Florida Legislature Approves Budget, Ends Annual Session
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EUSTIS SOFTBALL FALLS IN REGIONAL FINAL, SPORTS B1 LEESBURG, FLORIDA Sunday, May 4, 2014 www.dailycommercial.com GROVELAND: New city manager wants more OKLAHOMA: Lawmakers say they great ideas from residents, employees, A3 won’t abandon death penalty, A6 State budget includes goodies for local programs LIVI STANFORD | Staff Writer from the state bud- [email protected] get, which will aid pro- grams in the commu- The Florida Legisla- nity. ture passed a $77 bil- Lake Technical Col- lion budget Friday that includes $3 mil- lege, Lifestream Be- lion for construction havioral Center and of a new science lab at the South Lake Re- the Lake-Sumter State gional Water Initiative College South Lake also will receive fund- Campus to jump start ing. a magnet school for But the magnet the highest perform- school is one of the ing students in south largest projects in the Lake. county. Lake-Sumter State “It is going to be a College, South Lake real benefit for our Hospital, the Lake community and all the County School District students in the mag- STEVE CANNON / AP and University of Cen- net program and those Senate president Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, talks with house speaker Will Weatherford on the phone as he prepares to bang tral Florida have come students in dual en- the gavel to end the session on Friday in Tallahassee. together and will give rollment,” Lake Coun- final approval in the ty School Board Vice coming weeks to the Chairman Tod Howard school. It would serve said. “It is going to be a Florida Legislature approves 100 high-performing part of the future eco- students in the ninth nomic development grade, who would take for south Lake Coun- budget, ends annual session two years of advanced ty.” placement classes, fol- Sasheika Tomlinson, director of marking GARY FINEOUT aimed at overhauling lowed by dual-enroll- Associated Press the child-welfare sys- ment at LSSC and two and college relations years at the University for the LSSC, said the lush with cash, tem. The bill states that protecting a child from of Central Florida. appropriation would Florida legislators assist the college with abuse is paramount Funding for the ended their annu- “funding the first part F and more important school remained a al session Friday by ap- of two phases of build- than keeping a fami- challenge because proving a record state ing the science lab.” ly together. That’s a sig- of the need to build budget that increases Planning will occur nificant shift for the De- the science lab at the money for everything the first year and con- partment of Children south Lake campus. from child welfare to struction the second and Families, which has This is one of sev- schools to cleaning up eral appropriations SEE LOCAL | A2 water pollution. placed a premium on The Republican-con- putting fewer children trolled Legislature vot- SCOTT KEELER / HALIFAX MEDIA GROUP in foster care. ed on the budget and Lobbyists, lawmakers, journalists, and guests fill the fourth Lawmakers also voted then shut down the 60- floor Rotunda of the Florida Capitol on Friday in Tallahassee. for a bill that will allow day session late Friday and we’re going to help dents living illegally in the Florida Supreme night. all Florida families,” the country to qualify Court to grant law li- The vote closed out Scott said shortly after for in-state tuition rates censes to non-citizens. a hectic final day that the session ended. for college. Both deci- And in a turnabout is expected to set the In the final hours, sions were unthinkable from last year, the Leg- stage for a crucial elec- legislators approved a in the past decade for islature passed a bill tion year when Gov. measure that would al- many GOP lawmakers. that would allow pro- Rick Scott and most low the sale of a strain Scott is expected to sign fessional sports teams legislators will be on of low-THC marijuana both. to qualify for taxpay- STEVE CANNON / AP the ballot. for medical use. They The Legislature also er money. A similar bill Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, right, speaks with Sen. Alan “We had a great year also voted to allow stu- passed a sweeping bill SEE BUDGET | A2 Hays, R-Umatilla during the recent debate on medical marijuana. EPA questioning proposed gas pipeline through Lake, Sumter PROPOSED PIPELINE Halifax Media Group whether alternatives exist to the project’s effects on air and answer the EPA’s concerns. A proposed 465 mile-long natural gas delivering natural gas to a water quality along the route. “The extent and nature of pipeline from Alabama to Osceola County Federal environmental regu- in Florida could pass through sections of South Florida power plant be- The 18-page letter, issued