For the first time in years, state legislators arent looking down the barrel of a potential financial shortfall when they arrive in Tallahassee for the next session.

But even with the prospects of $70 million more in revenue next year than is expected to fuel the current years $70 billion budget, the fiscal outlook isnt all roses and rainbows.

Still, the gradual, slow-but-steady growth is better than at least the prior six years, state economists said.

A trial court will decide whether state lawmakers are adequately funding public education after the Florida Supreme Court turned aside a last-ditch effort by Senate President Mike Haridopolos to block the suit.

The Supreme Court's decision Tuesday largely hinged on a procedural issue. In November, the 1st District Court of Appeal issued a divided ruling, with eight judges voting to allow the case to go forward, though one of the judges differed with the other seven on the basis for that ruling. The other seven judges said the lawsuit should end.

Picture, if you will, the screaming headlines, the cries of negligence and/or corruption if it had been Rick Scott who handed 90 million taxpayer dollars to a company that went belly up three years later.

As Floridas Joint Legislative Budget Commission (LBC) meets Wednesday to consider a proposal to privatize prison health services, spokesmen for the state Department of Corrections (DOC) and two for-profit prison health service providers are rebutting accusations made at a Tuesday morning press conference.

The governors office is looking into a $20 million business deal pushed by former Gov. Charlie Crist for a leading visual effects company that on Tuesday filed for voluntary bankruptcy protection.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Economic Opportunity wants the money back.

Roberti N. Sachen, the general counsel for the DEO, sent a demand letter on Tuesday to Digital Domain Media Group, informing the company the state is listed as a creditor in the bankruptcy case as the company has failed to advise the state of any changes to the grant.

WASHINGTON -- One of the great fallacies of politics -- and life -- is that one must be liked to be effective.

Pointing to devastating costs, Florida mayors are backing state efforts to sway Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson to replace federal freshwater quality standards with one overseen by the state.

While the mayors call came on what they expected to be the eve of a decision, federal officials have noted that a ruling is going to take longer than normal to decide.