LEGISLATURE 2015: Meet the players

Legislature 2015:  Top 10 issues

Nearly 1,400 pregnant women received support last year from the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, a state-financed program that helps with everything from quitting smoking to prenatal nutrition.

The organization tries to help every expectant and new mother in need, but funding is down $5.1 million since 2009 for Healthy Start offices across Florida — and Sarasota officials say waiting lists could soon be instituted for some services.

Coalition of Sarasota County director Shon Ewens and her 16-month-old daughter Harper Ewens stand for a portrait on Friday, February 27, 2015. Funding for the state-financed program has declined since 2009 with no recommended increase in this yearÕs budget. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

Healthy Start is among a number of state programs that have received limited attention from lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott in recent years, even as tax revenues have rebounded significantly. That may continue in 2015, despite a projected $1 billion surplus.

Heading into the two-month legislative session that begins Tuesday, state leaders are talking about devoting much of the surplus to tax cuts and a few key programs, leading some to complain that many vulnerable populations dependent on state support are not sharing in Florida’s economic rebound.

Scott’s proposed budget calls for $677 million in tax cuts and big spending increases for K-12 education and certain environmental efforts. Funding for a wide range of programs such as Healthy Start would remain flat and others — including affordable housing initiatives — are slated for substantial cuts.

Scott won reelection promising to cut taxes, and his focus on the issue has coincided with a strong economic turnaround in Florida. But even some top Republicans are questioning the breadth of Scott’s proposed cuts this year, and they could encounter resistance in the Legislature.

The issue will be one of the most closely watched of the 2015 session. It is further complicated by the fact that a large pot of federal money Florida has received to help cover health care costs for the poor may not be continued, which would put additional strain on the budget.

“There’s a lot of moving parts right now,” said Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, who will have a big hand in shaping state spending as a member of the House leadership.

Tax cuts

Scott pledged during his campaign to cut taxes by $1 billion during the first two years of his second term.

Gov. Rick Scott during the 2014 State of the State address in Tallahassee. (Associated Press archive)

The highlight of his tax package for the 2015-16 budget is a $470 million proposed reduction in the communications services tax paid on cell phone, cable, satellite television and certain land-line phone bills. It would save a family spending $100 per month on their cable and cell phone bills about $43 per year. Florida has one of the highest wireless taxes in the nation, according to the group TaxWatch.

The governor also wants to cut various business taxes and eliminate sales taxes on college textbooks, which would save college students $41.4 million annually.

“The governor believes very strongly it’s family’s money, it’s not government’s money,” said Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz. “Now that we have a surplus we should be giving money back to families and making investments, and if you look at this budget we’re doing both.”

Scott’s tax proposals have been warmly received by state legislators in the past. The governor’s 2014 request for $500 million in reduced taxes and fees sailed through the Legislature.

But that was an election year, when Republican leaders were looking to give the governor a lift heading into a tough contest. They also were working with an even larger surplus.

Top lawmakers have been coy about cutting taxes in 2015, refusing to commit to a dollar amount or specific types of reductions.

Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, described Scott’s tax cuts as “aggressive” during a recent meeting of the pro-business Argus Foundation.

Boyd agrees.

“I think his tax cuts are a little optimistic,” the Bradenton Republican said, adding that, “if there’s reasonable tax cuts we can employ that can help advance Florida and our economy we’ll certainly take a look at them.”

But Boyd said the loss of $1.3 billion in federal funding that subsidizes health care costs for low-income individuals could scramble the budget equation. Federal officials have indicated the Low Income Pool funding will not be continued, a change contemplated as part of the Affordable Care Act, but the state is lobbying to keep the money.

“Certainly the LIP funding is a very important piece because if we have to fund it that’s a fairly large number for our budget,” Boyd said.

Boyd also sees a lot of unmet state needs that could take priority over tax cuts.

Unmet needs

Scott’s budget provides record per-pupil funding for K-12 education and increases spending on land conservation and other priorities.

