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Gary Fineout - page 3

Gary Fineout has 257 articles published.

Rick Scott defends record-setting budget vetoes

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday defended his latest round of budget vetoes, which set a modern-day record for a governor but came from a long list of spending projects, including money intended for public universities and compensation for homeowners whose trees were torn down by the state. Scott late last week vetoed nearly $11.9 billion from the state budget as part of a private deal he worked out with legislative leaders. Legislators will return to the state Capitol for…

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There’s a real “He-Man” on Florida ballot

in 2017 by

Voters in Florida are going to get a chance to pick a real “He-Man.” State election officials on Tuesday agreed to let Christian “He-Man” Schlaerth qualify for a special election. Schlaerth is joining a crowded field of candidates seeking to replace a state senator who resigned earlier this year after using a racial slur and vulgar language in a conversation with two African-American colleagues. The special election in Miami-Dade County will be held Sept. 26. State rules allow nicknames to be placed…

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Fate of program for disabled children rests with Rick Scott

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Debby Dawson, who lives in southwest Florida, has a simple message to Gov. Rick Scott: The state’s existing scholarship program for disabled children is “life changing” and has helped her 7-year-old autistic son “develop by leaps and bounds.” Dawson is part of a chorus of parents from around the state who have mounted a campaign through letters, emails and phone calls urging the Republican governor to sign a sweeping education bill that will soon come to his desk. But that…

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Rick Scott has a friend in White House and foes back home

in 2017 by

With a friend and a political ally in the White House, this was supposed to be a moment of triumph for Florida Gov. Rick Scott. For years, Scott complained and criticized President Barack Obama and contended he wasn’t helping Florida. Now with Donald Trump in office, Scott has worked out a deal with federal officials to provide at least $1 billion for the state’s hospitals and he obtained a promise to move forward with repairs to a federally-operated dike that…

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Florida may restore college aid lost during Great Recession

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Nearly a decade after the Great Recession, Florida may finally restore one of its main programs that aids students headed to college. The state Legislature late Monday approved an overhaul of the state’s higher education system that is intended to lift schools in the Sunshine State into the ranks of elite counterparts. A key part of the legislation now headed to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott would require the state to cover 100 percent of tuition costs for top…

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Rick Scott to rail against Legislature in state tour

in Statewide by

Gov. Rick Scott is going on a statewide tour over the next three days to blast the Republican-controlled Legislature for ignoring his top priorities during its annual session. Starting Wednesday Scott will visit 10 cities where he will call out legislators. Scott is upset that legislators are planning to cut funding to the state’s tourism marketing agency and the economic development agency that helps lure businesses to the state. These cuts were pushed by House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who has…

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After delay Florida will finally hand out oil spill money

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

After keeping the money locked up for nearly a year, Florida legislators have finally agreed on a plan to hand out millions of dollars given the state for damages related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Florida Senate on Monday voted unanimously for a bill that would guarantee that $300 million be distributed to eight Panhandle counties hardest hit by the spill. The bill heads back to the Florida House, which is expected…

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