Florida may have to find $65.8 million more for Medicaid costs this year than initially forecast, yet that may be good news for a state working to rein in its ever-expanding health care expenses.

Amy Baker, Floridas chief economist, said the revised projection, while up $11.4 million from July, is better than the $300 million shortfall mentioned earlier this month by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, who has led the state's effort to reform Medicaid.

We had to add a little bit, but thats good news for the Legislature, Baker said Monday.

This week the Senate will be debating the second of the 12 appropriations bills that together make up the full funding of our federal government.

It's about time somebody had the cojones to challenge the liberal arts crowd on the veracity of degrees that aren't working in the 21st century workplace.

Inspired by the month-long protests on Wall Street, more than 200 people came together Friday -- via word of mouth on college campuses in Tallahassee and through social media -- to denounce their view of greed on the steps of the Old Capitol.

Organizerssaid they intended to return Saturday morning as a sign of solidarity with their New York comrades, but added that their goal will be to focus on education and corporate bills that will be going through the Florida Legislature in the coming session.

After years of debate about privacy issues and deadly drug use, Florida doctors and pharmacists can start tapping into a state database Monday to check out patients' prescription histories.

The database is aimed at curbing prescription-drug abuse and "doctor shopping" -- addicts going from doctor to doctor to try to score prescriptions for powerful painkillers such as OxyContin.