Florida's Economic Future Getting Dimmer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - State economists say Florida's economic
outlook is getting worse due to the "double-whammy" of the
national recession on top of the state's housing slump.
The economists met Monday to make another downward shift in
their economic outlook for the state. That's only going to make a
bad budget situation worse for Florida lawmakers, who begin their
annual 60-day session on Tuesday.
Legislative economist Amy Baker said it now looks like the
national recession is going to last through the end of this summer,
a quarter longer than previously forecast.
Florida's economy, though, is expected to remain flat for
another year after that because it was affected more than the
nation as a whole by the housing decline.

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