While negotiating with myself over where This Space ought to stand regarding the upcoming vote on Amendment 1: Armageddon or Utopia?, the image I can't shake is President Bush, feet planted on the deck of the USS Lincoln, a celebratory banner - soon to be a long-legged symbol of controversy - pulsing from the observation deck overhead. ...more

January 20, 2008

With Florida's economy slowing, legislators will focus heavily on economic development efforts at this year's legislative session, especially ways to beef up Florida's high-tech industries, Florida business and legislative leaders said Wednesday. ...more

January 9, 2008

It is customary to enter a new year with a sense of expectation and bright plans for our future. But as I look at the many challenges Floridians face in 2008, I fear for the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable children. ...more

December 31, 2007

Southwest Georgia is one of the most productive agricultural regions in Dixie, but you wouldn't know it from the soil under the corn, peanuts and cotton. It can be sandy, pebbly, and doesn't hold water very well. ...more

November 15, 2007

When the last state administration rolled out a Medicaid reform plan in 2005, proponents painted a bright picture of choice, quality and cost containment. As the Tribune noted ("Weakness in Medicaid Reform Portends No Expansion," Our Opinion, Oct. 28), the bright claims now ring hollow. ...more

November 6, 2007

Maine's state government would open its now-secret books on teacher sexual misconduct. Missouri school districts would be barred from backroom deals that let misbehaving teachers quietly move on. New York would be able to swiftly remove convicted teachers' licenses. ...more

November 3, 2007

The House and Senate, although still at odds over property tax relief, will reconvene a special session Monday, just one day before the deadline to get a proposal on the Jan. 29 presidential primary ballot. ...more

October 28, 2007

Legislative leaders insist the game isn't over, but the special session on property taxes officially ground to a halt Wednesday with the Capitol clearing out and lawmakers waiting to hear whether they will return for Monday's scheduled final day. ...more

October 25, 2007

State lawmakers return to Tallahassee today to continue the special session on property tax reform. Last week, instead of nearing a consensus, the House and Senate grew even further apart, with House members overhauling their plan on Friday. ...more

October 22, 2007

The Legislature's proposal for a property tax overhaul, once organized and neatly wrapped for quick approval, turned into a free-for-all Thursday that abruptly halted all official actions and pushed negotiations behind lawmakers' office doors. ...more

October 19, 2007