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Drew WilsonFebruary 29, 2016

The Senate inched closer to the House Transportation and Economic Development budget Monday night with its third proposal, cutting the difference between the two chambers to a couple dozen line items and disagreements on funding sources. The House and Senate came to terms on the Department of Transportation budget earlier Monday, but still had a wide gulf between […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 29, 2016

Carlos Lopez-Cantera‘s path to the Republican nomination for Florida’s currently contested United States Senate involves grassroots engagement. And to that end, on Monday evening in Jacksonville, CLC held a “grassroots meet and greet” on the Southside. The remarks, delivered off the cuff, were grassroots-centric from the outset, with Lopez-Cantera affirming that he’s a “Florida Republican, […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 29, 2016

The joint budget conference on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development came a bit closer to agreement Monday afternoon, with the third House offer closing out the largest chunk of the $12.8 billion budget segment. With the addition of $3.2 million for a trio of line items, lawmakers now agree on a $10.75 billion budget for the Department of […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 28, 2016

I have spent almost 25 years studying alimony and if I have learned anything, it’s that alimony is complex. Reform can have unintended consequences and so should be the product of a careful, deliberative effort to understand and improve the law rather than a one-sided push to protect people who pay alimony by kicking recipients […]

Ryan RayFebruary 28, 2016

House and Senate budget conferees remain some distance away from reconciling their varying budget proposals, with a nominal $8 million and several line items standing between lawmakers and a unified budget proposal to send to Gov. Rick Scott. The elephant in the room? Neither proposal circulating in the Conference Committee on House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations/Senate […]

Associated PressFebruary 28, 2016

Florida legislators are moving quickly to bridge their differences on a roughly $80 billion state budget. Legislators met in the Capitol over the weekend to work out spending on key areas such as education, transportation and health care. Legislative leaders Friday reached a broad budget deal regarding tax cuts and overall spending. Now budget committees […]

Bill RuftyFebruary 28, 2016

Twenty-three years ago a young House member introduced a bill to replace the statue of Confederate Gen. Kirby Smith in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol with one of Gen. James A. Van Fleet. It passed the House, but the Senate sponsor got cold feet after receiving phone calls from several Confederate memorial groups. That […]

Associated PressFebruary 27, 2016

The head of Florida’s economic development agency is warning that the state could lose out on 50,000 jobs because of the Legislature. Bill Johnson, the president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, made that prediction in an email he sent Saturday to business partners statewide. Legislative leaders late Friday announced they were rejecting Gov. Rick Scott‘s […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

After the initial meeting of 2016 legislative budget conference Friday evening, senior budget writers – in particular House Budget Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran – told reporters the Legislature had so far more or less ignored two of Gov. Rick Scott‘s key priorities Corcoran said their current proposal contains “zero” towards a $250 million dedicated Florida Enterprise Fund for […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 26, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in three Florida counties and called on President Barack Obama to fully fund repairs needed to operate the Herbert Hoover Dike. Scott, a Naples Republican, declared a state of emergency in Lee, Martin and St. Lucie counties on Friday. The decision came after record rainfall drenched […]

Tag: Rick Scott
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Senate, House TED proposals inch closer, bump other items to budget chiefs

In Jax, Carlos Lopez-Cantera attacks “Washington DC Republicans”

TED budget conferees wrap up negotiations

Cynthia Lee Starnes: Rick Scott should block alimony reform, appoint task force

House, Senate TED budget writers still unresolved on DEO funding

Florida lawmakers moving quickly to wrap up budget talks

Polk County’s 4-star hero could replace Confederate general in U.S. Capitol

Jobs chief: Florida could lose out on thousands of jobs

Rick Scott’s office claps back at budget chiefs after priorities snubbed

Rick Scott declares state of emergency in Lee, Martin, St. Lucie counties