Get smart fast about
Budget lingo
F E AT U R E
by rosanne dunkelberger photos the workmans 70
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INFLUENCE Spring 2021
T
he Legislative Session is like two trains running at the same time on different tracks — or a coin with two sides. One side is policy, where substantive bills get filed and move through a thoughtful and sometimes-complex committee process. Many bills have up to six committee hearings in both the House and Senate where members can listen to public testimony and debate the merits of the proposal before final debate on the floor. The other side of the coin is the budget, the most important item every year and the only constitutional requirement of the Florida Legislature. Budget proposals tend to reflect the priorities of the chamber leadership.The real work of the budget happens well before Session even starts and picks up again in the final two weeks. Working on both policy and budget issues during the 60-day Legislative Session requires a skilled advocate who knows the rules and nuances to navigate them both. We asked Chris Dudley of The Southern Group for a quick primer...
BACK OF THE BILL — There’s a lot of good stuff in the back of the bill. Growing up when my dad was in the Legislature, he always said to me, “Read the bill, Chris, it’s the most important thing you can do.” And not just the staff analysis, but the entire bill. While I tend to go through and look at client items first, there are a ton of nuggets in the final pages. The back of the bill contains some of the most important budget issues in the entire bill, including reappropriating dollars and directing how dollars can be spent. SPREADSHEET — The lifeblood of the budget conference process, the budget spreadsheet details each specific appropriation of both House and Senate budgets, how much money has been appropriated and the source of funds. As the conference committee process begins, House and Senate members will make offers on every