Daily Clips for December 8, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Rail bill, after sailing through Florida House, faces Senate fight
By Steve Bousquet, Shannon Colavecchio and Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related editorial: Senate's turn to improve rail bill
A bill fast-tracking Florida rail projects raced out of the House with strong support Monday but slowed to a crawl in the Senate, barely surviving a 5-4 committee vote.

Dockery rails on stimulus issue, hoping to step off at governor's mansion
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Could a special session bill that few people can easily explain help launch a gubernatorial campaign?

FLORIDA POLITICS

Florida House votes 84-25 to send comprehensive rail package to Senate
By Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
Three and half-hours ahead of schedule, the House this morning voted 84-25 to send a comprehensive rail package to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.

West Tampa Democrat surfacing as likely successor to Scionti
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Within minutes of Tampa state Rep. Michael Scionti announcing his resignation to take a position with the Obama administration, a West Tampa activist has emerged as his possible successor.

Fund-raiser says her event sought money for Miami Rep. Rivera during session
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Florida House budget Chairman David Rivera may have violated a fund-raising ban during a legislative session by passing out envelopes with suggestions for donations Friday at a campaign event.

2010 RACES

Rubio straddles the middle on rail issue
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
As speaker of the Florida House, Marco Rubio voted for a similarly controversial SunRail commuter rail project and published a book of policy ideas touting investments in rail, highways and transit as huge job creators.

Lawson won't enter race for CFO
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
State Sen. Al Lawson, Florida's longest-serving legislator, said Monday he is not interested in switching his political sights to a race for chief financial officer next year.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Transgender teen: McDonald's refused to hire me
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
A transgender teen in Orlando has filed a discrimination complaint against a McDonald's restaurant whose managers refused to interview her for a job.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

New Coalition Could Mean 10.5 Billion Dollar Restoration to Florida Everglades
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
In a move that could bring billions of dollars to Florida, four of the state's environmental groups joined forces with nearly 30 other organizations this week to form the "America's Great Waters Coalition."

FL Could Benefit From Climate Summit Treaty
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
Florida's hopes for a clean energy economy are running high as leaders from nearly 200 nations meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, today through Dec. 18 in an attempt to reach an international treaty to combat global warming.

Nutrient overload: Cleaning polluted surface waters no 'burden' to Florida
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Too few Floridians are aware of the deadly nutrient overloads in Florida's surface waters.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Bennett proposing change to homeowners' insurance
By Sara Kennedy
Bradenton Herald
Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton. is again proposing what he calls the "Consumer Choice" bill, which he asserts would allow consumers to decide for themselves if they prefer a private home insurer offering market-based rates.

Farm workers protest Publix Lakeland
By Glenn Pendergrass
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
A group of Florida farm workers took their demand for a wage increase directly to the state's biggest grocery chain on Sunday.

Houses Ruined by Chinese Drywall
By Kyle Kennedy
Lakeland Ledger
Two years ago, Ron Maness bought a new investment home in the gated Lake Ashton golf community in Lake Wales.

EDUCATION

Pasco High student's graduation problem merits swift action in Tallahassee
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Hakeeme Ishmar owes Pasco High principal Pat Reedy a special thanks.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Attorneys: Fla. officials lamented Medicaid delays
By Kelli Kennedy
The Associated Press
Doctors and advocates suing the state used Florida officials' own words against them during opening arguments of a trial Monday by playing video clips of top health officials lamenting health care delays for Medicaid patients.

State keeps close watch over local shellfish industry
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald
Since 2005, companies that process shellfish in Bay, Franklin and Gulf counties have been sent nearly 80 letters from the state warning that they were in violation of various industry standards.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

U.S. Supreme Court hears Tampa case on Miranda rights
By John Frank
St. Petersburg Times
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday pointedly questioned why police in a Tampa criminal case didn't explicitly tell a suspect of his right to an attorney during an interrogation.