Florida Legislature 2017: Education, gambling, taxes on agenda

Florida lawmakers kick off their annual 60-day legislative session today. The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. Gov. Rick Scott will give his state of the state address beginning at 11:00 a.m. At the top of a myriad of special interest bills and soapbox issues, the budget is really the only bill lawmakers must pass. Florida's budget is tight this year, the tightest it has been since the housing bust. House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O'Lakes) has told members they face an immediate shortfall of between $500 million and $1 billion.

Related
» Excerpts from Gov. Scott's State of the State address, as prepared for delivery
» Guns, gambling and taxes: Florida legislators return to work
» GOP control in Tallahassee doesn’t always mean unity
» Q&A with Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran
» From Florida Trend: What's on tap for Florida's Legislature this year

Your turn:
» This legislative session, which item is the most important for Florida lawmakers to fund properly? (quick poll)

Game time: Battle over Florida Lottery goes to court

A clash between Richard Corcoran and Gov. Scott wound up in front of a judge on Monday, with a $700 million contract hanging in the balance. Attorneys for both sides spent hours arguing over whether or not the Florida Lottery broke the law when it approved a contract last fall with IGT Global Solutions to run lottery games. Circuit Judge Karen Gievers did not immediately rule, but promised to make a decision quickly. [Source: St. Augustine Record]

CSX reaches deal with hedge fund, hires new railroad CEO

CSX has a new CEO and a deal with the hedge fund pushing for changes at the railroad. Hunter Harrison, the executive who led Canadian Pacific's turnaround, will become the CEO at Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX immediately, replacing Michael Ward. Harrison, Paul Hilal — the founder of the Mantle Ridge hedge fund that has been pressuring CSX — and three others will also join the railroad's 13-member board. Full statement from the company, here. Also read more at the AP.

Proposed Florida law targets drug dealers fueling overdose crisis

Nearly 250 people who died of synthetic opioid overdoses in Miami-Dade last year, but not one dealer was charged with felony murder or manslaughter -- a record that underscores how difficult it is to prosecute someone for causing a fatal overdose. Florida law specifically allows for cocaine and heroin suppliers to be charged with felony murder, but does not address peddlers of fatal doses of fentanyl or other increasingly common synthetics. [Source: Miami Herald]

For the 2nd year, Naples is the healthiest, happiest city in the US

Pack a swimsuit and head south to reach the nation’s healthiest and happiest city. For the second year in a row, Naples, Florida, and the nearby communities of Immokalee and Marco Island take the No. 1 spot in the Gallup-Healthways State of American Well-Being 2016 Community Rankings. See the full report on well-being in America, here. Also read more at Today.com.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Cancer 'hot spots' in Florida may be associated with hazardous waste sites [Science Daily]
Florida has the sixth highest number of hazardous waste sites, known as Superfund sites, in the United States. In 2016, the state was projected to have the second largest number of new cancer cases in the country. Researchers studied cancer incidence rates in relation to Superfund sites and found a possible association.

› The Andersons to sell Florida farm centers [News Release]
The Andersons, Inc. announced it has signed an agreement to sell its farm center locations in Florida to Wedgworth's Inc., of Belle Glade, Florida. This agreement includes real estate and assets owned by The Andersons at Zellwood, Clewiston, and Lake Placid as well as the assets and operations located in Immokalee.

› Sen. Rubio asked to vacate Jacksonville office due to protests [ActionNewsJax]
The Jacksonville office for Sen. Marco Rubio is closing, the second district office in Florida to close following protests. A spokesperson for Rubio says unruly behavior of some anti-Trump protesters was impacting other businesses, and they were asked to not renew their lease.

› Lockheed keeps landing work on F-35 systems [Orlando Sentinel]
Lockheed Martin’s Orlando operations have won some new contract work on its programs related to the F-35, which was targeted in critical tweets by President Donald Trump soon after he was elected. The biggest, announced Monday, was for $20.6 million, with 10 percent of work performed in Orlando.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

›St. Johns County has great appeal but comes with high price tag [St. Augustine Record]
St. Johns County is a land of top-rated schools, low unemployment and the state’s highest median household income. As the county has become one of the most desirable in North Florida, businesses have come, builders have become tireless and home values have risen. But one big drawback is that a large slice of the population is being priced out of the county.

› Brush fires ignite in Central Florida, across state [ClickOrlando]
Brush fires ignited Monday afternoon in Central Florida, threatening homes in Marion County and temporarily closing a road in Brevard County. Over the weekend, the Florida Forest Service responded to 26 new wildfires, which burned more than 2,500 acres, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Related:
» Get the Florida Forest Service app for IO5 and Android, to track wildfires. The mobile app is called FLBurnTools, and is available in Apple App Store and on Google Play. More information here.

› Obit: John Hankinson saved Florida environments while playing harmonica [Orlando Sentinel]
John Hankinson, one of Florida’s most liked and respected environmentalists, drew a following for his blues music on a harmonica. Hankinson was large, physically and in personality, but mild-mannered. He navigated in and out of state and federal government, and in and out of grass-roots environmentalism, and was often cheered along the way.

› Small Florida airport will remain closed during Trump visits [AP]
Secret Service officials told Lantana Airport tenants they cannot allow aircraft to take off from the facility when President Donald Trump is in town. The airport is about 6 miles southwest of Mar-a-Lago.