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Business Briefs

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

Every week, Sunshine State News offers a glimpse of the important business legislation and pivotal state issues being addressed in the Florida Legislature in the coming days.

This week: the Senate takes up the fight over whether to allow presiding officers and minority leaders in the House and Senate to create committees to promote and fundraise for party candidates; lean, mean budget proposals work their wayto the House floor and through Senate committees; and a hefty jobs bill with a $187 million price tag might make its way to the Senate floor.

$50 Gourmet Cupcakes

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

These are hard times. And, a $49.95 expenditure at taxpayer expense on gourmet cupcakes isn't going to go down well with state lawmakers.

As a consequence, Florida 's 24 workforce job boards are coming under greater scrutiny.

National Ag Day: Time For Recognition

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

Florida's $100-billion-plus agriculture industry, second only to tourism, is one powerful economic engine. And, Saturday -- declared National Ag Day by Congress -- is a good day to remember that agriculture in the Sunshine State is a formidable employer and an even more impressive producer.

Obama Urged to Spare Shuttle Jobs

Kenric Ward

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

Labor unions, business leaders and government agencies are uniting to lobby President Barack Obama to change a proposed space budget that jettisons thousands of space industry jobs and grounds NASAs return to the moon.

Obama is scheduled to visit Florida April 15 to discuss his controversial plan. And fearing he is not planning to bring good news, these strange bedfellows are preparing to pressure him to invest in Floridas heavy-lift vehicles and set a specific deadline for NASAs exploration of Mars.

Washington Week

Elizabeth Letchworth

March 20, 2010 - 7:00pm

WASHINGTON, DC -- Virtually all of the oxygen in Washington, DC went to congressional action on health care, and the Sunshine State played a rather dominate role in this legislative process.

First, Florida received major TV airtime when the U.S. Senate was debating the health care bill last December. It was then that the "gator special" deal was born. That deal, negotiated by Sen.

'Fair' Districts Funding Questioned

Kenric Ward

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

The battle over political boundaries is heating up, with Democratic-leaning labor unions and trial attorneys helping to stoke the fire.

Fair Districts Florida, which collected enough signatures to place Amendment 5 on the Nov. 2 ballot, wants to re-engineer how legislative and congressional districts are drawn in the state.

If approved by 60 percent of the voters, the measure would:

Cannon Nudges Oil Bill

Kevin Derby

March 18, 2010 - 7:00pm

Knowing that neither Gov. Charlie Crist nor the Senate have any plans to approve his bill, Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, plans to unveil legislation on offshore energy exploration later in the session anyway.

On Friday, Cannons Select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning held its last public hearing. For the past year, the council has heard presentations on offshore drilling, and how it would impact the states environment and economy.

Political Bits and Pieces

Kevin Derby

March 19, 2010 - 7:00pm

Former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the frontrunner in the race to be the Democratic nominee for state CFO, is holding as many fundraisers as possible before the end of the reporting quarter on March 31. With two fundraising events already this week, Ausley will be in Miami on the March 22 and Jacksonville on March 25 to raise more dough for her campaign Meanwhile, state Sen.

Crist channels Abe Lincoln -- but is he honest about it?

Submitted by Anonymous on March 19, 2010 - 10:49am

Gov. Charlie Crist continued his Lincoln Day Dinner speaking tour Thursday night with a stop in Vero Beach.

Crist's Indian River County appearance was advertised as a visit from "Governor Crist, not candidate Crist," but the campaigner just couldn't help himself.

"I'm asking for your vote," he told the dinner audience.

He then likened himself to Abe Lincoln, noting that the 16th president was trailing badly in his bid for re-election in 1864.

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House Dismisses Ethics Complaints Against Ron Saunders

Submitted by Kevin Derby on March 19, 2010 - 10:13am

The House Rules & Calendar Committee dismissed the complaints filed by a Tea Party activist against incoming House minority leader Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West.

Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, chairman of the committee, wrote a letter to James Barnes in response to allegations that Barnes filed against Saunders. Barnes claimed that Saunders raised campaign funds during the legislative session and that the House member filed incorrect reimbursements for travel and per diem expenses.

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