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Budget conference: Lawmakers agree on K-12 education budget as some schools brace for cuts

Lawmakers are moving along in budget talks as they reach agreement on the education budget.

The House and Senate have reached consensus on a $29.5 billion K-12 education budget, a 3% increase from the current fiscal year.

POLITICO reported that the budget will fund $9,130 per student, or a nearly 2% jump of about $143. The previous year, the increase had been about 3%.

“I feel it’s adequate,” House Appropriations Chair Lawrence McClure told journalists when asked about the per pupil funding levels Tuesday. “This Legislature has shown a deep commitment, not only to public education, but education as a whole.”

Lawmakers are also using property taxes to help fund the K-12 budget, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has been a vocal supporter of eliminating property taxes.

The budget fully funds accelerated courses, such as Advanced Placement, that help high school students get college credit. The program is funded with about $597 million.

Trump says FEMA to be wound down after hurricane season

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he planned to start "phasing out" the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the hurricane season and that states would receive less federal aid to respond to natural disasters.

Trump also said he planned to distribute disaster relief funds directly from the president's office.

"We're going to do it much differently," Trump said in a briefing at the White House in response to a question about when he planned to eliminate FEMA and what his message was to governors regarding states bearing more disaster-relief costs.

"We're going to give out less money," he said.

"We're going to give it out directly. It'll be from the president's office. We'll have somebody here, could be Homeland Security."

In an apparent reference to his plans to wind down the disaster-relief agency, Trump added: "I'd say after the hurricane season we'll start phasing it out."

Gov. DeSantis names 12 to Judicial Nominating Commissions — including Jason Gonzalez, Nick Meros

Gonzalez has worked numerous high-profile cases for some of the biggest names in Florida politics. Meros used to be on the Governor’s payroll.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed 12 lawyers to Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNC) across Florida, where they will vet applicants for bench vacancies at various levels of the judiciary before submitting recommendations to him.

Atop the list is Jason Gonzalez of Tallahassee, who is again joining the Florida Supreme Court JNC, this time for a term through July 1, 2027.

A founding shareholder at Lawson Huck Gonzalez PLLC, Gonzalez has been instrumental in reshaping Florida’s justice system, including guiding the historic appointment of four Florida Supreme Court Justices.

Beyond his prior service on the Florida Supreme Court JNC, he has chaired the 1st District Court of Appeal JNC and 2nd Judicial Circuit JNC. He also served as General Counsel to former Govs. Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. He held the same job for two terms with the Republican Party of Florida, whose Executive Board he previously served on.

Silver Airways Abruptly Shuts Down

Silver Airways abruptly ceased operations Wednesday, six months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a bid to restructure its finances and remain in service.

The Fort Lauderdale-based regional airline, which operated flights throughout Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, informed customers on Wednesday that all flights were canceled and advised travelers not to go to the airport. Passengers were directed to seek refunds through their credit card companies or travel agencies.

In a December 30, 2024, open letter to customers, the company had announced its voluntary bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. At the time, Silver stated that it intended to continue operations during the restructuring process and anticipated emerging from bankruptcy by the first quarter of 2025.

The airline assured passengers that all tickets would remain valid and that flight schedules would continue uninterrupted. It also emphasized that bookings made through United and JetBlue, as well as partner loyalty programs, would not be affected.