Florida

Funds to provide quality child care so parents can work

April 17, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist, continuing his efforts to reinvigorate Florida’s economy, today announced the availability of $105 million in federal economic stimulus funds over three years for Florida’s Early Learning program. The stimulus funding will be distributed to the state’s Early Learning Coalitions by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation to provide additional child care opportunities for income-eligible parents and help enhance the quality of child care services to children and families.    » read more »

Funds to make low-interest loans to local governments for wastewater and stormwater construction projects

April 17, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist, continuing his efforts to reinvigorate Florida’s economy and protect Florida’s environment, today announced the award of more than $132 million to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The funds, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will help the state and local governments finance many overdue improvements to wastewater and stormwater projects that are essential for protecting public health and the environment across the state.    » read more »

Holds roundtable discussion with Florida realtors, urges Legislature to reduce property-tax burden

April 15, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today met with Florida realtors to discuss Florida’s housing market. Governor Crist encouraged first-time home buyers to take advantage of the tax credit made available through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $8,000 tax credit applies to primary residences as long as they are purchased before December 1, 2009.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC, Wednesday, April 8, 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood today announced that airports around the country will receive $258 million under the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

“Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act we are creating jobs across the country while investing in the long-term safety and economic vitality of our airports,” said Secretary LaHood.    » read more »

Governor Crist Discusses Cover Florida Health Care Cost Savings

March 26, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today visited the emergency wing of Capital Regional Medical Center in Tallahassee to discuss the benefits of Cover Florida Health Care coverage for Floridians without health insurance. He encouraged Floridians to learn more about the affordable, quality health insurance coverage that is increasing access to health care for uninsured applicants age 19 to 64. He also discussed the plans with Cover Florida policyholders Rebecca Rice and Carly Ramsey, both of Tallahassee.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has initiated its first draw of more than $363 million in increased federal stimulus funds allowed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This funding represents the increase in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) – or Medicaid matching funds – earned for the quarter ending December 31, 2008.

An additional request for more than $412 million of the $454 million for the January through March 2009 quarter will be initiated later today, followed by routine weekly funding requests.    » read more »

Recipients to receive additional benefits through checks or Electronic Fund Transfers

March 24, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced the processing of additional payments to Floridians currently receiving unemployment benefits. The payments, which are in the form of checks or Electronic Fund Transfers, are the result of an agreement Governor Crist signed on February 20, 2009, with the U.S. Department of Labor as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The agreement authorized the state to issue additional federal stimulus payments of $25 per week to people receiving unemployment compensation. The federally funded benefits are expected to provide $345 million to Floridians through July 3, 2010.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced the initial results of the first two months of enrollment in Cover Florida Health Care plans. He also encouraged businesses, health care providers and other organizations to help increase awareness about the affordable, quality health insurance coverage made available to Florida’s nearly four million uninsured applicants age 19 to 64. As of February 28, 2009, the health plans reported enrolling 952 Floridians – 82 percent of whom chose catastrophic coverage, and 18 percent chose preventive coverage.    » read more »

Senior nutrition programs will help more elders maintain independence

March 20, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that Florida will receive more than $7.2 million in funding to support senior nutrition programs in Florida through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The funding includes $4.8 million for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites and nearly $2.4 million for home-delivered meals to help homebound elders.    » read more »

Funds to provide additional job placement and training

March 20, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist, continuing his efforts to reinvigorate Florida’s economy, today announced the release of $165 million in federal economic stimulus funds to local workforce boards for additional job placement services and job training for the people of Florida. The funds will provide workforce training for unemployed Floridians and help businesses improve their workers’ skills.    » read more »

Launches Web site to empower taxpayers to hold government accountable for use of funds

March 19, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today unveiled the Florida Office of Economic Recovery’s Web site that allows the people of Florida to review state and local governments’ use of federal funds coming to Florida as a result of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The launch of the FlaRecovery.com Web site comes during Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of Florida’s dedication to making state and local government more accessible to the public.    » read more »

Calls on Enterprise Florida Inc. to bolster Florida’s strongest economic sector

March 18, 2009 -- JACKSONVILLE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today unveiled the Florida International Trade Stimulus Program, which will create international business opportunities for the growth and prosperity of small and medium-sized businesses and economic development organizations. Governor Crist announced the plan during a tour of the Port of Jacksonville.    » read more »

Promotes financial transparency, allows Floridians to track how their taxpayer dollars are spent

March 17, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today announced a new Web site that will allow Floridians to track how state government spends their taxpayer dollars. The launch of the Sunshine Spending Web site comes during Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of Florida’s dedication to making state and local government more accessible to the public.    » read more »

New Analysis Ranks "Filthy 15" States by Coal Ash Produced by Proposed Plants

Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2009) -- Proposed coal plants across the United States would produce nearly 18 million tons of dangerous waste, including toxic metals, each year. Nearly 130 million tons of coal waste from existing plants is being produced annually, most of which is disposed of in largely unregulated landfills, ponds and other locations, posing serious public health and environmental risks.

According to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the 15 states that would be the biggest polluters -- the “Filthy 15” -- have proposals for 54 coal plants and would create nearly 14 million tons of dangerous waste.    » read more »

Rights of 138,348 ex-offenders restored in past 23 months

March 11, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced that since the Florida Board of Executive Clemency approved a rule change in April 2007 providing for the restoration of the civil rights for certain ex-offenders, a total of 138,348 individuals have had their civil rights restored. In the 12-year period prior to the rule change, the civil rights of only 83,345 ex-offenders were restored. The announcement comes on the eve of the Florida Board of Executive Clemency’s meeting just two years after approving a change to the Rules of Executive Clemency introduced by Governor Crist in April 2007.    » read more »