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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Daily Clips for January 13, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Crist downplays Rubio's overwhelming lead in straw poll

By Jim Ash

Ft. Myers News-Press

Related: Analysis: Losing hometown straw poll hurts Crist

Gov. Charlie Crist this morning downplayed the results of a straw poll in his home county in which he was trounced 105-54 by Marco Rubio, his opponent for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.


Rubio becoming star on tea-party circuit

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is trying to convert tea party activists into supporters of his campaign for the Republican nomination.


Ausley announces bid for CFO

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Former state Rep. Loranne Ausley announced her candidacy for chief financial officer Tuesday with endorsements by CFO Alex Sink and three well-known past Florida Democratic leaders.


McCollum, Sink split on cap for lawyer fees in suits

By Marc Caputo

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

A new flash point is emerging in the race for Florida governor: capping legal fees.


Sen. Gaetz: FL will resist feds

By Christine Jordan Sexton

Health News Florida

Florida's Republican-controlled state government is gearing up to fight federal health care reform even before the law passes.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Thrasher backs recreation of leadership funds

By Gary Fineout

The Fine Print

The Republican Party of Florida late Monday night posted its haul for the fourth quarter of 2009 and the $4.28 million included the names of many familiar donors, including a $500,000 contribution from The Villages, $150,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, $210,000 from Progress Energy, as well as a $250,000 check from Rooney Holdings.


Florida leaders lobby for rail funding

By Ted Jackovics

Tampa Tribune

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said this morning he expects the Obama Administration to approve Florida's request for high speed rail stimulus funds to create a Tampa-to-Orlando route by 2014 that could create thousands of jobs.


Public wins, but advocate may lose

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

The same day he helped to deliver one of the biggest consumer wins in years before the Public Service Commission, the state's chief consumer advocate for utility customers was warned he might soon be out of a job.


POLITICAL RACES

Democrats field a candidate for CFO

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Democrats on Tuesday rounded out their 2010 statewide ticket by fielding a candidate for chief financial officer: Loranne Ausley, a Tallahassee lawyer and former legislator.


McCollum, Sink alternate between cabinet, campaign

By Jim Ash

Tallahassee Democrat

Fellow Cabinet members by morning, rivals at afternoon press conferences, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink spent Tuesday juggling their day jobs and their quest to be Florida's next governor.


Home county party's rebuke raises questions about Crist's chances

By William March

Tampa Tribune

On a Saturday night in January 2008, several hundred Pinellas County Republican Party members turned out for a political fundraising dinner featuring two of the nation's most popular Republicans, presidential candidate John McCain and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.


Weatherford to have Democratic challenger for state House seat

By Geoff Fox

Tampa Tribune

Will Weatherford, widely presumed to be the next speaker of the state House of Representatives, faces competition for the seat he hopes to retain in November.


Ronda Storms gets primary challenger

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

An attorney from Valrico is challenging state Sen. Ronda Storms in the Republican primary contest for her District 10 seat.


Political races pick up as campaign coffers fatten

By Jim Turner

TC Palm

Former State Rep. Gayle Harrell, pulled in more money than Rep. Adam Fetterman, D-Port St. Lucie, during the final quarter of 2009, according to campaign finance records.


Patronis tapped for "House Majority Task Force"

Staff Report

Panama City News Herald

Jimmy Patronis, R - Panama City, has been tapped to be the co-vice chairman of a new task force focused on getting state Republicans elected to the House in 2010.


BALLOT INITIATIVES

Fair districts? Parties unite in opposition

By Scott Maxwell

Orlando Sentinel

Like cats and dogs, Florida politicians from opposing parties rarely play nicely.


Florida politics still all about lines and words

By Mark Woods

Florida Times-Union

To say that a map of Florida's congressional districts looks like a jigsaw puzzle isn't fair to jigsaw puzzles everywhere.


ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Rising Tide: Sea-level rise affects the Keys now

By George Neugent

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Let me start by saying that I'm not trying to take a Chicken Little approach by saying the sky is falling.


Progress Energy rate hike rejected; will FPL lose too?

