[Excerpt]
Abortion: The House Civil Justice Subcommittee plans to vote on restrictions to Florida's parental-notice law for minors seeking abortions. The bill says a court can grant a waiver of the notice requirement if the judge finds by "clear and convincing evidence" that notification isn't in the best interest of the minor. It says that "best interest" cannot include financial matters. So poverty can't be part of the court issue. Also, judges must weigh "whether there may be any undue influence by another on the minor's decision to have an abortion."
Medicaid: The Senate's Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee will release its budget, and it's going to be ugly for the people and businesses that depend on the $22 billion program. Chairman Joe Negron said he wants to cut more than $1 billion.
Other Senate budget committees will meet Monday as well to review their draft budgets. The budget — the only constitutionally required bill the Legislature must pass in the 60-day session — is coming into clearer focus now that state economists met Friday to give their final forecast for general-revenue tax collects.
As expected, the revenue collections will be lower than expected. However, not too much lower. Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander expected a $200 million hit. Economists forecast a $216 million shortfall for next budget year, but they said this year the state will take in a little more than originally anticipated. That makes the bottom-line reduction about $135 million.
Total estimated budget shortfall: $3.75 billion.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/today-in-tallahassee-guns-c...
