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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Daily Clips for February 11, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Florida GOP leaders question secret deal's legality

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

A growing number of senior Florida Republican leaders are calling for an outside legal review of the secret fundraising contract that paid former Executive Director Delmar Johnson nearly $200,000 last year.


As House issues Sansom subpoenas, settlement talks go on

By Alex Leary and Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

It has the potential of a bombshell: Some of the biggest names in Florida politics, including U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, raising their hands and swearing to tell the truth about what they knew of state Rep. Ray Sansom's dealings with a Panhandle college.


Rubio pinches Crist for his 'Hug'

By Frank Gluck

Ft. Myers News-Press

It was "The Hug" seen around the conservative world, one Marco Rubio hopes will help him better Gov. Charlie Crist in the Republican Senate primary.


Legislature to consider dramatic expansion of vouchers

By Ron Matus

St. Petersburg Times

Florida lawmakers are poised to consider a dramatic expansion of the state's private-school voucher program for low-income students.


'Hands Across the Sand' stands for solidarity in beach protection

By Anne W. Schultz

Tallahassee Democrat

We need to draw a line in the sand," Dave Rauschkolb blurted out when he first heard the news.

FLORIDA POLITICS

State GOP has formula to restore its credibility

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Whatever is in the Florida Republican Party's financial records probably can't be as bad as its refusal to, as one candidate for governor put it, "come clean."


Republicans must fix their party in public

By Tom Lyons

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Hard economic times make financial gluttony by politicians even more worthy of outrage.


Settlement may mean Sansom won't have to face public hearing

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

A House disciplinary panel is discussing the possibility of a consent decree to resolve an ethics case against ousted House Speaker Ray Sansom, a committee chairman said today.


Lawyers, guns and money

By Gary Fineout

The Fine Print

Saying they are moving to protect the "2nd Amendment right to bear arms," a House panel on Wednesday approved a measure that would place a lock box on the trust fund that is used to pay for processing concealed weapons permits as well as regulating private investigators and security officers.


Texting bill's fate unclear

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

With recent studies showing 28 percent of motor vehicle crashes are caused by drivers talking or texting on cell phones, Florida legislators are moving to crack down on distracted drivers.


Trial lawyers hire Democratic campaign consultant Schale

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

In an effort to regain credibility, the powerful trial lawyer lobby hired one of the state's top Democratic campaign consultants to guide its political strategy.

POLITICAL RACES

The Hug That Ruined Crist

By Jim DeFede

The Daily Beast

There have been many pictures taken during Florida road trips that have come back to haunt those on the wrong side of the camera.


Federal stimulus package a failure, says Florida Senate candidate Rubio

By Patricia Mazzei

Miami Herald

U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio reveled in support from conservatives looking for a voice Wednesday in a part-fundraiser, part-pep rally that brought full circle one of the most stunning reversals in Florida politics.


Wallace's race car sponsored by Florida congressman

By Gary Graves

USA Today

Congressman Kendrick Meek (D) needed a vehicle to promote his U.S. Senate campaign to Florida voters yet never expected a literal visualization on Mike Wallace's NASCAR Nationwide Series car.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida has fewer illegal immigrants than 10 years ago, report says

By Victor Manuel Ramos

Orlando Sentinel

Florida's illegal immigrant population has significantly declined -- with 80,000 fewer in the state since 2000, according to a new report.


A step at a time, immigrants demand change

By Bart Jansen

Tallahassee Democrat

Four immigrants, three of them in the country illegally, are walking from Miami to Washington to encourage President Barack Obama and Congress to change immigration policy.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Land-buying in crosshairs of Florida House panel

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Members of a house budget-writing panel today took another shot at the Florida Forever land-buying program.


Offshore oil drilling foes to protest on beaches

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

Opponents of offshore drilling are hoping thousands of people dressed in black will join them Saturday holding hands on beaches around the state for 10 minutes.


Oppose offshore drilling with strong show of hands

By Cathy Harrelson

Tampa Tribune

It isn't always easy to organize people in a far-flung state like Florida. But we're trying to do it to stand up for our beaches.


Ag commish candidate: 'No, baby, no' to drilling

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

Democratic candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Scott Maddox held a press conference Wednesday with Mayor Scott Clemons regarding their opposition to offshore oil drilling.


No Jim King, no push for clean energy in Florida

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

The death of Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, could cause supporters of a drive to increase the amount of power Florida draws from renewable or nuclear sources to scale back their goals.


PSC delays vote on Gainesville's wood-burning power plant

By Christopher Curry

Gainesville Sun

The Florida Public Service Commission appeared poised to narrowly vote down Gainesville's application for a 100 megawatt wood-burning biomass power plant on Tuesday, but commissioners instead granted the city's last minute request to delay the vote in order to provide the city more time to answer state regulators' concerns.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Local governments file suit over state's new impact-fee law

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Local governments filed suit to overturn new restrictions on local impact fees Wednesday, saying the Legislature unconstitutionally forced them to prove their fees are accurate.


Banks seek swifter process as foreclosures climb

By Bob Koslow

Daytona Beach News-Journal

The new year started with no relief from the high number of foreclosure filings across Volusia and Flagler counties and the state.


Three Southwest Florida lawmakers seek to rein in financial groups

By I.M. Stackel

Naples News

Three Southwest Florida legislators are aiming to secure the economic climate by empowering a state agency with tighter control over debt settlement vendors and international banks and trusts.


Metro Orlando remains a foreclosure hot spot

By Mary Shanklin

Orlando Sentinel

Orlando-area foreclosure filings dipped 18 percent during January from the month before, yet the four-county metro area still had the 10th-highest rate of foreclosure activity in the U.S. last month.


Gaetz: News stories led to 'sunshine' provision for economic development groups

By Matt Dixon

Panama City News Herald

Provisions in a state jobs bill would change how economic development groups report their spending of tax dollars.


Something new in region: jobs

By Michael Pollick

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Technology-oriented companies rubbing shoulders with Southwest Florida's two largest economic development agencies have gone public with plans to create at least 400 new jobs, including three fresh announcements this week.

EDUCATION

Florida kids see big leap on AP exams

By Leslie Postal

Orlando Sentinel

More Florida high school students than ever are taking Advanced Placement classes and doing well on the exams, putting the state at the top of the national pack when it comes to preparing students for the rigors of college, according to a national report released this morning.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Crist: 'Medicaid Reform' can grow

By Christine Jordan Sexton

Health News Florida

After opposing expansion of 'Medicaid Reform' for three years, Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday he's "open" to seeing it grow beyond its current five Florida counties.


Statewide task force will focus on shutting down 'pill mills'

By Jeff Kottkamp

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

As part of my responsibilities as lieutenant governor, I oversee the Governor's Office of Drug Control.


Jackson Health System's CFO steps down from post

By John Dorschner

Miami Herald

A week after board members expressed outrage at Jackson Health System's wildly miscalculated losses, its chief financial officer "has stepped down."


Help for cancer patients

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

When a cancer patient participates in a clinical trial, everyone is in that person's debt.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Correctional Policy Council Created By State Legislature Never Meets

By Kathleen Haughney

News Service of Florida via Lakeland Ledger

In 2008, the Legislature and governor created a body that was required to recommend changes in the state's criminal justice system, including the sentencing guidelines.


Prison reform: 'A failure to communicate'

By Kristen Warren

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Few would contend that prisons, particularly Florida prisons, do not need to be reformed.

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