Click here to subscribe for free to the best daily news roundup in Florida.

Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Daily Clips for March 10, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Rubio's campaign image belies history of $250 million in pork requests

By Marc Caputo

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Republican U.S. Senate front-runner Marco Rubio brags on his Web site that he didn't officially request budget pork in his last four years as a leader in the Florida House.


Rubio leads Crist by 32 points in latest poll

By David Hunt

Florida Times-Union

Florida Republicans are leaning even more heavily in favor of former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who has taken a 32-percentage-point lead over Gov. Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race according to a poll released Tuesday.


Florida's $3 Billion Deficit and Slow Recovery May Force Deep Cuts to State Programs

By Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lakeland Ledger

The Florida economy has hit bottom but the slow recovery will hinder lawmakers as they try to write a new state budget.


Bills race through Legislature to revive once-outlawed 'leadership funds'

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Legislative leaders are swiftly carrying out one of their priorities by bringing back once-reviled "leadership funds," unlimited soft-money accounts under direct control of a few influential lawmakers.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Palm Beach County-inspired bill would let counties set stricter ethical standards

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

In another effort to shed its "Corruption County" label, the scandal-plagued Palm Beach County Commission has sparked a bill that would give all 67 counties the ability to strengthen penalties against crooked officials.


Speaker fast-tracks bill to exempt 911 calls from public record

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

John Hoblick was out of town when his 16-year-old son died after a night of drinking games and illegal prescription drugs.


Senate panel OKs open-records bill that eases access

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

may get a break on how much they have to pay for government records if open government advocates in the legislature get their way.


Bill would end statute of limitation in child sex cases; other updates

Staff Report

Palm Beach Post

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted to eliminate the statute of limitations in cases where a child under 16-years-old was sexually molested.


BRB gotta drive: Texting while driving ban in front of Fla. committee today

The Associated Press

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Here's another reason to keep your thumbs on the wheel and your eyes on the road: texting while driving soon may be illegal in Florida.


In Tallahassee today, it's teachers, texting and reptiles

By Marc Caputo

St. Petersubrg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Firing teachers. Gambling. Banning dangerous reptiles and texting while driving.


Partisan politics threatens to thwart ethics legislation

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Efforts to approve an ethics bill are maddeningly degenerating into a partisan food fight within Broward County's legislative delegation. Many of the group's Democrats apparently don't like the fact that the initiative is being pushed by -- wait for it, wait for it! -- a Republican.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist zaps Rubio spending with talk of 'a back wax'

By Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

Florida has a long history of dirty politics.


Crist Calls Rubio Out on Car Insurance

By Mike Vasilinda

Capitol News Service

Governor Charlie Crist had tough words for his US Senate opponent today.


How Marco Rubio might change campaigns forever

By Gary Fineout

The Fine Print

On Tuesday, former House Speaker Marco Rubio was on Glenn Beck's radio program.


State GOP: Democrats' complaint has no merit

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

The Republican Party of Florida is demanding the Florida Democratic Party drop an elections complaint.


Orange election results: Incumbents keep their seats

By Rich McKay

Orlando Sentinel

Elections in six Orange County cities Tuesday returned incumbents to their posts and put two slow-growth candidates into open seats in Winter Park.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Proponents, opponents of Hometown Democracy lay out pros, cons of amendment

By Katherine Albers

Naples News

Voting for it has been called a move to "put the power back into the people's hands" and "pulling the pin on a hand grenade for the state of Florida."

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Key vote nears on Crist's Everglades restoration purchase of U.S. Sugar land

By Michael C. Bender and Paul Quinlan

Palm Beach Post

It's hard to overestimate how personally important Gov. Charlie Crist considers the half-billion-dollar land deal he brokered with U.S. Sugar Corp. in the name of Everglades restoration.


U.S. Sugar land needed for Everglades restoration

By Manley K. Fuller and Laurie Macdonald

Restoration of the Picayune Strand to restore natural water flows is well under way today -- the first official project of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and one of the heretofore "missing pieces" of restoration.


Obama pushes senators for climate bill

By Matthew Daly

The Associated Press

President Barack Obama made a renewed push for a long-stalled climate and energy bill Tuesday, urging lawmakers at a White House meeting to pass a comprehensive bill this year.


Bronson knocks Florida Forever after Cabinet purchase

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

The governor and Cabinet approved the purchase of a 506-acre addition to Paynes Prairie State Preserve State Park near Gainesville and a new Florida Forever conservation land-buying list.

