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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Daily Clips for April 20, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Pressured in Senate Race, G.O.P.'s Crist May Run as Independent

By Jeff Zeleny and Damien Cave

New York Times

Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, facing pressure from fellow Republicans to abandon his Senate campaign, said Monday that he would not allow party leaders in Washington to push him from the race and declared that he was considering running for the seat as an independent.


Race for Governor tightening, McCollum losing support over health care lawsuit plans

By Mary Ellen Klas

Miami Herald

The race for governor has narrowed slightly, with Republican Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum ahead of Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democrats' nominee, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.


Groups To McCollum: "Not in Our Name, Not On Our Dime"

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

As part of what supporters are calling the "Not in Our Name, Not on our Dime" campaign, Florida health care advocates will petition Attorney General Bill McCollum today to drop his federal lawsuit opposing the national health care reform law.


Florida House and Senate get beyond impasse in budget negotiations

By Steve Bousquet

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Negotiations on a new state budget picked up steam Monday as legislators sought common ground in hopes of bringing the 2010 session to a smooth conclusion late next week.


HMO plan for Medicaid approved by state House

By Marc Caputo

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Large HMOs will have more power than ever in Florida's growing Medicaid program under a health-reform package that cleared the House on Monday.


Dead cat walking: As Florida panther habitat shrinks, extinction fears rise

By Craig Pittman

St. Petersburg Times

Related: Saga of Florida panther is 'sordid story'

Related multimedia: Florida panther: dead cat walking

On a quiet spring morning two years ago, a sheriff's deputy cruised along a dark suburban street near Fort Myers. The deputy heard a thump, slammed on the brakes.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Florida House OKs Indian gaming bill, sends to gov

By Brent Kallestad

The Associated Press

State lawmakers signed off on a 20-year deal with the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida on Monday that guarantees the state roughly $1.3 billion in the next five years.


Senate concessions gets legislature's budget negotiators back on schedule

By Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

After budget negotiations stalled this weekend because of a dispute over how to count $880 million in potential federal Medicaid aid, concessions by the Senate got lawmakers back on track Monday.


State workers score budget victory

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

State employees and retirees scored a victory Monday as House leaders backed away from a hotly controversial plan that would have eliminated a health-insurance subsidy for thousands of retired state workers.


Thrasher wields much power for freshman senator

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

He is technically the lowest-ranking senator in the state.


Anti-corruption bill advances in Senate

By Tonya Alanez

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Seeking to stymie public officials who use their positions for financial gain, Broward State Attorney Mike Satz appeared Monday before a Senate committee to support tougher state corruption laws.


Crist's PSC appointees face another Senate confirmation committee today

Staff Report

Tallahassee Democrat

Gov. Charlie Crist's appointees to the powerful Public Service Commission face another Senate confirmation committee today.


Texting-driving ban is close to being law

By Richard Mullins

Tampa Tribune

The days of legally texting while driving appear to be dwindling in Florida.


Fla. House to vote on parental liability waivers against theme parks, similar businesses

The Associated Press

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A bill to reinstate parental waivers of liability against theme parks, go-cart tracks and other businesses that offer potentially harmful fun is up for final action in the Florida Legislature.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist urged to quit Senate race; he confirms independent bid under consideration

By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers

With Gov. Charlie Crist facing a brutal Republican U.S. Senate primary or a full-blown party mutiny if he runs as an independent, prominent supporters are urging him to consider a third option: quitting altogether.


Early end to Crist ad campaign in Tampa, Orlando fuels speculation

By William March

Tampa Tribune

Related: Crist says he may make independent Senate run

In another move sure to fuel the speculation that Gov. Charlie Crist might run for the U.S. Senate as an independent, his campaign appears to have ended early his campaign advertising in the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets.


Crist saga careens toward conclusion

By David Cantanese and Alex Isenstadt

Politico

The national party that once embraced Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's Senate bid signaled Monday that it has all but cut him loose.


Mitt Romney stumps with Marco Rubio in Tampa

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney endorsed Marco Rubio's campaign for the U.S. Senate at a rally Monday, saying Rubio's message of a less-intrusive government is what Americans need to hear.


Alex Sink in Tampa to tout economic plan as poll shows tight race

By Kim Wilmath

St. Petersburg Times

Amid news of a narrowing gubernatorial race, Democrat Alex Sink touted her economic plan at the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator at the University of South Florida on Monday.


