United Faculty of Florida-UF News and Information

Florida House speaker probe now involves trustees, Miami Herald

2009-08-17T12:02:00.000-04:00

January 28, 2009
By Alex Leary

TALLAHASSEE -- The college trustees who hired House Speaker Ray Sansom have become part of a criminal investigation into his dealings with the school over whether they violated the state's Sunshine Law, officials said Tuesday.

State Attorney Willie Meggs is investigating whether the Northwest Florida State College trustees violated state laws on public meetings for a gathering they held in Tallahassee last March.

For the rest of this article, click here.

State Farm Insurance withdrawing from Florida property market, Florida Trend

2009-08-17T11:59:00.000-04:00

January 28, 2009

The state’s largest private insurer will drop 1.2 million policies over the next two years, likely pushing many into the already bloated state-run insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. More than 800 State Farm agents can expect to see their income slashed by an average of 37%. State Farm Florida president Jim Thompson said the Florida operation has been losing $20 million a month.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Crist vetoes legislature's cuts to education, Jacksonville News

2009-08-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

March 14, 2009
By Brandon Larrabee

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist signed a spending measure Tuesday aimed at balancing the state’s budget but vetoed some of lawmakers’ proposed cuts to education, public safety, land conservation and tourism promotion.

The revisions to the budget, meant to fill an expected shortfall of at least $2.4 billion in the formerly $66 billion spending plan, passed during a special legislative session that finished Jan. 13.

With his veto pen, Crist restored full funding for a program to provided bonuses to teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; struck a provision that would have led to the dismissal of 118 probation officers; and retains state backing for Visit Florida, the state’s tourism arm.

For the rest of this story, click here.

In Florida State athletic department, budget cuts coming, Orlando Sentinel

2009-08-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

January 27, 2009
By Andrew Carter

I’m playing catch-up here, and I apologize for the absence yesterday, but wanted to touch on this story from the Tallahassee Democrat. Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman told the newspaper that a 10 percent athletic department budget cut is possible in the 2009-10 academic year.

Working in the newspaper business, I’m familiar with that kind of talk. And it’s not good.
Spetman told the Democrat, “What we are doing right now is looking at a 10-percent reduction in our budget for next year, 2009-10, which is a huge (measure). We have not finished that study to see how we get there because we have a lot of hard costs.”

For the rest of this story, click here.

Grand jury to investigate Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom, Miami Herald

2009-08-17T11:49:00.000-04:00

January 27, 2009
By Alex Leary

-- A grand jury decided Monday to launch a formal investigation into Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom and whether his six-figure job at a Panhandle college was payback for helping the school get millions of dollars in construction money over the past two years.

The 21-member panel concluded that Sansom's relationship with the school warranted a criminal probe after reviewing the facts outlined in a series of articles by the Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Scholarship strengthens poor students, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

January 26, 2009
By Doug Tuthill

Within the education policies that have come to be viewed as the legacy of Jeb Bush is a strategic imperative that transcends any one governor or political party. It is the light that now shines on students from impoverished homes and our collective obligation to do better by them.AC = -->

In that sense, Bush's A+ Plan in 1999 was the successor to Lawton Chiles' Blueprint 2000 in 1991. Both Bush, a Republican, and Chiles, a Democrat, were committed to using standards, assessments and accountability to improve student learning - especially the achievement of students from low-income families. One result is that Florida is making great progress in closing the achievement gap, including with Hispanic students who now outperform all students in 15 different states.

For the rest of this column, click here.

Despite cuts to Fla.'s state universities, private school tuition aid may rise, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

January 25, 2009
By Joe Follick

TALLAHASSEE Even with Florida’s 11 public universities laying off staff and limiting enrollment, the state will spend more than $90 million this year to help residents attend private colleges.

The Florida Resident Access Grant program, better known as “FRAG,” was created in 1979. The goal was to keep Floridians who were considering out-of-state private schools and help provide options beyond public universities.

For the rest of this article, click here.

State university officials take aim at slashing book prices, Palm Beach Post

2009-08-17T11:39:00.002-04:00

January 25, 2009
By Kimberly Miller

Florida Atlantic University student Ed Fulton figures the bookstore let him off easy this semester - his largest single purchase was an $80 tome on environmental chemistry.

He still spent about $450 on books for his spring classes, and in the fall, he plunked down a titanic $150 for a volume on biology.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Legislature must weigh the benefits of smaller classes against the costs, Herald Tribune

2009-08-17T11:36:00.002-04:00

January 25, 2009

The Florida Legislature met in emergency, special session earlier this month to fill a big, $2.3 billion hole in the state budget.

The Legislature's strategy for eliminating the short-term operating deficit -- cutting deeply into funding for social programs, including health care and education, and conducting more raids on trust funds -- demonstrated how desperate the state has become.

For the rest of this opinion piece, click here.

Fla.cuts, fed plan not in sunc, critics say, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-17T11:33:00.002-04:00

January 24, 2009
By Lloyd Dunkelberger

TALLAHASSEE The federal government is preparing a historic economic recovery program that will pour billions of dollars into Florida to help revive the economy.

But at the same time, Florida lawmakers have cut more than $8 billion from state spending over the last two years, with more cuts likely when they meet in March to write a new state budget.

Some critics say the efforts are at cross-purposes, with the state cuts worsening Florida's recession.

For the rest of this article, click here.

More for classes, less for offices, St. Pete Times

2009-08-17T11:31:00.001-04:00

January 25, 2009

There's growing bipartisan support for the notion that Florida's mechanism for funding public schools isn't sufficient. In Seminole County, the longtime Republican stronghold north of Orlando, there is talk about raising property taxes for schools. The state Board of Education has suggested it would appeal to the Legislature to improve schools' fiscal future. That's why it's all the more pressing that Pinellas County School superintendent Julie Janssen reduce the district's administrative costs, long among the highest in the state.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Ray Sansom: The full interview (with video), NWF Daily News

2009-08-17T11:16:00.002-04:00

January 24, 2009
By Tom McLaughlin

Almost since the day he was sworn in as speaker of the Florida House, state representative and Destin resident Ray Sansom has been on the defensive.

It started, he said, the day after Thanksgiving, when a report was published stating he'd taken a $110,000 part-time job with Northwest Florida State College, a school he'd helped get $31 million in appropriations during the 2007 legislative session.

The controversy grew when it was learned that Sansom had attended a quiet little public meeting with college President Bob Richburg and seven members of its board of trustees on March 24, 2008.

For the rest of this story, click here.

UF dean warns of more layoffs, Gainesville Sun

2009-08-17T11:13:00.001-04:00

January 24, 2009
By Nathan Crabbe

Just as faculty are fighting layoffs from 2008, a University of Florida dean has warned there will "almost certainly" be more layoffs if expected budget cuts occur.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Paul D'Anieri sent a letter to college faculty last week girding them for more layoffs.

