FEATURED STORIES
By Hannah Sampson, Cristina Silva and Tom Marshall
Related: With veto, Crist sets stage for independent run
Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday killed the bill that prompted sick-outs, sit-ins, street protests and a flood of opposition throughout the state as Republican lawmakers vowed to try again next year -- if not sooner.
News Service of Florida
Republican lawmakers drove a proposed constitutional amendment through a House council Thursday, saying the measure is needed to expand on a pair of Democratic-backed redistricting proposals already set for the November ballot.
By Jim Saunders
Trying again to find a way to fight federal health-care reform, a House panel today approved a new bill declaring Florida's "public policy'' is that government should not force people to buy health insurance.
By Jeremy Wallace
With two weeks remaining in the annual Florida Legislature session, House Republicans are expected to unveil a plan today that would give the governor and the Cabinet authority to allow oil drilling rigs six miles from Florida's coastline.
By Patricia Mazzei, Lesley Clark and Beth Reinhard
Reconnecting to a state critical to his reelection, President Barack Obama on Thursday rounded up about $2.5 million in Miami for the Democratic Party and tried to mollify critics in both parties about plans to scale back -- but not scrap -- a space exploration program out of Cape Canaveral.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
By Mentelibre
Be careful what you set your heart upon--for it will surely be yours.
By Florida Center for Economic and Fiscal Policy
The furor over the merit-pay-for-teachers bill sent by the legislature to the governor for his signature (or veto) occurs in the context of a long battle over the level of funding for education in Florida.
By Gimleteye
Recently I flew to Dallas on a blue bird day. After crossing the Florida peninsula-- over the lands owned by Big Sugar that deform Florida politics-- I had a crystal view over the Gulf of Mexico why off-shore oil drilling is such a bad idea for the state.
By Sherman Dorn
The blog management system here tells me that I started this entry on April 2, which tells you something about the intervening 12 days.
By Ray Seaman
An incredible squeaker of a mayoral election in Gainesville last night: Craig Lowe got more votes, but he's not mayor-elect just yet.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
By Mary Ellen Klas and Lee Logan
In spite of the worst recession in a generation and the highest unemployment in a century, Florida's health care companies, electric utilities, gambling interests, prison operators and tobacco companies steered more than $10 million into Florida's two major political parties in the first three months of this year.
By Mary Ellen Klas
With a swift 29-9 vote and little debate, the Senate Thursday approved gambling legislation that ratifies an agreement between Florida and the Seminole Tribe, sending the bill to the House for a vote next week.
POLITICAL RACES
By Michael C. Bender
Related: Expect the fight over teacher merit pay to continue during this year's governor's race
While Republican Gov. Charlie Crist's veto on Thursday was a clear end for this year's teacher bill, it made his own political future increasingly cloudy.
By Josh Hafenbrack
Gov. Charlie Crist scrambled Florida politics, and perhaps launched his U.S. Senate bid as an independent, when he vetoed the controversial teacher merit-pay bill, angering luminaries in his own party while heeding the alarms of educators around the state.
By Beth Reinhard
A poll released Thursday suggests Gov. Charlie Crist's political career is not over -- if he abandons his Republican bid for the U.S. Senate and runs as an independent.
By Brent Kallestad
Gov. Charlie Crist's political mentor, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, resigned Thursday as Crist's campaign chairman in his race for the U.S. Senate.
By Mark Blumenthal
Why doesn't Kendrick Meek get more respect?
BALLOT INITIATIVES
By Marc Caputo
Some black leaders are starting to take serious issue with Sen. Mike Haridopolos and Rep. Dean Cannon, for saying that they want to protect minority voting rights by proposing a new constitutional amendment for redistricting.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
By Bruce Ritchie
A draft proposed House council bill would open Florida's waters to oil drilling but would ban permanent rigs and platforms above the water's surface within six miles of the coast.
By Gina Presson
As the Tampa City Council pledged support Thursday for a ban on fertilizer sales during the rainy season, the Florida legislature continued its efforts to void such bans - currently adopted by more than 40 local governments.
By Sean Kinane
Today, the Tampa City Council passed a resolution asking the Hillsborough County Commission to pass a fertilizer ordinance to reduce the amount of nutrients that seep into the county's waterways.
Editorial
When it comes to the laws and enforcement of growth management, the Florida Legislature excels at playing games.
LGBT
By Sherl Gay Stolberg
President Obama on Thursday ordered his health secretary to issue new rules aimed at granting hospital visiting rights to same-sex partners.
EDUCATION
By Jim Ash
Related: Pons, others thank Crist for merit-pay veto
SB 6 proponents look to next year for merit pay issue
Tampa Tribune
Online uprising by teachers, parents turns to joy after Crist vetoes teacher-pay legislation
Palm Beach Post
By Linda Trimble
Daytona Beach News-Journal
UM, UF, FSU place in national rankings
Miami Herald
Editorial
Miami Herald
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
By Bill Cotterell
Republican leaders called for a "declaration of renewed independence" from federal fiscal policies Thursday as hundreds of happy, flag-waving conservatives celebrated income-tax day at the Florida Capitol.
By Steve Newborn
More than a thousand people crowded a park in downtown Tampa last night for one of many Tea Party rallies held to mark Tax Day.
By Seth Borenstein and Erica Werner
President Barack Obama boldly predicted Thursday his new plans for space exploration would lead American astronauts on historic, almost fantastic journeys to an asteroid and then to Mars - and in his lifetime - relying on rockets and propulsion still to be imagined and built.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
By Bill Kaczor
No comments:
Post a Comment