Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
FLORIDA HOUSE AND SENATE PASS RIVAL SPENDING PLANS
Florida legislators are going to spend the next few weeks working on a new state budget. The House and Senate on Thursday passed rival versions of a roughly $75 billion budget. The House voted 100-16 for a nearly $75.3 billion budget. The Senate voted 38-2 for a nearly $75 billion budget. State legislators have until early May to pass a final budget and send it to Gov. Rick Scott.
HOUSE APPROVES 4 SEPARATE TAX HOLIDAYS
Floridians would get for sales tax holidays under a bill approved Thursday by the Florida House. The tax cut package includes tax holidays for school supplies, gym memberships, energy efficient appliances and hurricane prep sales.
2ND ROUND OF ARRESTS FOR INTERNET GAMBLING
Florida authorities have made a second-round of arrests related to gambling at Internet cafes. Officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday were holding a news conference to announce arrests targeting Internet cafes in five Florida counties. Search warrants were executed in Duval, Columbia, Marion, Brevard and Lake counties.
STATE FAIR ATTENDANCE DOWN IN 2014
Officials blame poor weather for a drop in attendance during this year’s 14-day state fair in Tampa. The overall attendance was down 11 percent over last year’s fair. Fair officials say bad weather over the fair’s opening weekend put a damper on the event.
NO DEATHS REPORTED ON INTERSTATE 75 DURING INITIATIVE
The Florida Highway Patrol says no one died during its participation last weekend in a safety campaign called “Staying Alive on 75.” Florida took part in the program with six other states in the I-75 corridor.