"There will almost certainly be layoffs, and if the cut is more than a few percent, there will be layoffs of tenure-track and possibly tenured faculty," he wrote.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Crist will veto some budget cuts, Wakulla.com

2009-08-17T11:05:00.002-04:00

January 23, 2009
By David Royse

Crist Will Veto Some Budget Cuts
by David RoyseThe News Service of Florida
In his most forcefully worded warning yet, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday said he will veto some parts of the revised budget lawmakers passed earlier this month as they tried to balance the state's spending plan against falling tax collections.

Crist said he is looking closely at education spending, a cut to the Department of Corrections that resulted in more than 60 probation officers getting laid off, and possibly some environmental cuts, particularly a one-year break on the Florida Forever land buying program.
Crist noted he has hinted about vetoes, but said Thursday that he is acknowledging that next week he will veto some line items in those areas.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Economic stimulus plan could mean $2-billion for Florida schools, St. Pete Times

2009-08-17T11:04:00.002-04:00

January 23, 2009
By Ron Matus

The economic stimulus plan rolling through Congress could pump $2-billion into Florida schools, easing the pain from yet another round of state budget cuts on tap for this spring.

The $825-billion package, backed by President Obama, sets aside at least $100-billion for K-12 education and $21.5-billion for colleges and universities.

For the rest of this article, click here.

UNF board plans for bad times, Times-Union (Jacksonville)

2009-08-17T11:00:00.001-04:00

January 23, 2009
By Adam Aasen

With the anticipated next round of budget cuts weighing on their minds, University of North Florida administrators are trying to figure out how bad things might get. UNF’s Board of Trustees was presented several scenarios on Thursday. One was optimistic: It’s possible, although unlikely, the school could see about $3 million more than its preliminary budget, which could mean more professors being hired. And one wasn’t: A worst case would see a shortfall of at least $5 million that could lead to academic programs being eliminated. It depends on how much Legislature cuts in higher education and how by much tuition is increased. This month, legislators met in a special session and cut about 4 percent of the state university system’s current fiscal year budget. Many lawmakers are now worried that next year’s higher education budget might be up to 14 percent less than the current budget.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Impact fees waived near University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Business Journal

2009-08-17T10:58:00.001-04:00

January 23, 2009

The Hillsborough County Commission on Thursday approved a two-year no-fee zone ordinance for the University of South Florida area.

Intended to encourage investment in the USF area, the ordinance waives transportation impact fees for developers of new improvements for roughly 3,800 acres bounded by Sinclair Hills Road and Bearss Avenue to the north, Florida Avenue to the west, 46th Street to the east and Fowler Avenue to the south.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Dallas irm to handle search for new chancellor of Florida universities, St. Pete Times

2009-08-17T10:56:00.002-04:00

January 23, 2009
By Donna Winchester

TAMPA — The group that oversees Florida's 11 public universities voted unanimously Thursday to hire a Dallas search firm to aid in hiring a new chancellor for the state university system.

The 14-member committee selected the firm of R. William Funk & Associates to find a replacement for chancellor Mark Rosenberg, who announced his resignation in September.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida at the ready for a Medicaid boost, Herald Tribune

2009-08-17T10:52:00.002-04:00

January 23, 2009
By Lloyd Dunkelberger

TALLAHASSEE - The federal government is preparing a $4.3 billion boost that could help some of Florida's sickest and most vulnerable citizens while extending health care to the state's growing legions of the unemployed.

"This is a very significant shot in the arm for Florida," said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which reviewed a portion of the $825 billion federal economic recovery package on Thursday.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Financial considerations prompt Florida State Seminoles to agree to face South Florida Bulldogs, St. Pete Times

2009-08-17T10:50:00.002-04:00

January 23, 2009
By Brian Landman

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden didn't sound particularly optimistic, or even particularly enthusiastic, about scheduling ever-improving USF as recently as last summer.

"You usually try to find somebody that you've got a chance to win (against) instead of getting your nose bloodied," he said in July.

For the rest of this article, click here.

State budget priorities: Florida holds gold mine for CSX, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-17T10:48:00.003-04:00

January 22, 2009

While Florida lawmakers were making a billion-dollar raid on trust funds, draining the state's rainy-day fund, and slashing education, health care and social services last week to balance the state budget, the Department of Transportation was sitting on a cool $795 million in ready cash set aside for a sweetheart deal that may not even come to fruition.

The money is in hand and awaiting finalization of a deal between the DOT and CSX that would create a commuter line in the Orlando area. The state's plan to buy 61 miles of rail line for the Orlando commuter train would force CSX to shift much of its freight traffic to its S Line, which travels through the center of the state, including Lakeland, and already carries a large number of trains daily.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Crist should offset any vetoed cuts, House leader says, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-17T10:45:00.003-04:00

January 22, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom said Gov. Charlie Crist should suggest ways to offset any items he vetoes in a deficit-elimination package when he submits his recommendations for the next state budget.

And, Senate President Jeff Atwater said he's worried reducing already thin reserves in the $2.6 billion deficit reduction plan for the current budget year could harm Florida's bond rating, resulting in higher interest rates when the state borrows money.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida loans take toll on SunTrust portfolio, South Florida Business Journal

2009-08-17T10:41:00.002-04:00

January 22, 2009

SunTrust Banks has slashed its dividend 81 percent and frozen executive bonuses and pay raises for 4,000 employees as profit plunged 54.3 percent because of a deteriorating economy, according to the bank’s fourth quarter earnings announcement.

The Atlanta-based bank (NYSE: STI) had net income of $746.9 million and earnings of $2.13 a share. That’s down from net income of $1.6 billion and earnings of $4.55 a share in 2007.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Growing need for medicaid strains states, New York Times

2009-08-17T10:37:00.003-04:00

January 21, 2009
By Kevin Sack and Katie Zezima

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Medicaid rolls are surging, by unprecedented rates in some states, as the recession tightens its grip on the economy and Americans lose their employer-sponsored health coverage along with their jobs.

In a number of states, Medicaid populations grew by 5 percent to 10 percent in the last 12 months and, in many, the growth rate was at least double what it had been in the previous year. State Medicaid officials also say that because enrollment often lags behind job losses by several months, the growth in 2008 may represent only the leading edge of heightened demand.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida should make the sales tax work harder, St. Pete Times

2009-08-17T10:32:00.001-04:00

January 22, 2009

State budget
Make sales tax work harder
Once more, the less fortunate are asked to bear the brunt of tough times — cuts in services and in education. Where are the beneficiaries of the sales tax economy?

For the rest of this letter to the editor, click here.

Real estate market confidence sinks, Orlando Business Journal

2009-08-16T15:21:00.002-04:00

January 21, 2009

Persistently bad economic news has sunk confidence in the real estate industry to its lowest level since a statewide survey of economic experts began three years ago, according to a new University of Florida report.

