Senator warns of tough times.

A state senator painted a sobering picture of recent policy decisions made by the legislature, as well as budget challenges facing lawmakers.

Sen. Dennis L. Jones, R-Seminole, spoke at a joint August 22 luncheon of the boards of governors of The Florida Bar and its Young Lawyers Division. Both boards were meeting in Clearwater Beach for their first business meetings of the 2003-04 Bar year.

Jones, the majority leader, noted that even before the session starts next spring, the state faces an expected $2 billion shortfall, and it hasn't helped that lawmakers have used one-time revenues to patch budget holes for the past two years.

That $2 billion figure includes about $500 million to continue implementing the class size amendment approved by voters in 2002, $625 million for the Pre-K education amendment approved the same year, an undetermined amount to begin building the high-speed rail, and hundreds of millions when the state takes over more funding of the trial courts from the counties, due to Revision 7, he said.

The state is likely to cut other funding for counties to make up for new spending on the courts, Jones said, but he cautioned the overall picture for funding of the third branch is not rosy.

He noted this year the legislature did not fund any of the 56 new judges requested by the Florida Supreme Court, and cut $13 million in other funding for the courts, mostly in staff, administration, and attorney ad litem programs.

And despite a variety of budget shifts and tactics, the budget approved earlier this year "did not meet the needs of the state," Jones said.

He said he had a three-page list of important needs that were not funded, and he cited several examples:

* State university and community colleges received no funding for enrollment growth.

* The state cut matching funds for challenge grants for higher education, which has cost millions in gifts that have been rescinded or placed on hold.

* Funding for public education was in creased minimally on paper but after inflation, paying for enrollment growth, and other costs, most school boards had less money. Jones noted that Pinellas County had an effective $20 million reduction in funding, which resulted in several layoffs.

* 10,000 families with autistic children are on waiting lists for home services that will cost $10,000 to $15,000 per child. Jones said if those families give up waiting and turn their kids over to state custody, those costs would be $85,000 to $100,000 per...

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