Lawmakers might raise the cost of a pack of cigarettes by as much as a dollar this year - but don't accuse them of raising "taxes." ...more

March 10, 2009

Some cell phones blocked from state unemployment hot line ...more

March 9, 2009

Legislation to extend law enforcement officers' "bill of rights" should be called the "Keep Bad Cops Employed Act." If adopted, it will be virtually impossible for police and sheriff departments to cleanse miscreants from their ranks. ...more

March 9, 2009

Too high? Too low? Debate on homeowner insurance rates might devolve into a shouting match when state lawmakers convene Tuesday for the 2009 session of the Legislature. A gaping canyon seems to divide opinions on the topic. No middle ground seems to exist, especially regarding Citizens Property Insurance, the state-backed insurer of last resort for many Pasco residents. ...more

February 28, 2009

Proposed laws over electric rates could light up some debate when state lawmakers convene Tuesday for the 2009 session of the Legislature. ...more

February 28, 2009

Highlands County Elections Supervisor Joe Campbell is a Democrat. His top assistant, Norma Stokes, is a Republican. ...more

February 26, 2009

The closing of the sale of Aloha Utilities is scheduled for Friday, but controversy might not end even then. ...more

February 25, 2009

If executives of Florida Sports Foundation want to play ball, then they better quit using state tax dollars for salaries and lavish spending, state Sen. Mike Fasano warns. ...more

February 25, 2009

You would have thought that George H.W. Bush's infamous "No new taxes" pledge in 1988 would have been forewarning enough. It eventually did what such expedient political promises typically do: run smack into unforeseen reality down the road. Bush de-pledged. He had rolled the rhetorical dice and hoped ensuing events - fiscal and political - wouldn't require a recant. ...more

February 25, 2009

The nation's homelessness czar joined local government leaders Monday afternoon in announcing a 10-year effort for "ending the disgrace" of homelessness in Pasco County. ...more

February 24, 2009