“He is making incredible investments in state programs,” Schutz said of the governor, noting his focus on education funding.

Some 40,000 international tourists, a new mall and 5,000 more homes are in the pipeline for the I-75 and the University area, yet there is no immediate plans for any road work to improve the already struggling interchange there. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender)

But many programs don’t fare as well.

Spending on transportation infrastructure would essentially remain flat at a time when the state is growing rapidly and road congestion is an increasing concern. Southwest Florida recently received a big boost when the state Department of Transportation agreed to fund a new Interstate 75 interchange at University Parkway, where a new mall and housing growth are leading to increasing gridlock.

But other big projects remain on the back burner. One of greatest unfunded priorities for the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is the widening of River Road in Englewood and North Port. The narrow road is a safety hazard and a major concern for hurricane evacuations.

“There’s much more need that funding,” MPO executive director Michael Howe said of the state’s transportation outlook.

The need for affordable rentals also is growing as the real estate market rebounds and prices rise.

The governor wants to cut housing funding by $68 million. A coalition that includes Realtors, builders and advocates for the poor is lobbying lawmakers to ignore the proposal and increase the affordable housing budget.

One often overlooked area of the budget that local lawmakers plan to emphasize this year is mental health treatment.

Both Galvano and Boyd have pledged to bring more attention to mental health issues.

Boyd recently met with the head of Manatee Glens, a mental health treatment center in Bradenton. She convinced the lawmaker that allocating $300,000 toward bringing psychiatry residents to the area would increase the availability of mental health counseling and provide a critical service to the community.

It’s not the only state program Boyd hopes to expand.

“There’s a lot of needs that have been perhaps a little bit slighted over the past and we’re going to be taking a look at those,” he said.

Healthy start

Shon Ewens said her “heart sank a little bit” when she saw the governor’s budget recommendation for her agency.

Jennifer Roiland Beard and 3-month-old Jackson take part in a postnatal yoga class lead by Louise Hutson, RYT at the office of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County on Friday. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

The executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County said there are many services for pregnant women and new mothers she would expand if the money were available, including breast feeding support, safe sleep awareness and mental health counseling.

“So many of the root issues can be solved through some of that psycho-social counseling,” Ewens said.

State lawmakers boosted Healthy Start’s budget by $3.1 million two years ago but the organization is pushing to recover all of the $8.2 million cut during the Great Recession and secure additional money for investigating infant deaths.

With 31,145 babies born prematurely in Florida in 2013, Ewens said the state is lagging in support for pregnant women and needs to do more, especially in a time of increasing state revenue.

“I hope some of that surplus would come to our families and our moms.”

LEGISLATURE 2015: Meet the players

Legislature 2015:  Top 10 issues

Nearly 1,400 pregnant women received support last year from the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, a state-financed program that helps with everything from quitting smoking to prenatal nutrition.

The organization tries to help every expectant and new mother in need, but funding is down $5.1 million since 2009 for Healthy Start offices across Florida — and Sarasota officials say waiting lists could soon be instituted for some services.

Coalition of Sarasota County director Shon Ewens and her 16-month-old daughter Harper Ewens stand for a portrait on Friday, February 27, 2015. Funding for the state-financed program has declined since 2009 with no recommended increase in this yearÕs budget. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

Healthy Start is among a number of state programs that have received limited attention from lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott in recent years, even as tax revenues have rebounded significantly. That may continue in 2015, despite a projected $1 billion surplus.

Heading into the two-month legislative session that begins Tuesday, state leaders are talking about devoting much of the surplus to tax cuts and a few key programs, leading some to complain that many vulnerable populations dependent on state support are not sharing in Florida’s economic rebound.

Scott’s proposed budget calls for $677 million in tax cuts and big spending increases for K-12 education and certain environmental efforts. Funding for a wide range of programs such as Healthy Start would remain flat and others — including affordable housing initiatives — are slated for substantial cuts.