Kosmas' campaign war chest more than triples her closest rival

By Mark K. Matthews

Orlando Sentinel

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach ended her latest fundraising quarter with more than $1 million in the bank -- far outpacing a pack of Republican rivals looking to beat the freshman Democrat.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Let public veto bad land-use decisions

By Janet Stanko

Florida Times-Union

In a recent editorial, The Times-Union proposed a "supermajority" vote on development-related land use changes as an alternative to Amendment 4/Florida Hometown Democracy and as a solution to the disaster taking place in Florida: our soaring taxes, plummeting property values and the devastation to Floridians' quality of life.


Support Fair Districts

By Leon Russell

Tampa Tribune

I have reviewed the proposed constitutional amendments regarding redistricting released by the Legislature last week.


Reject voter deception bill: GOP leaders seek to protect gerrymandering as usual

Editorial

Palm Beach Post

In a democracy, voters are supposed to pick politicians. In Florida, the political leadership wants it to keep working the other way.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

House budget proposal includes Everglades, not Florida Forever

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

The House on Monday did not include money for Florida Forever in its conference committee budget offer but it did offer $10 million for Everglades restoration.


Senators oppose giving offshore-drilling money to states

By William Gibson

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Three key senators have warned their colleagues not to consider sharing revenue from offshore oil drilling with states like Florida or Louisiana.


Everglades hunt for Burmese pythons fails to catch any snakes

By David Fleshler

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

With Burmese pythons infesting the Everglades, the state wildlife commission turned to a formidable force to kill them: Florida's licensed hunters.

LGBT

Dozens protest "God hates fags" group

By Kate Bradshaw

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

Activists from Topeka's controversial Westboro Baptist Church held several demonstrations throughout Florida this week.

EDUCATION

PolitiFact: Florida teachers' pay falls below national average

Staff Report

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald

Florida teachers are "already paid $5,000 below the national average."


Community college officials waiting out budget process, hoping for extra money

By Angeline J. Taylor

Tallahassee Democrat

Officials at Florida's community colleges are holding out hope that budget talks among members of the state House and Senate will end with extra millions for two-year institutions.


Teachers' protests taught invaluable lessons

By Daniel Shoer Roth

Miami Herald

Miami-Dade public school students learned a lesson outside the classroom that will be useful for the rest of their lives.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Tax Incentives and the Economy

By Gina Jordan

WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee

There's been a lot of talk this session about tax credits and other subsidies to spur job growth and boost Florida's economy.


Community Action Day: War on Poverty Getting Tougher For Floridians

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

Record-breaking unemployment and skyrocketing food stamp enrollment are just symptoms of the growing number of Floridians falling below the poverty line.


Publix, Coalition of Immokalee Workers Clash Over Tomato Pickers

By Robin Sussingham

WUSF Public Radio Tampa

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and allied groups showed up in Publix's hometown of Lakeland this weekend to renew their call for Publix to spend an extra penny per pound for Florida tomatoes.


Space shuttle shutdown has Brevard County Florida legislators hoping for economic help

By Jim Ash

Ft. Myers News-Press

Struggling with a $3.2 billion budget shortfall and skyrocketing unemployment, House and Senate budget negotiators tentatively agreed today to spend $90 million on tax cuts and other incentives to kick-start the economy.


Fixing Wall Street

Editorial

Miami Herald

Apparently, the Securities and Exchange Commission has found its missing whistle.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida House passes Medicaid reform package

By Aaron Deslatte

Orlando Sentinel

The Florida Legislature is racing to perform dramatic reconstructive surgery on the state's pricey Medicaid health insurance program for the poor and frail.


House, Senate set to talk on Medicaid

By Catherine Whittenburg

Tampa Tribune

The House and Senate plan to start negotiating today over competing proposals to overhaul the state's $19 billion Medicaid program by outsourcing more of it to private companies.


A promise is a promise

Editorial

Tampa Tribune

Nine years ago, as a result of an agreement reached by nursing home owners, insurers, trial lawyers, patient advocates and unions, Florida lawmakers passed elder care legislation that increased staffing standards in nursing homes.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Immigration reform pushed back

By William Gibson

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Proponents of immigration reform suffered two setbacks since the congressional spring break.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Sansom files another motion to dismiss criminal case

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

Ray Sansom has again asked a judge to dismiss the criminal case against him, arguing grand theft charges are too broad to limit prosecutorial discretion.


Arrest made in Brown-Waite death threat

By Michael D. Bates

Tampa Tribune

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office has arrested Lawrence Pidrman, 66, of Spring Hill, for allegedly making a death threat over the phone last month against Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite.


North Carolina Judge Urges Florida to Establish Innocence Commission

By Lisa Marzilli

WMNF Community Radio Tampa

Little has been done by state leaders to deal with the disturbing fact that at least a dozen people since the 1980's have spent hundreds of years between them falsely imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.

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