After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

Lawmakers are betting on $115 million of Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) funds to supplement their proposed budgets. Whether to include the funds, which are by no means guarenteed, has been a point of contention between the House and Senate. The Senate worked $880 million in FMAP funds in its proposed budget, but that number appears to have been scaled back. Here are initial FMAP allocation charts for each committee. Pre-K-12 0 Higher Education $25 million

Yet another farewell address on the House floor. This time it comes from Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala, who thanked his family and staff. Kelly offered some religious themes, calling the work his staff and comrades did a ministry, and citing the Book of Micah. Kelly, who has been in the House since a special election in the summer of 2007, is running in a crowded Republican primary to take on U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

The House and Senate budget chiefs announced today that they're ready to begin hammering out the state budget. After canceling promised weekend budgeting conferences, Sen. J.D Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, laid out the conference committee schedule and the difficulties of the coming process. The Senate and House have been at odds over whether to work $880 million in federal Medicaid funds into their House and Senate budgets. The House's proposed $67.2 billion budget does not, but word is that might have changed.

I give you the Big Five fundraising leaders among Senate candidates -- Republicans all: 1. Mike Haridopolos District 26 $707,475 2. Jack Latvala District 16 504,259 3. Anitere Flores District 38 487,820 4. Jim Norman District 12 450,560 5. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla District 36 444,835