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Fla. Legislative Leaders Cool to Gov.'s Budget Plan

Tallahassee, Fla.

The top two leaders of the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature on Wednesday said Gov. Charlie Crist may be too optimistic in calling for higher public school spending in another austere budget year.

The Senate's Democratic leader, meanwhile, called Crist's proposed corporate tax cut "kinda insane."

The lawmakers all cited an estimated gap of $1.1 billion to $3.2 billion between the state's anticipated revenues and spending needed to pay for critical programs including schools and Medicaid, which has been growing as more people find themselves without jobs...