Well, forget all those campaign promises to shrink government and grow the job market. Governor Rick Scott this week had to put his money where his mouth is in the course of rolling out his 77-billion dollar spening proposal this week. As Jim Ash reports, Scott’s idea of jolting the economy includes 673-million dollars in tax cuts and his notion of a smaller government is eliminating 1,017 state positions.
It’s not unusual to see a little shuffling in the governor’s office and state agencies after an election. There are new directions to go in, and favors to repay. But some of the changes lately have looked less like a shuffle and more like a new deck of cards. Now as Regan McCarthy reports lawmakers and cabinet members are questioning how the deck is being stacked.
As Florida lawmakers try to get a handle on the state’s public school testing system, some parents aren’t waiting around. They’ve been keeping their kids from taking statewide exams—a move called opting out. The Florida Department of Education says they can’t do that but as Lynn Hatter reports, there’s not much schools can do to stop it.
Trouble could be brewing again between a group of Sheriffs and a huge gun rights organization over a controversial gun bill that failed last year. Sascha Cordner reports.
Spring Training is just around the corner, but in Vero Beach the ball fields are already full of those hoping to make it to the major leagues. As Kenrick Thomas from member station WQCS in Fort Pierce tells us, they hope they’ve made the right call.
Across the country this weekend, eyes will be glued to the final football game of the season featuring the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. And in Florida, Nick Evans reports Sunday’s Super Bowl is likely to feature beer, potluck tables covered in bizarre dips, and of course, a bit of not-quite-legal gambling.