TaxWatch flagged 111 budget items as turkeys, among them a Bunnell road project, though the organization stresses that it isn’t making a value judgment.
Florida Legislature
Prohibition-Era Liquor Wall Stays in Place as Gov. Scott Vetoes Bill to Deregulate Stores
ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Publix win, Target, Costco and Walmart lose, as Gov. Scott, opposing deregulation, signs his first veto of the year.
High Court Denies Challenge to Florida’s New Unanimous Jury Requirement in Death Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision cements a state law enacted this year that requires unanimous jury recommendations for the death penalty to be considered in capital cases.
Go Ahead, Gov. Scott, Veto This Bad Education Bill in Good Conscience
Gov. Scott has said he wants to sign only bills that are good for Florida families. This one is not. Its process was particularly dishonest — something even committed conservatives should disown when they look at it up close.
Game Over: Lawmakers, Not Voters, Decide Whether To Allow Slot Machines, High Court Rules
The Florida Supreme Court squashed a broad expansion of slot machines in at least eight counties, saying the decision to allow pari-mutuels to add the lucrative games rests with the Legislature, not voters.
For Overworked County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens, $150,000 Worth of Help May Be Coming
Flagler County is not getting an additional county judge, but the money appropriated will pay for the equivalent of 428 days of service by retired judges brought back on a per-day basis to handle cases.
House Bill 7069 Will Change Education in Flagler For Generations, Not For the Better
Flagler County School Board Chairman Trevor Tucker explains his opposition to a massive education bill, focusing on the bill’s preferential treatment of charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools.
Gov. Scott Faces Increasing Pressure to Veto Education Bill, Including From Flagler District
The Flagler County School Board joined its voice to a growing chorus of demands from across the state that Gov. Rick Scott veto a massive education bill opponents consider damaging to school districts.
Anger Over Legislature’s Failures on Medical Pot Prompts Talk of Special Session
House and Senate leaders, falling short of implementing the voter-approved amendment, were unable to reach agreement on how many retail outlets medical pot operators should be able to run.
Decriminalized Pot-Possession Program Will Advance in Flagler, But With Little Support From Sheriff
The proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot possession in Flagler County has been in limbo for almost a year after a key judicial and law enforcement panel approved it last year, before the election.
Critics Urge Gov. Scott to Veto Massive Education Bill as Details of Legislation Emerge
The bill was pushed by House Speaker Richard Corcoran, a Land O’ Lakes Republican who sparred with the governor throughout the session over economic-development incentives and tourism marketing.
Lawmakers Approve Budget With Tax Cuts, Severe Cuts to Medicaid, Minor Increase For Education and Big Boost to Charters
The budget package includes a modest increase in per-student spending through the state’s main education formula, $521 million in Medicaid cuts for hospitals and far-reaching changes to education across the board.
Medical Pot Deal Collapses Over Dispensaries, Leaving Framework in Strict Regulators’ Hands
Implementation of the voter-approved amendment now rests in the hands of state health officials, who have been harshly criticized by legislators, patients, vendors and judges.
House Approves Medical Pot Measure That Would Allow Unlimited Number of Retailers
The measure would allow patients to use vaporizers or edibles, but would ban smoking of marijuana products, something critics complain violates the spirit of the constitutional amendment.
Senate Approves Constitutional Proposal That Would Increase Homestead Exemption to $75,000
The homestead exemption proposal would go before voters as a constitutional amendment in 2018, would save homeowners money but cost local governments millions in revenue.
Senate Budget Details Yet to Emerge as House Pushes Potential $2.2 Billion Tax Cut
Lawmakers pushed back against the idea that a deal that many believed had been sealed Tuesday had fallen apart, while House leaders placed tax cuts ahead of more money for per-student allocations.
House and Senate Move Close to Budget Deal But Visit Florida Would Be Cut
Gov. Rick Scott’s request for $100 million for Visit Florida appears a long distance from the $25 million lawmakers were working toward, absent a change of heart, as budget negotiations continued.
