Legislative leaders announced an agreement on the contours of an $83 billion budget plan Thursday, overcoming weeks of division and infuriating Gov. Rick Scott, whose top priorities were all but sacrificed in order to reach the deal.

  • FL House, Senate leaders reach budget deal
  • Slashes Visit Florida budget by two-thirds; eliminates Enterprise Florida business incentives
  • Allows $200 million charter school fund, higher education spending
  • CAPITOL CONNECTION: Latest News | Contact your Florida legislators

Under the framework unveiled by House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O'Lakes) and Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart), the Senate has acceded to Corcoran's demand that funding for Visit Florida be slashed by two-thirds, to $25 million from its current annual appropriation of $76 million. And, while the speaker won't realize his goal of eliminating Enterprise Florida, the business development agency will see its budget for business incentives disappear.

Both agencies had drawn the ire of House Republicans after revelations of questionable spending and failed taxpayer-funded development deals. Hours after the framework was released, Scott appeared flabbergasted, wondering aloud why Senate leaders who had pledged to defend the agencies' budgets would agree to the House's terms.

"Tell me. I have no idea," Scott told reporters. "If this legislature turns their back on their constituents, then we're going to see less jobs, so I'm going to keep fighting for jobs."

The grand bargain also includes a critical cross-rotunda horse trade: in exchange for signing off on a House plan to spend $200 million on building new charter schools in neighborhoods served by chronically failing schools, the Senate has won the House's blessing for a massive increase in spending on higher education, including a near doubling of need-based financial aid for state university students.

But even as the deal dashed concerns the legislative session would be thrown into overtime due to a spending impasse, the two presiding officers were criticized for the way it was constructed: behind closed doors. Speaker Corcoran, who has made transparency -- or at least the appearance of it -- a centerpiece of his tenure, suggested some features of the legislative process would remain business as usual.

"I would say to somebody to find me a more open and transparent process, from beginning to end," Corcoran said. "This is the way the budget's always negotiated, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find, from beginning to end, a legislative session that's been this open and transparent."

As the leaders celebrated their newfound unity, Scott was plotting his next moves, which could potentially include vetoing the budget when it reaches his desk.

"As you know, the governor has lots of opportunities," the governor said. "I'm going to look at all my opportunities."