Hospitals shouldn't rely so heavily on state revenue to boost the amount of money they drawn down from the federal government for Medicaid, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said Wednesday.

"We don't have the general revenue to keep subsidizing, artificially, hospital rates," he said.

Negron's budget proposal would slash general revenue spending on Medicaid by $218.7 million. Instead, the burden would shift to local governments and taxing authorities, he said.

Another controversial cut is an $86.5 million reduction for adult mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. By contrast, both Gov. Rick Scott's and the House's budget proposals increase funding in these areas to restore cuts made last year.