Associated Press - page 623

Family members say a Florida Panhandle jail guard is paralyzed from the waist down following an explosion at the facility. The Escambia County Jail was rocked by an explosion Wednesday night after a major rainstorm caused the basement to flood. Two inmates died and nearly 200 inmates and prison guards were injured. The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. The Pensacola News Journal reported on Monday that Christopher Hankinson worked in the property room, directly above the blast.…

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Gov. Rick Scott is hitting the campaign trail this week to tout tax and fee cuts approved by state legislators. Scott plans to make appearances in eight cities to talk about the $500 million in cuts. The main centerpiece is a nearly $400 million rollback in auto registration fees that kicks in this fall. Legislators also approved a three day back-to-school sales tax holiday as well as tax holidays for hurricane preparation supplies and energy efficient appliances. Scott plans to hammer…

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Florida this week joined 20 other states that allow in-state college tuition for youth in the country illegally, marking a significant shift in the tenor of the state’s immigration debate. The Florida bill passed the House last month and the Senate on Thursday. Just three years ago, the majority of bills proposed by Florida lawmakers and those nationwide focused on enforcement. The National Conference of State Legislatures’ immigration policy project says at least 15 legislatures have passed in-state tuition bills,…

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Florida legislators could begin their session a bit earlier in 2016. The Florida House on Thursday voted in favor of a bill (HB 9) that would start the annual legislative session in January of that year. The vote was 93-22. The legislation heads to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott. The 60-day session now starts in March. Legislators every 10 years meet in January when they are drawing new Congressional and legislative districts. Florida’s constitution requires the session start in…

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Florida students living in the country illegally will be allowed to qualify for in-state college tuition rates under a bill passed by the Legislature. The bill heads to Gov. Rick Scott who has already promised to sign it into law. The Florida House voted 84-32 for the bill which offers the in-state college tuition rate to undocumented students who had attended a Florida school for at least three years prior to graduation. Currently the in-state tuition rate is one-quarter of…

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School districts would have to give parents a chance to object to textbooks used in schools under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature. The legislation now headed to Gov. Rick Scott would require districts to hold a public hearing if parents object. But it would not get rid of an existing state review of textbooks. The Senate on Thursday voted 31-4 for the bill (SB 864). Earlier this month the Senate narrowly approved a bill that would have eliminated…

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State and federal authorities have resolved a funding stalemate over two delayed Everglades restoration projects. One project includes a series of detention basins that will help replenish Everglades National Park. The other would allow water managers to store water in the Kissimmee River Basin rather than flushing it east and west of Lake Okeechobee. Both were authorized years ago and are largely complete, but the work stalled as officials disputed funding and land issues. South Florida Water Management District Director…

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