Scott won reelection promising to cut taxes, and his focus on the issue has coincided with a strong economic turnaround in Florida. But even some top Republicans are questioning the breadth of Scott’s proposed cuts this year, and they could encounter resistance in the Legislature.

The issue will be one of the most closely watched of the 2015 session. It is further complicated by the fact that a large pot of federal money Florida has received to help cover health care costs for the poor may not be continued, which would put additional strain on the budget.

“There’s a lot of moving parts right now,” said Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, who will have a big hand in shaping state spending as a member of the House leadership.

Tax cuts

Scott pledged during his campaign to cut taxes by $1 billion during the first two years of his second term.

Gov. Rick Scott during the 2014 State of the State address in Tallahassee. (Associated Press archive)

The highlight of his tax package for the 2015-16 budget is a $470 million proposed reduction in the communications services tax paid on cell phone, cable, satellite television and certain land-line phone bills. It would save a family spending $100 per month on their cable and cell phone bills about $43 per year. Florida has one of the highest wireless taxes in the nation, according to the group TaxWatch.

The governor also wants to cut various business taxes and eliminate sales taxes on college textbooks, which would save college students $41.4 million annually.

“The governor believes very strongly it’s family’s money, it’s not government’s money,” said Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz. “Now that we have a surplus we should be giving money back to families and making investments, and if you look at this budget we’re doing both.”

Scott’s tax proposals have been warmly received by state legislators in the past. The governor’s 2014 request for $500 million in reduced taxes and fees sailed through the Legislature.

But that was an election year, when Republican leaders were looking to give the governor a lift heading into a tough contest. They also were working with an even larger surplus.

Top lawmakers have been coy about cutting taxes in 2015, refusing to commit to a dollar amount or specific types of reductions.

Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, described Scott’s tax cuts as “aggressive” during a recent meeting of the pro-business Argus Foundation.

Boyd agrees.

“I think his tax cuts are a little optimistic,” the Bradenton Republican said, adding that, “if there’s reasonable tax cuts we can employ that can help advance Florida and our economy we’ll certainly take a look at them.”

But Boyd said the loss of $1.3 billion in federal funding that subsidizes health care costs for low-income individuals could scramble the budget equation. Federal officials have indicated the Low Income Pool funding will not be continued, a change contemplated as part of the Affordable Care Act, but the state is lobbying to keep the money.

“Certainly the LIP funding is a very important piece because if we have to fund it that’s a fairly large number for our budget,” Boyd said.

Boyd also sees a lot of unmet state needs that could take priority over tax cuts.

Unmet needs

Scott’s budget provides record per-pupil funding for K-12 education and increases spending on land conservation and other priorities.

“He is making incredible investments in state programs,” Schutz said of the governor, noting his focus on education funding.

Some 40,000 international tourists, a new mall and 5,000 more homes are in the pipeline for the I-75 and the University area, yet there is no immediate plans for any road work to improve the already struggling interchange there. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender)

But many programs don’t fare as well.

Spending on transportation infrastructure would essentially remain flat at a time when the state is growing rapidly and road congestion is an increasing concern. Southwest Florida recently received a big boost when the state Department of Transportation agreed to fund a new Interstate 75 interchange at University Parkway, where a new mall and housing growth are leading to increasing gridlock.

But other big projects remain on the back burner. One of greatest unfunded priorities for the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is the widening of River Road in Englewood and North Port. The narrow road is a safety hazard and a major concern for hurricane evacuations.

“There’s much more need that funding,” MPO executive director Michael Howe said of the state’s transportation outlook.

The need for affordable rentals also is growing as the real estate market rebounds and prices rise.

The governor wants to cut housing funding by $68 million. A coalition that includes Realtors, builders and advocates for the poor is lobbying lawmakers to ignore the proposal and increase the affordable housing budget.

One often overlooked area of the budget that local lawmakers plan to emphasize this year is mental health treatment.

Both Galvano and Boyd have pledged to bring more attention to mental health issues.