their comments were what we Sumter and Lake counties. lators want more details about sides a 3-foot-wide pipe that last week, was directed to the had expected for a project of a proposed natural gas pipe- N stretches for 465 miles across FERC because the latter agen- this size, which covers three 75 line that will pass through 27 states,” company spokeswom- LAKE Lake and Sumter counties, in- three states. cy is responsible for draft- 91 an Andrea Grover said in a cluding a fuller explanation Some project maps show it ing an environmental impact statement. SUMTER about why the project is need- cutting straight across Sumter statement about the $3 billion ed in the first place. County and the southwestern pipeline project. The agency is “Sabal Trail has met with 50 and discussed the project with 27 In its initial review of Sabal corner of Lake County. also the ultimate approval au- Proposed Trail Transmission LLC’s proj- The EPA also wants the Fed- thority. EPA officials on several occa- pipeline path ect, the U.S. Environmental eral Energy Regulatory Com- Representatives for Sabal sions, so we are aware of their WHITNEY WILLARD / STAFF GRAPHIC Protection Agency questions mission, or FERC, to explain Trail said they were working to SEE GAS | A2 INDEX DIVERSIONS E5 OBITUARIES A4 Vol. 138 LEGALS C6 SPORTS B1 TODAY’S WEATHER CLASSIFIED C6 No. 124 $1 MONEY D1 VOICES C1 Detailed forecast 85˚/63˚ COMICS INSIDE 5 sections CROSSWORDS C5 NATION A6 WORLD A7 on page A8. Mostly sunny, warmer Call Our Experienced Physicians For Family Medicine Podiatric/Foot Care and Chiropractic Treatment 357-8615 ~ www.lakehealthcarecenter.com 910 Mt. Homer Rd. ~ Eustis Paul Austin, MD Victor M. Torres, DPM Randy Glisson, D.C. John Heiligenthal, D.C. James Fernandes, D.C. Most Insurance Accepted Family Practice Foot & Ankle Care Back & Neck Care Back & Neck Care Back & Neck Care Serving Lake County Since 1963 ~ Founded by Dr. Jim Glisson Board Certified Podiatric Surgery Nutrition & Acupuncture Palmer Graduate A2 DAILY COMMERCIAL Sunday, May 4, 2014 tional Forest, already program for low-income near Dunnellon. GAS pumps natural gas to the customers — which was Environmental regu- FLORIDA FROM PAGE A1 region from the northern a provision in the compa- lators seek to learn how part of the country. ny’s goals for energy con- much greenhouse gas- concerns and have been Williams and Spec- servation that were pro- es and potentially haz- LOTTERY tra also partner in a 745- vided to the state Public ardous pollutants will be working to address them MAY 3 since before these com- mile pipeline that runs Service Commission. emitted at such sites. ments were filed.” beneath the Gulf to deliv- The EPA cited a simi- Beth Gordon, a Levy CASH 3 ...............................................9-1-8 Grover added that Sa- er natural gas from Mo- lar initiative launched in County resident whose Afternoon ..........................................7-1-7 bal Trail would respond bile to Tampa, where it is the Pacific Northwest 30 32 acres would be af- PLAY 4 .............................................9-0-0-3 to the issues raised by the piped to other points in years ago. The utility that fected by the pipeline Afternoon .......................................8-0-7-8 EPA in resource reports Central Florida. managed the program and who serves as presi- the company will file with EPA officials also point found that energy savings dent of Spectrabusters, a MAY 2 FERC in June, and that out that another proj- over the years amounted group opposing the proj- FANTASY 5 ........................... 7-12-27-28-34 the commission would ect, a Spectra partnership to the equivalent needed ect, said the EPA is right MEGA MONEY ...................... 13-14-20-42-6 with CenterPoint Ener- to power the state of Or- in the issues it raises, and also deal with them in the MEGA MILLIONS .............. 1-18-26-35-40-13 draft environmental im- gy, came on line in 2011. egon, and that the utili- questions the real motive pact statement, which is That effort expanded a ty “found it was cheap- for the pipeline. anticipated to be com- 274-mile pipeline from er to retrofit houses than “Why is FPL and Spec- pleted next spring. eastern Louisiana to Mo- build new generation ca- tra Energy bringing in so THE NEWSPAPER OF CHOICE FOR LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES SINCE 1875 Sabal Trail, a joint ven- bile. pacity.” much gas, when they re- Looking offshore, the Such success, the EPA cently estimated a 10- The Daily Commercial (ISSN 0896-1042) is published daily for ture of Juno Beach-based $90.74 per year (plus Florida sales tax) by Halifax Media Group EPA observes that Port continued, compels the year need as much, much at 212 East Main Street, Leesburg, Florida. Periodicals postage is Next Era Energy Corp.