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2017-18 state budget - page 3

Janet Cruz blasts USF’s treatment in proposed budget

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House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz blasted legislative leadership’s treatment of the University of South Florida, saying the school’sĀ achievement of state “pre-eminent” status was snatched away from it at the last moment. Language in an education conforming bill late last Friday was changed, preventing USF from pre-eminence, a status that would have qualified itĀ for millions of additional dollars in state funding. Cruz, of Tampa, asked pointed questions of fellow state Rep. Larry Ahern, chair of the chamber’s Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.Ā …

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Area lawmakers, Dozier survivor pitch Pasco forensics lab to Rick Scott

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Legislators from Pasco County urged Gov. Rick Scott Monday to approve legislation authorizing construction of a $4.3 million criminal forensics laboratory there that would attack the stateā€™s 16,000-case backlog of unsolved murders. ā€œThis is not about Pasco County. This is about the entire state,ā€ Sen. Wilton Simpson said. The project would ā€œgreatly expand law enforcementā€™s ability as it relates to terrorism and as it relates to cold cases,ā€ he said. ā€œThis project is going to change lives, and itā€™s going…

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Senate sends $82.4 billion budget bill to the House in extended session

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The Senate approvedĀ an $82.4 billion state budget during legislative overtime Monday, including a raft of conforming billsĀ implementing House and Senate priorities on matters including public schools, colleges, and universities. The 34-0 vote sent the budget bill to the House. The final Senate vote came at about 8:30 p.m. without debate, following a day spent in extensive debate over the budget package. The chamber sent the usual implementing bill over by the same margin, then paused to give the House time…

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House OKs VISIT FLORIDA, Enterprise Florida funding cuts

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House members on Monday approved a measure dealing with VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida funding on a 74-34 vote. If vetoed, however, the “conforming bill” wouldĀ need 80 votes to overcome Gov. Rick Scott‘s red pen. Both chambers haveĀ begun discussing the 2017-18 state budget, which wasn’t completedĀ on time to finish the 2017 Legislative Session last Friday. That caused a rare extension to Monday, using the weekend to count toward the constitutionally required 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote. The…

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Jack Latvala appeals to Senate to pass budget, despite flawed process

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Donā€™t let the perhaps flawed way that House and Senate negotiators agreed upon their $83 billion state budget tarnish the final bill, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala urged Monday as the Senate took up the measure in an extended session. ā€œWeā€™ve done a lot of good with this budgetā€ and ā€œcannot get bogged down just worrying about one issue and forget all of the many accomplishments that weā€™ve had together this year,ā€ he said. ā€œIf thereā€™s fault to be had…

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Joe Negron starts edging toward the exit

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Senate President Joe Negron said Friday that the Senate was waiting to vote on two bills and then would retire for the evening. Those bills, he said, were the joint resolution extending the session past its midnight expiration time, into Monday, so the House and Senate could debate an $83 billion compromise budget and conforming bills. The other was SB436, by Sen. Dennis Baxley, to allow students to express religious beliefs in class assignments, profess faith via clothing and jewelry…

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Conference committees complete work on budget conforming bills

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The House and Senate staged one last conference committee Friday, agreeing on budget conforming bills containing sweeping policy changes, on public schools, higher education, economic incentives programs and more. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron did the honors personally, leading delegations to a committee room to present and consider offers on the conforming bills. The $83 billion state budget landed on members desks in the House and Senate at 2:43 p.m., allowing them three days to study…

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