Tagged: Senate

A Florida Senate committee has approved a revised redistricting plan for the chamber. However some members are objecting to how district numbers were assigned to senate seats. James Call reports the committee used a lottery-like drawing to randomly settle who would run for two-year terms this fall.

A plan to let parents have a say in the fate of failing schools has stalled yet again in the Florida Senate. The measure has been met with opposition from a bi-partisan coalition of Senators who say it goes too far. Lynn Hatter reports the delay now pushes a vote on the bill to Friday—the last day of the 2012 regular session.

Senate Bill 1718 has 23 amendments pending on it. Most of them were added between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. That’s only one sign of the negotiating going on behind the scenes.

Florida Democrats have sharp words for the Republican Party’s education policy initiatives this year. That includes tuition hikes and university budget cuts, along with the creation of a 12th state university and what they see as not enough money for traditional public schools. But Lynn Hatter reports their outcry may be a little too late.

With the end of the regular legislative session in sight, the Florida Senate was in high gear Tuesday.  Tom Flanigan reports the chamber dealt with a total of sixty bills in the morning session alone.

The blistering pace was set right out of the box.  On Monday, debate on the surplus lines insurance bill took up nearly two hours of senate time.  On Tuesday, Representative Garret Richter introduced that bill for the third and last time…

Richter: “As we debated yesterday, this bill allows surplus lines companies to remove policies from Citizens Property Insurance.”

Florida lawmakers are keeping one eye on the bottom line and another on the clock. Joint subcommittees are working on budgets for their area of expertise. Their spending plans will be folded into an overall state budget. James Call reports the subcommittees have until Friday to finish their work. That’s when the House and Senate budget chiefs plan to step in and take control of the negotiations.