LGBT

In Florida, Gay Adoption May No Longer Be Forbidden

By Greg Allen

NPR

Martin Gill and his partner are seeking to adopt two brothers, ages 5 and 9.


Florida must end bigotry against gays and lesbians

By Tony Plakas

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Florida is the only state that still bans all gay men and lesbians from adopting children, although they can serve as foster parents.


Florida Ponders Tax as Tool to Aid Family-Values Films

By Damien Cave

New York Times

The movie "Bait Shop" had too much boozing to earn the extra rebate from Florida's "family friendly" program of incentives for film production. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" was, well, just too violent.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida's tax collections show signs of uptick

By News Service of Florida

St. Petersburg Times

State economists mostly held steady Tuesday in their forecast of tax collections for the year ahead -- meaning lawmakers continue to face a budget shortfall of as much as $3.2 billion.


U.S. may aid Florida budget

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

As state economists confirmed the $3.2 billion shortfall that Florida is facing next year, a bill advanced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday that could shrink Florida's budget gap by one-third.


List of 'troubled' Florida banks grows to 47, six in bay area

By Jeff Harrington

St. Petersburg Times

One of every four Florida banks is now considered troubled, with the number of severely troubled banks in the Tampa Bay area doubling in recent months.\


Sink calls for report on Florida insurers

By Paige St. John

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida's top financial official called Tuesday for a public accounting of property insurers following Herald-Tribune reports revealing millions of homeowners are insured by companies at financial risk.


More New Florida Property Insurers In Trouble

By Brent Kallestad

The Associated Press

Florida insurance regulators Tuesday notified a Jacksonville-based insurer that it has until the end of the month to comply with solvency requirements to avoid suspension or losing its license.


Florida loses out on census-based dollars, study shows

By Andres Viglucci

Miami Herald via Orlando Sentinel

A new think-tank study released on the eve of the 2010 census has some eye-opening news about the decennial count's import for Floridians: In a national ranking, the amount of census-based aid flowing to the state and the three-county South Florida region puts both in the bottom five.


Reservation likely needed to take part in Florida's appliance rebate program

By Mark Albright

St. Petersburg Times

Demand for Florida's upcoming energy-efficient appliance rebates is expected to be so strong that state officials will require shoppers to get a reservation first.


More paperwork will be required of homeowners seeking discounts

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

Homeowners can still get insurance discounts for hurricane clips and window shutters, they'll just have to file more paperwork to get them.


Taunting taxpayers

Editorial

Orlando Sentinel

American families and businesses alike have been tightening their belts during hard times. They've been doing more with less, or simply doing without.


When the big one hits

Editorial

Miami Herald

Soon, hurricane season will be upon us again. And once more Florida won't be ready if a big one hits.

EDUCATION

Lawmakers hear how other states have cut education

By Mike Salinero

Tampa Tribune

As lawmakers waited Tuesday for the latest state revenue estimates, state Senate budget writers learned that other states are being forced to make widespread cuts in funding for popular school programs.


Area legislators: Class-size limits will pass Senate

By Sara Kennedy

Bradenton Herald

A local legislator has predicted a measure calling for easing of the state's class-size amendment will pass in the state Senate as early as next week, saying, "We're anxious to get it out."


Crist names power co. chief to Fla. school board

By Bill Kaczor

The Associated Press

Gov. Charlie Crist reappointed one of his predecessor Jeb Bush's former chiefs of staff to the State Board of Education on Tuesday and appointed another one as well as the head of Gulf Power Co.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Medicaid savings linked to HMOs

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

With lawmakers pondering a Medicaid overhaul, consultants said Monday that Florida could save the most money by moving to a statewide managed-care system that includes pushing health plans into rural areas.


Fla. Medicaid fraud bill has political baggage

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

Republicans are touting Medicaid fraud-fighting legislation that's packed with political baggage.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida lawmakers push measure to ban public display of noose

By Robert Samuels

Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau

The picture, spread virally on the Web, was the last straw for state Sen. Frederica Wilson. It showed a man posing in front of the White House with a noose wrapped around an American flag.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

PSC inspector general requests FDLE investigation

By Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

After an internal review requested by the Public Service Commission's chairwoman, the agency's inspector general has asked state law enforcement officials to consider investigating allegations that a commissioner and her aide lied about a conversation with a utility executive during a pending case.


FDLE: New fingerprint technology helps law enforcement

By Elizabeth M. Mack

Tallahassee Democrat

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's new fingerprinting system, FALCON, has helped law enforcement triple the number of fingerprint matches from crime scenes.

No comments:

Post a Comment