A legislative panel agreed Thursday to boost the budget of the state Office of Medical Marijuana Use by $13.29 million to help pay for issuing new licenses and covering the costs of ongoing litigation.

A legislative panel agreed Thursday to boost the budget of the state Office of Medical Marijuana Use by $13.29 million to help pay for issuing new licenses and covering the costs of ongoing litigation.
The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously approved a rule to help move forward with a controversial new program that will let bullied students transfer to private schools.
A lawyer for Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday asked a state appellate court to block a lawsuit seeking to force the governor to disclose more of his financial assets.
A Leon County circuit judge in February rejected Scott’s request to dismiss the case, which was filed by a Tallahassee attorney seeking to require Scott to provide more disclosure, including details of a blind trust. Scott is the richest governor in state history and had a December 2017 net worth of $232 million, with $215 million in the blind trust.
Florida, as the nation’s third-largest state, has more than its share of complex challenges.
The Florida Board of Education next week is expected to approve a rule outlining how a new scholarship program for bullied students will work.
Florida’s $160.4 billion state pension fund showed a preliminary return of 8.99 percent for the fiscal year that ended June 30, marking the ninth straight year the retirement fund has shown a positive gain.
Ash Williams, executive director of the State Board of Administration, which oversees the fund that pays retirement benefits for teachers, county workers, law enforcement officers, state workers and higher-education employees, said he expects the final number to be even higher.
Florida teachers and unions filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the constitutionality of a new law that requires local unions to represent 50 percent or more of instructional personnel.
Although Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis closely adhere to a conservative agenda, their campaign tactics radically diverge in the quest to become the Republican nominee for governor.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding the ability of states to pull in tax dollars from online purchases could have a significant impact in Florida.
Citizens Property Insurance will delay any decision on 2019 rate increases until December, with officials saying they want to assess the impact of a new program designed to curb the cost of non-weather water claims.