For anyone still unconvinced that Governor Rick Scott knows the negotiation dance and uses it to the benefit of his priorities, look no farther than the most recent developments in hospital Medicaid funding.

Twenty-six year old Katie Ballard, Parkland-native and Florida State University graduate, entered politics because she doesn’t “like to sit back and just watch things happen.” Instead, she aspires to make a difference and has made notable progress toward such in her few years on the political scene.  Katie’s first political job was with Congressman Tom Rooney, followed by work with State Rep. Bill Hager and various state House and Senate campaigns.

Tucked into an Aaron Deslatte story about Dean Cannon’s firm’s impressive $755K haul in lobbying fees for the first quarter of 2013, is a fangs-bared quote from the uberest of uber lobbyists, Brian Ballard, that does not portend well for the possibility of a Ballard Partners vs. Capitol Insight charity softball match anytime soon.

Gov. Rick Scott is scheduled to sign the state budget into law shortly after noon today, likely trimming back the $74.5 billion spending plan approved by lawmakers with a few million dollars worth of vetoes.

A 3 percent tuition hike for college and university students already looks doomed. Scott’s staff has leaked to a wire service details about the governor’s intention to veto the increase — which he has signaled for months.

Early Tuesday Gov. Rick Scott should be wheels down at Aeropuerto de Santiago de Chile with most of the 100 others taking part in his eighth international trade mission, reports Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida.

The delegation put together by Enterprise Florida is intended to drum up additional trading partners from the South American nation that already ranks sixth among Florida’s export destinations.

The way to a Mayor’s heart is through his stomach, it appears, at least in the case of St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster, who hosts monthly breakfasts at local restaurants to give residents easier access to City Hall.

This month’s breakfast will be held Wednesday, May 22, at the Skyway Cafe at 11140 Fourth St. N., beginning at 7 am.  Residents are invited to attend, and are told to come equipped with questions and ideas.

They say, “Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” For the 30 young men and women you will read about this week, this phrase is still meaningful — for each in their own way — as their careers in Florida’s political process rise.

Editor’s note: The following is cross-posted from Noah Pransky’s Shadow of the Stadium blog.

In the May 17 edition of La Gaceta, publisher Patrick Manteiga, in his “As We Heard It” column writes, “We heard Billy Young, son of perpetual Congressman Bill Young of Pinellas, is considering a run against Democrat State Representative Dwight Dudley.”

“We heard…”

Really, Patrick, “We heard…” 

Gov. Rick Scott plans to sign the $74.5 billion budget into law today, but will announce that he is using his line item veto power. Among the things Scott is expected to veto is a three percent tuition increase for university students. The Associated Press reported Sunday, citing an advanced copy of the veto message, that Scott, as expected, would reject the tuition hike.

This comes as no surprise to Speaker Will Weatherford.

Jacksonville State Rep. Daniel Davis was selected to serve as the next president and CEO of the JAX Chamber of Commerce and will begin on July 1.

A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.

THE WEEK AHEAD via the News Service of Florida

The governor, with the budget on his desk awaiting a signature, heads to Chile on a trade mission next week. 

Bills continue to leave the fourth floor of the Capitol and head to the governor’s desk – and presumably administration officials are starting to think about a lieutenant governor pick.