MIAMI -- Ending a dispute over the 2000 presidential election, the state and Hillsborough and Orange counties filed papers Tuesday to settle a civil rights lawsuit over widespread voting problems.

They were the only other remaining defendants in the case, which ended without trial. Five other counties settled earlier with the NAACP and other plaintiffs.

David Host, spokesman for the state Division of Elections, released a joint statement saying the parties had reached "a fair and equitable settlement."

"It's a long time coming. We're glad to finally be here," said Thomasina Williams, an attorney for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Voters claimed in the federal class-action lawsuit that they were disenfranchised during the 2000 election ultimately decided by the courts. President Bush's 537-vote margin over Al Gore in Florida swung the outcome.

Key provisions of the settlement would create a state coordinator for election law compliance, report on future election day problems, correct mistakes in a purge of felons and expand voter rights on provisional ballots.

Plaintiffs' attorneys said the settlement goes beyond laws adopted since the state became the butt of jokes over the infamous butterfly ballot, hanging chad and antiquated punch card voting equipment.

The new coordinator would devote at least three-quarters of his or her time to looking for election problems and solutions, and to producing reports before and after elections.

Plaintiffs' attorney Anita Hodgkiss said she does not expect the settlement to be in effect before the November general election because the Justice Department likely will review it.

FSU's D'Alemberte has blocked artery opened

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State University president Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte was recovering Tuesday after angioplasty to relieve a blocked artery.

D'Alemberte, 69, checked into Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare hospital Monday "because he had some discomfort," said FSU spokeswoman Browning Brooks.

"He had some pain, and they did the regular tests," Brooks said.

Doctors discovered a blocked artery and performed an angioplasty, in which a tiny balloon is inserted to open the clogged blood vessel. Doctors described the procedure as a complete success. The hospital listed D'Alemberte in good condition.

D'Alemberte said Friday he planned to resign sometime next year after more than eight years as president at Florida State.

Questions await Regier as he takes over DCF

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush's choice to head Florida's child welfare agency showed up for work Tuesday with more questions than answers.

Jerry Regier, who was appointed last month as secretary of the state's troubled Department of Children and Families, started his new $150,000-a-year job looking for more money and more workers to get the agency's tasks done.

The biggest challenge may be finding enough investigators and caseworkers to cut the number of foster care kids who cannot be accounted for. "One of my big questions today is about the 700 vacancies," Regier said. "Is it because we can't recruit or is it other reasons?"

Regier, 57, who was nominated by Bush last month, said he has spent most of a week preparing for the agency's budget request for next year and looking for ways to fill the many vacancies.

Regier still needs Senate confirmation to become the permanent secretary.

32 died in accidents over Labor Day holiday

TALLAHASSEE -- Thirty-two people died in car crashes over the Friday-to-Monday Labor Day holiday, the Florida Highway Patrol said Tuesday.

The deaths occurred in 24 crashes. The FHP said three of the crashes were known to be alcohol-related and seven were not. In the remaining 14, whether alcohol was a factor was still unknown.

Five of those killed were pedestrians, and one was a motorcycle rider. The motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet.

Officials said in 25 deaths where seat belts were available, five victims were known to have been wearing them.

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk