Court: House Actions Illegal, But Lawsuit Filed Too Late
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — The Florida Supreme Court ruled House members do not have to return to the capitol for the end of the 2015 session.
The high court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by state Senate Democrats.
Justices unanimously ruled that there would be no "beneficial result" by ordering House members back. The session is scheduled to end Friday at midnight.
But five of the seven justices agreed that the House violated the constitution by adjourning three and a half days early.
The legal decision brings a close to a contentious 60-day session for the Florida Legislature.
State legislators are ending their session without passing a new state budget.
They have to pass a new budget by June 30th in order to avoid a government shutdown.
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