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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Daily Clips for May 12, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Gov. Crist will call special session on oil drilling

By Steve Bousquet and Mary Ellen Klas

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Gov. Charlie Crist's announcement Tuesday that he would call a special legislative session this month to ask voters to ban oil drilling off Florida's coast and revive renewable energy legislation immediately sparked an angry clash between the independent Crist and his former Republican colleagues.


Environmental, financial 'siege' challenges Florida officials facing untamed Gulf oil slick

By Michael C. Bender and Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

Related: Politics nudges drilling for spotlight, as Governor Crist calls special session on drilling

The surface fight against BP's uncontrolled, undersea gusher was fought on multiple fronts Monday, with state officials preparing legal defenses in Tallahassee, while at this Gulf Coast city the state's environmental chief, Mike Sole, sought to organize disparate responders' strategies against what has become "a siege."


Officials: Spill to rival multiple hurricanes

By Bart Jansen

Florida Today

Officials from the fishing and tourism industries around the Gulf of Mexico warned a Senate panel Tuesday that the growing oil spill could do more economic damage than multiple hurricanes.


Scandal's ripples hit governor's race

By Gary Fineout

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

A scandal involving one of the nation's leading anti-gay activists is stirring up Florida's race for governor.


Big donors face question: Demand refund from Crist?

By Scott Powers

Orlando Sentinel

Gov. Charlie Crist's decision to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent has left a bunch of big-name contributors with a decision to make: Do they follow the angry dictate of furious Republican Party officials and demand their money back?

FLORIDA POLITICS

Crist eyes special session on drilling

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist said Floridians should vote on banning offshore oil drilling but legislative leaders accused him of trying to slide into the U.S. Senate on the BP oil spill.


Crist weighs insurance reform veto

By Brandon Larrabee

Florida Times-Union

After this year's legislative session, Gov. Charlie Crist finds himself in a familiar position: Weighing a property-insurance bill that's aimed at helping shore up the industry but that might also boost prices.


Red-light camera backers blast AAA

By Dan Tracy

Orlando Sentinel

Orlando and other proponents of red-light cameras are upset that the AAA Auto Club South is making a surprise, last-minute attempt to convince Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a bill that would allow the traffic-enforcement systems on state roads.


Florida law lifts time limits for criminal, civil cases alleging child sex abuse

The Associated Press

Orlando Sentinel

Florida's governor has signed a bill eliminating all time limits for filing criminal or civil action alleging sexual abuse of children.


Tampa learns today whether it will host 2012 Republican convention

By Christian M. Wade

Tampa Tribune

After months of planning and preparation, backers of Tampa's bid to host the 2012 Republican National Convention find out today if the city's efforts are successful.


How to Win the Redistricting Fight in 2010

By Greg Speed

Huffington Post

In six months, voters may determine control of Congress for the next decade in elections for governors and legislatures that will control the redistricting process in most states.

POLITICAL RACES

Will Rekers escort scandal sink McCollum's gubernatorial bid?

By Alvin McEwen

Huffington Post

The George Rekers escort scandal seems to have tendrils which reach way beyond destroying the effectiveness of religious right "experts" to speak against lgbt issues in court.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Offshore-oil-drilling ban might be on ballot

By Dinah Voyles Pulver

Daytona Beach News-Journal

State legislators appear headed back to Tallahassee for a special session that could give Florida voters the chance to ban offshore oil drilling.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Political patience wanes as Gulf oil spill grows

By H. Josef Hebert and Harry R. Weber

The Associated Press

Political patience is washing away for BP executives who can't stop a broken underwater well from spewing oil into the Gulf, where crews were trying the latest solution - submerging a second containment box designed to funnel the gusher to a waiting tanker.


Blame game on Capitol Hill over oil spill

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

As oil continued to gush from an exploded rig in the Gulf of Mexico, lawmakers Tuesday sharply questioned officials from three companies behind the disaster while the executives pointed fingers at each other.


Crist forms oil spill task force

By Tom McLaughlin

Northwest Florida Daily News

The winds of fortune continued to blow Florida's way Tuesday, and state officials were given another day to chart plans to battle an oil spill whose arrival still appears imminent.