Senate President Joe Negron’s Shabby Response to Repeat Offender Frank Artiles
Even now Artiles doesn’t get it, and seemingly neither does Negron–they don’t understand how ugly racially charged language is to all people of good will, but especially when it comes from a state senator.
Sen. Artiles Resigns as Senate Investigates Racist Insults to Black Colleagues and Others
Sen. Frank Artiles called his presence a “distraction” days after apologizing for a public tirade that included racially charged and vulgar expletives directed at Sen. Audrey Gibson and others.
Lawmakers Set to Enact Long-Sought Solar Energy Tax Break, But Concerns Remain
The House and Senate are working on the proposals to carry out a renewable-energy constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 4, that voters approved during August’s primary election.
Sen. Artiles Apologizes to Sen. Gibson After Cursing Her Out In Racist and Sexist Language
Florida Sen. Artiles unleashed racial and sexist slurs at Sen. Audrey Gibson, who at one time represented parts of Flagler County, in a tirade at the Governors Club near the Capitol Monday night.
No Bong Hits or Joints as Florida Lawmakers Roll Up Medical Pot “Compromise”
House and Senate refuse to allow marijuana products to be smoked despite repeated demands from patients, caregivers and others who insist that smoking provides some with the best type of treatment.
With Rising Death Toll From Opioids, Florida Still Gropes For Effective Answers
State officials have few responses as the death rate from synthetic opioids other than methadone increased 72.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, to 3,228 deaths by overdose in Florida.
Florida House and Senate In Duel Over Shifting Stand Your Ground Burden to Prosecution
The two chambers have approved different versions of a proposal (SB 128) intended to shift a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases from defendants to prosecutors in pre-trial hearings.
Florida Senate Wants 81% Increase in Aid for Poorer College Students, and Boost For 1st-Gen
Florida student assistance grants would grow by $121 million. Senators also want to double the state’s matching grants for “first generation” college and university students to a total of $10.6 million.
Florida Colleges Decry Legislature’s Budget Cuts of Up to $85 Million
The Senate budget includes a $55 million reduction in remedial education funding and suspends $30 million in performance funding for the colleges. The House cuts similar amounts to other programs.
Education, Medical Pot, Guns, Death Penalty and Budget: Legislature Hedged at Midpoint
Halfway through Florida’s 60-day legislative session, almost all major issues remain unresolved. That’s not unusual, but lawmakers are not going at a pace that suggests they’ll be done by the scheduled end of the session on May 5.
Vacation-Rental Bill Hearing Rescheduled Just as Key Senate Committee Begins Debate
Sen. Tom Lee, the seasoned chairman of the Community Affairs Committee, didn’t ant the bill rushed through debate, as had been the case on a previous occasion before Sen. Travis Hutson.
Senate’s Spending Plan Is $2 Billion Higher Than House’s as Budget Negotiations Begin
The $2 billion spending gap provides fresh reasons for skepticism that lawmakers will complete a spending plan by the scheduled May 5 end of the legislative session.
The Legislature’s Mullahs Threaten
Religious Freedom in Florida Schools
The Florida Legislature is about to approve a bill that would give religion preferential treatment in public schools, destroying a balance between secular rights and already inviolate personal expression.
Florida House Votes Against Corporate Welfare For Stadiums Like Daytona Speedway
The bill is part of an effort by House leaders to limit public assistance to private companies, reflecting a broader philosophical gulf from the Senate on business incentives.
House Panel Approves Restrictive Medical Marijuana Measure, Including Ban on Edibles
The proposal would prohibit smoking of cannabis products, as well as edibles, and would ban all but terminally ill patients from using vaporizers to consume medical marijuana.
House Panel Votes 9-6 to End Vacation Rental Regulations in 3rd Straight Defeat for Flagler
Flagler County government had staked its chances on killing the bill in this particular committee because Rep. Paul Renner, who represents Flagler, sits on the panel and had pledged to do what he could to halt the bill’s momentum.
For Florida’s Troubled Death Penalty, Prosecutor’s Refusal to Enforce It Is Latest Challenge
Recent studies have provided additional evidence to bolster criticism of the death penalty in Florida, which leads the nation in Death Row exonerations.
