While the House initially proposed eliminating Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida, its handling of Visit Florida has gradually changed. When HB 7005 was before the House Appropriations Committee, a change was made to propose a number of reforms at Visit Florida while allowing it get as much as $25 million in funding.
The House on Monday then detached Visit Florida into a stand-alone bill, which calls for reforms but defers the funding issue to budget negotiations between the House and Senate. The annual legislative session starts Tuesday, with budget negotiations likely to take place in April.
This week’s change was made after several members of the Appropriations Committee, from both parties, expressed concerns about lumping the futures of Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida in the same bill.
Both bills are scheduled to be considered Monday by the House Rules & Policy Committee.
Enterprise Florida sent an email to members this week encouraging them to attend a “meet your legislators” event in the Capitol prior to the Rules & Policy meeting. Scott also is planning to keep the pressure on House members, appearing Thursday in Hialeah.