Boyd recently met with the head of Manatee Glens, a mental health treatment center in Bradenton. She convinced the lawmaker that allocating $300,000 toward bringing psychiatry residents to the area would increase the availability of mental health counseling and provide a critical service to the community.

It’s not the only state program Boyd hopes to expand.

“There’s a lot of needs that have been perhaps a little bit slighted over the past and we’re going to be taking a look at those,” he said.

Healthy start

Shon Ewens said her “heart sank a little bit” when she saw the governor’s budget recommendation for her agency.

Jennifer Roiland Beard and 3-month-old Jackson take part in a postnatal yoga class lead by Louise Hutson, RYT at the office of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County on Friday. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

The executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County said there are many services for pregnant women and new mothers she would expand if the money were available, including breast feeding support, safe sleep awareness and mental health counseling.

“So many of the root issues can be solved through some of that psycho-social counseling,” Ewens said.

State lawmakers boosted Healthy Start’s budget by $3.1 million two years ago but the organization is pushing to recover all of the $8.2 million cut during the Great Recession and secure additional money for investigating infant deaths.

With 31,145 babies born prematurely in Florida in 2013, Ewens said the state is lagging in support for pregnant women and needs to do more, especially in a time of increasing state revenue.

“I hope some of that surplus would come to our families and our moms.”

LEGISLATURE 2015: Meet the players

Legislature 2015:  Top 10 issues

Nearly 1,400 pregnant women received support last year from the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, a state-financed program that helps with everything from quitting smoking to prenatal nutrition.

The organization tries to help every expectant and new mother in need, but funding is down $5.1 million since 2009 for Healthy Start offices across Florida — and Sarasota officials say waiting lists could soon be instituted for some services.

Coalition of Sarasota County director Shon Ewens and her 16-month-old daughter Harper Ewens stand for a portrait on Friday, February 27, 2015. Funding for the state-financed program has declined since 2009 with no recommended increase in this yearÕs budget. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

Healthy Start is among a number of state programs that have received limited attention from lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott in recent years, even as tax revenues have rebounded significantly. That may continue in 2015, despite a projected $1 billion surplus.

Heading into the two-month legislative session that begins Tuesday, state leaders are talking about devoting much of the surplus to tax cuts and a few key programs, leading some to complain that many vulnerable populations dependent on state support are not sharing in Florida’s economic rebound.

Scott’s proposed budget calls for $677 million in tax cuts and big spending increases for K-12 education and certain environmental efforts. Funding for a wide range of programs such as Healthy Start would remain flat and others — including affordable housing initiatives — are slated for substantial cuts.

Scott won reelection promising to cut taxes, and his focus on the issue has coincided with a strong economic turnaround in Florida. But even some top Republicans are questioning the breadth of Scott’s proposed cuts this year, and they could encounter resistance in the Legislature.

The issue will be one of the most closely watched of the 2015 session. It is further complicated by the fact that a large pot of federal money Florida has received to help cover health care costs for the poor may not be continued, which would put additional strain on the budget.

“There’s a lot of moving parts right now,” said Rep. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, who will have a big hand in shaping state spending as a member of the House leadership.

Tax cuts

Scott pledged during his campaign to cut taxes by $1 billion during the first two years of his second term.

Gov. Rick Scott during the 2014 State of the State address in Tallahassee. (Associated Press archive)

The highlight of his tax package for the 2015-16 budget is a $470 million proposed reduction in the communications services tax paid on cell phone, cable, satellite television and certain land-line phone bills. It would save a family spending $100 per month on their cable and cell phone bills about $43 per year. Florida has one of the highest wireless taxes in the nation, according to the group TaxWatch.

The governor also wants to cut various business taxes and eliminate sales taxes on college textbooks, which would save college students $41.4 million annually.

“The governor believes very strongly it’s family’s money, it’s not government’s money,” said Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz. “Now that we have a surplus we should be giving money back to families and making investments, and if you look at this budget we’re doing both.”

