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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Daily Clips for February 25, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Records show Marco Rubio spent thousands with GOP credit card

By Beth Reinhard and Scott Hiaasen

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio charged grocery bills, repairs to the family minivan and purchases from a wine store less than a mile from his West Miami home to the Republican Party of Florida while he was speaker of the Florida House, according to records obtained by the St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald.


Rubio: Crist leaked American Express statements; charges legit

By Brendan Farrington

The Associated Press

Senate candidate and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio released a torrid letter Wednesday accusing Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign of leaking Rubio's state Republican Party American Express statements showing nearly $110,000 in charges over 25 months.


Sansom is defiant in farewell letter to House

By Steve Bousquet and Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Former House Speaker Ray Sansom, whose free fall from power ended with his resignation Sunday, vigorously defended himself in a letter to his former colleagues Wednesday and cast himself a victim of partisan politics.


Florida Democrats say McCollum voted to raise congressional pay, earns $75,000 pension

By Louis Jacobson

St. Petersburg Times

The 2010 Florida gubernatorial campaign intensified this week, as allies of Republican Bill McCollum and Democrat Alex Sink exchanged television ads designed to highlight aspects of their rivals' records that voters might not be happy with.


2010 Legislative Preview: Setting the Table

By Amy Keller

Florida Trend

Florida lawmakers will face a multitude of challenges when they return to Tallahassee in March.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Legislature to feast on leftovers

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

The Florida Legislature this year will be rewarming a plate full of leftovers from past sessions.


Business as usual? Sansom followed his own advice

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

When newly elected members held their organizational session in 2008, House Speaker Ray Sansom gave them some advice about keeping in touch with the people who elected them.


Democrat files elections complaint against Cannon

By John Frank

The Buzz Blog

Speaker-designate Dean Cannon's transfer of $655,000 from the Republican Party of Florida to his political committee constitutes the acknowledgment of a "leadership fund," according to an elections complaint filed Wednesday.


Naples Tea Party fights for right to carry on

By Brent Batten

Naples News

In spite of warnings from an Orlando lawyer who has registered the name "Florida Tea Party" with the state Division of Elections, Naples Tea Party organizers say they will continue to use the name, which they say belongs to history more than politics.

POLITICAL RACES

As Marco Rubio cuts into money lead, Charlie Crist goes on attack

By Adam C. Smith and Constance Humburg

St. Petersburg Times

Charlie Crist leaves no doubt he intends to spend a lot of money telling Florida Republicans that Marco Rubio is not all he says he is.


Crist responds to Jeb's 'unforgivable' remarks

By Steve Bousquet

The Buzz Blog

Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday responded to remarks by former Gov. Jeb Bush that it was "unforgivable" for Crist to embrace President Obama's economic stimulus package.


GOP race may hinge on history

By Ron Hurtibise

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Crist Leave it to Florida to offer a funhouse-mirror U.S. Senate race.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Illegal immigration measure appears least likely to pass Legislature

By Gary Fineout

The Fine Print

A sweeping illegal immigration measure filed by Sen. Carey Baker, R-Eustis, could have the dubious distinction of being the legislation least likely to pass for the 2010 session.


Protesters: No benefits for same sex partners

By Juliana A. Torres

Osceola News Gazette

Church leaders and parishioners lined the sidewalk in front of Kissimmee City Hall Tuesday night, protesting an impending policy decision for the city that could allow its employees to purchase health insurance for their domestic partners.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Palin slimes Florida with oil-drilling push

By Tony Plakas

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The unctuous Sarah Palin recently surfaced in Florida on a national tour like an unwanted oil spill, spewing her slippery nonsense to thousands of race fans at the Daytona International Speedway.


Crist restocks water board with backers of his Everglades restoration plan

By Michael C. Bender and Paul Quinlan

Palm Beach Post

Environmentalists who favor Gov. Charlie Crist's monumental Everglades restoration land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. saw the odds of success improve Wednesday, when Crist named two allies and re-appointed a third to the board of the South Florida Water Management District, in advance of another crucial vote on the half-billion-dollar purchase.


Rep. Murzin slams Pelham again, backs off

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Rep. Dave Murzin on Wednesday told a Florida Chamber of Commerce audience that he still wants Florida Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham to leave state government.


Fishermen enlist members of Congress to oppose red snapper ban

By Ludmilla Lelis

Orlando Sentinel

Still reeling from a federal ban on fishing for red snapper, Central Florida captains and fishermen joined more than 2,000 people at the United We Fish rally today in Washington, D.C., protesting afederal law that they say is destroying jobs and the fishing industry along Florida's east coast.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Cabinet kills bond issue tied to policy surcharge

By Jim Ash

Tallahassee Democrat

Questioning thousands of unanticipated claims that continue to pour in from the 2005 hurricane season, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet refused Wednesday to authorize a $710 million bond issue that would have forced an across-the-board charge on top of all insurance premiums.


NASA chief: Our 'ultimate' ambition is Mars

By Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said Wednesday that the agency's "ultimate" ambition is to send astronauts to Mars, a statement aimed at quelling congressional criticism that the new White House vision for NASA lacks long-range goals.


Bills would allow property insurers to raise rates in Florida

By Julie Patel

Palm Beach Post

Edsel Hulse, a veteran who lives in Hollywood, said he's expecting his Citizens Property Insurance Corp. windstorm insurance policy premium to increase this year because state legislators in 2009 approved allowing the insurer to boost premiums by up to 10 percent annually.

EDUCATION

Legislature to consider class size, replacing FCAT

By Christine Armario

The Associated Press

Measures to ease class-size amendment requirements, replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test with end of course examinations and require teachers in the state's pre-kindergarten program to hold a bachelor's degree are all up for consideration as the Legislature goes into session next week.


School districts fret over class-size mandates, budgets

By Iricka Berlinger

Tallahassee Democrat

A handful of school superintendents met Wednesday with local legislators and shared their concerns about their individual school districts.


Pre-K program blossoms; will funding keep up?

By Linda Trimble

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Ethan Crossland's face lit up with a big grin as soon as he spotted his mom, Kim, after a busy morning of playing and learning in his prekindergarten class at Little Feet Academy in Ormond Beach.


Too few Floridians are earning college degrees, new study shows

By Denise-Marie Balona

Orlando Sentinel

More Floridians need to earn college degrees to help the state recover economically, according to a study released on Wednesday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Area lawmaker seeks abortion ban

By Bill Thompson

Gainesville Sun

Abortion providers, people who assist them, and operators of clinics where abortions occur could receive long prison sentences under a new bill that mandates a wide-ranging state ban on the procedure.


Medicaid budget gap looms

By News Service of Florida

Health News Florida

The U.S. Senate's $15 billion jobs bill passed today without the $1.2 billion Gov. Charlie Crist counted on to patch a hole in state Medicaid spending.


Cell towers attract politicians

By Michele Sager

Tampa Tribune

Cell phone tower opponents might get some political help in their fight against new structures.


Obama can't give up the fight for health care reform

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Today is a pivotal moment in the debate over health care reform as President Barack Obama hosts a bipartisan, televised summit and finally pushes his own proposal.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

McCollum sees progress on Fla. gangs

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Florida has about 1,100 criminal gangs with nearly 49,000 members, Attorney General Bill McCollum said Wednesday.

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