been in the original budget. Andrea Messina is grateful the Govenror listened.

“We really appreciate that he listened to the letters and that he is recommending about a hundred dollar per student increase. So we’ll see what happens next week” says Messina.

When lawmakers fill these halls next week, it won’t be cheap. It’s going to cost taxpayers between 50 and 70 thousand dollars a day.

The Governor denied there was a deal not to veto a massive charter school bill.

“Probably the only person that would know would be me right?” while he continued to say he was reviewing the legislation.

The charter school bill is the top priority of the House Speaker. He made the deal possible by backing down on cuts to Enterprise Florida.

Medical Marijuana is not among the unfinished business on the agenda for next weeks special session, but lawmakers can add it without the Governor’s approval with a two thirds vote.

Governor Rick Scott said he was vetoing more than four hundred million dollars from the state budget earlier today. (the list is not yet out). Florida Taxwatch had called for axing about half that much, but Taxwatch CEO Dominic Calabro says the addition items vetoed by the Governor are sound policy.

“So in addition to the numbers Florida Taxwatch pointed out, the two hundred plus million dollars, there are about several hundred million of member projects, which kind of represent petty parochialism of varying degrees. And those we pointed out the Governor should consider, but they definitely violated or circumvented the process the legislature established” says Calabro.

Q:”So taxpayers should be happy?”

“Absolutely”

Lawmakers can reenact whatever Scott vetoes with a two thirds vote to override the veto, but such votes are rare.

Lawmakers waited three weeks to send the Governor the state budget. Now Rick Scott has two weeks to decide whether to veto all or parts of the spending plan, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, he’s getting plenty of encouragement to be heavy handed.

The 451 page budget hit the Governor’s desk this week. He has until June 15th to accept or reject all or parts of the 82.4 billion dollar spending plan.
“Well, I’m going to review my options” is what Rick Scott has been telling reporters when asked about a potential veto.

Scott has used the veto word more this year than ever. That’s because the spending plan sidelines the Governors major priorities. Visit Florida was cut by two thirds and Enterprise Florida got nothing for incentives.

“I can veto the entire budget or I can veto parts of the budget” says Scott.

Enterprise Florida leadership declined to be interviewed before Scott speaks to them on Friday. Brewster Bevis fought for the incentives on behalf of Associated Industries.

“He’s got a very interesting decision in front of him. But he’s a smart man. I think he’ll probably make the wise decision. Whatever that may be. We’ll see” says Bevis.

The veto of the entire budget is not unheard of. Lawton Chiles called the pen he used in 1992 to ax the budget his silver bullet.

“The quicker we wrap this one up” said Chiles, “the quicker we can get on to the next one.”

Scott is also under pressure to veto at least the Education portion of the budget from both state colleges and public schools.  Andrea Messina represents the Florida School Boards Association.

“The money that has been given to school districts is not enough to cover the increases in growth. Florida retirement contributions” says Messina.\

Lawmakers have tentatively scheduled a special session for mid to late June, just in case there’s a veto they can override.

And the biggest guessing game in the Capitol right now is what the Governor may or may not do with the budget.

In addition to Lawton Chiles, Bob Graham vetoed the entire education budget in 1983. Both times lawmakers tried but failed to override their vetoes.