Jim Turner

3 days ago | newsserviceflorida.com | Jim Turner

TALLAHASSEE --- Needing to finish a budget for the July 1 start of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the House and Senate on Tuesday began slowly rolling out proposals to resolve spending and policy differences. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol for conference-committee negotiations after the end of a month-long impasse that focused, in part, on disputes about tax cuts.

3 days ago | midfloridanewspapers.com | Jim Turner

TALLAHASSEE — When lawmakers began budget conference talks Tuesday, a couple of priorities of Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, likely were already off the table. Lawmakers aren’t expected to approve Albritton’s “rural renaissance” plan, which seeks to bolster health care, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas, or Perez’s push to reduce the state’s overall sales-tax rate.

5 days ago | newsserviceflorida.com | Jim Turner

TALLAHASSEE --- When lawmakers begin budget conference talks Tuesday, a couple of priorities of Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, likely will already be off the table. Lawmakers aren’t expected to approve Albritton’s “rural renaissance” plan, which seeks to bolster health care, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas, or Perez’s push to reduce the state’s overall sales-tax rate. kAm$6?2E6 DA@<6DH@>2? z2E:6 q6EE2 D2:5 :? 2?

1 week ago | newsserviceflorida.com | Jim Turner

TALLAHASSEE --- As the start of hurricane season approached and a new state budget remained unresolved, Florida’s higher-education system this week continued to see changes. The University of West Florida Board of Trustees on Tuesday selected state Education Commissioner Manny Díaz Jr. to serve as the school’s interim president, amid Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to reshape higher education. kAmp? 2==J @7 s6$2?E:D[ sí2K :D A@:D65 E@ DF44665 @FE8@:?8 &(u !C6D:56?E |2CE92 $2F?56CD[ H9@ 2??@F?465 @?

1 week ago | chronicleonline.com | Jim Turner

TALLAHASSEE — The number of international visitors to Florida declined during the first quarter of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024, while U.S. travelers continued to bolster the state’s tourist total, according to information released Tuesday by the Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office issued a news release highlighting a revised record tourist count for all of 2024.