Florida's revenues were already facing a $2.5 billion deficit, but legislators received more bad news Tuesday during a budget committee meeting, where a state economist said general revenues dropped further than expected.
Amy Baker, coordinator for the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, told state Senators that general revenues as of October were $136.1 million less than was projected, with another $100 million likely to fall in November. Those forecasts do not include the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf earlier this year.
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With 2012 looming on the horizon, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took aim at President Barack Obamas economic policies and argued that the federal government shouldn't send bailouts to the states.
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Gary Bauer, best known for his leadership of the Family Research Council and his bid for the Republican presidential nomination back in 2000, hammered U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas in an e-mail to supporters sent out late Monday.
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An unprecedented 13-month extension of unemployment benefits will be financed through "loans," according to congressional sources.
Contradicting earlier reports that the $56 billion tab would be covered by "unspent" federal funds, the reality is that -- surprise, surprise -- there is no such money lying around.
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The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the DREAM Act Wednesday. Chalk it up as another nightmare for Democrats.
The measure, which would grant in-state college tuition to illegal aliens who arrived in this country before they reached age 17, is widely viewed as another amnesty-style scheme.
Even former sponsor Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has awakened to DREAM's political and logistical costs. Ditto for many of the 23 Democratic senators up for re-election in 2012.
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State Senate President Mike Haridopolos gave a tutorial on the 10th Amendment last week in Washington, where he participated in the "Repeal Amendment" campaign.
The Merritt Island Republican joined legislative leaders from a dozen other states in calling for a "better balance" between states' rights and the rights that states confer on the federal government -- not the other way around.
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A proposal to prohibit message-sending while driving has returned in the Senate, with Sen. Evelyn Lynn filing a measure that would bar drivers from sending or reading text messages, e-mails, or other forms of communication.
President Barack Obama announced a compromise tax package Monday evening, but it is still unclear if it will pass both lame-duck chambers of Congress.
Democrats and Republicans each gave up something in the deal, which looks like this:
-- Bush-era tax cuts extended for two years for all income levels.
-- Unemployment benefits extended for 13 months.
-- A 2 percent employee payroll tax cut in 2011.
-- Businesses may write off investments in 2011.
-- The estate tax, or "death tax" held at 35 percent, above $5 million.
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The state will be lowering flags to half mast on Tuesday to remember the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, leading to U.S. intervention in World War II.
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Gov.-elect Rick Scott released a video Monday detailing his strategy for the upcoming "Let's Get To Work" tour.
He talks about his 10-cities-in-five-days tour, during which he will talk to military and business people across Florida to make sure his "seven-step plan to 700,000 jobs" will work and "get the state back to work as soon as we can."
View the video below.
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