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Jim RosicaJuly 19, 2018

The Legislature opened the state’s wallet again Thursday, granting a request from the state’s medical marijuana regulators for another $13 million in operating costs. The approval from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission didn’t come without some grousing, however. The Department of Health, under Gov. Rick Scott, regulates the drug through its Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). House Democratic […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 15, 2017

The Legislature’s chief economist has told lawmakers that next year’s relatively tiny budget surplus will be erased because of costs from Hurricane Irma. Amy Baker, director of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, presented a working version of the state’s long-range financial outlook to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission on Friday. She explained that extra costs to […]

Jim RosicaJuly 11, 2017

A lawsuit over how the state funds its clerks of court still is trudging along in Tallahassee, court dockets show. Circuit Judge Karen Gievers set a case management conference for Sept. 7, after lawyers for plaintiff Howard Forman alerted the court of possible “additional or substituted parties.” Forman, a Democrat and former state senator, was […]

Jim RosicaMarch 13, 2017

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection on Friday night released its response to the House of Representatives’ request for documentation of the legal billing in a longstanding river water use fight against Georgia. Interim DEP Secretary Ryan Matthews also sent a letter, saying his agency had “denied more than $3 million in expenses and hourly charges submitted […]

Michael MolineJanuary 24, 2017

A joint House-Senate panel pulled the Department of Environmental Protection’s request for another $13 million to litigate the state’s “water wars” and sent the request to a House committee for scrutiny. Rep. Carlos Trujillo announced that the matter had been withdrawn from the agenda during a Joint Legislative Budget Commission meeting Tuesday evening. He co-chairs the […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

The Department of Environmental Protection has withdrawn a request to lawmakers for more money to pay lawyers waging a water use fight against Georgia, its spokeswoman says. The department had planned to ask lawmakers for an additional $13 million to pay expected legal bills from the still-unresolved case. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission was scheduled to take up […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran late Monday said his chamber won’t agree to hand over any more money for the Department of Environmental Protection to pay its legal bills until the agency gives a full accounting of what’s already been spent. Corcoran was reacting to the DEP’s request to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission for an additional $13 million to pay outside legal […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has busted its outside legal expenses budget over the ongoing ‘water war’ between Georgia and Florida, legislative records show. It’s asking for an additional $13 million from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which meets Tuesday — and even that may not be enough. Gov. Rick Scott‘s office approved the request […]

Jim RosicaDecember 30, 2016

From algebra to Zika, 2016 brought a plethora of material to the Capitol Press Corps. Trying to pick the top state government stories is a subjective pursuit, to say the least, but here are the FloridaPolitics.com picks for the passing year. In (kind of) chronological order: — Kevin McCarty ousted as state Insurance Commissioner, replaced by […]

Jim RosicaDecember 21, 2016

A Tallahassee judge has denied the state’s request to toss out a lawsuit over funding of the state’s court clerks. Circuit Judge Karen Gievers‘ two-page order was dated Dec. 12 but not docketed till Tuesday, records show. “The four corners of the complaint state a cause of action,” she wrote. The Department of Revenue, the Department of Financial Services and the […]

Tag: Joint Legislative Budget Commission

Lawmakers grudgingly OK more money for marijuana regulators

State surplus money ‘gone’ because of Irma

Court clerks funding case continues in capital

DEP responds to House records request, defends payment of legal bills

Panel strips meeting agenda of DEP bid for money to wage ‘water war’

DEP withdraws request to pay lawyers in ‘water war’

Richard Corcoran: House won’t OK legal money for DEP

“Water wars” could cost the state another $13M in legal fees

Jim Rosica’s review of top state government stories in 2016

Judge won’t throw out court clerk funding lawsuit