FEATURED STORIES
Lawmakers agree on $68 billion budget, tax cuts
By Marc Caputo and Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In secret talks, top legislators and Gov. Rick Scott hatched a $68 billion budget deal involving a rather simple trade: tax cuts for hometown spending.
In Florida health budget, hospitals and nursing homes lose, while mental health and substance abuse programs win
By Linda Shrieves
Orlando Sentinel
After weeks of haggling among legislators — and protests around the state — negotiators for the Florida House and Senate finalized their cuts to the state's health budget on Tuesday.
Florida senators, after emotional debate, defeat key provision of immigration bill
By Patricia Mazzei
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Thrasher goes overboard on claim that E-Verify would have stopped 9/11: Pants on Fire!
In an emotional debate where senators choked up and recalled the struggles of their immigrant forebears, the Florida Senate on Tuesday unexpectedly defeated one of Gov. Rick Scott's pledges to crack down on illegal immigration.
Florida Puts Overhaul Of Courts to the Voters
By Don Van Natta Jr.
New York Times
The Florida Senate has decided to put major changes in the state court system before voters next year but only after rejecting the most contentious proposal, which would have split the Supreme Court in two.
Court changes less bad but still bad
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Splitting the Florida Supreme Court into separate criminal and civil divisions and adding three justices was always more about Republican House Speaker Dean Cannon's animosity toward the high court than any pressing need.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Today in Tallahassee: Property insurance
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Now that House and Senate leaders have reached a budget deal, they're in the midst of a 72-hour "cooling off" period before they'll vote on the plan.
Republicans mock voters by playing games with redistricting amendments
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Will state Republicans ever give up their fight against Fair Districts, the constitutional amendments voters overwhelmingly passed in November that could end the incumbent protection program known as gerrymandering?
Consecutive Failures Show Scott's Lack of Influence with GOP Legislators
By Dennis Maley
Bradenton Times
After failing to secure enough votes to move anti-union legislation through the Senate last week, despite personal appeals to four state Senators, Rick Scott remained confident that he would be able to stand firm on his promise to cut state corporate tax rates.
In shot at Romney, Florida Dems to host Deval Patrick
By William March
Tampa Tribune
The keynote speaker at the Florida Democrats' annual fundraising gala June 11 will be Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who has functioned recently as a Democratic point man on potential GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
House appears sheepish over debate decorum
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
Despite a little needling by state Rep. Scott Randolph's, it appears that the Florida House is feeling a little sheepish about decorum during debates on touchy topics.
Sexting minors should face reduced penalties lawmakers agree
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida lawmakers agree that "sexting" penalties should be reduced for minors.
POLITICAL RACES
Miami-Dade mayoral candidates make their case
By Matthew Haggman
Miami Herald
All 11 candidates for the county’s top job gathered at the University of Miami to make their case to voters Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Assault on environment led by the ill-informed, shortsighted
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
In a moment, I'm going to tell you about plans to gut one of Florida's key environmental programs — one meant to safeguard everything from manatees to the seafood you eat.
Nicklaus group still hoping to build golf course in Jonathan Dickinson State Park
By Jim Turner
TC Palm
Backers of a signature Jack Nicklaus designed golf course proposed for Jonathan Dickinson State Park are hoping for a mulligan.
Bennett helps revive controversial measure in waning hours of session
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Tribune
A Senate bill sponsor is reopening a controversy from last week by proposing to amend a noncontroversial rulemaking bill to shift the legal burden of proof to those who challenge state permits.
Florida legislature aims to relax state water pollution standards
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
State lawmakers have been adamant in their opposition to a set of federally mandated water quality standards because, they say, Florida is already aggressively improving its waters. Now legislators are making strides to relax state laws limiting waste in state waterways.
Turkey Point nuclear plant worries some residents
By Christina Veiga
Miami Herald
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday answered questions posed by the public about the safety of the Florida Power & Light Co.'s Turkey Point nuclear power plant.
EDUCATION
Broward School Board considers 'gut-wrenching' $81 million school cuts
By Cara Fitzpatrick
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Teachers will be laid off and students will have larger class sizes and fewer electives under a tentative budget plan that has the Broward School Board cutting about $81 million from the schools next year.