GOP Rep. Cary Pigman, Chairman of House Health Subcommittee, Arrested for Drunk Driving
With a blood-alcohol level nearly double the legal limit, state Rep. Cary Pigman was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Florida’s Turnpike several hours after a House session Thursday.
Bill Vastly Diminishing Separation of Church and School Passes Florida Senate, 23-13
The proposal would allow religious speakers and messaging at school-sponsored events, and would allow students to engage in organized prayer groups during the school day and with the participation–though not the sponsorship–of school personnel.
Renner Seizes Reins for Flagler After Hutson’s Striking Disregard on Vacation Rentals
Rep. Paul Renner and County Commissioner Greg Hansen are organizing a town hall meeting in the Hammock Saturday, hoping to rally support against a proposed legislative retreat on vacation-rental regulations.
7-3 Vote Loses Flagler Another Round on Vacation Rentals In Hurried Senate Hearing
Flagler County government’s attempt to protect its vacation-rental regulations took another turn for the worse as a Senate committee today voted to advance a bill that would wipe out those regulations.
Flagler’s Hutson Files Amendment to Vacation-Rental Bill That Would “Eviscerate” Regulations
Sen. Travis Hutson had supported the 2014 law enabling Flagler County to regulate vacation rentals. His amendment, which he calls a “compromise,” would scale that back even though he sees no problems with local regulations or short-term rentals.
Senate Approves Stand Your Ground Change To Make It Easier For Shooters To Use Defense
The bill would shift the burden from defendants to prosecutors in the pre-trial hearings, vastly strengthening defendants’ ability to use the defense, but at significant cost to prosecutors.
Setback For Flagler as Bill Scrapping Vacation-Rental Regulations Advances on 9-6 Vote
A divided House Agriculture and Property Rights Subcommittee was not swayed by a presentation from Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed as it voted to scrap county authority to regulate short-term, vacation rentals. The bill has several additional hurdles to clear.
Prohibition on Liquor In Grocery Stores Approaching Repeal as Bill Advances
The contentious bill, sought by Wal-Mart and Target and opposed by Publix and ABC, needs to make it through one more committee in the House and awaits a floor vote in the Senate.
Florida’s Lethal Injections Ready to Stab Again As Gov. Scott Signs Death Penalty Bill
Florida is again poised to begin executions and prosecute death penalty cases after Gov. Rick Scott signed a law Monday aimed at fixing flaws in the state’s capital sentencing procedure.
Flagler May Lose Vacation Rental Regulations Just 2 Years After Regaining Authority
After a three-year battle, Flagler County government regained the right to regulate short-term rentals in the Hammock, which had become disruptive to local residents. Now the state is poised to take that authority away–again.
Lopsided House Votes To Abolish Enterprise Florida and Economic Development Limbs
The House also voted 80-35 to approve a separate measure (HB 9) that would overhaul the structure and contract-reporting requirements of Visit Florida.
Florida Senate Backs Unanimous Juries in Death Sentences
Thursday’s Senate vote — on the third day of the 2017 legislative session — would ostensibly fix the weaknesses identified by the majority of the Florida Supreme Court with the current law.
Lawmakers Back Secrecy for Murder Witnesses
Witnesses’ identifying information would remain secret for two years after the date of the incidents, except to prosecutors and police.
In State of the State, Gov. Scott Takes Fight for Economic Incentives to House Speaker
The speech to open the 2017 legislative session came just two days before the House is expected to take up legislation that would abolish the economic-development agency Enterprise Florida and restrict tourism-marketer Visit Florida.
Florida’s Fractured Republican Leaders Heading Into Contentious Legislative Session
A philosophical schism is plaguing a fractured Republican Party leading up to what insiders characterize as potentially one of the most contentious legislative sessions in modern history.
Guns at Florida Airports, Colleges, Government Buildings: House Speaker Says “Let’s Try It”
Some 39 bills, resolutions and resolution-like memorials have been filed in the Legislature so far that include language that would make gun possession and carrying more permissive in Florida.