Budget battle forces Florida legislators back to work

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida legislators are kicking off a special session even though the House and Senate appear at odds over a final budget deal.

The special session, which could cost more than $70,000 a day, started mid-day Wednesday.

Legislators were ordered back to town by Gov. Rick Scott to make changes to the new state budget. But top legislators now say they’ll also consider a bill that would spell out how medical marijuana will distributed.

Voters last November approved a constitutional amendment that allows the use of medical marijuana.

Scott wants lawmakers to pass a new budget for schools while also setting aside money for his top priorities, including restoring money to the agency that handles tourism marketing.

But the Senate and House are not yet in agreement on key budget provisions.