On Thursday, Governor Bush signed into law a $50.4 billion dollar state budget. The state's general revenue budget will grow $1.4 billion in FY 2002-2003, a 7.4 percent increase over the current year. A total of $110 million was vetoed from the budget, including a study strongly supported by the Florida Chamber.

The study was to be funded for $200,000 by the Agency for Health Care Administration trust fund and would have provided a cost analysis of several recently proposed health benefit mandates. "It's a shame this important study was axed in this tight budget year,” stated Leslie Dughi, the Chamber's Director of Legislative Communications. "However, the Florida Chamber will continue to fight for ways to quantify the cost benefit and provider mandates add to health insurance policies and to provide lower cost coverage to more Floridians.”

For details on the FY 2002-2003 budget visit www.myflorida.com; for a list of vetoed items click here (PDF file)

Source: FloridaFriday
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