That includes a $3.4 billion shortfall for the fiscal year that began July 1 and $2 billion for the following fiscal year. “Unfortunately, the tourism industry — everything from lodging to airplanes to cruises, the whole tourism industry — is going to be the slowest improving sector that we have and it will take the longest,” she said. “The Great Recession impact on state revenues was over a longer period of time and it took a while to build into the negative. That could include cuts, finding new sources of revenue or dipping into the Florida's $3.9 billion in reserves. “The situation that we’ve been dealing with the state and the budget is really unprecedented in modern times in the state of Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday tapped outgoing Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, to serve on the governing board of the St. Johns River Water Management District. Bradley, an attorney, will leave the Senate in November because of term limits. While in the Legislature, Bradley has been involved in efforts such as boosting funding for springs restoration. DeSantis also appointed Janet Price, a senior manager of environmental affairs with Rayonier Inc., to the water-management district board.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. While two Northeast Florida state House members easily won primary challenges Tuesday, Rep. Kimberly Daniels lost handily to community organizer Angie Nixon. Daniels had sometimes split from other Democrats by supporting issues such as abortion restrictions and school vouchers and represents the solidly blue Northeast Jacksonville state House District 14. Nixon, who earned 59% of the vote, will face only a write-in opponent in November. In District 12, Incumbent Rep. Clay Yarborough easily dispatched Republican challenger Colin McArthur his primary race. Rob Bradley of Fleming Island, defeated Jason Holifield in Florida Senate District 5, which includes Clay, Baker, Union, Columbia and other counties stretching to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Republican from Clay County said he has a low-grade fever and fatigue, but otherwise no serious symptoms. During a roundtable at a special needs school in Clearwater, Florida, the Republican governor did not focus on the latest grim numbers. The state continues to be one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak, although virus-linked hospitalizations were down slightly Wednesday. As the outbreak began spreading across the state last spring, state officials shuttered schools and teachers began providing instruction virtually to the state's 2.9 million public school students. Some districts in South Florida and in the Florida Keys have recently announced that they will delay school reopenings.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATEJennifer BradleyParty affiliation: RepublicanAge: 49Candidate’s family: My husband Rob and I have been married for 25 years. Defending North Florida conservative values like protecting the unborn and standing up for our Second Amendment rights. I am a lifelong Republican who will fight for north Florida values in Tallahassee. I'd like to be remembered as a leader who treated everyone with respect, led with humility and created a lasting legacy of accomplishments that improved north Florida. Her name remains on the ballot and votes cast for her will go to a replacement candidate named by the Florida Democratic Party.

Ron DeSantis late Monday signed 28 bills into law, including a controversial measure that will prevent local governments from imposing bans on certain types of sunscreen. In addition to sunscreen, the bill also preempts local governments from regulating other types of over-the-counter cosmetics and drugs. The governor has gradually signed bills this month from the legislative session that ended in March, including signing a $92.2 billion state budget earlier Monday. Among the other bills signed Monday was a measure (HB 59) that will allow pharmacies to use automated systems to dispense prescription drugs. Nonetheless, this technology will make it easier for busy parents and people living in rural communities to safely access the medications that they need.”Among the other bills signed Monday by DeSantis:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A controversial proposal intended to block Key West and other local governments from imposing bans on certain types of sunscreen was among 38 bills that landed on Gov. The Republican-dominated Legislature passed the bill (SB 404) in February, but it was not formally sent to DeSantis until Tuesday. E-verify proposalA bill that would require all government employers to use a federal electronic system to check the immigration status of new workers was also sent to DeSantis on Tuesday. Until this spring, years of attempts to pass an E-Verify bill failed in the Republican-led Legislature. The E-Verify bill sent to the governor on Tuesday, however, does not go as far as DeSantis initially wanted.

