House Passes $89.9 Billion Budget as Talks Loom

House Passes $89.9 Billion Budget as Talks Loom

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — State lawmakers are ready for the big dance. The Florida House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed an $89.9 billion spending plan, setting the stage for the annual ritual of negotiating a budget with the Senate. Big picture, the House and Senate are about $400 million apart, […]

LCS to Consider $100,000 Pons Settlement

LCS to Consider $100,000 Pons Settlement

The Leon County School Board is set to vote this Monday on a $100,000 settlement with former superintendent Jackie Pons. The legal dispute is related to a Board policy that Pons believes required LCS to hire him as a principal after he lost his re-election bid in 2016 to Rocky Hanna. Board Policy 1430 states […]

Andrew Gillum Becomes Chairman of PAC with $4 Million

Andrew Gillum Becomes Chairman of PAC with $4 Million

It is official, as of March 29, 2019 former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum is now the Chairman of the “Forward Florida” Political Action Committee (PAC). Gillum lists his address as 240 North Magnolia Drive in Tallahassee. PAC’s can accept contributions or make expenditures to advocate the election or defeat of a candidate or issue. Politico […]

Tallahassee Leaders Tour Greenville Transportation Assets

Tallahassee Leaders Tour Greenville Transportation Assets

Tallahassee leaders on a fact-finding trip to Greenville, S.C. were given tours of two Greenville-Spartanburg transportation assets on Tuesday. The first tour was of the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP). The GSP serves more than 2.3 million passengers each year with access to six major airlines. Combined, these airlines offer an average of 50 nonstop daily departures with […]

Plan Could Spur More Underground Power Lines

Plan Could Spur More Underground Power Lines

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After hurricanes during the past three years knocked out electricity for millions of Floridians, lawmakers are moving forward with regulatory changes that could lead to more underground power lines. But it would come at a cost. A House panel this week approved a bill (HB […]

Disputed University Survey Supported in Senate

Disputed University Survey Supported in Senate

A wide-ranging higher education package, which includes a controversial mandate for an annual “intellectual freedom” survey on state university campuses, was backed unanimously by a Senate panel on Tuesday. The bill (SB 1296), sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, is similar to legislation (HB 839) approved by a House panel last week. […]

A Greenville – Tallahassee Employment Profile

A Greenville – Tallahassee Employment Profile

A number of Tallahassee government, business, and community leaders headed to Greenville, S.C. this week on a fact finding tour that is scheduled to last until Wednesday. One of the reported purposes of the trip is to determine if there are any economic development ideas being implemented in Greenville that can be replicated here in […]

“Mike Miller” May Return to Tallahassee

“Mike Miller” May Return to Tallahassee

In a motion filed this past Friday, the Florida Commission on Ethics is seeking a protective order pertaining to the testimony of undercover FBI agent Mike Miller in the Andrew Gillum case. The motion is seeking to protect the “identity and security” of the FBI undercover agent whom may be a witness in the case […]

Committee of Ninety-Nine Holds Annual Banquet

Committee of Ninety-Nine Holds Annual Banquet

The Committee of Ninety-Nine of Tallahassee/Leon County held its 38th annual Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Banquet the past Thursday evening, March 28, 2019 at the Ballroom of the Holiday Inn East Capital in Tallahassee. The organization was started in 1981 by local Tallahassee business leaders from all areas of business and commerce and […]

State Transportation Group, Chaired by Leon County Commissioner Nick Maddox, Endorses Legislative Priorities

State Transportation Group, Chaired by Leon County Commissioner Nick Maddox, Endorses Legislative Priorities

The Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council (MPOAC) is a statewide transportation planning and policy organization created by the Florida Legislature pursuant to Section 339.175(11), Florida Statutes. Why this group is important: The MPOAC assists local transportation planning organizations in carrying out the urbanized area transportation planning process by serving as the principal forum for collective policy discussion. […]