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Carlos Lopez-Cantera enjoys post-Sunshine Summit momentum with new endorsements

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Following an impressive performance at the Sunshine Summit in Orlando over the weekend, the Senate campaign for Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera announced the endorsements of several Southwest Florida and Tampa area state legislators Wednesday: Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano of Bradenton State Rep. Ben Albritton of Bartow State Rep. Jim Boyd of Bradenton State Rep. Dane Eagle of Cape Coral State Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen of Fort Myers State Rep. Julio Gonzalez of Port Charlotte State Rep. Kathleen Passidomo of Naples…

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Associated Industries of Florida to hold water forum today

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Associated Industries of Florida, the state’s premier business lobby, will hold its sixth annual Florida Water Forum today. The forum begins 9 a.m. at the Renaissance Orlando at Sea World. “This meeting will provide participants with the most current information from Florida’s policy leaders in the Legislature and state government on issues relating to water policy,” according to a news release. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is scheduled as keynote speaker, with former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard, now…

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Jack Latvala, budget writers “horse trading in public” on member projects funding

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Tallahassee’s withering June weather seems to have made sunshine fashionable again in the Florida statehouse. As House and Senate lawmakers confer over the weekend to reconcile their disparate budget proposals, transparency is the tool of choice for some key budget writers. Going against the usual appropriations grain wherein budget priorities are wheeled and dealt among lawmakers in private, conference subcommittee co-chair Sen. Jack Latvala, for one, is naming names and forcing public decisions in this year’s budget. Asked about his…

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Senate boost for land-buying praised while House Democrats question spending

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Environmental groups praised a Senate move on Wednesday to add $35 million in the state budget toward land acquisition but said the amount still falls short of what voters wanted. Amendment 1, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, now is estimated to provide nearly $742 million for water and land conservation programs. Environmental groups sought $170 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program and said the proposed House and Senate budgets ignored voter intent. The Senate version of…

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Environmental groups criticize ‘hostility’ in Senate Amendment 1 spending proposal

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Environmental groups supporting Amendment 1 on Thursday criticized a Senate chairman’s spending proposal that provides $22 million for land acquisition. Amendment 1, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, provides an estimated $741.8 million in fiscal 2015-16 for water and land conservation programs. Sen. Alan Hays, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, on Thursday released a spending proposal that provides $20 million for Kissimmee River restoration land buying and $2 million for the Florida Forever land acquisition…

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Environmentalists: House budget plan ignores Amendment 1 intent

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A House subcommittee chairman’s proposal for environmental spending ignores the will of voters who supported Amendment 1, environmental groups said Tuesday. “Most of Florida was left out of this budget,” said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida. He was responding to the 2015-16 environmental spending proposal issued Tuesday by Rep. Ben Albritton, chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. The proposal will be voted on by the full House Appropriations Committee. Amendment 1, approved by 75%…

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Bond Amendment 1 revenue, free up cash for other enviro projects, says House chair

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A House appropriations subcommittee chair on Tuesday recommended bonding Amendment 1 revenue for land-buying while using a significant amount of the cash from the conservation spending initiative for existing environmental spending, debt service, land management and agricultural water programs. A key issue in the 2015 legislative session is how the Legislature will spend an estimated $757 million from the Amendment 1 water and land conservation spending initiative. Environmentalists expect the measure to boost conservation land buying but House Speaker Steve Crisafulli…

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