Elections - For the first time ever, every member of the state's Cabinet will be up for grabs in the same election. Governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner will each be filled by new people.
A U.S. Senate seat heads up the fall ballot. All 120 state House seats are up for grabs, and more than half of the Senate.
Independent voters, about one in five in Florida, will be a focus in all the statewide races.
Amendments-There are four proposed amendments already on the November ballot.
Fair Districts Florida is trying to meet the Feb. 1 deadline to get 676,811 signatures.
Amendment 1, proposed by the Legislature, would repeal the state's public-finance system for elections.
Amendment 2, by the Legislature, would expand property-tax credits for deployed military personnel.
Amendment 3, by the Legislature, would cap annual assessment increases for non-homestead property at 5 percent and provide tax protection for first-time homestead buyers.
Amendment 4, proposed by Florida Hometown Democracy by initiative petition, would require local votes on significant changes to comprehensive development plans.
Budget-A fourth year of constrained state finances is just ahead of us. Lawmakers will struggle to find solutions to a projected $2.6 billion increase in health-care costs, even as projections for tax revenue improve.
Revisiting expanded gambling, as well as Gulf offshore drilling are debates that will figure in the final budget.
There will be more than $2.7 billion in federal stimulus money propping up the state's budget.
Census-The 2010 U.S. Census will define politics for the next decade.
Florida is likely to vault to become the third most populous state and gain a congressional seat. Population for the state is a factor in federal funding formulas, including for counties and cities.
After the count is in, state lawmakers get to work drawing the political lines for congressional districts and state House and Senate districts.
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20091226/CAPITOLNEWS/912260316/-1/NLETTER07?source=nletter-news
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