This week, the Florida Legislative Budget Commission declined to allocate $31.4 million in federal funding for energy rebates, prompting an angry press release from Gov. Charlie Crist.
The funds include $13.8 million in unspent stimulus funds set aside by the…
Several Florida immigrant rights groups do not consider Judge Susan Bolton’s Wednesday decision blocking certain provisions of Arizona’s controversial S.B. 1070 immigration law a victory.
“A split decision only serves to split our communities. There is no partial…
A failed effort to fast-track Arizona-style immigration bills by state Rep. Kevin Ambler during this week’s special session has the legislator critical of his colleagues and House leadership.
Ambler — who is also a candidate for the District 12…
Florida immigration activists from Palm Beach County were very worried about plans by Florida legislators to introduce a law that mimics Arizona’s S.B. 1070 during the legislature’s most recent special session in Tallahassee.
Isabel Vinent of
Journalist Gary Fineout just tweeted a response from Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul to a question about the legislature’s failure to address state statute language that could prevent Floridians from receiving a portion of recently extended…
The U.S. Senate made strides Tuesday to approve an extension of unemployment benefits that will give out-of-work Americans till November to enroll in the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, and fully fund Extended Benefits programs in states — like Florida — suffering from high unemployment. But a line in Florida law currently prohibits the Sunshine State from receiving and disbursing the additional E.B. funding promised in the legislation.
At least one Florida lawmaker — state Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Boynton Beach — called on Gov. Charlie Crist, state House Speaker Larry Cretul and state Senate President Jeff Atwater to fix the issue during this week’s special session, but that idea went nowhere. The state legislature called an end to the session after less than three hours. That means that thousands of Floridians who have exhausted their normal state and EUC benefits will be denied the federal government’s additional lifeline payments.
Accusing the Gov. Charlie Crist of “playing politics,” the Florida House of Representatives made good on its threat to “gavel and go,” ending its portion of the special session after just 49 minutes of deliberations.
A newly formed coalition of alternative energy advocates is calling on the Florida legislature to act on several proposals during the upcoming special session, but lawmakers have said that action next week appears unlikely.
As the United States Senate stands poised to vote to approve an extension of federal unemployment benefits next Tuesday, labor leaders in Florida are scrambling to persuade the Florida legislature to fix a section of state law that will prevent Floridians from receiving a portion of those funds once they pass. But the office of state Speaker of the House Larry Cretul says lawmakers are “unlikely” to address the problem during next week’s special session, leaving thousands of Floridians without access to the federal lifeline.
Participants in Florida’s Clean Energy Congress, which discussed the business of renewable energy in the state and wrapped up on Tuesday, called for the Florida legislature to hold a special session to place two constitutional amendments on November’s ballot: one to permanently ban offshore drilling and another to create a renewable portfolio standard — a mandate that 20 percent of Florida’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.
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