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House leaders were even more cautious about the LIP issue Wednesday. Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, said it wouldn't be wise for the state to use any savings related to the LIP money, which is doled out annually, for year-to-year state needs.

The House has pushed to pare down the budget this year in part because of projected shortfalls in the future.

"We would probably like to use it either (in) tax cuts or put it straight into reserves and shore up some more reserves for the out years," Trujillo said of the possible money.

Scott's announcement came during a lengthy day of debate over the spending plans on both sides of the Capitol. With the Senate passing its budget Wednesday and the House poised to approve its proposal Thursday, the two chambers will be positioned to start negotiations on a final spending plan.

Senators plowed through roughly four-dozen amendments dealing with everything from funding for an anti-death penalty prosecutor in Central Florida to how to combat the state's opioid epidemic.

Discussions in the chamber grew personal at times, particularly as Sen. Tom Lee, who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee last year, clashed with his successor, Sen. Jack Latvala, over how much money was set aside in the budget for reserves and for negotiations with the House.

"I don't remember having this kind of detail when you were the appropriations chairman," Latvala, R-Clearwater, said at one point. "We have to obviously have a little flexibility as we go into conference."

"I'm about to vote on an appropriations bill, and I think I have a right to know what's in it," responded Lee, R-Thonotosassa.

Lee has become an irritant to Senate GOP leaders and has grown increasingly isolated in the upper chamber. Latvala suggested during the back and forth that Lee might be trying to draw out information for House Republicans.

House members, meanwhile, clashed on a program meant to encourage non-profit charter school operators with track records of high performance among low-income students to open campuses in areas where traditional public schools have received "D" or "F" grades on state reports cards for more than three consecutive years.

The House budget proposal would set aside $200 million for the "Schools of Hope."

During discussion of a measure creating the program (HB 5105), Democrats repeatedly asked supporters why the funding should not be used to instead help the troubled public schools.

But Rep. Chris Latvala, son of the senator, argued that a new approach is needed, particularly given that some extra help is currently funneled towards lower-performing schools.