Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners–Monday, Oct. 29

Click on a headline to read the complete story:

 

Tax-cut plan passes; now voters decide

Out-maneuvered and out of time, the Florida House railed for hours Monday before approving a scaled-back property-tax plan that the state Senate all but forced it to pass in the waning hours of the lawmaking session.

 

House votes to accept Senate’s property tax relief package

The Florida Legislature passed a trimmed down property tax relief package on Monday that promises the average homeowner a $220 break, putting a constitutional amendment on the Jan. 29 statewide ballot.

 

Senate offers tax-cut outline

A new property tax-cutting plan offered Sunday by Senate leaders is simpler, would provide less relief to some taxpayers and includes a scaled-down version of the House’s assessment cap for businesses, snowbirds and landlords.

 

Session standoffs become a tradition

TALLAHASSEE – Standoffs in the Florida Legislature are costly, frustrating and seemingly endless. But they aren’t new.

 

Property tax confusion keeps getting worse

I bet you think we’re living in the state of Florida.  Nah.  We’re living in the state of confusion, thanks to those zany guys and gals meeting in special session in Tallahassee.

 

Business group says forget it

TALLAHASSEE — One of the nation’s largest business groups has asked House Speaker Marco Rubio not to pass a compromise plan designed to deliver $12 billion in property tax relief over the next five years.

 

Senate passes tax-cut resolution 35-4

TALLAHASSEE The Senate is expected today to pass a stripped down version of property tax reform in an all or nothing offer to the House.

 

Senate passes scaled-back tax plan, stops work

The Florida Senate approved a scaled-back property-tax plan in the waning hours of this lawmaking session Monday and sent it to the House with an implicit message: Take it or leave it.

 

Senate tax plan: Take it or leave it

The Florida Senate released what will likely be its take-it-or leave-it plan on property taxes Sunday, offering a small savings for most homeowners and businesses, incorporating tax portability into the Constitution — and giving the House little choice but to accept it.

 

Property taxes keep legislators in knots

TALLAHASSEE — Florida legislative leaders appear poised to pass property-tax cuts next week — but they might not add up to big savings for most homeowners.

 

Ballot language for new property tax amendment

TALLAHASSEE Lawmakers who stressed the importance of a proposal simple enough that voters would both like it and understand it have summarized their plan in a ballot summary of 533 words.

 

Cost of crash goes far beyond drop in home values

Every time economists and Wall Street executives think they have acknowledged the full extent of the losses from the meltdown in American real estate, more bad news turns up.

 

State gives foster teen a role in helping fix DCF system

Devan Coffman is an expert on Florida’s troubled foster care program, using his knowledge as part of the state’s Task Force for Child Protection.

 

Have FCAT’s goals been set too high?

Despite two mandatory reading classes last year, Josh Merkel – a straight-A, honor roll ninth-grader – failed his Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.  Again.