The most recent quarterly survey of Florida real estate trends, completed last month, suggests the investment outlook for various types of properties has sunk to depths not seen for 30 years.

For the rest of this story, click here.

An embarassment of state riches, Ocala Star-Banner

2009-08-16T15:19:00.001-04:00

January 21, 2009

While Florida lawmakers were making a billion-dollar raid on trust funds, draining the state's rainy day fund and slashing education, health care and social services last week to balance the state budget, the Department of Transportation was sitting on a cool $795 million in ready cash set aside for a sweetheart deal that may not even come to fruition.

The money is in hand and awaiting finalization of a deal between DOT and CSX that would create a commuter line in the Orlando area. The state's plan to buy 61 miles of rail line for the Orlando commuter train would force CSX to shift much of its freight traffic to its "S" line, which travels through the center of the state, including Ocala, and already carries a large number of trains daily.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Law schools dealing with budget cuts, American Lawyer

2009-08-16T15:12:00.002-04:00

January 19, 2009
By Karen Sloan

JoAnne Epps got the bad news in September.

Instead of an expected 1% budget increase, the dean of the Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law learned that she would need to cut about 2% of the budget for the current academic year. The reductions were necessary because the Pennsylvania government — facing a major budget shortfall — was preparing to cut funding to the university by more than 4%.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Pasco schools brace for more pain, St. Pete Times

2009-08-16T15:08:00.003-04:00

January 21, 2009
By Jeffrey Solochek

LAND O'LAKES — The Florida Legislature's special session didn't take as big a bite out of the Pasco County School District's budget as originally expected.

But that didn't stop superintendent Heather Fiorentino and her finance team from painting a continued doom-and-gloom scenario for the coming year during a Tuesday budget workshop.

For the rest of this story, click here.

For a related story, click here.

Budget reductions spare private schools--for now, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-16T15:00:00.003-04:00

January 19, 2009
By Cary McMullen

Private colleges in Polk County will not suffer any immediate ill effects from state budget cuts made recently at a special session of the Florida Legislature.

But college administrators fear that $11 million or more in aid to students may be in jeopardy in next year's budget.

Fr the rest of this article, click here.

Lottery money spent on priazes, not education, WINK News

2009-08-16T14:58:00.002-04:00

January 19, 2009
By Lauren Sweeney

FORT MYERS, Fla. - When you buy a lottery ticket, you hope to strike it rich and hope that your money is going to help support education in Florida."Money goes to K-12, there's money invested to build schools, and there's also the development of the bright futures scholarship program," said Randy Forrester, the Fort Myers district manager for the Florida Lottery.

But Call for Action found that when lottery sales increases, so does the amount of money given in prizes. That leaves a smaller piece of the the pie for education.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Sansom breaks his silence to talk taxes, The Buzz (St. Pete Times)

2009-08-16T14:56:00.001-04:00

January 19, 2009

House Speaker Ray Sansom, who has refused interviews at the Capitol since coming under fire for his relationship with Northwest Florida State College and Destin developer Jay Odom, broke his silence Friday for an interview with the Times/Herald to spell out his view of taxes. The tax debate is likely to dominate much of the regular session in March, when lawmakers must decide how to balance the budget amid another $3.5-billion shortfall. The question will be how far conservative Republicans in the House are willing to go to raise new money to offset more painful budget cuts.

For the rest of this story, click here.

66 Florida probation officers laid off, Miami Herald

2009-08-16T14:54:00.001-04:00

January 19. 2009
By Jennifer Liberto

With the state budget tightening, 66 Department of Corrections probation officers lost their jobs last week.

The layoffs targeted those with less than a year of service and represented a 3 percent reduction in the probation officer force statewide, including 22 in South Florida. The cuts, made Thursday, stemmed from last year's cuts in the prison system's budget, which faces a $28 million hole in its balance sheet.

For the rest of this story, click here.

House speaker ducking spotlight, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-16T14:52:00.001-04:00

January 18, 2009
By Joe Follick

For six years, House Speaker Ray Sansom has wielded a friendly smile and a conservative style in his rise to one of the most powerful positions in Florida government.

But accused of scheming to trade state money for a job, Sansom has become the Howard Hughes of the House, cloistering himself in his office and avoiding even chance meetings with the media or the public.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Budget cuts could mean the end of Florida forever, Bay News Channel 9

2009-08-16T14:50:00.001-04:00

January 18, 2009

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Florida lawmakers are returning home after making some difficult decisions in an attempt to balance the budget. One of the victims of the anticipated cuts is the environmental protection program known as Florida Forever.

Pinellas County had been waiting for $1 million from the state to help pay for property at Wall Springs Park. The county has been buying natural habitat like this for several years with the help of $14 million in Florida Forever grants. But now, after the special budget session in Tallahassee, that money may be gone forever.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Tourism officials brace for budget cuts, Destinlog

2009-08-16T14:49:00.001-04:00

January 18, 2009
By Thomas J. Morgan

Reverberations from state budget cuts involving tourism are echoing all along the Emerald Coast.The $2.3 billion deficit elimination plan passed by the Legislature in special session but not yet signed by Gov. Charlie Crist includes a $9.9 million cut to Visit Florida, the state's public-private tourism agency.

For the rest of this story, click here.

A lesson in saving our schools and our children, Ocala Star-Banner

2009-08-16T14:47:00.003-04:00

January 18, 2009
By Chris Altobello

On Jan. 7, the Marion Education Association, representing nearly 3,000 professional educators, presented the Marion County School Board our final appeal to settle the 2008-09 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This concluded many months of negotiations between the two parties, and ended with the School Board denying our minimal request.

We have since read several articles in the Star-Banner regarding the current school budget crisis. Some have attempted to spin our request as just another greedy effort by teachers to get a raise during these difficult times. Let me be clear: The MEA did not ask for one cent more than the county had already budgeted for this purpose, even after making cuts that exceeded the hold-backs directed by the state. My guess is that you haven't — and probably won't — hear that from the powers that be.

For the rest of this op ed piece, click here.

Millions pouring into casino in Florida while education suffers, Casino Gambling Web

2009-08-16T14:45:00.003-04:00

January 18, 2009

To walk through the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida and think about what good all of this gambling is doing for the state's education system makes a Florida resident proud.

Only that is not what's happening here. The state is receiving none of the benefits from the busy blackjack tables this Saturday night thanks to a voided compact from 2007.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Over $23M expected to be cut from schools, WFTV Channel 9

2009-08-16T14:42:00.001-04:00

January 14, ,2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- State lawmakers are expected to approve big budget cuts for local schools Wednesday. Over $23 million will be lost and that will mean massive cuts of jobs, programs, and services.

Superintendent Ron Blocker said that if the budget cuts occur, administrators inside the Orange County School Board headquarters building could not promise any programs and services would be safe next school year.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Governor isn't interested in chasing a Senate seat, Herald Tribune

2009-08-16T14:40:00.002-04:00

January 18, 2009

Asked his level of interest in entering the U.S. Senate race in 2010, Gov. Charlie Crist responded, "Not much."

