Florida legislators stuff budget with millions for projects

Author: Associated Press
Published:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida legislators say there just isn’t enough money when it comes to a new state budget.

State workers, for example, aren’t getting a raise. There’s no money for new judges to handle the growing number of cases in the courts. There’s more money for schools, but most of it coming from an increase in local property taxes.

But there’s money for hometown projects.

Legislators have been able to secure line items in the initial House and Senate budgets for everything from money for a surfing museum to money to help buy the house where Depression-era fugitive Ma Barker was shot and killed.

The House this year started tracking budget requests. House members asked for more than $2.9 billion. The House budget set aside nearly $544 million for member requests.

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