Scott’s tax proposals have been warmly received by state legislators in the past. The governor’s 2014 request for $500 million in reduced taxes and fees sailed through the Legislature.

But that was an election year, when Republican leaders were looking to give the governor a lift heading into a tough contest. They also were working with an even larger surplus.

Top lawmakers have been coy about cutting taxes in 2015, refusing to commit to a dollar amount or specific types of reductions.

Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, described Scott’s tax cuts as “aggressive” during a recent meeting of the pro-business Argus Foundation.

Boyd agrees.

“I think his tax cuts are a little optimistic,” the Bradenton Republican said, adding that, “if there’s reasonable tax cuts we can employ that can help advance Florida and our economy we’ll certainly take a look at them.”

But Boyd said the loss of $1.3 billion in federal funding that subsidizes health care costs for low-income individuals could scramble the budget equation. Federal officials have indicated the Low Income Pool funding will not be continued, a change contemplated as part of the Affordable Care Act, but the state is lobbying to keep the money.

“Certainly the LIP funding is a very important piece because if we have to fund it that’s a fairly large number for our budget,” Boyd said.

Boyd also sees a lot of unmet state needs that could take priority over tax cuts.

Unmet needs

Scott’s budget provides record per-pupil funding for K-12 education and increases spending on land conservation and other priorities.

“He is making incredible investments in state programs,” Schutz said of the governor, noting his focus on education funding.

Some 40,000 international tourists, a new mall and 5,000 more homes are in the pipeline for the I-75 and the University area, yet there is no immediate plans for any road work to improve the already struggling interchange there. (Staff Photo by Thomas Bender)

But many programs don’t fare as well.

Spending on transportation infrastructure would essentially remain flat at a time when the state is growing rapidly and road congestion is an increasing concern. Southwest Florida recently received a big boost when the state Department of Transportation agreed to fund a new Interstate 75 interchange at University Parkway, where a new mall and housing growth are leading to increasing gridlock.

But other big projects remain on the back burner. One of greatest unfunded priorities for the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization is the widening of River Road in Englewood and North Port. The narrow road is a safety hazard and a major concern for hurricane evacuations.

“There’s much more need that funding,” MPO executive director Michael Howe said of the state’s transportation outlook.

The need for affordable rentals also is growing as the real estate market rebounds and prices rise.

The governor wants to cut housing funding by $68 million. A coalition that includes Realtors, builders and advocates for the poor is lobbying lawmakers to ignore the proposal and increase the affordable housing budget.

One often overlooked area of the budget that local lawmakers plan to emphasize this year is mental health treatment.

Both Galvano and Boyd have pledged to bring more attention to mental health issues.

Boyd recently met with the head of Manatee Glens, a mental health treatment center in Bradenton. She convinced the lawmaker that allocating $300,000 toward bringing psychiatry residents to the area would increase the availability of mental health counseling and provide a critical service to the community.

It’s not the only state program Boyd hopes to expand.

“There’s a lot of needs that have been perhaps a little bit slighted over the past and we’re going to be taking a look at those,” he said.

Healthy start

Shon Ewens said her “heart sank a little bit” when she saw the governor’s budget recommendation for her agency.

Jennifer Roiland Beard and 3-month-old Jackson take part in a postnatal yoga class lead by Louise Hutson, RYT at the office of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County on Friday. (Staff photo by Nick Adams)

The executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County said there are many services for pregnant women and new mothers she would expand if the money were available, including breast feeding support, safe sleep awareness and mental health counseling.

“So many of the root issues can be solved through some of that psycho-social counseling,” Ewens said.

State lawmakers boosted Healthy Start’s budget by $3.1 million two years ago but the organization is pushing to recover all of the $8.2 million cut during the Great Recession and secure additional money for investigating infant deaths.

With 31,145 babies born prematurely in Florida in 2013, Ewens said the state is lagging in support for pregnant women and needs to do more, especially in a time of increasing state revenue.

“I hope some of that surplus would come to our families and our moms.”