Crist said last week that he has been giving most of his attention to the state's budget crisis and a review of the Legislature's recent $2 billion-plus in cuts and borrowing.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Lawmakers trim 4% from university budgets, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-16T14:35:00.002-04:00

January 17, 2009
By Lindsay Peterson

For universities and colleges across Florida, the bad times started two years ago. And like nearly everyone these days, higher education officials see their finances going from bad to worse.

This week, Florida lawmakers took 4 percent from the state's college and university budgets for 2008-09. That amounts to $93.5 million for the State University System's 11 institutions.

Add that to the $259 million lost since 2007 and fears of more cuts when the Legislature goes into its regular session this spring.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida legislature's budget cuts hit home, Miami Herald

2009-08-16T14:33:00.002-04:00

January 15, 2009
By Mary Ellen Klas

TALLAHASSEE -- Susan Nyamora pushes her baby in a stroller into the day care center at the Susan B. Anthony drug treatment center in Pembroke Pines and wonders how different her life would be if Florida's budget crisis had hit the center two years ago instead of now.

''It saved my life,'' said Nyamora, 40. Instead of five years in jail, she was sentenced to treatment for cocaine addiction. Instead of giving birth to her baby in jail, she had the baby at the center, spent 18 months in treatment as an alternative to jail, took parenting classes, kept her five children together, and completed her associate's degree in social work.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida CFO Sink discusses state's budget woes, Jacksonville Business Journal

2009-08-16T14:31:00.001-04:00

January 15, 2009
By Rachel Witkowski

Improving Florida’s economy will largely depend on diversifying industries, providing more funding for education and attracting higher wage jobs, said Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink before a group at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business Thursday.

More state budget cuts are expected but there are tax changes that can be proposed by the state to mend the cuts, she said.

For the rest of this story, click here.

First veterinary forensics program created at UF, DVM 306

2009-08-16T14:29:00.003-04:00

January 15, 2009

Gainesville, Fla. -- A veterinary forensics program, under development by ASPCA and the University of Florida, was unveiled today. The joint venture, believed to be the nation's first, will "promote the application of forensic sciences to veterinary medicine to aid in the understanding, prevention and prosecution of animal cruelty."

The program is built on education, research and applied casework, reports Melinda Merck, DVM, senior director of veterinary forensics for the ASPCA, and it will be established within the William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine in UF's College of Medicine.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Democrats talk taxes to balance state budget, WOKV (Jacksonville)

2009-08-16T14:26:00.001-04:00

January 15, 2009
By Jared Halpern

Florida taxpayers were spared in the latest budget battle in Tallahassee. But when lawmakers return to the Capitol in March, a revenue play may be on the table.

"What else in the equation has to change?" Senate President Jeff Atwater asked after approving a special session budget package that makes widespread spending cuts to education and social services. "What else about the manner we have established the revenue structure of the state has to change? There are no easy answers here left."

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida state budget: Tough times call for tough decisions, Jacksonville Times Union

2009-08-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

January 15, 2009
By Brandon Larrabee

TALLAHASSEE - Lawmakers finished work Wednesday on a plan to patch a $2.4 billion hole in the state budget, ending their 10-day special session but realizing that a tougher task lies ahead when the regular session convenes in March. The Senate approved the measure, which raids trust funds and cuts state agencies while increasing traffic fines, on a 27-13 vote. All but one Democrat voted no. The House vote, 74-43, was along party lines. Republicans said their plan was the best that could be expected in a climate of tumbling state tax collections; GOP leaders made it clear even before the session began that any tax increases to patch the formerly $66 billion budget were off the table in a troubled economy. "We have less money because Floridians have less money," said Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, who chairs the House panel overseeing education funding. Democrats blasted the plan for, among other things, including a $466 million cut to education and slashing bonuses for teachers with National Board Certification by 20 percent. They lamented the lack of opportunities to vote for closing sales-tax exemptions or raising the cigarette tax.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Education cut too far, Crist says, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-16T14:21:00.002-04:00

January 14, 2009
By William March

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist, who hinted at vetoing some education cuts intended to help balance the state budget, said Tuesday he's looking mainly at one comparatively small item: an $11 million cut in a teacher certification program.

The program provides teachers a 10 percent pay increase for 10 years if they achieve certification under a national program that identifies master teachers.

For the rest of this story, click here.

UCF, online school ink partnership, Orlando Business Journal

2009-08-16T14:18:00.001-04:00

January 14, 2009

The University of Central Florida and Florida Virtual School are partnering on a new program allowing college students to intern with the Florida Virtual School.

In the 2007-2008 school year, the virtual school served more than 63,000 students in grades six through 12 through the Internet, according to a UCF release.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida colleges face 4% budget cuts, fear more in spring, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-16T14:09:00.002-04:00

January 14, 2009
By Lindsay Peterson

For universities and colleges across Florida, the bad times started two years ago. And like nearly everyone these days, higher education officials see their finances going from bad to worse.

This week, Florida lawmakers are expected to take 4 percent from the state's college and university budgets for 2008-09. That amounts to $93.5 million for the State University System's 11 institutions.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Crist hints at budget veto, The Buzz (St. Pete Times)

2009-08-16T14:07:00.001-04:00

January 13, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday emphasized the value of "working together" with the Legislature. But he also gave strong hints that he will surgivally use his veto pen and aim it at the education budget cuts approved by lawmakers over the weekend.

For the rest of this story, click here.

State fiscal strategy running on empty, Ocala Star-Banner

2009-08-16T14:05:00.001-04:00

January 13, 2009

There really is nothing "special" about the current special session of the Florida Legislature. Sure, lawmakers are expected to approve a plan to erase a $2.3 billion budget shortfall for this year by again raiding state trust funds, slashing education and health care, raising traffic fines and putting a kibosh on the state's successful Florida Forever land conservation program. It is the same strategy we saw last year.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

States continue spending sprees, USAToday

2009-08-16T14:03:00.003-04:00

January 12, 2009
By Dennis Cauchon and Judy Keen

As a federal bailout takes shape, many states continue to spend money at boom-time rates even though revenue is sinking.

The mismatch between spending and revenue has left states facing projected shortfalls of up to $80 billion over the next six months, equal to as much as 10% of what states had planned to spend.

CASH-STRAPPED: States anxiously await federal funds

Forty-two state legislatures convene this month, and filling those gaps will be their top priority. A handful of states — notably California, Florida and New Jersey — have reduced spending, a USA TODAY review of state financial reports shows. Most have taken a wait-and-see attitude because spending cuts may not be needed if Congress approves a large federal aid package, and big spending hikes are a possibility.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida lawmakers leave $130 million in gambling money on hte table, Casino Gambling Web

2009-08-16T14:00:00.002-04:00

January 12, 2009

Legislators in the state of Florida are patting themselves on the back for working to fix a budget deficit without having to raise taxes. What they are not admitting is how they left $130 million of possible revenue on the table while cutting funds going to education in the state.

