Florida clerks to cut hours

SARASOTA — Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Courts Karen E. Rushing announced her offices will reduce their hours of operation by one-and-a-half hours a day because of budget cuts, she says in a news release.

The clerk's main office on Main Street in Sarasota and its Venice branch will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday starting July 1.

Clerk of courts' offices around the state are reducing their hours after the Legislature cut their budget by $31 million, the release explains.

Rushing says the state's clerks will continue to work with the Legislature to restore funding and hope to restore regular hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. by mid-July.