Florida House District 15 (Duval County)Three Democrats are running in the primary: incumbent Wyman Duggan, Jay McGovern and Tammyette Thomas. Duval County School BoardBecause many of Jacksonville races are municipal and were elected last year, the most prominent races on the local ballots will be for school board. Candidates for Nassau County School Board and County Commission will be added to this list soon. Candidates for Columbia County School Board and County Commission will be added to this list soon. Candidates for Alachua County School Board and County Commission will be added to this list soon.

While advocates called the proposal a modest step toward sentencing reform, a representative of the Florida Police Chiefs Association raised concerns about the bill not being tough enough. However, the measure would not affect drug-trafficking offenses that carry a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. Championing his bill (SB 346), Bradley argued that state lawmakers can make an impact on the lives of drug addicts by reforming sentencing laws. State prison needs to be reserved for the worst of the worst, Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican, said. The proposal is a toe in the water while other states are doing cannonballs into the pool by loosening mandatory minimum sentencing laws, Newburn told the committee.

News Service of FloridaTALLAHASEE, Fla. - FAMUs minority medical marijuana education program came under tough scrutiny from lawmakers Thursday morning. This was the second time FAMUs Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative presented to lawmakers. FAMU was given $2.1 million for the education program in August. Glory Brown, the director of FAMU's Office of Sponsored Programs, said the university would be open to more oversight from the state. FAMU says its satisfied with progress that has been made with the education program.

News Service of FloridaTALLAHASEE, Fla. - FAMU's minority medical marijuana education program came under tough scrutiny from lawmakers Thursday morning. This was the second time FAMU's Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative presented to lawmakers. FAMU was given $2.1 million for the education program in August. Glory Brown, the director of FAMU's Office of Sponsored Programs, said the university would be open to more oversight from the state. FAMU says it's satisfied with progress that has been made with the education program.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - In light of Key West banning the sale of sunscreens that contain chemicals believed to harm coral reefs, Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking proposals that would undo the local regulation. "You have to apply (the chemicals) directly, in an intense matter to the coral reefs over a long period of time in a little, small space. We are talking about a large ocean around the coral reefs here, so the OPPAGA study supports what we are doing right here," Bradley said. While environmental groups support Key West's ban on certain sunscreens, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Retail Association and the Florida Society of Dermatology and Surgery supported Bradley's bill. Bradley echoed that sentiment Monday, while also chastising Key West for prohibiting the use of popular sunscreens.

Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Five years ago, 75 percent of Florida voters approved setting money aside for land conservation and acquisition, but since its passage lawmakers have never fully funded Florida Forever. Environmental groups used the fifth anniversary of the passing Monday to call on lawmakers to dedicate $100 million to Florida Forever going forward. State Senator Linda Stewart is sponsoring a bill that would guarantee $100 million to Florida Forever and make the funding reoccurring. Environmentalists like Aliki Moncrief with the Florida Conservation Voters said overall, she's optimistic going into the 2020 session. The Governor requested $100 million for Florida Forever this past Legislative session.

We have a lot of people who resist sunscreen, I do, and I know better, said Jacksonville pharmacist Dr. Gary Roberts. Now, a Florida state senator wants to ban some sunscreens entirely for the potential harm they cause marine life. But they're under constant attack, and chemicals in sunscreen are hardly corals' only foe. Staying under an umbrella, wearing UV sunglasses and long-sleeve shirts and leggings protects skin even better than sunscreen does, the agency said. Only two sunscreen ingredients are "generally recognized as safe and effective" for people by the FDA: Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With the sponsor pointing to concerns about skin cancer, a Senate committee Monday approved a measure that would prevent local governments from banning over-the-counter sales of sunscreen. Key West passed an ordinance that made it illegal to sell sunscreen that contains the ingredients oxybenzone or octinoxate without prescriptions. Lobbyists for the Sierra Club of Florida and the Surfrider Foundation urged senators Monday to be cautious on the issue. Sen. Gary Farmer, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who voted against the bill, said lawmakers need to find a "balance" to protect reefs and protect people from skin cancer. "This is a tough one because we love our reefs," said Farmer, who added he has had three bouts with skin cancer.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee filed a proposal Friday that would repeal the state's long-controversial "Best and Brightest" teacher bonus program. Ron DeSantis has been working on a teacher-compensation plan and told reporters recently that the framework of the Best and Brightest program is "very complicated" and that he might not necessarily want to include the program as part of his plan. Also, Bradley's bill came after the state agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that focused on allegations that the Best and Brightest program discriminated against black and Hispanic teachers. Those allegations stemmed from the state's past use of teachers' scores on ACT and SAT college-entrance exams in helping determine whether teachers should receive bonuses. Under the settlement, which is pending before a federal judge, money would go to black and Hispanic classroom teachers who were rated as "highly effective" but did not receive Best and Brightest bonuses since the program took effect in 2015.