The lawmakers in Florida called a special legislative session to deal with the shortcomings of the state budget. They vowed at the beginning of the session to not make tax hikes to cover the budget problems. They succeeded in that. It is their failure, however, to approve a Seminole Indian casino gambling compact that had Governor Charlie Crist annoyed.

For the rest of this story, click here.

School officials want cut of federal bailout, USAToday

2009-08-16T13:58:00.003-04:00

January 12, 2009
By Greg Toppo

If banks, insurance companies and automakers are getting a piece of Washington's bailout largesse, why not cash-strapped schools?

That's the thinking of officials at a few hard-pressed school systems, who have set wheels in motion to get a share of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, intended for ailing financial institutions, and the economic stimulus package now before Congress.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Budget cuts to hit Fla education even further, WFTV, Channel 9

2009-08-16T13:52:00.002-04:00

January 12, 2009

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State lawmakers were able to fix a $2.3 billion budget deficit, but our children will be paying the price for it. The biggest hit in the budget cuts was education.

The state will reduce funding by $140 per student. Florida already ranks 41st in the nation in per-student funding and this is on top of a series of other funding cuts in our schools.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida budget agreement reached, Orlando Business Journal

2009-08-16T13:47:00.003-04:00

January 12, 2009

State lawmakers agreed Jan. 11 to raid state trust funds and proceed with deep cuts to health care and education to balance the $2.4 billion deficit.

Budget writers decided to tap trust funds, including the tobacco settlement fund, to the tune of $1.6 billion and cut state spending by more than $1 billion annually. Legislators agreed to cut an extra $400 million to pad the state’s budget ahead of the regular session in March, when state officials expect continued revenue declines.

Medicaid faces cuts of $170 million to $180 million, although the state’s 460-plus nursing homes were spared. Public schools are facing a loss of about $140 per student.

For the rest of this story, click here.

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Florida budget session: Florida fore...Never mind, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-13T16:52:00.003-04:00

January 11, 2009

When the Legislature is in session in Tallahassee, nothing is safe - and nothing is forever. Even Florida Forever.

Many legislators evidently think that when it comes to budget cutting, all bets are off - even if it means ignoring a previous commitment to continue funding the state's highly successful, nationally recognized land-preservation program. Legislators want to end funding for the program for the remaining six months of the budget year.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida TaxWatch budget plan finds $2.68B, Orlando Business Journal

2009-08-13T16:49:00.003-04:00

January 9, 2009

Florida can save billions of dollars by improving cost-effectiveness, increasing government productivity and enhancing revenue maximization efforts.

That’s the finding in a report issued Thursday by Florida TaxWatch. The nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute and government watchdog in Tallahassee made 42 recommendations totaling an estimated $2.68 billion in cost savings and revenue enhancements.

For the rest of this article, click here.

The report this article is based on is available here.http://www.floridataxwatch.org./

State budget plan includes tapping into rainy day fund, Central Florida Channel 13

2009-08-13T16:47:00.001-04:00

January 11, 2009

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida lawmakers Sunday continued working to resolve differences between the House and Senate over a budget decifit elimination package. See Previous Story.
Both houses have passed plans that include nearly $1 billion in cuts.

The plans also include tapping the "rainy day fund" reserve to shift money within the $66.3 billion budget.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida budget cuts represent health care nightmare, News Herald (Panama City)

2009-08-13T16:44:00.002-04:00

January 10, 2009
By Deann Mullins

When we as individuals adjust our budgets, we prioritize. For example, we may start with dining out less often before we decide to stop buying our blood pressure medicine. The financial challenges our state faces are great. Our state leaders must confront, head-on, a breathtaking $2.3 billion revenue shortfall in this year's budget, not to mention the more than $4.5 billion projected deficit for next year.

Cutting the budget is inevitable, but we do have a choice about where to tighten our belts. The Florida Legislature has proposed to take aim at further harming our struggling health care system by instituting drastic cuts that would impact everything from hospice care to nursing home care and access to Medicaid prescription drugs. A bill is taking aim at pharmacist reimbursement that includes $48 million in budget cuts to the Medicaid pharmacy program.

For the rest of this op ed piece, click here.

Education cuts coming into focus, News Herald (Panama City)

2009-08-13T16:41:00.002-04:00

January 10, 2009
By Chris Segal

TALLAHASSEE -- The working draft of a bill aimed at resolving the state's billiondollar budget deficit reduces perstudent funding through the Florida Education Finance Program by 2 percent but gives school district moreflexibilityinspendingearmarked funds, lawmakers said Friday.

State universities and community colleges also will be cut by 4 percent and public schools and Florida's voluntary pre-kindergarten program by 2 percent. The summer prekindergarten program, though, will take a bigger hit with two more students added to each class for a maximum of 12 per teacher.

For the rest of this article and a related video clip, click here.

Florida budget session: Don't Cut Kids, Education First, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-13T16:39:00.003-04:00

January 9, 2009

The only good thing that can be said about the Florida Legislature and its special session on the budget crunch will come at next Friday's scheduled adjournment: "Good riddance."AC = -->

We've already addressed the lack of leadership for this important session. Already in the session's first four days, what leadership there has been has been in the wrong direction.

On Monday, legislators decided to cut more than $600 million in state support for public schools. On Tuesday, budget committees moved the bills along. About $467 million would be cut from the kindergarten-through-12th-grade programs. Another $113 million would come from public universities; an additional $6.5 million from private ones.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Florida education system improves education quality, Independent Florida Alligator

2009-08-13T16:36:00.002-04:00

January 9, 2009
By Matthew Beaton

The Florida education system tied with Vermont for 10th place in overall education quality, according to Education Week’s Quality Counts 2009 report.Florida’s overall grade for 2009 was a 79.6, or a C–plus, which is an improvement over its score in 2008. Since 2007, the state jumped in ranking from No. 31 to No. 10.

The overall grade was derived from individual grades each state received in six separate fields. These fields included chance–for–success, K–12 achievement, finance, standards, transition and alignment and the teaching profession.

In each of these categories, the state earned a C–minus or better.The state earned a 90.8 (A) in the standards, assessment and accountability category. The one sore spot is the 51.7 (F) Florida earned in spending, a sub–category of school finance.

For the rest of this story, click here.

A few differences remain in House, Senate state budget cuts, Miami Herald

2009-08-13T16:34:00.003-04:00

January 9, 2009
By Marc Caputo

TALLAHASSEE -- The full House and Senate are scheduled Friday to approve their budget cut plans that raise traffic fines, cut virtually every type of program and nearly drain the state's savings account.

