Daily Clips for December 9, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Bill to transform rail policy in Florida passes Senate 27-10, goes to governor
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Related column: No logical explanation for state's rail deal with CSX
A deal Tuesday between the AFL-CIO, state transportation officials and Tri-Rail paved the way for a rail bill to cruise to an easy 27-10 vote in the Senate ahead of schedule.

Donations to Sen. LeMieux's PAC feather his temporary job
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
The political transformation of George LeMieux took another turn Tuesday as lobbyists and corporate interests lined up to fill his newly created political action committee with donations.

Sink loses push for more pension-fund oversight
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
In a starkly partisan vote that split two candidates for governor, the board managing Florida's pension fund and treasury investments punted to the Republican-run Legislature on Tuesday on proposed changes to oversight of how the taxpayers' money is managed.

Florida's Turf War Over Fertilizer Pollution Heats Up
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
The turf war over fertilizer use is heating up in Hillsborough County this week. On Wednesday, the county commission, in its dual role as the Environmental Protection Commission, considers limiting fertilizer pollution in area waterways.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Commuter rail bill criticized as CSX 'sweetheart deal'
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a commuter-rail measure Tuesday despite criticism from some that it would clear the way for a "sweetheart deal" for Jacksonville-based CSX Corp.

New bill revives call to deregulate private homeowners insurers
By John Frank and Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Lawmakers are again pushing to deregulate the state's property insurance market, a move that could increase rates for most policyholders.

Haridopolis elected senate president-designate
By Michael Peltier
TC Palm
Sen. Mike Haridopolos will lead the Florida Senate in 2010 if Republicans retain control of the chamber in November after he was elected Senate president-designate by his GOP peers Tuesday.

Next Senate President: Bring back leadership funds
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, will be officially designated on Tuesday by the Republican Caucus to become the next Senate president starting after the 2010 elections.

Florida's corruption probe: Grand jury can be useful but empower Ethics Commission
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
After three tries, the Florida Supreme Court finally granted Gov. Charlie Crist's request for a far-flung statewide grand jury investigation of corruption and ethics violations in local and state governments.

2010 RACES

Ferre, Meek at odds on Afghan plan
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
Seeking a foothold in the U.S. Senate race, long-shot Democratic contender Maurice Ferre on Tuesday sided with his party's most liberal wing and said he opposes President Barack Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Which is it, Marco?
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
As speaker of the Florida House last year, Marco Rubio supported rail as an economic investment.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Protecting students: Don't give back hard-won gains from Florida's class-size amendment
Editorial
Florida Today
In 2002, Florida residents fed up with poorly funded, overcrowded schools spoke out to force lawmakers to support public education.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

UF panel emphasizes impact of sit-ins in fight for civil rights
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
As a civil rights organizer in the 1960s, Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons worked for more than a year in the Klu Klux Klan hotbed of Laurel, Miss.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Governors to meet over tri-state water dispute
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia likely won't have a proposed water-sharing agreement in hand next week when they meet to discuss the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, a Florida official said today.

Cabinet rejects county landowners' efforts to intensify developments
By Jennifer Sorentrue and Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet today unanimously ordered Palm Beach County to rescind a pair of growth plan amendments that would have expanded development density for two property owners.

Ten years after
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
It's been 10 years since the EPA was petitioned to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida's space economy threatened by shuttle's end
By Michael Connor
Reuters
At El Leoncita Cuban & Mexican Restaurant near the Kennedy Space Center on Florida's "space" coast, a bar sign says it all: "No happy hour on launch days."

EDUCATION

Barron to be FSU president
By Doug Blackburn
Tallahassee Democrat
Eric Barron, hired Tuesday to be Florida State University's 14th president, is a highly regarded climatologist with a gift for fundraising.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

GOP: Extend FL shield to all
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
A cushion for 800,000 Florida seniors against steep cuts to Medicare Advantage plans under the pending Senate health bill would be extended to all beneficiaries enrolled in the plans under an amendment introduced Monday afternoon by Republican Sen. John McCain.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Scott Rothstein partner denies earning $6M
By Amy Sherman
Miami Herald
Stuart Rosenfeldt's attorney said Monday that Scott Rothstein did not pay Rosenfeldt $6 million last year, despite that salary being listed in a court filing last week.