Daily Clips for December 10, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Fla. redistricting proposals may get new challenge
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
The Legislature again may ask the Florida Supreme Court to keep off the 2010 ballot two citizen initiatives designed to limit gerrymandering in congressional and legislative redistricting, a pair of House and Senate leaders said Wednesday.

Amid dealing on SunRail, many had eye on 2010 elections
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida Legislature's vote to launch the SunRail commuter system this week was an act steeped in political calculation, with congressional, gubernatorial and even U.S. Senate aspirations on the line.

Feds question GOP Senate leaders about Democrat Mandy Dawson's links to indicted lobbyist
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Federal agents investigating the corruption case against former medical lobbyist Alan Mendelsohn have interviewed Republican leaders of the Senate this week about former Democratic Sen. Mandy Dawson and how she came to head a health committee in the Republican-controlled chamber.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Angry Atwater pushed to make Florida rail deal
By Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Inside his spacious Capitol office, Senate President Jeff Atwater lost his cool as he worked feverishly to save major rail projects and keep a special legislative session from becoming a political disaster.

Feds swoop into Tallahassee over fraud
By Marc Caputo and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Flashing badges, federal agents descended on Florida's Capitol this week to question at least six senators and staff members about indicted political player Alan Mendelsohn and former Sen. Mandy Dawson of Fort Lauderdale.

Enforcing ethics: Commission seeks new tools to do its job
Editorial
Tallahassee Democrat
Detailed news reports this year on the apparent abuse of travel money by state officials might have made voters' blood boil.

2010 RACES

Analysis: GOP facing more bitter battles
By Paul Steinhauser
CNN
As primary battles go, this one's pretty ugly. The intra-party Republican fight in Florida between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is full of fireworks.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Florida Prepares To Re-draw Voting Lines for 2010 (audio story)
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Florida Lawmakers met Wednesday in a special committee to lay out the rules for re-drawing voting districts next year.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Confederate license plate proposal may rise again
By Keith Morelli
Tampa Tribune
Confederate forces have charged into federal territory and are hailing as victory a recent U.S. District Court's decision in their struggle to get a specialty license plate pushed through the Florida Legislature.

Rights restoration still needs fixing
By Mark Schlakman
St. Petersburg Times
When they meet today as the Clemency Board, Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson will likely revisit concerns surrounding a recent audit of the Parole Commission's civil rights restoration process.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

FWC approves draft rule changes for imperiled species listing
From the FWC
TC Palm
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) heard draft rules for endangered and threatened species in Florida at the meeting in Clewiston on Wednesday.

State senators to visit Ocala to discuss water issues
By Fred Hiers
Ocala Star-Banner
Florida lawmakers on the powerful Senate Select Committee on Inland Waters will make Ocala their first stop next week as part of a statewide tour and public meetings to discuss water issues.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Nelson: U.S. Senate to provide $40 million for SunRail start
By Jim Saunders
Daytona Beach News-Journal
In another boost for the proposed SunRail commuter-rail system, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Wednesday that federal budget negotiators have agreed to set aside $40 million for the project.

Florida sales tax deduction among $31 billion in federal tax breaks passed by the House
By Stephen Ohlemacher
The Associated Press
The House voted Wednesday to extend $31 billion in popular tax breaks, including an income tax deduction for sales and property taxes, to be financed with a tax increase on investment fund managers and a crackdown on international tax cheats.

After brief respite, Southwest Florida sees a rise in foreclosures
By Aaron Kessler and Tom Bayles
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
After trending downward for the last six months, foreclosures in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties shot back to a level not seen since July.

With Vegas-style slots, Seminole casinos are on a roll
By Michael Vasquez
Miami Herald
When Las Vegas-style slots and blackjack arrived at the Seminole Tribe's Florida casinos in 2008, the tribe's successful gambling empire was poised to become an even bigger powerhouse.

One year later and financial reform finds it's business as usual for Wall Street
By Denise Richardson
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
More than a year has passed since the financial crisis really hit and as far as I can tell, we're not going to pull out of it any time soon.

EDUCATION

Early Learning Faces Budget Crisis (audio story)
By Margie Menzel
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
The Legislature's new Early Learning Caucus held its second meeting Wednesday, and as Margie Menzel reports, children's advocates are worried that budget cuts will put the state's youngsters behind the eight-ball in school.

Food for Thought: FL Teachers Feed Hungry Children to Improve Learning
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
One in five Florida children comes to school hungry, even more kids are on free and reduced lunch programs, and many are just too hungry to learn.

Broward Schools' plan to fudge crowding count is rejected
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
A group of representatives from the Broward school district, the county and several cities said Wednesday that the school system should not loosen the way it measures school crowding -- though it should count portable classrooms as part of a school's capacity.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Nelson takes heat over Medicare cuts
Staff Report
Health News Florida
The Senate defeated an amendment Tuesday evening that would have killed the funding source for health reform, but used Florida Sen. Bill Nelson as a verbal punching bag in the process.

Drug company to pay Florida $8.5 million to settle fraud claims
By John Frank
St. Petersburg Times
A pharmaceutical company accused of bilking the state of millions in a Medicaid fraud scheme will pay $8.5 million as part of a settlement agreement announced Wednesday.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Reprimanded judge to seek re-election
By Jay Stapleton
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Several hours after she was reprimanded Wednesday by the Florida Supreme Court for being friends with a career criminal, Volusia County Judge Mary Jane Henderson said she's glad to have the ordeal behind her.

FBI used paid informant in Josephus Eggelletion case
By Dan Christensen
Miami Herald
An obscure Fort Lauderdale businessman with international connections and a history of helping the FBI was a paid informant in the U.S. government's case against suspended Broward Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, court records show.