By Mary Ellen Klas

Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau

The Public Service Commission did Monday what many consumer groups and industry watchers never expected -- it voted down a rate increase for one of the state's largest utility companies, Progress Energy.


Florida Power & Light anxious about vote on requested $1.2B rate increase

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

If a decision by state utility regulators in another rate-hike case this week is any indication, Florida Power & Light could get bad news today regarding its request for a $1.2 billion-a-year increase in its electricity rates.


Statewide turtle rescue hits historic proportions

By Dinah Voyles Pulver

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Hundreds more endangered green sea turtles were plucked from the frigid waters of the Indian River Lagoon on Tuesday and delivered to temporary turtle hospitals statewide during what could be the largest turtle rescue in history.


JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Lawmakers seek stronger Internet tax laws

By Jim Saunders

Daytona Beach News-Journal

With Florida continuing to face major budget problems, Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, and a coalition of groups renewed efforts Tuesday to boost tax collections on items purchased over the Internet.


Dynamic space plan forms

By Todd Halvorson

Florida Today

President Barack Obama will direct NASA to extend space station operations through 2020 and strive to rally global partners with a call to send astronauts on international expeditions throughout the inner solar system.


Orlando fails in World Cup bid; Tampa, Miami still in mix to host games in 2018 or 2022

By George Diaz

Orlando Sentinel

Orlando did not make the first cut of cities included in the United States bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.


Greed is not good

Editorial

Miami Herald

Little more than a year after taxpayers were forced to rescue Wall Street, the people responsible for its collapse are getting ready to receive a huge round of bonuses.


Fighting for jobs: Summit should focus on targeted tax breaks, green industry, education

Editorial

Florida Today

Bring on the jobs summit.


EDUCATION

Broward School Board rejects chance for $34 million

By Akilah Johnson

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Broward County school district on Tuesday forfeited its chance to get $34 million, voting not to be part of the state's application for a federal education grant.


Seminole schools won't pursue federal 'Race to Top' money

By Dave Weber

Orlando Sentinel

Despite a last-minute plea from Gov. Charlie Crist, the Seminole County School Board Tuesday said it will not take part in the federal Race to the Top education-reform program.


Florida lawmakers hoping to boost fine arts, civics in school curriculum

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

Northeast Florida lawmakers are offering measures that would change the course mixture for students at public schools - and how those schools are graded - in the legislative session this spring.


UF reaches deal with faculty union

By Nathan Crabbe

Gainesville Sun

The University of Florida's faculty union has agreed to a new contract, after years of negotiations and recent weeks in which a last-ditch deal threatened to fall apart.


HEALTH AND SENIORS

Senator Bill Nelson predicts health care reform bill will pass this month (audio story)

By Sean Kinane

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

This morning, Florida's senior Senator, Democrat Bill Nelson, predicted that the House and Senate will be able to combine their versions of the major health care reform bill and that it will be signed by President Barack Obama in the next few weeks.


Moms say Fla. denies kids good care under Medicaid

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Several mothers are testifying in a class action lawsuit this week that Florida doesn't give their children access to quality health care.


New Fla. prescription tracking law has glitches

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

Florida's new prescription tracking law doesn't say what should happen if a pain clinic fails an inspection and gives the state's "drug czar" an added job raising funds to help pay for the program, state officials told lawmakers Tuesday.


Gaetz reaches deal with insurers

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

Under an agreement announced Monday, insurance companies will cover routine medical care for cancer patients involved in clinical trials.


Crist tells Floridians: Get flu shots

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Gov. Charlie Crist says Floridians shouldn't be like him - they should get their flu vaccinations.


JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

McCollum pushes limit on Florida state legal fees

The Associated Press

Gainesville Sun

Attorney General Bill McCollum has taken his campaign to put a $50 million cap on fees paid to outside lawyers who work for the state to the State Board of Administration.


Crist appoints Fort Myers woman to 20th Judicial Circuit Court post

Staff Report

Ft. Myers News-Press

Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Lee Ann Schreiber of Fort Myers as a 20th Judicial Circuit Court judge on Tuesday.


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