Five of today’s top Florida political stories at your fingertips:

Invasion of the Big D’s: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton will look for serious cash – Some of the biggest names in the Democratic Party are heading to the Sunshine State this week to hit up Florida donors for cash. President Barack Obama will be headed to Miami Wednesday to fundraise for the Democratic National Committee at real estate giant Stephen Bittel’s home. Bittel was a major fundraiser for Obama in 2012, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the president during his re-election campaign. Read more

Florida nears approving record-high education budget – The Florida School Boards Association is making a push to state lawmakers to approve Governor Rick Scott’s education funding suggestions as the state waits for an education budget to pass. The Legislature is expected to reconvene on June 1 to discuss the budget for the state, while a plan for additional funding for the public school system is already in place. The FSBA recently voted to support record-high school funding. The proposed budget for the public school system in the state for 2015-16 is $19.75 billion, the highest it has ever been. Read more

25 proposals and counting for amendments on 2016 ballot – Presidential candidates have something in common with proposed changes to the state Constitution: There’s already a slew of them. With almost a year and a half till the next election on Nov. 8, 2016, there are 25 proposed amendments vying for a slot on the ballot. That’s more than the roughly 20 declared or likely candidates from both major parties, including Florida’s former Gov. Jeb Bush and current U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Read more

Republicans have tough road in appealing to Florida Jewish voters – Republicans can’t win the White House without winning Florida, so every presidential election cycle they look longingly at Florida’s Jewish voters. It’s such a tantalizingly obvious key to locking down 29 electoral votes: hundreds of thousands of Florida Jews who overwhelmingly vote Democratic. Just reason with them, the thinking goes. Read more

Legislators faced a similar budget showdown in 1992 – As the clock ticked closer to midnight, lawmakers became more anxious. A six-month legislative session featuring near fist fights, budget vetoes and intense racial politics was winding down, yet they still had not figured out how to keep the lights on. If lawmakers don’t pass a budget by the June 30 end of the fiscal year, it triggers a government shutdown. That means mass state worker furloughs, a suspension of most government services, and a body blow to the state economy. Yet, after 128 days in legislative session, the second longest in state history, that’s where lawmakers found themselves on June, 30 1992 as the clock’s hour-hand crept closer to “12.” Read more

Wild video! Police: 3 kids injured when waterspout uproots bounce house

For more Florida political news, visit BPR’s FLORIDA NEWS page

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Cheryl Carpenter Klimek

Administration
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Latest posts by Cheryl Carpenter Klimek (see all)

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