By MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA New money, a new leader and a sweeping new law had Florida’s child-welfare professionals and foster parents feeling cautiously optimistic at their annual gathering…
Category: State & National News
Florida will have $336 million surplus next year
State lawmakers will have about $336 million extra in the budget year that begins next July, according to a draft state report issued late Wednesday. The Long-Range Financial Outlook, an annual report,…
Poll shows Scott has a lead over Crist
TIMES/UF POLL SHOWS SCOTT WITH LEAD Little more than two months before Election Day, a new poll shows Republican Gov. Rick Scott with a 5-point lead over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist. The…
Legislative panel questions proposed pot rule
By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA A legislative panel that plays a key role in overseeing state agencies has joined the chorus of critics seeking changes to a proposed soup-to-nuts…
Gay marriage case sent to Florida Supreme Court
By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Florida’s ban on gay marriage is now in the hands of the state’s highest court after an appeals court asked that the justices resolve…
State Capital Buzz: School Vouchers, Veterans dealing with PTSD
LAWSUIT SEEKS TO END SCHOOL VOUCHERS PROGRAM A coalition of groups and individual plaintiffs filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the constitutionality of a de facto school-vouchers program that serves tens of thousands…
State Capital Briefs: Primary results within a hour of polls close, victory for net fishermen
MORE THAN 1.1M VOTERS CAST ABSENTEE, EARLY BALLOTS More than 1.1 million votes were cast in Florida before Tuesday’s primary-election day began, with over 850,000 through absentee ballots and almost 300,000 during…
Wife asks to reduce Mark Turner’s sentence
One of the strangest interviews I did while covering the Billings murders was with Mark Turner. He shared a lot of insights on the used car business. At the time, Turner was…
Breaking News: Federal judge strikes down gay marriage ban
From The News Service of Florida U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Thursday struck down Florida’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The 33-page decision followed similar rulings by state-court judges in South…
Scott talks climate change with scientists
By MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Amid questions about his views on global warming, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday met with five Florida scientists who urged him to prepare the…
Panel to interview Murzin for Public Service Commisson spot, Aug. 28
A state panel is expected to nominate candidates for two spots on the Florida Public Service Commission after conducting interviews Aug. 28 in Miami. The Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council last…
Judge rules Democratic candidate for AG meets residency requirements
By MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA A legal move to disqualify one of two Democratic candidates for Florida attorney general failed Friday when a Tallahassee judge ruled that George Sheldon…
Crist takes on Scott over pot plan
By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA On the campaign trail in South Florida, former Gov. Charlie Crist blasted Gov. Rick Scott’s administration Friday for using a lottery to select five…
Rubber ducks attack Congressman (video)
SaintPetersblog.com reports that Florida Democratic Party volunteers delivered on Wednesday more than five dozen rubber ducks to Panama City field office of Congressman Steve Southerland to protest his refusal to debate his…
State sets six major road projects for 2015, closest is Bay County
Six large road projects throughout Florida, with a combined cost of $806.7 million, have been formally moved to the front of the state’s Five Year Work Program. The change means work on…
Bondi: FDA Cigar rules ‘Overboard’
By JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled as “overbroad” the federal government’s proposed regulations to link electronic cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products to the same…
Redistricting session over, not everyone is happy
By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA The special redistricting session held by the Legislature lasted just five days, but the two-year battle over the boundaries of the state’s 27 congressional…
Crist bans Tampa Bay Times reporter from campaign bus
Politicians and their staffs attacking and “punishing” reporters who are critical is not just a city of Pensacola phenomenon. The Crist campaign has decided not to allow Tampa Bay Times political editor…
Backroom Briefing: Looking for Charlie and taking out the cat boxes
Weekly political notes from The News Service of Florida By DARA KAM AND BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Politicos often refer to campaign time as the “silly season,” hallmarked by…
Third Florida judge strikes down gay-marriage ban
In the latest victory for same-sex couples, a Broward County judge has struck down Florida’s ban on gay marriage, but this time to open the door for a lesbian divorce. Circuit Judge…