Proposed school budget for Palm Beach County cuts police at schools, custodians
By Jason Schultz and Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County School Superintendent Bill Malone is recommending eliminating at least 766 positions including custodians, school monitors and school police officers in order to balance the district's budget woes next year.
Sarasota School Board looking at possible cuts
By Chris O’Donnell
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The cuts go deeper every time the Sarasota School Board meets to talk money, with worker furloughs, elimination of specialized teachers to help struggling students, and even longer walks to bus stops now on the table.
Flagler County to cut 45 minutes from school day to save money
By Annie Martin
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Many Flagler County students may be happy to hear their school days will be shorter next year.
State to release FCAT writing scores
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
South Florida schools will soon learn how their students did on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Budget deal sets $308 million in tax cuts
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Florida lawmakers cut a budget deal Tuesday that numbs the pain for health-care and social service programs, offers millions of dollars in hometown projects to powerful lawmakers, and delivers $308 million in tax cuts to Gov. Rick Scott.
Scott satisfied with Florida budget compromise giving him a sixth of tax cuts he wanted
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
After days of tough talk, Florida House and Senate negotiators Tuesday reached a deal on a $67 billion-plus state budget, giving Gov. Rick Scott a scaled-back version of his tax-break package but still fattening the spending plan with plenty of their own hometown projects.
Florida Senate approves business tax cut that shrinks unemployment benefits
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida unemployment benefits would rise and fall along with the jobless rate and state businesses would get a tax break under a proposal approved Tuesday by the Florida Senate.
Will "greedy and irrational" people kill off unemployment compensation reform?
By Brent Henzi
Florida Tribune
Unemployment compensation reform passed the Senate with changes on Tuesday, but not the changes the House was looking for.
Ruling means higher minimum wage in Florida
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
A circuit court judge has ruled that the state violated Florida's Constitution by failing to raise the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation.
State revenue cap ready for Florida House vote
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A proposed constitutional amendment that would cap state revenue is ready for a floor vote in the Florida House.
A bill lets local governments modestly change pension accounts
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Despite warnings that many Florida cities face deep deficits in their retirement accounts, legislators are allowing local governments to make only modest changes to their local pension accounts this year.
A hurricane storm surge, if we got one, would do billions in property damage, study says
By Eliot Kleinberg
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast aren't as vulnerable to storm surge as other areas.
Feds move Orlando area's SunRail train project forward
Associated Press
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida's commuter rail project just took another step forward.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Bill prohibiting health insurance mandate heading to Gov. Scott
By Ryan Mills
Naples Daily News
A House bill that provides that Floridians cannot be mandated to purchase health insurance passed through the Florida Senate on Tuesday.
Jobs expected to be lost from state health cuts
By Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida nursing homes and health-oriented social service agencies likely will have to lay off staff and reduce services because of cuts made as part of a budget compromise unveiled Tuesday, agency officials said.
Legislature shows no love for children
By David Lawrence Jr.
St. Petersburg Times
As a newspaperman for 35 years with a career built around an ability to put thoughts on paper, I am almost at a loss for words.
Senate Approves Medical Malpractice Bill
Staff Report
Lakeland Ledger
The Florida Senate has approved its version of a House bill overhauling medical malpractice suits in the state.
Florida Senate passes bill requiring walk-in clinics to post prices
Associated Press
Orlando Sentinel
A bill that would require walk-in clinics to post their prices now has been passed by the Florida Senate.
Fla. lawmakers vote to make 'bath salts' illegal
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Senate has unanimously voted to ban the drug known as MDPV or "bath salts."
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
E-Verify amendment fails
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
An attempt by Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher to toughen an immigration law fell short after nearly two hours of debate.
Report: American immigrants integrating ‘without the help of policy intervention’
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
As the Florida Senate gets ready to vote on its immigration-enforcement bill S.B. 2040 a report released Monday indicates that the most recent last wave of immigrants to the U.S. is integrating reasonably well.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
House approves Senate changes to Fla. Supreme Court amendmentBy Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
The House quickly approved major Senate changes in operation of the Florida Supreme Court today.
Proposed pretrial release law may come with cost, crowded jail
By John A. Torres
Florida Today
State legislation that would all but eliminate judicial discretion during the pretrial release process would once again cause overcrowding at the Brevard County jail and cost taxpayers about $1 million, critics say.
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