WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News LeaderLegislative Session

  • Thursday, February 16 2012 8:01 AM EST2012-02-16 13:01:02 GMT
    The Florida House on Wednesday approved a series of tax breaks, hoping to free thousands of businesses from corporate-income taxes and put extra money in the pockets of back-to-school shoppers. House

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:54 AM EST2012-02-15 14:54:05 GMT
    An appeals court Tuesday reversed a ruling that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. should pay $40.8 million in punitive damages to the widow of an Ocala man who died of lung cancer after smoking the company's cigarettes. The

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:52 AM EST2012-02-15 14:52:00 GMT
    A bipartisan coalition of senators bucked the chamber's Republican leadership Tuesday and rejected a proposal to privatize several prisons, but got warnings from leaders that it will have a cost in further

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:49 AM EST2012-02-15 14:49:58 GMT
    Members of the House and Senate pushed back Tuesday against a Senate budget cut to higher education that would hit the University of South Florida hardest -- payback, opponents say, for the university's

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:45 AM EST2012-02-15 14:45:51 GMT
    A House subcommittee shot down language that would have allowed charter schools to tap local education construction funds, maintaining a significant gap in language between the two chambers on the legislation. On

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:44 AM EST2012-02-15 14:44:03 GMT
    Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to expand corporate tax exemptions touched off a partisan fight on the House floor Tuesday, with Republicans linking the extra tax breaks to non-union businesses. Democrats

  • Wednesday, February 15 2012 9:41 AM EST2012-02-15 14:41:48 GMT
    A far-reaching ethics bill that, among other things would have prevented lawmakers from working for colleges and universities died in a deadlocked Senate committee on Tuesday. The measure (SB 1560)

  • Friday, February 10 2012 10:16 PM EST2012-02-11 03:16:49 GMT
    The Senate Budget Committee unveiled late Friday a $70.7 billion budget plan and more than 20 conforming bills, a move that could once again stir discontent among a maverick group of senators who nearly

  • Friday, February 10 2012 10:18 AM EST2012-02-10 15:18:14 GMT
    The war over the state's political boundaries entered its next stage Thursday, as final passage of the Legislature's redistricting plan for the state's congressional delegation was met with a lawsuit backed

  • Friday, February 10 2012 10:05 AM EST2012-02-10 15:05:37 GMT
    The Florida Housing Finance Corp., which was privatized by the state in 1998, finds itself the target of a move to bring it back into state government with a couple of key senators concerned about where

  • Friday, February 10 2012 8:00 AM EST2012-02-10 13:00:33 GMT
    A $69.2 billion budget that plows an addition $1 billion to education, but slashes other services to plug a nearly $2 billion shortfall, passed the House on a party-line vote Thursday. Republicans hailed

  • Thursday, February 9 2012 12:06 PM EST2012-02-09 17:06:44 GMT
    EXPERT WITNESS BILL APPROVED, HITS SNAG The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved a business-backed bill that would change standards for expert-witness testimony in lawsuits. But Rep. Richard

  • Thursday, February 9 2012 12:03 PM EST2012-02-09 17:03:49 GMT
    The Senate released a health budget proposal Wednesday that calls for deep cuts in mental-health and substance-abuse programs and includes a complicated plan that hospitals fear could cost them hundreds

  • Thursday, February 9 2012 11:59 AM EST2012-02-09 16:59:12 GMT
    Lawmakers clashed over everything from abortion to education policy Wednesday as the House set up the coming fiscal year's budget for a final vote. Republicans largely swept aside Democratic attempts

  • Tuesday, February 7 2012 7:23 PM EST2012-02-08 00:23:52 GMT
    An effort to prevent the introduction of next generation slot machines which look more like casino games - at racetracks around the state was shot down in a Senate committee Tuesday, despite fears from

  • Thursday, February 2 2012 12:04 PM EST2012-02-02 17:04:04 GMT
    Sen. Mike Fasano was removed Wednesday as chairman of the Senate committee that writes the criminal justice budget by President Mike Haridopolos because the president said he lost confidence in Fasano's

  • Friday, January 13 2012 9:52 AM EST2012-01-13 14:52:14 GMT
    SUPREME COURT RULES AGAINST HOSPITAL ON DOCUMENTS The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected arguments by a Pensacola hospital in a legal battle about turning over documents to an injured woman's