The Florida Legislature is moving full-speed ahead to complete the state budget by the end of next week, and it looks as if Floridians can expect a wave of tax cuts for the next two years.
The already crowded field running to replace U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., in Congress could soon grow even larger as Belinda Keiser, the vice chancellor for Keiser University, Everglades University and other proprietary institutions, is weighing entering the race.
With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing a little over four years away, two Florida congressional representatives teamed up this week to introduce a commemorative coin to mark the occasion.
U.S Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., who represents parts of the Space Coast and worked on the Apollo program decades ago, paired up with U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, D-Iowa, U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, to introduce the measure on Thursday in time for the July 20, 2019, anniversary date.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush will launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at an event in Miami on Monday and he has rallied some of the top GOP leaders from the Sunshine State behind his campaign.
On Thursday, a Florida congressman scored a win for the American travel goods industry by opening new opportunities in Asia, namely in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, and making some travel goods duty-free.
When the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program -- which provides commercial opportunities to developing countries -- was launched in 1974, travel goods were exempted. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., introduced a bill to let companies petition the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to request items be added to the GSP program.
House leaders backed off a request for tens of millions of dollars in bonding for education and environmental projects Thursday, removing one of the stumbling blocks to a final deal on a state spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1.
But several obstacles --- including how to divvy up $1 billion in health-care funding --- remained as lawmakers race the clock to approve an agreement by June 30 and avoid a government shutdown. Legislators are trying to finish their work by the scheduled June 20 conclusion of a special legislative session.
The political buzz might be in Tallahassee for now, but the education buzz will be in Tampa next week as the committee meets that was designated to take a closer look at some of the hottest issues facing the state's education system.
The Keep Florida Learning committee will head to Tampa for its second meeting June 18-19. The two-day meeting will cover basics like the Sunshine Law, but committee members will be discussing the Florida Standards at the meeting as well.
A new poll shows Florida voters are divided on Medicaid expansion. The Legislature was divided on the issue in recent weeks with the House opposing it and the Senate supporting it. The House effectively ensured Medicaid expansion would not be part of the state budget at the end of last week.
All Aboard Florida (AAF) won big this week as U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington, D.C., threw out a “temporary halt” to allegations brought by Martin and Indian River counties that would temporarily stop the Florida Development Finance Corp. (FDFC) from issuing private-activity bonds to AAF.
This decision ensures the high-speed passenger train will have the bonds to finance the $1.75 billion railroad from Miami to Orlando.
From his seat on the U.S. House Rules Committee, U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Fla., led a coalition of liberals and conservatives to offer an amendment to the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to cut down on currency manipulation.
Clawson teamed up with U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., to introduce the amendment ensuring American trade negotiators' future trade deals crack down on currency manipulation with all countries following International Monetary Fund standards, and hoping other countries don’t use their exchange rates to subsidize exports.