Protests against BP planned in Fort Lauderdale and nationwide

By Amy Sherman

Miami Herald

As part of a nationwide movement of protests against oil giant BP in the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico disaster, demonstrators plan to gather at 6 p.m. Wednesday in front of the federal courthouse on Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.


What cost is too high for nuclear energy?

By Robert Trigaux

St. Petersburg Times

Just over 1,240 days ago, in December 2006, Progress Energy Florida chief Jeff Lyash first visited the St. Petersburg Times to unveil plans for a nuclear power plant in Levy County and to utter these words: "It's important to have a new nuclear plant in Florida."


Crist hints at saving cash-strapped solar rebate program

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Florida's solar energy rebate program is broke and due to expire, but Gov. Charlie Crist indicated Tuesday he would consider helping the program during a special session.


Hotel Near Everglades Too Close for Comfort

By Amara Sohn and Brian Hamacher

NBC 6 News Miami

A controversial building proposal in Sunrise that would put a massive hotel complex right on the border of the Everglades is a little too close for comfort for some local activists.


Clean up Florida's energy act

Editorial

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Floridians have a responsibility to protect the state's seas, shores and estuaries.


Oil and politics

Editorial

Miami Herald

In a stunning reversal of fortune, the chances of oil and gas drilling as near as five miles off Florida's coast have gone from reasonably possible to highly improbable -- all thanks to the massive oil spill from the still uncapped well in the Gulf of Mexico.

LGBT

County broadens human-rights ordinance

By TaMaryn Waters

Tallahassee Democrat

It turned into an issue that struck emotions deeper than many expected.


McCollum requested antigay expert now embroiled in Rentboy scandal

By Steve Rothaus

Miami Herald

Attorney General Bill McCollum personally requested that the state's Department of Children and Families hire antigay psychologist George Rekers at $300 an hour as an expert witness to defend Florida's ban on gay people adopting, records show.


'Physician, heal thyself'

By Leonard Pitts Jr.

Miami Herald

He purported to cure homosexual urges. But if that were possible, you'd think he'd have started with himself.

EDUCATION

Crist signs bill to require civics in Florida schools

The Associated Press

Naples News

Florida governor has signed a bill requiring middle school students to take a civics class and pass an end-of-course test.


Class-size rules strain budget

By Linda Trimble

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Volusia County school officials are staring at stiff fines if they miss the state target in keeping the size of core academic classes within constitutional limits this fall even though voters could change the rules a month later.


Bright Futures promise is shamelessly fading

Editorial

Ft. Myers News-Press

Florida's Bright Futures scholarship program helps keep more of our best high school grads at this state's colleges and universities.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida Expected To Receive Nearly $20-Billion in Stimulus Funds

By Gina Jordan

WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee

Florida has already spent more than $16-billion in federal stimulus money. The man appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to monitor funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act expects the state will take in about $19.9-billion in all.


Home sale prices up 8 percent

Staff Report

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Home prices rose 8 percent in both Sarasota-Bradenton and Charlotte County-North Port during the first quarter from a year ago, but were down from a busier fourth quarter.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Rally to urge veto of anti-abortion bill

By Timothy R. Wolfrum

Bradenton Herald

Local abortion-rights activists will rally Thursday against a bill they say they had little opportunity to oppose before it was passed by the Florida Legislature.


FL's exchange doesn't fit new law

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

When Republican lawmakers created the Florida Health Choices program in 2008, they billed it as a way to deregulate the health-care market for small businesses.


Abortion bill puts governor on the spot

Editorial

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It is another decision that will define Charlie Crist's political ideology, but more importantly, it's a choice that could lead Florida to an inequitable process for restricting abortions.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Governor signs homeless hate crimes bill

The Associated Press

Miami Herald

Florida's governor has signed a bill that increases penalties against attackers who target the homeless.


Latino group rallies against Arizona immigration law

By Marc Valero

Tampa Tribune

Arizona is about 1,500 miles away from Florida, but members and supporters of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Highlands County strongly oppose the Grand Canyon State's controversial new immigration law and don't want any part of it to somehow pervade the Sunshine State.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Ex-state GOP official questioned in Alan Mendelsohn case

By Jon Burnstein

Miami Herald

A former executive director of the Florida Republican Party spent more than an hour testifying Tuesday before a federal grand jury in the criminal investigation centering on Broward political operator Dr. Alan Mendelsohn.

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