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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Daily Clips for March 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Crist leads lobbying trek to Washington to seek $1 billion for Florida schools

By Cara Fitzpatrick

Palm Beach Post

Florida's education team, led by Gov. Charlie Crist, will make its pitch Tuesday in Washington for why the state should get a whopping $1 billion piece of a $4 billion federal grant intended to reward states for pursuing aggressive school reform.


Let's rally in Tally

By Mark McGriff

Gainesville Sun

During a public hearing in Tallahassee just a few weeks ago, State Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, who will be the Speaker of the Florida House later this year, said this: "Words have meaning, particularly when they're in the Constitution."


Commission: no strong case for drilling off Florida

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Opening Florida's Gulf Coast to oil drilling would have almost no impact on prices at the pump or on the state's ongoing budget problems, a nonpartisan commission told a key committee of the Legislature on Monday.


Florida lawmakers avoid debates on growth management

By John Frank and Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

One subject that roiled last year's legislative session is largely absent from lawmakers' vocabulary this year: growth management.


Rubio's big-spending ways come to light

Editorial

St. Petersburg Times

Marco Rubio is quickly emerging as a freewheeling big spender of special interest cash even as the U.S. Senate candidate sells himself as a fiscal hawk.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Mean season: Session already dominated by election-year posturing and politics

By Gary Fineout

Florida Tribune

Despite the state's own budget mess and a record unemployment rate, lawmakers in Tallahassee on Tuesday are expected to debate whether or not Congress should be forced to balance the federal budget.


Reproductive Rights Under Heavy Attack in Tallahassee

By Lisa Marzilli

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

Barely two weeks into the 2010 state legislative session and pro choice advocates could have cause to worry; this session brings with it no less than seven anti-choice bills.


Cretul backs off move to ban 911 release

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

At a luncheon celebrating government in the sunshine, House Speaker Larry Cretul said Monday he won't push a bill exempting 911 emergency tapes from public disclosure.


Alexander Plan May Boost House Sales

By Bill Rufty

Lakeland Ledger

As the Legislature begins looking once again at government agency trust funds to shore up crumbling state revenues, Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander has come up with a use of a trust fund that has almost everyone cheering.


Senate, but not House, primed to roll back '09 driver license fee hikes

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida via Palm Beach Post

While conceding no dollar amount has been set, Senate President Jeff Atwater said today the Senate is committed to rolling back at least some of the $500 million worth of motor vehicle fees approved just last spring.


Handing out flyers could get you handcuffed

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

Free speech advocates are up in arms about a House bill that would harshly penalize individuals handing out flyers on property owned by hoteliers.


Bill would mean no prop taxes on hurricane, renewable energy upgrades

By News Service Of Florida

Palm Beach Post

Following up on a 2008 Constitutional amendment aimed at promoting renewable energy upgrades and hurricane prevention, a House panel today approved a measure to prevent appraisers from including such upgrades in a home's assessed value.

POLITICAL RACES

Rubio defends committee spending during South Carolina swing

By Peter Hamby

CNN

Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio defended himself Monday after a news report revealed that two political committees he started while serving in the Florida House spent heavily on operating costs and payments to relatives, but did little to help other Republicans seeking office.


Why Are Florida Cubans Lukewarm On Rubio?

By David Gauvey Herbert

National Journal

Marco Rubio was born in Miami to Cuban-born parents, became the first Cuban-American speaker of the Florida House, and he takes a hard line on U.S. policy towards Havana.


Meek Campaign Manager Says Ballot Signature Drive is Amping Up

By Kate Bradshaw

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

As things heat up between Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist ahead of the GOP Senate primary, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is the Democrat many expect will face one or both of them in November.


Rubio's Cash for Clunkers claim runs on fumes

By Amy Sherman

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact

The Obama administration "spent more money on the Cash for Clunkers program than the space program."


DeMint and Fla. Senate candidate raise money in SC

By Seanna Adcox

The Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint said Monday he's "less confident" that Republicans can stop President Barack Obama's health care overhaul from passing now that it's down to a few votes.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Software will help draw district lines Software will help draw district lines

By Ron Word

Gainesville Sun

On the day about 9 million Floridian households received their U.S. census forms in the mail, reporters were shown a demonstration of software that will be used to determine the population, shape and size of congressional districts and state House and Senate districts.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

First Coast might need a drink of (river) water soon

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

State water managers and utilities, some offering determined resistance, are drafting long-term plans for taking drinking water from Northeast Florida's rivers.


At Jacksonville Superfund site, Nelson calls for tax shift to pay for cleanups

By Steve Patterson

Florida Times-Union

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson visited a long-vacant Superfund site on Jacksonville's Talleyrand riverfront Monday to say he will try to reinstate taxes on the oil and chemical industries to pay for environmental cleanups at the country's most contaminated places.


Information Key to FL Panther Survival

By Glen Gardner

Public News Service Florida

There are only some 100 Florida panthers left in the state, and public awareness may be the key to their long-term survival.


Drilling report's conclusions disappoint both sides

By Jim Ash

Tallahassee Democrat

With its chief proponent saying he is in no hurry, the push to open Florida waters to oil and gas drilling inched past another milestone Monday when a House panel was briefed on a report by a Florida think tank.

LGBT

Two South Florida congresswomen honored by gay rights group

By Anthony Man

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The gay rights group Equality Florida is recognizing U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, for their support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

EDUCATION

South Florida school officials like Obama's education plan

By Kathleen McGrory and Hannah Sampson

Miami Herald

President Obama's overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law will focus more on raising the bar for students and teachers -- and less on punishing failing schools.


Proposed legislation tying teacher pay to test scores has Treasure Cost educators concerned about ramifications

By Colleen Wixon

TC Palm

Proposed legislation tying teacher pay to test scores could impact future union negotiations, teachers and students, Treasure Coast educators said.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

State alters program, aims to spend grant funds

By Cristina Silva

Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau

The state Department of Community Affairs announced a series of sweeping changes Friday to a widely criticized housing program, including the dismissal of a senior staffer and a streamlined grant approval process.


Florida lawmakers consider assorted tax breaks for property owners

By Cristina Silva

St. Petersburg Times

State lawmakers have proposed a series of tax cuts and incentives this year for a handful of property owners.


Foreclosure mediation program slow to start in bay area

By James Thorner

St. Petersburg Times

Court-ordered mediation was pitched as a faster and easier way to ease Florida's mortgage crisis.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

The Final Act For Health Reform

The Progress Report

Think Progress

This afternoon, the House Budget Committee will begin marking-up the health care reconciliation package, signaling the beginning of the end of the Democrats' year-long effort to pass comprehensive health care reform.


Boyd opposes student-loan legislation

By Bart Jansen

Tallahassee Democrat

The House Budget Committee approved legislation Monday aimed at tweaking the Senate version of the health-care overhaul, despite opposition from Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd.


Program letting Medicaid cash go to Alzheimer's care set to expire

By David Royse

News Service of Florida via Palm Beach Post

Alzheimer's patients getting community or home-based care through a Medicaid waiver program in four Florida counties, including Palm Beach County, are being reminded that the pilot program is set to expire and they need to figure out how they'll get care when it does.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Scott Rothstein helped feds hook reputed mobster

By Jay Weaver and Amy Sherman

Miami Herald

Just when disgraced lawyer Scott Rothstein's sordid saga couldn't get any stranger comes this plot twist: He worked undercover for the feds and helped them bag a suspected Italian mafia man living in Miami Beach.

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