Highlights from Governor Rick Scott’s proposed budget plan for FY 2014-15 are featured in the latest Budget Watch Report from Florida TaxWatch. The $74.20 billion spending plan is slightly lower than current…
Category: State & National News
Agencies help Scott push his 2014-15 budget
Various state agencies are praising their boss Gov. Rick Scott for his proposed 2014-15 budget: Office of Emergency Management: GOVERNOR SCOTT’S “IT’S YOUR MONEY TAX CUT BUDGET†COMMITS $243 MILLION TO PROTECT…
The week ahead at the state capital
ADVANCES: WEEK OF JANUARY 26, 2014 Gov. Rick Scott has held a series of appearances across the state to tout pieces of his proposed 2014-15 state budget. As might be expected, the…
CNN and Anderson Cooper examine Rick Scott fundraising
CNN’s Anderson Cooper featured Gov. Rick Scott in a piece on the “the extortion game” of pay-to-play politics. The segment was about more than Florida’s governor, but his “Let’s Get to Work”…
State Capital Briefs
COURT: CITIZENS CAN FACE BAD-FAITH LAWSUIT In a case stemming from hurricane damage in 2004, an appeals court ruled Thursday that the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. can face a “bad faith”…
State Capitol briefs
MEDICAL MARIJUANA SIGNATURES TOP 540K With a surge of petitions before a Feb. 1 deadline, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana had submitted 542,211 valid signatures to…
I-10 to get new ‘Welcome to Florida’ sign
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florid Nearly 45 million visitors entered the Sunshine State by car last year. And at least one state lawmaker doesn’t like what they saw. “We’ve…
State Capital Briefs
SPEED LIMIT BILL PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE STOP A bill that could increase speed limits on some Florida roads got rolling Thursday. The measure (SB 392) was easily approved by the Senate Transportation…
Lawmakers look at fracking
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida Oil and gas companies would be required to inform the state of chemicals being injected into the ground as part of the drilling process…
Capitol briefs
FORMER YOUNG AIDE JOLLY WINS GOP PRIMARY IN CD 13 David Jolly secured the GOP nomination Tuesday to succeed longtime Pinellas County Congressman C.W. Bill Young, setting up what is likely to…
Crackdown on sex predators starts moving in capitol
By Margie Menzel The News Service of Florida A Florida Senate panel on Monday unanimously passed three bills dealing with sexually violent predators and sexual crimes against children — the first in…
Scott appoints Lt. Governor
Governor Rick Scott has appointed former Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera as his Lieutenant Governor. The Florida Chamber of Commerce was to congratulate him. “Our experience with former Representative Lopez-Cantera is that he always…
Jan. 13 Capitol Briefs
MORGAN PUTS $1.8M INTO MARIJUANA DRIVE Orlando attorney John Morgan is going all-in as he tries to get a measure on the November ballot to legalize medical marijuana in Florida. Morgan, through…
Latvala: DEP land sale program has been a disaster
By Jim Turner THE News Service of FLorida A legislatively approved initiative to sell surplus park lands to raise money to buy more environmentally sensitive sites has been a “disaster,” according to…
State capitol briefs
CRIST, COMMITTEE BRING IN $1.04M IN DECEMBER Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist and an affiliated committee collected about $1.04 million in December, bring their combined overall totals to slightly more than $4…
What is on tap in Tallahassee
Legislature: FIREWORKS, SPEEDWAY BILLS TO GET HEARING: The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee and the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee are scheduled to take up bills (SB 314 and HB 4005) that…
Scott sued for failing to name new Lt. Gov.
A lobbyist for the Florida National Organization for Women wants the state’s top court to order Gov. Rick Scott to name a new lieutenant governor — a position unoccupied since March 2013…
Warning Shot bill to be discussed on IN Your Head Radio today
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, has filed a bill that would grant immunity to people who show guns or fire warning shots in self-defense, and it will get a hearing on Wednesday. The…
DEO doubling staff for unemployment cases after website snafu
By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The state Department of Economic Opportunity is hiring 330 workers to help process unemployment assistance applications due to troubles with a new $62.8 million online…
Evers has bill regarding utility vehicles
State Sen. Greg Evers (R-Okaloosa) is sponsoring a bill (SB 478) that will require drivers to slow down or move over a lane when approaching a utility vehicle parked on the side…
