ALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida legislators won’t be able to wrap up their work on time.
Bogged down in a dispute over money for hospitals and nursing homes, top Republicans were unable to reach an agreement on a new $83 billion state budget by the Tuesday deadline.
Florida law requires that the budget be completely finished 72 hours before a final vote can be taken.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron last week reached a deal on how much money to spend in key areas. But they were at odds over the level of cuts for hospitals and how to pay nursing homes.
The session lasts 60 days. Legislators can extend the session by a supermajority vote in both chambers, or legislative leaders can announce a special session.
Florida A&M University dismisses deans of 4 schools
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida A&M University has dismissed four deans in two days as it undergoes a major leadership change.
The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2pbZBMl ) reports Angela Felecia Epps, dean of the university’s law school was dismissed this week after just 16 months on the job. LeRoy Pernell was named temporary dean of the law school in downtown Orlando.
The Tallahassee-based university’s Interim Provost Rodner Wright said in a statement that the deans of the education, pharmacy and journalism schools were also dismissed. The statement didn’t say why they were dismissed, but added that they will return to the ranks of tenured faculty members.
Epps, a former law professor at the University of Arkansas, was hired in January 2016 as FAMU trustees feuded with then-President Elmira Mangum, who stepped down in September.
Woman shot during confrontation over handicapped parking
MIAMI (AP) — Police say a woman was shot in the arm during a confrontation over a handicapped parking spot in the lot at a popular Miami park.
Miami-Dade police said in a news release that 38-year-old Lina Bahamon was practicing parking in the Tropical Park lot Wednesday night when the driver of a Nissan SUV got upset that her Mercedes was blocking the handicapped parking spaces. As the argument continued, Bahaomn’s 48-year-old husband, Michael Levy, got out of the car.
Police Det. Robin Pinkard says Levy returned to the Mercedes and got his gun from a belt bag and fired several times toward the Nissan, hitting 63-year-old passenger Cecilia Gonzalez in the arm. She was taken to a hospital. No one else was injured.
Investigators say they’re questioning everyone. Arrests are pending.