Yet a number of Republican lawmakers and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran say they want to keep bonuses in teacher-pay discussions during the 2020 session. A few days later, though, the governor told reporters that the framework of the current "Best and Brightest" bonus program is "very complicated," and he may not necessarily want to include the program as part of his teacher-compensation package. The last time lawmakers agreed to an across-the-board teacher pay raise was in 2013, when the Republican-dominated Legislature settled on a $480 million package. He added it would be worthwhile to have discussions with the House and the governor on changing the funding of the bonus program, which has faced legal challenges. A second lawsuit against the bonus program alleges state education officials improperly allowed school districts to deduct employer taxes from teacher bonuses, cutting into the financial awards of tens of thousands of high-performing educators.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As state lawmakers return to the Florida Capitol for the first round of committee weeks, one of the most pressing issues is hurricane recovery, especially from Hurricane Michael. Effects of the storm, which hit nearly a year ago, are still being felt in the Panhandle. In many ways, the Panhandle has lived up to its nickname, "The Forgotten Coast." A survey conducted this summer found 1 in 3 Floridians aren't even aware the storm hit in 2018. Legislators also are looking at ways to speed up insurance claims and prevent contractors from overcharging for storm repairs.

The projections rely on tourism continuing to exceed expectations, as the industry now accounts for a record-high 13.4 percent of overall revenues. The change is expected to cost the state $346.7 million in the current fiscal year. Bradley said while he'd like to see a new gambling deal with the Tribe, the budget for now will be put together without plans to have the money. "I think it's in their best interest, I think it's in the state's best interest to have a deal," Bradley said. The outlook was developed, in part, by analyzing programs that have historically driven significant increases in the state's budget, including Medicaid, public-school funding and constitutional requirements.

Ron DeSantis and Cabinet members agreed Thursday to buy and conserve more than 900 acres of land across the state at a combined cost of just over $11 million. The land, which will be acquired with Florida Forever conservation funds, includes 717 acres within the Wakulla Springs Protection Zone in Wakulla County, 129 acres in Charlotte County and the 57-acre Fish Island in St. Johns County. Fish Island, the most expensive of the proposals at $6.5 million, is one of the last remaining undeveloped waterfront properties in St. Augustine. "We are so pleased that the Cabinet has agreed to move forward to purchase this property with Florida Forever funds and even more pleased that Fish Island will be preserved, McCarthy said. Without his leadership to fund Florida Forever in 2018, this project would not have been possible.

The 57-acre property is on the Intracoastal Waterway immediately adjacent to the State Road 312 bridge onto Anastasia Island. The Land Trust said Fish Island is a healthy maritime hammock forest and preserving it will help avoid water quality impacts to the Matanzas River. North Florida Land Trust is urging the community to show support for the protection of Fish Island, an environmentally sensitive and historically significant land, prior to the cabinet's July 23 meeting in Tallahassee. Recently the St. Augustine commissioners voted unanimously to approve management of Fish Island if the state agrees to buy the property. The NFLTs posted information on its campaign to preserve Fish Island on its website.