Joe Negron

When state House Republicans turned down billions of federal dollars to expand health coverage to a million working poor Floridians, they weren't just heartless. They were hypocrites. In the legislative session that ended this month, the House's GOP...

Okay. State lawmakers obviously dropped the ball when it came to expanding health care by failing to take federal funding for Medicaid. Too close to Obamacare, a majority of Republicans in the Florida Legislature felt as they stood tall on partisan...

The legislative session ended Friday with state lawmakers scurrying out of Tallahassee with the one thing 3.8 million of their fellow Floridians lack — decent health care. Poor constituent service? You betcha. Missed opportunity? Huge. One out...

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Legislature's 2013 session agreed on highly touted ethics reforms making it harder for retiring lawmakers to immediately begin lobbying for special interests. And lawmakers approved "transparency" measures requiring...

Lawmakers put to bed another legislative session Friday night and, as usual, some people in Florida came out big winners and others came out losers. Teachers and state workers got raises in the state budget, the insurance industry held onto a 26-year-...

TALLAHASSEE -- Backers of a sweeping sports stadium package were working furiously Friday to convince the Florida House to pass tax-breaks for the Miami Dolphins, Orlando soccer boosters, Daytona International Speedway and others. Central Florida Sens....

By Bill Cotterell TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 3 (Reuters) - Florida legislators, following a trend among states bouncing back from the national recession, adopted a record $74.5 billion spending plan on Friday and adjourned their 2013 lawmaking session....

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Legislature ended its 2013 session Friday by passing an elections do-over and the largest budget in state history, but without delivering tax subsidies to the Miami Dolphins, Orlando soccer boosters and a cadre of other...

Florida’s teachers could get raises as soon as this summer under a revised budget agreement state lawmakers hammered out Wednesday. The change means school employees won’t have to wait until June 2014 for a pay hike, as legislative leaders...

Florida's teachers could get raises as soon as this summer under a revised budget agreement state lawmakers hammered out Wednesday. The change means school employees won't have to wait until June 2014 for a pay hike, as legislative leaders had decided...

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida House's top Republican and Democrat made it clear Tuesday night that the slow procedural slog forced over a fight on healthcare reform will continue through the end of session this Friday, potentially jeopardizing several...

TALLAHASSEE -- The Senate passed its health care plan by a 38-1 vote this morning, possibly a final act in the legislative debate over health care, which now seems doomed. Last night, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said that it appeared "unlikely" that...