TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked a special legislative panel Friday to tap $672 million from a budget reserve fund to help make up another state revenue shortfall.Crist made the request under a new law passed this year. It lets the Legislative Budget Commission use up to half of the state's $1.3 billion budget stabilization fund to offset such a shortage after getting the governor's recommendation.
The law also allows borrowing up to $1 billion from the Lawton Chiles Endowment, which invests money from the state's multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement for future use on children's and health programs.
Crist is seeking the maximum from the budget fund but none of the tobacco money.
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