August 20, 2008
TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday that he plans to take at least $600 million from state reserves to plug part of the $1.5 billion budget hole expected this year. But he's not interested, he said, in bringing lawmakers back to the capital for a special session to prioritize cuts to state spending.
Lawmakers authorized Crist last spring to take up to $1.67 billion from state reserves - $1 billion from the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund for health and related programs, plus one-half of the $1.34 billion budget stabilization fund - if revenue falls too far south this fiscal year. Last week, state analysts projected a $1.8 billion shortfall, triggering Crist's emergency authority to dig into the two reserve pots.
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