Senators on the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee took issue with Gov. Rick Scotts proposed education budget Thursday morning, hours before a separate committee passed a bill that would tie teacher pay to performance.
Gov. Rick Scott cheered on the arrival of Bing Energy in Tallahassee Thursday, and was quick to mention that his policies were a major factor in bringing the company to Florida.
While Michelle Rhee got most of the attention during her presentation Wednesday at the Senate Education PreK-12 Committee, it is the legislation discussed afterward that will have the most lasting impact on Floridas education.
Former Gov. Charlie Crist and former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, fresh off electoral defeats last fall, were back in the spotlight Wednesday, this time pushing for a ballot initiative that would prevent offshore oil and natural gas drilling in Florida's territorial waters.
As criticism of Gov. Rick Scotts budget poured in Tuesday from educators, legislators and interest groups, the governor was able to find one receptive audience -- the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Early last week, the jobs of four of the five Public Service Commission members were in jeopardy when Gov. Rick Scott pulled their nominations along with more than 150 other nominees to various state boards. All nominations had been submitted by former Gov. Charlie Crist.
A scheduled vote on a bill that would change the rates of unemployment compensation taxes and the way jobless claims are paid out was postponed in a state Senate committee meeting Monday.
School districts in 26 Florida counties are facing $31 million in fines for going over the class-size limits, but they wont have to worry about similar fines in the future if legislation filed Thursday by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, is passed.
Seven Floridians die each day from prescription drug overdoses, and on Thursday Attorney General Pam Bondi set out her plan to combat that statistic, pushing for more stringent rules governing pill mills.
Gov. Rick Scotts budget recommendations will not be released until next week, but the kind of proposals his office has preferred so far reveal his approach to providing the savings he promised as a candidate.