But there's a key difference between the chambers' proposals: The House proposal is $500 million larger than the Senate's, largely because the House raids more special savings and spending accounts.

For the rest of this story, click here.

FL budget crisis: Senate meets to discuss shortfalls, Channel 10 (Tampa)

2009-08-13T16:31:00.002-04:00

January 8, 2009
By Lindsay Urbinas

Tallahassee -- A powerful Senate panel is expected this morning to pass a handful of bills designed to plug the state's $2.4 billion budget shortfall.

While schools and social services would take the biggest hit in the more than $1 billion in cuts, the Senate also is taking aim at a signature environmental program, Florida Forever, which has preserved more than 550,000 acres of undeveloped land between 2001 and 2006.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida Gators outspend Oklahoma Sooners on football by 63 percent, Palm Beach Post

2009-08-13T16:29:00.003-04:00

January 7, 2009
By Charles Elmore

Jakie Sandefer played halfback for legendary Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson in two 1950s Orange Bowls before getting into the oil and gas exploration game. He wasn't about to miss a return trip to South Florida tonight.

His alma mater, which won 47 straight in his day, meets modern juggernaut Florida for the first time, with the national championship of college football at stake.

For the rest of this story, click here.

University of Florida's marketing savy and athletic prowess have the dollars rolling in, Sun Sentinel

2009-08-13T16:26:00.002-04:00

January 8, 2009
By Sarah Talalay

University of Florida fan Michelle Jackson has her outfit for college football's national championship game picked out: UF T-shirt, Gator tennis shoes and Gator earrings. She might add her Gator necklace and charm bracelet, too.

Fans like Jackson, of Palm Beach Gardens, are boosting royalties at the University of Florida every time they plunk down dollars for blue and orange apparel and trinkets. With three national championships since 2006 — two in men's basketball and one in football — UF has seen royalties grow to a high of $5.9 million in 2006-07 from $2.4 million in 2004-05.

For the rest of this article, click here.

How 'No Child Left Behind' Threatens Florida's Successful Educational Reform, Heritage Foundation

2009-08-13T16:24:00.002-04:00

January 7, 2009
By Matthew Ladner, PhD and Dan Lips

For decades, federal policymakers have tried to implement education reforms to improve opportunities for disadvantaged students and ethnic-minority children. Since 2001, the focus of federal policy has been the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation--which increased federal funding for K-12 education programs and created new academic requirements for states and public schools that receive federal assistance.

NCLB established new requirements for states to set educational standards, test students annually on core subjects, and to implement reforms in public schools that fail to demonstrate adequate progress on state tests. The combination of testing and reform interventions was intended to provide better learning opportunities for students in danger of falling behind in low-performing schools.

For the rest of this report, click here.

Florida public schools brace for a budget crisis, Channel 4 (CBS)

2009-08-13T16:21:00.002-04:00

January 8, 2009

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
As Florida lawmakers debate budget cuts in an emergency special session in Tallahassee, many public educators fear their school districts will be cut back to the basics.

State lawmakers say they must cut $2.5 billion dollars from the budget because of hard economic times. On Thursday the state's House will vote on a budget-reduction package that includes nearly $1 billion in spending cuts for schools, health care and other state functions. The Senate will follow with a vote on its version of a reduction package on Friday. They will then work on resolving differences between the two before taking final votes next week.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Federal stimulus expected to prop up state budget, Herald Tribune

2009-08-13T16:18:00.001-04:00

January 8, 2009
By Lloyd Dunkelberger

TALLAHASSEE - While state lawmakers moved ahead on cuts in critical health care services for the poor and elderly on Wednesday, they also said that relief might be on the way from Washington.

As part of their effort to resolve a $2.3 billion budget deficit in a two-week special session, House and Senate committees approved bills that would cut up to $259 million from health and social service programs for Florida's most vulnerable residents.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Teachers could be forced to give back to help balance budget, WOKV (Jacksonville)

2009-08-13T11:46:00.001-04:00

January 7, 2009
By Jeff Hess

Florida Teachers could be forced to take pay cuts to help fix the Florida budget.
The legislature is considering a bill that would force teachers to take pay cuts if a district's cash reserve dip below 2%.

Mark Pudlow with the Florida Education Association says it is unfair to target teachers for something beyond their control.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida's GOP: No new taxes, cut the budget, Creative Loafing (Tampa)

2009-08-13T11:43:00.002-04:00

January 7, 2009
By Wayne Garcia

As you read this, the Florida Legislature is meeting in Tallahassee, ostensibly to plug a $3 billion gap in the state's ailing budget because of losses in sales tax and other collections in this recession.

The real purpose is to continue the Republican-led dismantling of state and local governments in a quest to fulfill the 1990s mantra of "less government, fewer taxes and more personal responsibility." State lawmakers are set to work on the continued gutting of Florida's public infrastructure -- health care and education foremost among them -- through Jan. 12.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Schools to take a big hit in budget, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-13T11:39:00.003-04:00

January 6, 2009
By Lloyd Dunkelberger

TALLAHASSEE Lawmakers are preparing to slash more than $600 million in state support for public schools, community colleges and universities as they move to fix a $2.3 billion hole in the state budget.

Although there are some minor differences in their bills, House and Senate budget committees on Tuesday moved ahead on measures in the special session that would cut:

For the rest of this story, click here.

Florida schools rank no. 10, higher than national average, St. Pete Times

2009-08-13T11:37:00.001-04:00

January 7, 2009
By Ron Matus

Today, pigs fly.

Florida ranks No. 10 among states in education quality, according to the latest annual report card from the highly regarded Education Week newspaper.

The rankings, released this morning, are based on six broad categories — including student achievement, standards and accountability, and funding — and dozens of specific indicators, such as licensing requirements for teachers and scores on Advanced Placement exams for high school students.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Florida budget deficit crisis, News 13 (ABC)

2009-08-13T11:29:00.002-04:00

January 6, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist is at odds with state lawmakers when it comes to how much spending the state should cut in order to balance the budget.

Crist defends his proposal to minimize cuts by borrowing money from state reserves.

For the rest of this story, click here.

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Florida education faces big cuts, News Channel 7

2009-08-13T11:25:00.001-04:00

January 5, 2009

Schools face the largest cuts in the Florida’s budget. Lawmakers will consider chopping another 360 million in education funding this special session.

School administrators are considering laying-off teachers, cancelling field trips, and reducing bus routes to keep up with the proposed cuts.

Florida Education Association Spokesman Mark Pudlow says lawmakers need to eliminate tax loopholes to spare education from the budget ax.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Lawmakers to slash budget in special session, CBS Channel 4

2009-08-13T11:14:00.003-04:00

January 4, 2009

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
When Florida lawmakers convene Monday for a two week special session, they'll have red pens in hand as they try to figure out where to cut another $2.3 billion from the state's budget.

