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Ryan RayMarch 6, 2016

A key legislative budget committee met for the second time Sunday and hashed out previously unresolved conflicts on state education funding, including some $700 million in cash and bonding for construction for K-12 and higher education institutions. The inclusion of money from bonds is something Gov. Rick Scott – a budget hawk who loathes debt – opposes. […]

Ryan RayMarch 6, 2016

Senior legislative budget writers met Sunday afternoon to continue hammering out differences in Florida House and Senate appropriations proposals, still hundreds of millions of dollars apart. In keeping with their recent meetings since committee sub-chairs “bumped up” remaining budget issues to the at-large budget conference, Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran and Vice Chairman Sen. Tom Lee – their respective chambers’ […]

Ryan RayMarch 4, 2016

Legislative budget writers met Friday evening to take up another pair of unreconciled budget areas – Transportation & Economic Development and Civil & Criminal Justice – and came to a final agreement, closing out millions in funding items in a multibillion dollar move when the House and Senate accepted each others’ offers. Among the most […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 4, 2016

The Florida Senate OK’d a proposal that overhauls the state’s alimony system. The Florida Senate voted 24-14 to approve the measure (SB 668), which changes the way Florida judges can award spousal support. “This is a very, very emotional thing,” said Sen. Kelli Stargel, the Lakeland Republican who sponsored the bill. Among other things, the […]

Ryan RayMarch 3, 2016

In a swift 15-minute meeting Thursday night, the full bicameral Budget Conference Committee closed out all remaining differences in the chambers’ massive health care and general government budget silos, swapping tens of millions of dollars and making significant progress towards reconciling their respective $80-plus billion proposals. “We could go huddle up for 30 seconds and […]

Staff ReportsMarch 3, 2016

The Florida Senate on Thursday began its consideration of this year’s alimony overhaul bill, with a vote as early as Friday. Among other things, the bill changes the way Florida judges can award spousal support with an eye to get rid of what critics call “forever alimony.” The proposal (SB 668) allows the courts to modify alimony payments […]

Jim RosicaMarch 3, 2016

A squabble over tourist taxes, a last-minute amendment to the Senate’s tax cut package, sucked up about half of the 2016 Legislative Session’s last Senate Appropriations meeting, killing bills left hanging on the agenda. The panel OK’d the House plan (HB 7099) after amending it with the Senate’s own tax package. The legislation promises about $129 million in […]

Mitch PerryMarch 2, 2016

We were prepared not to weigh in on the results from last night’s Super Tuesday results, but watching the evisceration of Chris Christie on Twitter last prompted a closer look at what Florida GOP strategist Rick Wilson writes about in today’s Daily Beast. “Far from having the same kind of Kevlar media armor Trump enjoys, […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2016

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Their lips were saying “not dead yet” but House leadership otherwise made clear that the Seminole Compact and gambling legislation are goners for this Legislative Session. “I’m not ready to declare it dead yet,” said state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, the Miami Republican who shepherded the bills through the process this year. Diaz spoke after […]

Mitch PerryMarch 1, 2016

When pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb announced in 2013 that they would be locating its capability center in Tampa, company executives weren’t doing so just because they liked the weather in the Sunshine State. In choosing the area over 50 other locations around the country, Hillsborough County and the state of Florida had to play ball, […]

Tag: Tom Lee

State budget writers settle up on school construction funding

Budget conferees agree on general government, prison funding issues; bump state radios funds

Budget writers close out TED, justice budget silos

Senate votes 24-14 to approve alimony overhaul bill

House and Senate close out health care, general gov’t budget silos

Alimony bill hits Florida Senate floor

Tug of war over tax package kills bills

Mitch Perry Report for 3.2.16 — How safe will it be for Republicans to endorse Donald Trump?

House all but declares defeat on Seminole Compact, gambling legislation

Tampa Bay Partnership attempts to rally Richard Corcoran to embrace Rick Scott’s Enterprise Florida deal