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Andy Gardner

Gut check: Legislative Session reaches midpoint

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With the half-way mark of the 60-day 2016 Legislative Session on Wednesday, the theme so far is like a line from a Frankie Valli song: “… so close/And yet so far.” Take the 2016-17 state budget, the only bill lawmakers are required to pass each year. The House came in at $79.9 billion with the Senate proposing $80.9 billion. Sure, that’s only a billion dollars apart, but $1 billion is still a lot of money, even in Tallahassee. Lawmakers are set to…

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Senate Committee moves bill that would boost employment for persons with disabilities

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A bill aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities passed a committee hearing Tuesday paving the way for a framework to meet benchmarks for employment outcomes. The Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability introduced Senate Proposed Bill 7010, Individuals with Disabilities. “Our goal is to make sure all Floridians have a pathway to employment and economic independence and state government should lead by example,” Senate President Andy Gardiner said. “This critical legislation incorporates the work of Governor…

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Legislative committee week cancelled

Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran have cancelled next week’s legislative committee week because of Hurricane Irma, they

Rick Scott has no bills in his office to sign or veto

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Just 231 bills passed in the the dysfunctional 2015 session. And the majority of those, legislative reports show, are still in the Legislature. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner have been slow to release bills to Gov. Rick Scott. The House passed 154 bills, memorials, and local bills that require gubernatorial action. One hundred fifty of them still are in the House. The Senate has passed 75 bills and 68 of them still are residing in the Senate.…

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Andy Gardiner defends Senate record, Rick Scott appoints two more agency heads

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Rick Scott reappointed 16 state agency executives by late Monday, all of whom failed to be confirmed by the Florida Senate this spring. Scott reappointed Jon Steverson as interim Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Protection Secretary and appointed Rick Swearingen as an interim Executive Director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Those agencies report to the Florida Cabinet which also must approve the appointment. The Cabinet will meet tomorrow to act on those appointments. They will follow guidelines…

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Andy Gardiner calls for meeting on Medicaid funding options

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Senate President Andy Gardiner has scheduled a Tuesday workshop for senators to brush up on the Medicaid issues that have brought the session to a standstill. In a Friday memo to senators, Gardiner said he asked Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Lee to use the first portion of his all-day meeting to discuss Low Income Pool and that Senate professional staff discuss with members the “potential funding scenarios and implications for their constituents.” Gardiner said in the memo that the…

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