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Lawmakers want to take hatchet to dozens of jobs in James Uthmeier’s Office

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House and Senate lawmakers appear ready to cut dozens of vacant positions in the Attorney General’s Office, but the chambers still disagree on just how severe those cuts should be.

House lawmakers want to be more aggressive, with the Justice Budget Subcommittee proposing to eliminate 122 positions in the Department of Legal Affairs that have been vacant for more than 90 days. That would save more than $9.26 million, according to the House budget.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, in its initial proposal, envisions eliminating 91 vacant positions, resulting in a savings of just under $6.95 million.

It’s the latest salvo in what’s been a frosty relationship in the few months since James Uthmeier took over as Florida’s Attorney General.

The former Chief of Staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis has been caught in the crossfire of the House’s probe into Hope Florida. Lawmakers, including Republicans, are raising questions about a $67 million settlement between Centene and Hope Florida for Medicaid overbilling.

The Hope Florida Foundation, the charitable arm of the First Lady’s Hope Florida initiative, received $10 million of that money, which was then diverted to two committees. Those committees then donated millions to a political committee chaired by Uthmeier while he was Chief of Staff, which was designed to suppress support for last year’s ballot initiative to legalize recreational pot.

Uthmeier has defended the money trail, but he has faced criticism from lawmakers investigating the matter.

Uthmeier’s Office is now facing potential staffing cuts, although the budget is considering other cuts for positions left unfilled for more than 90 days.

What’s notable is that the House is far more aggressive in pursuing those cuts, with the Senate often failing to include any such cuts for other budget silos. Regarding Uthmeier’s Office, though, the Senate is on board, though the upper chamber would still spare more jobs than in the House proposal.

Still, the line item has not been agreed upon yet, meaning it could change or even be removed entirely as budget conferences continue this week.


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Erin Gillespie joins Presidio’s Florida practice

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Erin Gillespie, a veteran of Florida state government and a recognized expert in technology-driven public sector solutions, has joined Presidio’s growing Florida.

Presidio, which has partnered with state agencies, local governments, and educational institutions across Florida for decades, announced Gillespie’s addition as part of its ongoing expansion of State, Local and Education (SLED) solutions.

“Erin’s diverse background in Florida state government, paired with her experience in innovative technology services, makes her the perfect choice to continue expanding our presence here in Florida,” said Dustin Caldwell, Presidio Vice President of SLED solutions. “We are so excited to add her to our team.”

Gillespie brings more than 20 years of experience in government operations, economic development, disaster management, and technology modernization. She spent over a decade in Florida state government, including roles as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (now FloridaCommerce), and leadership positions at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Since leaving state service, Gillespie has advised governments across the country on digital transformation strategies — supporting modernization of IT infrastructure, disaster recovery, grants management, call centers, and more.

“I could not be more thrilled to join the incredible Presidio team here in Tallahassee, and to continue serving state and local government,” Gillespie said. “Presidio works hand-in-hand with agencies across a wide range of technology solutions to help them deliver better services to constituents all across the state.”


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Moore earns spot on Inc.’s 2025 Best Workplaces list

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Moore, a globally recognized marketing and communications agency headquartered in Tallahassee, has once again been named to Inc.’s annual Best Workplaces list — an honor that highlights companies with standout cultures and team-first values.

“We are honored to once again be recognized on a national stage for the culture we’ve built and the values we live by. Our people are the heart of Moore, and this honor belongs to each of them,” said Karen Moore, the agency’s founder and CEO.

The 2025 list, compiled by Inc. in partnership with Quantum Workplace, evaluated companies across the country on employee engagement, benefits, management effectiveness, professional development, and overall workplace experience. Moore was among just 514 honorees selected nationwide.

“This recognition is a celebration of our people and the intentional culture we’ve cultivated together,” said Terrie Ard, President and COO of Moore. “Being named to Inc.’s Best Workplaces affirms that our commitment to collaboration, growth, and purpose-driven work truly makes Moore a place where people thrive.”

Moore’s team retention rate stands at 92%, while client retention reaches 98%—figures the agency credits to its deliberate investment in people and culture.

“Inc.’s Best Workplaces program celebrates the exceptional organizations whose workplace cultures address their employees’ welfare and needs in meaningful ways,” said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.

“As companies expand and adapt to changing economic forces, maintaining such a culture is no small feat. Yet these honorees have not only achieved it—they continue to elevate the employee experience through thoughtful benefits, engagement, and a deep commitment to their teams.”

With team members positioned across the U.S., Moore provides full-service capabilities in public affairs, branding, digital marketing, crisis communications, media relations and more—serving Fortune 500 companies, state agencies, and nonprofits alike.


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Florida Hospital Association applauds ‘meaningful health care investments’ in budget

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Count the Florida Hospital Association (FHA) among the organizations praising lawmakers for considerations in the state’s 2025-26 spending plan.

The Tallahassee-headquartered nonprofit trade group, which represents hospitals and health systems across the Sunshine State, applauded the Legislature for making “strategic investments in health care” prioritizing research, infrastructure, mitigation grants and expanded patient access.

That includes:

— $15 million to support hospitals performing intestinal transplants.

— $10 million for the Cancer Connect Collaborative incubator lawmakers created this year to advance pediatric cancer care and treatment research by specialty children’s hospitals.

— $10 million to support a statewide grant pilot program for integrated residential treatment services for women with persistent mental illness and substance use disorders.

— Funding for hospital hardening and mitigation.

— Language directing the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health to seek the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ approval of a prospective payment system for behavioral health ambulatory services provided by Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

— Full funding of the most recent Social Services Estimating Conference estimates for Florida Medicaid.

FHA President and CEO Mary Mayhew said in a statement that her organization is “grateful to Senate President Ben Albritton, House Speaker Daniel Perez and members of the Florida Legislature for their commitment to strengthening Florida’s health care delivery system.”

“The Florida Legislature’s commitment to invest strategically in emergency preparedness, innovation and access to care for Florida’s most vulnerable residents will have a lasting impact,” she said. “These investments give our hospitals great confidence to deliver modern, sophisticated health care as our population and their health care needs continue to grow.”

After more than a month of extended Session work, lawmakers adjourned Monday after agreeing on a $115 billion spending plan for 2025-26. The budget, a middle ground between the Senate and House proposals, is now headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for vetoes and approval.

Other groups praising the budget include the Florida Retail Federation, Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, National Federation of Independent Business, Florida Conservation Group and Florida Citrus Mutual.

Florida TaxWatch, meanwhile, flagged $416 million worth of “Budget Turkeys” in the plan and highlighted $799.5 million in other proposed spending that deserves “especially close scrutiny” from the Governor.


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