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The waiting continues for the governor and lawmakers wanting to find out if Washington will send an extra 2.7 billion dollars for education.

Florida has to apply for the money but the application may not be ready for another two weeks. Governor Charlie Crist met with agencies heads from several state departments this afternoon to discuss the best way to spend the 13 billion stimulus dollars. Governor Charlie Crist said lawmakers should prepare a budget that banks on the state receiving the extra money.

“I think they can plan to be optimistic and incorporate those funds for education. Every indicator we have gotten so far seems to be in line with the fact that we’ll probably get it. I’m just anxious for that to actually happen,” said Crist.

Of the 13 million dollars the state is expecting two billion will go to county health clinics. The money is expected to create 300.

Governor Charlie Crist is asking a taskforce charged with helping autistic children to keep working.

Crist was joined by Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino at the state capitol to sign an executive order extending the Taskforce on Autism Spectrum Disorder until 2011. Marino’s son was diagnosed with autism 18 years ago. Marino said he felt overwhelmed at the time.

“We didn’t really know where to turn and to think of today you know 18 years later, the awareness, the millions of people around the world today are representing autism and all the good things about helping children with developmental disabilities is pretty special,” said Marino.

Last year Marino joined Governor Crist is supporting legislation requiring insurance companies increase coverage for autistic kids.

Realtors and homebuilders say stimulus dollars for home buyers aren’t moving fast enough. They’re asking the state to offer cash advances for people who qualify for a home buyers’ tax credit. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state would loan money to buyers, then the buyers would send their tax credit to the state.

People who buy a home before December 1st are eligible for an 8-thousand dollar tax credit. The credit is part of a federal plan to save the housing market. But Florida Home Builders say it’s not moving homes fast enough.

“The dilemma with it is that it can’t be used for down payment because the individual doesn’t claim it until their next tax return is filed,” said Doug Buck, the director of government affairs for the Florida Home Builders Association.

Florida homebuilders and realtors are calling on the state to front the money to home buyers. The buyers would use the cash for a down payment, then forward their tax credits to the state, but giving cash advances to people who can’t afford a down payment could lead to more foreclosures.

The Florida Association of Realtors say since banks are reluctant to lend money, advancing the cash is the best way to help families buy.

“This would only be available to people who have already qualified for that tax credit and they’re going to be getting the money in a couple of months so we’re just offering them a short term loan basically,” said John Sebree with the Florida Association of Realtors.

Governor Charlie Crist is considering the plan.

“Hopefully we’ll have some good news to share with the Homebuilders,” said Crist.

If the state creates a money pool for cash advances, experts say as many as 12,000 more homes could sell this year. The latest numbers from the Florida Homebuilders Association show sales have risen 20 percent from a year ago. Realtors attribute the spike to falling home prices. The median price of a home in Florida is now 140,000 dollars.

Florida ranks among the lowest in the country for high school graduation, family support programs and access to health care for children.

Child advocates are launching a statewide campaign called ‘Worst to First’ to promote change. They’re asking lawmakers to find funding for education and children’s health care programs. President of the Lawton Chiles foundation Bud Chiles said state leaders have failed children.

“We reject those who with empty words would try to continue to lull us into complacency, to divide us with crumbs from the political table and we reject those who care so much about their political popularity that they would preserve it at the expense of our kids,” said Chiles.

The group set up a website to track where the state ranks in child service programs and education. The site will be used as a networking tool for child advocacy groups to share information. The address is www.worsttofirst.org.

Rain couldn’t put a damper on the Miami-Dade Days at the state capital.

For the second day in a row, rain poured from the sky in Tallahassee. The world’s largest skillet of paella was once again the center of attention. Cooks moved the paella under an awning at the House Office Building to keep it from turning into soup. The paella traditionally serves 3,000 people. Dade County Days is a chance for city and county leaders to meet with lawmakers and talk about the most important issues facing the county.

Developing land could soon become less expensive.

A House Committee approved legislation to freeze impact fees for two years. Impact fees are levied by cities and counties on new developments. The municipalities use the money for new infrastructure like utilities and roads. Florida Association of Realtors Spokesman John Sebree said freezing the fees will speed up development.

“Many communities around the state are rescinding impact fees right now because they realize that that extra cost is just too much for the buyer to handle,” said Sebree.

The legislation passed its final committees stop in the House and is ready to be heard by the entire chamber.

As state lawmakers look to cigarettes and other “sin” taxes to fund the state budget, a hike in the tax on beer is on the table, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, it is a long shot.

Florida drinks over 500 million gallons of beer a year. The current tax is 48 cents a gallon. Some are suggesting a slight bump.

“A pint of beer, maybe a penny,” Sen. Gary Siplin (D-Orlando) said. “A gallon of beer maybe 6 cents. 6 to 8 cents.”

At Mike’s Beer Barn near the FSU campus, manager Dan Felger doesn’t think a few pennies will do much to harm sales.

“People are still going to continue to drink,” Felger said. “We’re here in a college town. They’re going to continue to drink, they really are.”

At the Capitol, there is concern.

While a higher cigarette tax is gaining momentum, a higher tax on beer has, at best, a 50-50 chance.

Finance and Tax Chairman Thad Altman is treading lightly.

“We know that we are lower than Alabama and Georgia in that particular tax,” Altman said. “But relative to other states, we are relatively high.”

Governor Charlie Crist, who has come close to embracing a user fee on cigarettes, is pouring ice on the beer tax. We asked him the difference between a fee and a tax.

“When it hits everybody, that’s clearly what it is,” Crist said. “When it’s just individual users, then it’s not.”

And, apparently because so many people drink beer, policy makers are thinking twice.