Due to an expected decrease in revenue, lawmakers fear a nearly $4 billion deficit in the next fiscal year that begins July 1, 2009. Florida law requires the state live within its means and lawmakers are required to have a balanced budget.

For the rest of this story, click here.

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Higher Ed funding critical for Florida's future, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-13T11:10:00.002-04:00

January 4, 2009

Florida lawmakers have an amazingly difficult task before them as they go to work in 2009. They must find drastic cuts to balance the state budget, or find revenue elsewhere. Most importantly, they must keep vital services while finding ways to cut the budget. One of the most important areas they have to trim involves our institutions of higher education, and so far they aren't doing so well.

According to a Palm Beach Post story, top researchers at our universities are pulling out and moving due to Florida's budget crisis. This means hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants, and all the revenue that such research brings to the state, are lost. Along with that lost money, we lose our best and brightest students to other universities where the best professors move to and take their grant money.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Florida legislature about to chop budgets for education, other services, Miami Herald

2009-08-13T10:20:00.003-04:00

January 3, 2009
By Steve Bousquet

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida legislators will start the new year in familiar fashion: by cutting aid to schools and other programs, borrowing money, skimming cash surpluses and hiking traffic and court fees to patch a $2.3 billion hole in a leaky state budget.

The special session that begins Monday will bring the third major round of cuts in 10 months and is the result of a prolonged nosedive in tax revenues caused by the recession-wracked real estate and credit markets.

For the rest of this story, click here.

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Cut Florida's universities and the whole state bleeds, Palm Beach Post

2009-08-13T10:18:00.002-04:00

January 3, 2009
Editorial

When state lawmakers meet in a special session next week to take up Gov. Crist's proposal to close a $2.3 billion budget gap, public universities should be a sacred cow.

Gov. Crist is recommending a 2.1''percent cut to the university system, or $51 million. That's smaller than the $97''million, which represents the 4 percent holdback announced in June, that could be implemented. But we believe it should be zero percent.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Lawmakers to tackle budget shortfall, Tampa Bay Online

2009-08-13T10:13:00.002-04:00

January 3, 2009
By Carl Orth

NEW PORT RICHEY - Lawmakers serving west Pasco County are gearing up for a special session of the Florida Legislature next week to work on the state's budget deficit of more than $2.3 billion.

State Rep. Tom Anderson, R-Dunedin, state Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey, and state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, will head for Tallahassee for the overtime session, which begins Monday and runs through Jan. 16.

For the rest of this article, click here.

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Stop raiding trust fund to balance budget on backs of needy children, Treasure Coast Palm

2009-08-13T10:10:00.003-04:00

January 2, 2009

Funny, but when Florida is looking for a good fiscal conservative, it finds one in a liberal Democrat's son, Bud Chiles. Chiles has threatened to sue the state if it continues to raid the $1.2 billion state trust created in the name of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles to sustain health programs for the young and elderly.

Meanwhile, the alleged conservatives — Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida legislators — borrowed more than $300 million from the fund in April to help balance the budget. And, instead of curbing ridiculous tax loopholes and reforming inefficiencies, they're looking at raiding even more trust funds in the face of a multibillion-dollar deficit.

So much for fiscal conservatism.

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State senator to push for giving schools financial flexibility, St. Pete Times

2009-08-13T10:08:00.001-04:00

January 3, 2009
By Jeffrey S. Solochek

In preparation for Monday's special legislative session, Pasco County schools superintendent Heather Fiorentino has been urging Florida lawmakers to look for ways to ease spending requirements placed on school districts.

She's got a kindred spirit in Senate Education Committee chairwoman Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who has called for "100 percent flexibility" for districts.

For the rest of this article, click here.

University of Florida tuition increases are justified, Florida Times Union

2009-08-13T10:04:00.002-04:00

January 2, 2009
Letter to the editor, from Kevin F. Reilly, Jr.

For years, University of Florida students have had the privilege of receiving a world-class education for one of the lowest tuitions in the nation. In fact, of 75 flagship universities around the country, UF consistently ranks 75th in tuition. While it's undeniable that UF offers an education that is as valuable as it is affordable, tuition increases are necessary. Our goal of being ranked as one of the top public universities in the world is simply not possible with tuition at bargain basement levels.

For the rest of this letter, click here.

UF president looks ahead to 'tough year' of cuts, Herald Tribune

2009-08-13T09:55:00.003-04:00

January 2, 2009
By Nathan Crabbe

GAINESVILLE - From the standpoint of enrollment at University of Florida, the BCS national championship is happening at the worst time possible.

If past trends are any indication, the Gator football team's appearance in the game in Miami on Jan. 8 will cause a greater percentage of accepted students to attend UF. But state budget cuts mean UF must trim enrollment next year by 1,000 students, forcing the university to reject more students to make up the difference.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Reports chronicle looming healthcare crisis across Florida, Jacksonville Business Journal

2009-08-13T09:48:00.002-04:00

December 31, 2008

NORTHEAST FLORIDA – First was a failing grade for access to the state’s emergency rooms. Then came a forecast of doctor shortages. And the latest report on mass layoffs in health care is yet another sobering report on the state of health care in Florida.

The final month of 2008 left a lot to chew on for health care officials and state lawmakers — evidence of an erosion in the state’s health care system that isn’t expected to improve in 2009.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Budget woes coming in months ahead, Tampa Bay Newspapers

2009-08-13T09:45:00.001-04:00

December 30, 2008

PINELLAS COUNTY – Local and state officials continue to remain jittery about the economy and its impact on government services.

The state and nation are suffering their worst credit crunch since the 1980s and perhaps since the Great Depression. The current recession is having a domino effect in Pinellas and other counties as more government agencies are tightening their belts.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Special session called to balance Florida budget, WTSP 10Connects (Tampa)

2009-08-13T09:36:00.004-04:00

December 30, 2008

Tallahassee, Florida - It's official. The Florida Legislature will meet in special session Jan. 5-16 to true up the state's budget and the $2.3 billion gap between revenue and spending. Gambling and cigarette taxes are definitely out.

Class-size spending and increased speeding fines are in.

House Speaker Ray Sansom and Senate President Jeff Atwater Tuesday evening signed the call for the special session, a constitutionally required step for the Legislature to meet outside its required 60-day spring session. The call signed by Atwater and Sansom also sets out the limits of what can be considered for lawmakers. Anything outside the call requires a super majority of lawmakers to be taken up.

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Florida's Prison Budget: Imprison with Precision, The Ledger (Lakeland)

2009-08-13T09:33:00.002-04:00

December 30, 2008

This month, Florida's prison population exceeded 100,000 for the first time.AC = -->

Only California and Texas have more inmates. And Florida Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil says the Department of Corrections may have to putup tents to house all the inmates. McNeil saidat the current growth trend, Florida will need 19 new prisons in the next five years. That will require the DOC budget to nearly double, to about $4 billion.

