Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–May 8
May 8, 2009
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Florida‘s property tax debate is on again
Business leaders have emerged as unlikely critics of proposed property tax cuts that will go to Florida voters next year.
Florida Legislature reaches compromise on Seminole gambling revenues
Florida’s historic Hialeah Park racetrack would return. The Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock casinos would keep their slot machines and card games. South Florida’s parimutuels would bear a lower tax burden. And tracks around the state could seek bingo-style slot machines in the future.
Florida Legislature passes $66.5 billion budget
The Florida Senate passed the $66.5 billion budget (SB 2600) in a 32-8 vote Friday, with seven of the Senate’s 14 Democrats voting for it.
Florida legislators wrap up session
A week late and many tense negotiations later, lawmakers Friday ended their overtime 2009 legislative session by voting on a state budget that is propped up with federal stimulus dollars, a dollar-a-pack cigarette tax and scores of other new fees affecting millions of Floridians.
Feds: Florida likely to get education waiver for stimulus funds
Gov. Charle Crist got an encouraging update today on the status of federal economic stimulus funding.
Editorial: The governor’s uncertainty about funding state education
To quote Florida Gov. Charlie Crist: “As it relates to (grades) K-12: in this budget will be a $1.2 billion increase. Let me know if you don’t see it. With that much of an increase, and you’re talking about layoffs, it doesn’t seem right to me.”
Editorial: Florida Legislature gets a few things right
Let’s look at some of the good things our legislators did this year.
Legislative session is a bit of good, bad and ugly
Anytime you try to find the good, the bad and the ugly in a legislative session, you usually find yourself waist-deep in bad and up to your neck in ugly.
Broward school district predicts layoffs, looks at retirement extensions
The Broward school district may have to lay off at least 150 teachers next year, Superintendent Jim Notter said Wednesday, calling that preliminary estimate ”absolutely amazing” because he feared it could have been worse.
Broward School Board drops 4-day-week plan for high schools
School Board members said no to a four-day week for high schools and yes to changes in how teachers can retire — as the district superintendent warned about possible teacher layoffs.
Amid an early prediction that they might have to lay off at least 150 teachers in the fall, Broward School Board members backed off a cost-cutting idea to switch high schools to a four-day week, saying the savings would not justify the schedule shift.
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