The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is working on a new map for state senate districts. The Florida Supreme Court invalidated a previous map plan, saying it did not follow new rules approved by voters. James Call reports a plan will be proposed this weekend with a Senate floor vote set for the end of next week.
Sometimes in past legislative sessions, education took a backseat to more pressing issues….such as the one-a-decade redistricting process James Call just told us about. But then there have been times the yearly fight over education funding, vouchers, prayers and charter schools came roaring to the forefront. Lynn Hatter reports this was just such a year.
Environmental activists say this isn’t the worst legislative session the state’s ecosystem has seen, but it sure wasn’t the best, either. Regan McCarthy reports on just a few of the bills environmentalists are hoping Governor Scott will overturn.
The longest river in Florida, the St. Johns, could be getting some clean-up help from the state. That is, if Governor Scott approves the $6 million set aside in this year's budget. Jessica Palombo of Florida Public Radio member station W-J-C-T in Jacksonville reports that even though Scott vetoed money for the river cleanup last year, lawmakers are confident he'll have a change of heart this time around.
Finally this week, we ask the question, how did State workers fare this session? From the voting down of the prison privatization bill to the passage of a drug-testing bill, Sascha Cordner tells us the general consensus seems to be better than last session, but not by much.