Author name: bruce

Florida Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham on Friday joined critics in saying that a House bill now before the governor would severely hamper state agency rule-making. HB 1565 would require agencies to receive approval by the Legislature for proposed rules that would cost businesses or affect economic growth in excess of $1 million. […]

Five tar balls have been found on Perdido Key in Escambia County, representing possibly the first oil from the massive ongoing spill to reach Florida waters, the U. S. Coast Guard reported on Friday. The five tar balls, each about a half-inch in diameter, were collected Thursday over a 3.5 mile stretch of shoreline, said

Environmental groups and the St. Johns River Water Management District are calling on Gov. Charlie Crist to veto HB 1565, which he received Thursday from the Legislature. The bill, introduced by Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, requires agencies to conduct an economic analysis of proposed rules that could cost businesses more than $200,000 in the

Federal officials on Wednesday defended the use of chemical dispersants to battle the huge oil spill off the Louisiana coast. The spill from the Deepwater Horizon remained more than 50 miles west of the tip of the Florida Panhandle as more oil was washing ashore in Louisiana. BP and the U. S. Coast Guard have

Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday sent a letter to BP asking for it to pay nearly $35 million for a marketing campaign to attract visitors to Florida’s beaches and coastal waters. BP is a responsible party under federal law for the ongoing oil spill occurring off Louisiana that threatens Florida’s coastline. After meeting with the

Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson on Wednesday urged Gov. Charlie Crist to sign two bills, HB 981 and HB 7103. Bronson said the bills are needed to support agriculture and he’d heard rumors that Crist may veto them but wasn’t sure if the rumors were true. “I’m not sure yet either,” Crist said. “Some of that

Florida’s solar energy rebate program is broke and due to expire, but Gov. Charlie Crist indicated Tuesday he would consider helping the program during a special session. The state established the solar rebate program in 2007 to provide up to $20,000 for home solar panels and up to $500 for solar water heaters. The Legislature

The governor and Cabinet on Tuesday approved a pair of state conservation land purchases with Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson voting in opposition. Bronson, who is leaving office later this year because of term limits, said in March he would vote against any additional land purchases other than conservation easements, which involve paying landowners not to

Florida is quickly spending the $25 million it received last week from BP for the oil spill response and is expected to ask for more soon, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole told the Cabinet Tuesday. BP is the legal “responsible party” under federal law, which means the company will have to pay

Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday he will call a special session of the Legislature to consider placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban oil drilling.  “I think it’s important that we go ahead and have a special session,” Crist told reporters before a Cabinet meeting. “I think after my conversation with Senate President