by Phil Ammann
The News Service of Florida
Special to Historic City News

Florida lawmakers finished the 2019 Legislative Session Saturday by passing a budget for the upcoming year.

During the two-month Session, lawmakers considered hundreds of bills and made more than $90 billion in spending decisions. It also was the first Session for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and began the two-year terms of Senate President Bill Galvano of Bradenton, and House Speaker José Oliva of Miami Lakes.

The Legislature sent Governor Ron DeSantis a bill making a number of criminal justice reforms today, and DeSantis has signaled to Historic City News that he supports the reforms.  Some of the issues addressed have not been updated in Florida in decades.

With two men who’ve become the faces of Amendment 4 watching from the gallery, Florida lawmakers passed a controversial measure that would require repayment of financial obligations before felons’ voting rights could be restored.

In the case of the State of Florida vs Raye Annette Brutnell (18001779CFMA), Sheriff David Shoar’s handpicked Director of Financial Services, her attorney, Henry M. Coxe III, has filed for another continuance — further delaying the date before the public will get its opportunity to learn more about how business is conducted inside the office of St Johns County’s most controversial sheriff this century.

St. Augustine Beach Communications Coordinator Cindy Walker reported to Historic City News this morning that on Monday evening, April 29, the City of St Augustine Beach held a Special Commission Meeting, discussing and presenting issues, like painting trash cans, recycling services, a new city attorney, televising and live streaming meetings, paid parking, banning single use plastic bags, and opposing offshore drilling.

Historic City News was informed that the St Augustine City Commission will hold a special meeting on Thursday, May 2 starting at 8:30 a.m. marking the start of the process to develop the city’s budget for fiscal year 2019-2020.

After a lot of puffery from an embattled sheriff who does not like to be supervised or accountable to anyone, David Shoar fired off a damning letter to St Johns County Attorney, Patrick F McCormack, originally reported by Historic City News on April 4, 2019.

Funding for VISIT FLORIDA is “closed out” and won’t be revisited unless the main budget heads decide to do so, Sen. Travis Hutson told Historic City News reporters Friday morning.