TALLAHASSEE -- A day before the gavel falls to signal the opening of the 2008 session, lawmakers begin haggling today over where to cut $500 million from the current state budget.
The House Budget and Policy Council meets at 1 p.m. today to debate the cuts, which will be added to the $1.1 billion in cuts lawmakers had to impose in a special session last year.
House and Senate leaders have warned that education, health care and the judicial system will not be spared. House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-West Miami, has floated the idea of eliminating entire state agencies and has described the budget crisis as an opportunity to shrink state government.
Gov. Charlie Crist wants to ease the pain by shifting up to $1 billion from state reserves, but Rubio and House budget chief Ray Sansom, R-Destin, don't agree.
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