TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Charlie Crist is set to sign an austere budget for another tough financial year.

With state revenues continuing to fall, it's taken a combination of spending cuts, federal stimulus money and about $2 billion in tax and fee increases to balance the $66.5 billion budget.

The governor also can exercise his line-item veto power when he puts his signature on the spending plan Wednesday.

The new budget will go into effect July 1. Besides more than $5 billion in stimulus money, the biggest new revenue source is a $1-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax.

Court and motor vehicle fees also will be going up. So will tuition at Florida's public universities and state and community colleges.


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