ENVIRONMENT | FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
Florida Forever land protection faces budget ax
Legislative leaders plan to freeze the Florida Forever program that has saved some of the state's choicest lands.
In order to shore up Florida's budget, lawmakers plan to impose higher fines on motorists for all traffic infractions. And discounts for attending traffic school will be a thing of the past.
Legislative leaders plan to freeze the Florida Forever program that has saved some of the state's choicest lands.
Florida's legislators will vote Thursday on two plans to close the state's $2.3 billion deficit by slashing programs that, some hospital officials say, could set off a statewide healthcare system crisis.
As budget cuts move forward in the Legislature, the pinch is being felt in classrooms, nursing homes and even identity-theft investigations.
Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom resigned from his job at a college amid criticism over money he steered to the school.
Lawmakers returned to Tallahassee to cut the state budget and close the deficit but were greeted with more bad financial news.
The Legislature will tackle the state's budget crisis Monday by cutting programs and borrowing money, but tougher measures likely loom in March.
An ethics complaint against House Speaker Ray Sansom has prompted the lawmaker to hire a high-profile attorney.
As the Legislature heads into a special session on the state's budget crisis, lawmakers will offer the public a chance to speak out on proposed cuts.
E-mail shows close ties between House Speaker Ray Sansom and Northwest Florida State College, where Sansom landed a job.
Gov. Charlie Crist's plan to close a budget shortfall includes tapping into the state's savings accounts.
First out of the running for the Florida Supreme Court, Jorge Labarga now has an interview scheduled for Wednesday.
Weston legislator Franklin Sands -- Democratic leader of the Florida House -- said Monday he and his wife Leslie Sands are among investment advisor Bernard Madoff's victims. He didn't specify their loss but said it's ''significant'' and that he is assessing his options for recovery.
Former and current lawmakers are finding employment at community colleges and state universities, even in times of cutbacks and curbs on enrollment.
New pressure is mounting to stop the Seminoles' expansion of blackjack throughout Florida.
Gov. Charlie Crist has a plan to eliminate Florida's $2.3 billion budget shortfall without cutting services too deeply. Will lawmakers approve?
Miami-Dade's school board blitzed the state Capitol for two days asking legislators to spare classrooms from further cuts, but in tight budget times, was it enough?
A hearing on an insurance group's request to raise workers compensation rates promises to be the first of many fights between big business and trial attorneys.
With the state budget crisis worsening, a higher cigarette tax might be coming -- if Big Tobacco can get lawmakers to raise fees on an Opa-locka rival.
At a special session early next month, legislators will focus on cutting the budget and closing funding gaps.