But that's not what McNeil is recommending. Instead, he wants lawmakers to re-evaluate tough mandatory-sentencing laws and concentrate on reducing high recidivism rate so inmates are less likely to return to prison once released.

For the rest of this article, click here.

Florida health care funding at risk from Legislature, Jacksonville Business Journal

2009-08-13T09:31:00.002-04:00

December 26, 2008
By Kimberly Morrison

JACKSONVILLE — Health care officials are bracing for another battle with state lawmakers looking to balance a $2.3 billion deficit in a January special session.

Florida representatives are eyeing deep cuts to programs that support the state’s neediest — the young, old and poor — to pull a $66 billion state budget back to black.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Report: Athletes' Test scores lag behind class, MSNBC

2009-08-13T09:19:00.001-04:00

December 28, 2008

ATLANTA, Ga. - Football and men's basketball players are averaging hundreds of points less on their college entrance exams than their classmates, according to a newspaper's study of 54 public universities.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution review found the biggest gap between football players and students occurred at the University of Florida, where players scored 346 points lower than the school's overall student body.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Crist offers half a proposal to escape the budget crisis, Palm Beach Post

2009-08-13T09:07:00.002-04:00

December 29, 2008

Gov. Crist's approach to trimming the current-year budget is to put off today's problems until tomorrow. His defense is that "economically, it's raining in Florida." But the rainfall is turning into a storm, making this a particularly bad time to give away umbrellas.

The governor's proposal, released last week, will be considered during a special session starting Jan. 5. To make up a $2.3 billion mid-year budget shortfall, it drains reserves and trust funds, adds debt to pay for prisons and slashes spending across the board. It also relies on the dubious proposition that the Legislature immediately will approve the governor's agreement with the Seminole Indians, trading exclusive rights to blackjack and baccarat for a minimum annual payment of $100 million.

For the rest of this editorial, click here.

Florida community colleges could lose millions in budget cuts, Central Florida 13 News

2009-08-12T15:04:00.002-04:00

December 29, 2008

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's community colleges have learned they are on the chopping block, and could see at least $21 million in budget cuts.
In response, some lawmakers want to loosen the rules over the amount of money community colleges are required to have in the bank.

Community colleges currently must stash away 5 percent of their total budgets, but some lawmakers argue that money could prevent layoffs and equipment shortages.
The lawmakers said that law was passed for a reason -- to have security in the midst of uncertainty -- but Rep. Will Weatherford, the state House's point man on community college funding, noted the 5 percent holdback does not do much good if it cannot be accessed.

"This whole act, I think, is healthy," Weatherford said. "It's not fun cutting budgets. It's not fun going through this process, but it forces us to look at how we do state government, and what kind of mandates do we put on local government, and can we do better?"
Under Gov. Charlie Crist's budget-cutting proposal, there is also another $43 million, mostly in new building construction, that community colleges could lose.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Low marks on higher education, St. Pete Times

2009-08-12T14:53:00.002-04:00

December 28, 2008
By Donald R. Eastman IIIThe three-ring circus of politicians, higher education and declining tax revenues in Florida is certainly entertaining, but it obscures the real issues of quality and access and further diminishes the confidence of taxpayers that their dollars will be used effectively. Consider:

• The absence of a statewide strategy and an effective coordinating body for higher education — since the demise of the Board of Regents — has been destructive of both public confidence and efficient allocation of tax dollars. Florida has spent more money on studies of how to improve the higher education system — many of them, including the recent Pappas Report and the 2004 Florida Council of 100 Report, quite good — than it has on putting those plans into effect. The current "forums" being sponsored by a few elected officials and the Florida Chambers of Commerce are a wholly unnecessary exercise. There are already plenty of good plans lying around; choose one!

For the rest of this op ed, click here.

Researchers leaving state and taking their grants, Palm Beach Post

2009-08-12T14:49:00.002-04:00

By December 25, 2008
By Kimberly Miller

When a lead Florida State University researcher needed five faculty members last year to start a landmark center dedicated to studying autism, state budget cuts prevented the school from hiring the additional professors.

The Ohio State University, however, had the money, recruited the researcher - and his more than $1 million in federal grants - and in a few years could be reaping the benefits of an autism program that may bring $10 million annually to the school.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Crist makes budget recommendations as revenue drops,Times Advertiser

2009-08-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

December 26, 2008

Local officials have been bracing for another round of budget cuts for several weeks. They now know how Gov. Charlie Crist is looking at the situation.

On Dec. 23 Crist sent a letter to Chief Justice Peggy Quince, Senate President Jeff Atwater, Speaker of the House Ray Sansom, and Budget Committee Chairmen Ken Pruitt and David Rivera noting the results of the recent revenue estimating conference and laying out recommendations on budget action in the coming special session of the State Legislature.

For the rest of this story, click here.

Education groups compete for piece of the stimulus package, CQ Today Online

2009-08-12T14:39:00.002-04:00

December 24, 2008
By Lydia Gensheimer

Teachers groups and school administrators, citing state budget shortfalls that are strangling local school districts, are continuing an end-of-the-year lobbying push to ensure education funding is part of the 2009 stimulus package.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), sent a letter Tuesday to members of Congress and President-elect Barack Obama in which she detailed the AFT’s priorities for inclusion in the package. Weingarten said the legislation should provide fiscal relief to states, investment in infrastructure and measures to increase college access. Weingarten also called for a $3 billion temporary fund for school districts to pay for activities already authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act (PL 107-110) or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA - PL 105-17).

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College handed Sansom $122M wish list, The Buzz (St. Pete Times blog)

2009-08-12T14:21:00.005-04:00

December 22, 2008

The president of the college where Ray Sansom now works provided him with a "pricey" $122-million funding request over five years with the implicit expectation that Sansom would help "make it a reality."

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Lawmakers cash in with campus jobs, Miami Herald

2009-08-12T14:13:00.004-04:00

December 20, 2008
By Jennifer Liberto

TALLAHASSEE -- By taking a six-figure job at a state college, House Speaker Ray Sansom has focused attention on a pattern of behavior that has gone on largely unchecked for decades in Florida's higher education system.

Even in a time of bleak finances, with curbs on enrollment and spikes in tuition, nearly two dozen current and former legislators are employed throughout the system -- six at the University of South Florida alone, including the wife of a state senator.

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Budget Hole Has Tax Exemptions in Sites Again, Tampa Tribune

2009-08-12T14:09:00.002-04:00

December 21, 2008
By David Royse

TALLAHASSEE - Businesses across Florida are carefully watching the Legislature with the deepening cash crisis facing state government leading to the most serious talk of eliminating some tax exemptions since former President John McKay took on the tax structure eight years ago.

Democrats and advocates for government programs that annually face a difficult time in the budget process have long suggested that Florida's hodge podge of exemptions to the sales tax are unfair and should be reviewed.

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