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Capital Report: 04-27-2012

When Governor Rick Scott signed Florida’s budget last week, it was after making almost 143 million dollars in line-item vetoes. One of those vetoes, valued at $1.5 million, would have gone to rape crisis centers throughout the state. As Jessica Palombo of member station W-J-C-T in Jacksonville reports, the veto came as a shock to centers with already overworked staffs.

 

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Although the 1.5 million dollars did not go to rape crisis centers, today Governor Scott signed new legislation into law that will put that exact amount of money toward relocating victims of sexual batteries. Among other things, the new laws also increase requirements for reporting suspected child abuse and make it easier for victims of stalking to get injunctions for protection.

 

Florida officials say they’re working to tackle drug abuse, but they’re going about it in several different ways. As Sascha Cordner reports, Attorney General Pam Bondi is renewing the focus on prescription drug abuse and its effects on babies. And, Governor Rick Scott is continuing his effort to drug test thousands of state workers, despite a recent ruling against that plan by a federal judge.

 

 

It’s been a rough week for a couple of Florida’s public universities Lynn Hatter reports fights over budget cuts and the future of a 12th state university have grabbed headlines around the state and the nation.

 

 

Florida Lottery officials say they’re getting ready to roll out hundreds of new full service lottery vending machines that will offer not just scratch off tickets, but other games like PowerBall. The idea is that they’ll help increase sales and raise more money for education. But Regan McCarthy reports there are a few groups asking questions—like how much of that money will make it into the state’s classrooms.

 

 

For half-a-century, Florida was the center of gravity for America’s manned space program. Now that program is essentially on hold. Tom Flanigan reports the push is now on to redirect all the Florida resources once dedicated to the manned space effort to more earthbound uses….