The economic downturn has forced states around the country to shutter historic sites and reduce visiting hours for parks. But in Florida, Illinois, California and a few other places, closures have been forestalled after outcries from the public and budget-juggling by officials.

Gov. Charlie Crist used his line-item veto power to undo $364 million in spending cuts, trust fund raids and money shifts Tuesday as he signed into law a series of bills designed to avert a current-year budget deficit of at least $2.3 billion.

Miamian Robert Gonzalez says a $1 tax hike on a pack of cigarettes might just be enough to make him quit smoking after 20 years.

Two South Florida moms who staged a weeklong hunger strike to protest cuts to public education funding have ended their protest.

The Florida Legislature neared agreement Wednesday on about $1.2 billion in spending cuts for schools, health care, social services and other state functions.

The Republican senator who chairs the committee making budget decisions says it’s time to start slashing overhead.

Florida legislative leaders have called a special session Jan. 5-16 to deal with a $2.3 billion budget deficit.

Nearly 19 percent or 797,000 children in Florida do not have health insurance — the second highest percentage in the country — and experts expect the number to rise as more parents are laid off, according to a report released this week.

Restoring money cut last year to prison education programs and increasing money to programs that would help prepare inmates to re-enter society are some of the top priorities for The Department of Corrections, the department’s top official said Wednesday.

Hard times are haunting Florida with falling tax revenues, but that hasn’t scared state agencies out of asking for more money.

A select panel of lawmakers tapped $672 million from a reserve fund Wednesday, but Florida’s still facing a potential budget deficit that could force the Legislature into special session after the November election.

The federal government will run a near-record deficit of $407 billion this year, according to the latest Capitol Hill estimates.

Jackson County Commissioners want their administrator to negotiate with the city of Marianna to figure out an equitable cost-sharing plan for fire service issues that currently have the two governing bodies at odds.

Jackson County Commissioners will seek bids on fuel station project.

Jackson County Commissioners continued budget talks in a workshop Tuesday.