Gov. Rick Scott to veto 3 percent tuition increase

As Gov. Rick Scott signs a $74.5 billion budget before leaving for a trade mission to Chile Monday, his rejection of a 3-percent tuition increase for state colleges and universities was expected. He has criticized the idea for months, calling it a "tax" on middle-class families.

Scott's veto message says Florida should be proud that its tuition is lower than most states and that students should be able to earn degrees and find jobs without being saddled with "massive debt."...

Gov. Rick Scott will sign budget, veto tuition increase Monday

During Monday's budget signing, Gov. Rick Scott will veto a 3-percent tuition increase for state colleges and universities, the Associated Press is reporting.

In his letter explaining the tuition veto, Scott will say Florida's low tuition is a point of pride and he doesn't want to saddle students and families with more debt, the AP said....

House Republicans say 'no' to pension for future employees, 'yes' for themselves

House Republicans supported Speaker Will Weatherford's attempt to overhaul the pension system, closing it to new members in 2014. Many of these lawmakers are enrolled in the pension, choosing not to select an alternative option that is more similar to a 401(k).

That puts lawmakers in the awkward position of lobbying to close a program to new employees that they currently enjoy.

Here is an excerpt of a story in Saturday's paper that digs into the issue:...

University presidents balk at Scott's request to co-sign tuition veto

University presidents expect Gov. Rick Scott to veto the tuition increase that lawmakers included in the budget. But they didn't expect to be put in the middle of the debate.Here is an excerpt from a story in Saturday's paper about the governor's request that university presidents sign a letter saying they don't want any additional tuition revenue:

Gov. Rick Scott has all-but-guaranteed a veto of the three-percent tuition increase in the state budget and he recently reached out to an unlikely group to aid his cause....

Scott reappoints Polytechnic trustees, FAMU's Gilzean

Gov. Rick Scott has reappointed six members of the Florida Polytechnic University board that the Senate failed the confirm this session.

The remaining members of the board weren't confirmed either, but they must be reappointed by the state Board of Governors that oversees universities.

Scott reppointed the six Polytechnic board members along with 36 other people who were passed over during session, including three agency heads. If the Senate doesn't confirm them next year, they will be required to leave their posts....

Scott reappoints agency heads Senate failed to confirm

Gov. Rick Scott reappointed three agency heads to their posts today, and they'll get another shot at Senate confirmation next year. If that doesn't happen, Surgeon General John Armstrong, Corrections Secretary Michael Crews and Department of Economy Opportunity executive director Jesse Panuccio will be out of a job.

Although the Senate confirmed dozens of Scott appointees during the session, there were many others who were passed over. Many were for specific reasons, such as Armstrong, who rubbed senators the wrong way, and members of the board overseeing the controversial Florida Polytechnic University. In other instances, the Senate said it simply ran out of time....

Senate President Gaetz slams TaxWatch 'turkey' list in sharp-tongued missive

Even before TaxWatch published its annual list of budget items they consider "turkeys," Senate leaders had gone out of their way to defend their decision to fund projects that may not have been in state agencies' initial budget requests. Today the group released a list of $107 million in spending it believes Gov. Rick Scott should veto, just like it does every year in the days before the budget is signed....

Safety net hospitals scrambling to prevent $65 million Scott veto

Gov. Rick Scott may veto $65 million in hospital Medicaid funding, although safety net hospitals are mustering all their resources in order to change his mind.

The money is related to the state's transition to a new formula for paying hospitals for Medicaid, one that depends on services provided to patients instead of how long they are in a particular hospital's care. The Legislature provided the extra funding to help reduce the losses over 40 hospitals faced under the new formula, with safety nets among the worst hit....

Dogged by controversy, FAU President Saunders steps down

Florida Atlantic University President Mary Jane Saunders was dogged by a series of controversies in the past year, including defending a professor who asked students to stomp on a paper after writing the name "Jesus" and a failed attempt to name the football stadium after jail contractor Geo Group....

FAU President Saunders resigns amid controversies

After a series of very public controversies, Florida Atlantic University President Mary Jane Saunders resigned Tuesday, the school announced today.

Saunders faced a series of controversies in the past year, including defending a professor who asked students to stomp on a paper after writing the name "Jesus" and a failed attempt to name the football stadium after jail contractor Geo Group....

Trauma center fight continues in appeals court

From the News Service of Florida:

In the latest round in a two-year legal battle, a state appeals court Tuesday heard arguments in a dispute that stems from the Florida Department of Health allowing three hospitals to operate trauma centers.

The arguments before the 1st District Court of Appeal focused on an important, though relatively narrow, issue --- whether four hospitals in the Tampa Bay and Jacksonville areas have the legal "standing" to challenge approvals of trauma centers that opened in 2011 at hospitals affiliated with the HCA health-care chain....

Tea Party candidate Hill wins primary for vacant House seat

Mike Hill, founder and president of the Northwest Florida Tea Party, won tonight's primary for the Florida House District 2 seat and is expected to win next month's general election.

Hill received 46.5 percent of votes in the Republican primary. Second-place finisher Ed Gray III, a former Gulf Breeze mayor, received 26.8 percent of votes. Turnout was light in the special election to fill the seat left vacant since the March death of Rep. Clay Ford, R-Gulf Breeze, after a battle with cancer....