Appropriations conference committees completed negotiations this afternoon. Legislators reached agreement to restore funding for many children's programs that would have suffered under originally proposed cuts. At this point, any unresolved budget issues have been "bumped up" to fiscal chairs Rep. Ray Sansom and Sen. Lisa Carlton, who will negotiate differences and then bump final unresolved issues to Senate President Ken Pruitt and House Speaker Marco Rubio for final negotiation on Friday. The budget is expected to go to print on Sunday night. Below is a table showing funding restorations to programs affecting children as of Wednesday afternoon. At Large Chairs Sen. Carlton and Rep. Sansom also announced today that the Speaker and President have authorized the use of $300 million from the Lawton Chiles Trust Fund for healthcare issues.

ISSUE	SENATE reduction as of 4/18/08	SENATE Conference Offer #3 4/23/08	HOUSE reduction as of 4/18/08	HOUSE Conference Offer #3 4/23/08
School Readiness*	-$14.5 M	-$11.6 M	-$11 M	-$11.6 M
Healthy Start	-$.7 M		-$5 M	$0
Healthy Families	-$3.8 M	-$2.2 M	-$3.9 M	-$2.2 M
Early Steps	-$3.8 M	-$0.2 M	-$1 M	-$0.2 M
Children's Medical Services	-$7.8 M	$0	-$11.7	$0
Community Based Care	-$18.9 M	-$15.9 M	-$18.9 M	-$15.9 M
Child Protection Investigation	-$7 M	-$4.2 M	-$7 M	-$4.2 M
Independent Living	$0	$0	-$7 M	$0
JACs (low volume)	-$3.4 M	-$0.39 M	-$7 M	-$0.39 M
JACs (high volume)		$0		$0
CINS/FINS	-$1.8 M	-$1.8 M	-$1.8 M	-$1.8 M
Gender Specific	-$0.69 M	-$.2 M	-$0.35 M	-$.2 M

* School Readiness complete details (courtesy of AWI) - DOWNLOAD HERE