The FLORIDA Channel

7/11/08: Grades are out for Florida public schools.
Floridians without health insurance may soon be able to choose a low cost health care plan. And a house panel makes a recommendation on whether or not a colleague broke campaign rules.

7/4/08: A review of some of the state laws going
into effect July 1.

5/9/08: The state signs a final agreement to pay $1.25 million to a Florida man who spent 24 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The cost of a college education will go up by 6% for the 2008-2009 school year. And the Florida Supreme Court hears oral arguments on a dozen cases, including the death of a South Florida man exposed to anthrax.

2/22/08: Lawmakers prepare to cut spending again. A state board decides how evolution will be taught in Florida’s classrooms. Several new efforts to help Floridians keep their homes are announced.

2/15/08: House Speaker Marco Rubio and Florida's university presidents meet to find solutions for funding higher education in Florida. Education leaders seek public input before setting new science standards for Florida schools. And a new nationwide marketing campaign is launched to bring more tourists to the state in an effort to boost Florida's economy.

2/1/08: The Governor rolls out his spending plan for 2008-09. Florida voters approve a constitutional amendment to lower property taxes and Florida's chief elections official calls Tuesday a good election day. And the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the validity of a gaming agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

1/18/08: Florida regulators suspend Allstate's ability to write new policies in Florida. A statewide grand jury releases its recommendations on how to reduce gang activity in the state. And a look at what Florida's agricultural industry is doing to reduce the state's dependence on fossil fuels.

1/11/08: The Florida Senate calls on property insurance executives to explain why rates haven't fallen as promised.
State leaders talk about the future of Florida as more budget cuts are expected. And the U.S. Secretary of Education visits with Florida lawmakers to push support for "No Child Left Behind".

1/4/08: The first hard freeze of the New Year prompts Governor Crist to declare a state of emergency for Florida?s agricultural industry. A legal challenge over who has authority to set tuition at state universities is rejected by a Florida judge. And a look at some of the new laws affecting Floridians beginning in 2008.

12/29/07: Governor Crist's first year in office. Special sessions on property insurance, property taxes, no-fault auto insurance and the budget. And agreements are negotiated over gaming and water rights.

12/7/07: The director of Florida's investment board resigns as state leaders look to an outside firm for advice. There's a new leader at the Florida Department of Education.
And Florida's manatees keep their endangered status.

11/23/07: The Florida House challenges the Governor's recent gambling agreement with the Seminole tribe of Florida. The ongoing water battle between Florida, Georgia and Alabama and its threat to the Apalachicola's seafood industry. And Florida's attorney general travels the state to teach children how to be safe when surfing the net.

11/9/07: State leaders study the effects of recent droughts on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Floridians look for alternatives to the rising cost of fuel. House lawmakers discuss the impact of the FCAT on the future of Florida education.

10/12/07: An agreement is reached on trimming one-billion dollars from the budget. Lawmakers agree to stay in Tallahassee to work on property tax reform. And Florida's Supreme Court hears two death penalty appeals.

10/5/07: The House and Senate convene a special budget session to trim a billion dollars. Florida's no-fault auto insurance law expired October 1st; lawmakers decide what happens next. And Florida's new Children's Cabinet meets for the first time.

9/28/07: Lawmakers arrive in Tallahassee to trim a billion dollars from the state budget. A Florida judge's ruling may keep a proposed amendment to lower property taxes off the ballot. A plan to extend Florida's no-fault insurance law may get new life.

9/21/07: Lawmakers make preparations for an October special session to cut the budget. The Governor and Cabinet explore why property insurance rates are not moving lower. And the Supreme Court hears arguments in a case that could affect Florida's new gaming laws.

9/14/07: Economists warn lawmakers to make budget cuts sooner rather than later; and by week's end a new date for a special session is announced. State regulators say no to another request to increase property insurance. And Florida's missing children are remembered in a ceremony at the Capitol.

8/31/07: The threat of budget cuts continue as each agency head pleads their case before lawmakers in anticipation of September's special session. The fate of Florida's no-fault auto insurance still hangs in the balance. And the new school year begins with a new president of what's been called one of the nation's premiere historically black colleges.

8/10/07: Florida's Board of Governors discuss how to make ends meet with higher education. State educators meet in Orlando to celebrate the success of "Just Read! Florida". And a Florida based grocery chain offers free prescriptions.

8/3/07: State leaders respond to the latest estimates on Florida tax revenues. The governor vows to hold property insurers to their promise of lower rates. And state regulators order a Florida utility to refund millions to its customers.

7/27/07: The Florida House and Senate will meet in a special session to discuss budget cuts as a result of declining revenues. Governor Crist was on hand to open the nation’s first disaster supply warehouse in Orlando. And Florida law enforcement officials are hoping a deck of cards can help close over one hundred unsolved crimes in the state.

7/20/07: A farm to fuel summit offers hope of saving Florida farms and boosting the state's economy. State officials are confident Florida?s catastrophe fund can handle the devastation of a major hurricane. And a convicted murderer and child molester is the subject of the first death warrant signed by Governor Crist.

7/13/07: State university leaders and lawmakers land on opposite sides in a court battle to determine who controls tuition rates. Governor Crist hosts environmental leaders from all over the U.S. to talk about global warming. And some property insurers are still asking for higher rates, despite the efforts of lawmakers to lower them.

7/6/07: Governor Crist signs into law the last of the bills sent to him from the 2007 legislative session. A look at some of the other new laws effective July 1st including changes to Florida's sexual predator laws. And a new requirement for builders to include carbon monoxide detectors in new construction.

6/29/07: State leaders ask agencies to prepare for cuts in spending. Governor Crist meets with Florida university presidents to address funding concerns. School grades are out. And a look at how Florida schools performed with science scores included in the new formula.

6/22/07: G overnor Crist signs into law $16 billion of tax relief for Florida property owners. The state energy bill is vetoed for not going far enough. Florida's universities try new strategies to keep their campuses safe.

6/15/07: Lawmakers pass a bill to roll back property taxes, and another to allow Florida voters to decide on a new homestead exemption program. The governor signs dozens of bills this week, including a measure to protect Florida’s crime victims. And university leaders scramble to adjust to this year's tuition free.

6/8/07: Lawmakers meet in Tallahassee to prepare for the June 12th special session on property tax reform. The Florida Public Service Commission denies a request to build two coal-fired power plants near the everglades. Florida law enforcement officers work with federal and local agencies to put Internet predators behind bars.

6/01/07: Florida gears up for the official start of the 2007 hurricane season. A new law toughens standards for the state's agricultural producers. State leaders meet to discuss how to reduce crime in Florida's urban communities.

5/25/07: Governor Crist signs nearly 40 bills into law this week, including Florida’s budget. Lawmakers met at the Capitol to prepare for June’s special session. And hurricane experts tell Floridians to expect an active hurricane season.

5/18/07: Hundreds of Floridians have been evacuated from their homes as wildfires continue to ravage the state. State leaders continue to solicit public input before the June special session on property taxes. And the latest test results show Florida students are doing better than the national average.