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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Legislature kicks off 60-day annual session
Tuesday marks the start of the busiest two months for Tallahassee. Legislators, staffers and lobbyists are making their way into town to stay in hotels, eat at restaurants and take part in the 60-day sprint called the 2015 Legislative Session. More at the Tallahassee Democrat and NBC Miami.
See also:
» Full text of Gov. Rick Scott's State of the State address
» Scott highlights Florida's history as he talks of its future
Rick Scott's five-point legislative agenda:
- Cut communication services tax, exempt manufacturing equipment and college text books from sales tax
- Prevent undergraduate and graduation tuition increases and “bring transparency to university costs.”
- $50 million for workforce-training programs; $5 million to incentivize STEM degrees; $1 million for summer program for STEM teachers
- Raise K-12 education spending to $7,176 per student ($50 higher than previous record)
- Environmental spending, including $150 million for Everglades, $150 million for Florida panther habitat
"Software issue" to blame for Florida testing woes
Education Commissioner Pam Stewart on Tuesday said "software issue" were to blame for the previous day's testing glitches. Students across the state had trouble logging on to the new Florida Standards Assessment testing platform. More at the Miami Herald.
Florida military base designing real-life 'Iron Man' suit
A new military project sounds like something ripped from the pages of Iron Man. That is because a new suit used by the popular superhero as a source of inspiration. It's called the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit or TALOS for short, and it is being developed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. More at WKMG.
Florida gaming slightly down
Business at Florida’s racinos continues to rise, however the same cannot be said for poker rooms. After years of steady growth the overall picture appears flat and trending slightly downward. More at Gaming Today.
YouVisit expands from virtual college tours into hospitality, real estate
YouVisit began as a college startup that offered virtual college campus tours. But now the Aventura company has expanded into several industries, adapted its technology for VR headsets and offers a build-your-own tour option. More at the Miami Herald.
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