TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—An expansion of gambling pro-family leaders deem “predatory” easily passed May 8 as the Florida Legislature concluded its extended annual session.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Legislature today easily passed legislation that pro-family leaders decry as a “predatory” expansion of gambling in the Sunshine State.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Only hours after legislative gambling negotiations had seemingly reached an impasse yesterday, the Florida House of Representatives made its “final offer” and the Senate accepted.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – After the Florida House of Representatives made major concessions in the last two days of negotiations with the Senate seeking to reach a compromise on gambling legislation, the Senate abruptly reversed course today, moving significantly closer to its original position – and possibly ending the negotiations.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – Contending Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul will be the “final arbiter” of whether there is a major expansion of gambling in the Legislature this year, Bill Bunkley is asking Florida Baptists to contact Cretul immediately and urge him to oppose gambling expansion.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – In what a Florida Baptist leader considers a major concession, the Florida House of Representatives has offered to allow banked card games – including blackjack – at the leading Seminole Tribe facility in its counter-offer to Senate negotiators during a May 1 gambling conference committee.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Late Wednesday Senate gambling conferees made their first “offer” to their House of Representatives counterparts as members of the Florida Legislature negotiate their differing approaches to gambling expansion.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – With the announcement by Florida legislative leaders of an agreement on the budget and one-week extension of the 60-day session, pro-family leaders are urging immediate action by concerned citizens against a possible gambling expansion.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—As the Florida Legislature enters its final two weeks of the annual legislative session a major expansion of gambling is getting closer to reality, while Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley is urging legislators to “Just Say No” to all gambling bills.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) — The Florida House of Representatives passed by wide margins April 21 two bills to expand gambling in the Sunshine State.

UPDATE, April 20,11:00 a.m.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – As the Florida Legislature enters its final two weeks of the annual legislative session a major expansion of gambling is getting closer to reality, while Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley is urging legislators to “Just Say No” to all gambling bills.

UPDATE, April 16, 4:00 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Senate began to move the Sunshine State towards a major expansion of gambling with its adoption April 16 of a gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Both houses of the Florida Legislature are poised to begin consideration of differing gambling expansion packages for the Seminole Tribe and pari-mutuels throughout the state.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – A committee in the Florida House of Representatives approved an expansion of gambling for pari-mutuel facilities throughout the state April 13, less than two weeks after adopting legislation for a new gambling compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Pro-family leaders, joined by two former legislative leaders, decried “predatory” gambling under consideration in the Florida Legislature and urged legislators to reject as “fool’s gold” gambling expansion to balance the state budget in a March 27 news conference.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Casino-style gambling under consideration by the Florida Legislature to balance the state budget actually creates more governmental costs than tax benefits an expert in gambling economics told a House panel March 27.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – As the Florida Legislature passed the mid-way mark of the 60-day annual legislative session, Florida Baptist legislative consultant Bill Bunkley gave Florida Baptist Witness an overview of matters he’s watching in the final month.

UPDATED, April 3

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Pro-family leaders, joined by two former legislative leaders, decried “predatory” gambling under consideration in the Florida Legislature and urged legislators to reject as “fool’s gold” gambling expansion to balance the state budget in a March 27 news conference.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Casino-style gambling under consideration by the Florida Legislature to balance the state budget actually creates more governmental costs than tax benefits an expert in gambling economics told a House panel March 27.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Pro-family leaders, joined by two former legislative leaders, decried “predatory” gambling under consideration in the Florida Legislature and urged legislators to reject as “fool’s gold” gambling expansion to balance the state budget in a March 27 news conference.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)-At a time when many citizens are turning to churches and religious organizations to meet needs created by the economic recession, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley urged legislators to retain the sales tax exemption on religious items.

TALLHASSEE (FBW)—A bill that would require an ultrasound image be shown to a woman considering an abortion in the first trimester cleared a panel in the House of Representatives March 18, the first of three committee stops for the measure which narrowly failed in the 2008 legislative session.

TALLHASSEE (FBW) – A bill that would require an ultrasound image be shown to a woman considering an abortion in the first trimester cleared a panel in the House of Representatives March 18, the first of three committee stops for the measure which narrowly failed in the 2008 legislative session.

UPDATED, March 13

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – At a time when many citizens are turning to churches and religious organizations to meet needs created by the economic recession, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley urged legislators to retain the sales tax exemption on religious items.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – At a time when many citizens are turning to churches and religious organizations to meet needs created by the economic recession, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley urged legislators to retain the sales tax exemption on religious items.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Sweeping legislation possibly jeopardizing sales tax exemptions enjoyed by churches, religious organizations, religious schools, parochial schools and other charities has been introduced in both houses of the Florida Legislature, which began its 60-day legislative session March 3.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Sweeping legislation possibly jeopardizing sales tax exemptions enjoyed by churches, religious organizations, religious schools, parochial schools and other charities has been introduced in both houses of the Florida Legislature, which began its 60-day legislative session March 3.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley on Feb. 12 urged a committee studying the governor’s invalidated gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe to resist gambling expansion to ease the state’s financial pain at the expense of “increasingly deseperate” citizens.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)—With a looming budget deficit anticipated to dictate much of the action of the annual state legislative session, Florida Baptist Convention legislative consultant Bill Bunkley is urging Florida Baptists to evaluate budget priorities “through the lens of God’s principles and His priorities”—and to urge the Legislature to do the same.

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – Rep. Larry Cretul, R-Ocala laughs at the suggestion of some that he is the “accidental speaker” of the Florida House, although he will take that high office only because of the unexpected departure of Speaker Ray Sansom.

The Florida Legislature concludes this week its special session called to balance the state budget, wisely rejecting new gambling revenue as a means of closing the 2008-2009 budget deficit. Nevertheless, citizens concerned about the detrimental effects of gambling expansion on our society should not be so confident about the coming regular legislative session.