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Progress Florida -- Progressive Solutions for Florida

Monday, May 24, 2010

Daily Clips for May 24, 2010

FEATURED STORIES

Crist, voters in synch on abortion bill and oil drilling, poll finds

By Marc Caputo

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Most Florida voters want Gov. Charlie Crist to veto an abortion bill that he, too, appears to oppose.


FEA gives dual endorsement to Crist and Meek for Senate

Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

The powerful Florida Education Association gave Gov. Charlie Crist and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek a dual endorsement in the U.S. Senate race Saturday but said it won't try to split organized labor's affections between Crist's sudden new courtship and Meek's long-standing relationship.


Despite Obama's Moratorium, Drilling Projects Move Ahead

By Ian Urbina

New York Times

In the days since President Obama announced a moratorium on permits for drilling new offshore oil wells and a halt to a controversial type of environmental waiver that was given to the deepwater Horizon rig, at least seven new permits for various types of drilling and five environmental waivers have been granted, according to records.


Gay rights issue dogs McCollum

By William March

Tampa Tribune

Gay rights, an issue that stung Bill McCollum in his unsuccessful 2004 race for the U.S. Senate, has put him on the defensive again this year in his campaign for governor.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

Editorial cartoon of the week

By Chan Lowe

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Read the artist's commentary here.

FLORIDA POLITICS

As abortion provision nears Crist's desk, emotions raging

By Lona O'Connor

Palm Beach Post

Not since the Terri Schiavo right-to-die case has Florida found itself so tangled in the politics of emotion.


With oil spewing in Gulf, Crist said it's time to get back to going green

By David Hunt

Florida Times-Union

Gov. Charlie Crist said the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico makes it clear that the state should do more to back green energy development.


House sends Crist 25 more bills, including new regs for student restraint in public schools

By Kathleen Haughney

The News Service of Florida

Lawmakers sent 25 measures to Gov. Charlie Crist Friday, giving him about two weeks to decide on a variety of bills that include restraint and seclusion guidelines for children, regulation of the tattoo industry, protection of free speech for teachers and the creation of several new license plates.


Committee chairman says GOP drama done in Florida

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Over the past six months, Florida's Republican Party has been torn from within, through circumstances including the ouster of state Chairman Jim Greer and Gov. Charlie Crist's abandoning the GOP to run as an independent.

POLITICAL RACES

Sink courts state workers while promising change

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has an interesting and comprehensive plan for running state government if we decide to put her in charge of the whole thing in November.


Crist narrowly leads U.S. Senate race, new poll finds

By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard

St. Petersburg Times

Charlie Crist's declaration of independence is paying off -- so far.


AFL-CIO endorses Meek, Sink

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Union leaders gave U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek the ringing endorsement he pleaded for in his uphill U.S. Senate race Sunday.


Crist took the money; Rubio took the song

By David Hunt

Florida Times-Union

The song seemed to set the right tone, just not with the song's author.


Rubio's income grew with his political clout, tax records show

By Beth Reinhard

Miami Herald

Under pressure from his chief U.S. Senate rival, former House Speaker Marco Rubio released nine years of tax records on Friday, revealing how his personal income grew along with his political influence.


Dockery on both sides of issue

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times

As a state senator, Paula Dockery was one of two women to vote for a bill requiring women seeking abortions in the first trimester to get ultrasound exams.


Fla. governor candidate touts outsider status

By Mitch Stacy

The Associated Press

Rick Scott, neophyte politician and surprise candidate for Florida governor, opens one of his now ubiquitous TV commercials with this: "So I bet you're wondering, where have I seen that handsome bald guy before?"


Florida may be forced to move primary

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Florida's presidential primary election in 2012 could be more than two months later than it was in 2008 under new rules being considered by the Republican National Committee.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Groups file suit on redistricting ballot measure

By Gary Fineout

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

A battle over how Florida lawmakers will decide the next round of redistricting is now headed to court.


Added Proposals Means November 2 Ballot Just Got Bigger

By Michael Peltier

News Service of Florida

Constitutional changes to class size restrictions and political boundaries passed their final hurdle Wednesday as they were given numbers for the Nov. 2 ballot.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Bob Graham vows to give BP, big oil a fair hearing

By Lesley Clark

Miami Herald

Related: Gulf recovered from last big oil spill, but is this one different?

Bob Graham said he didn't hesitate when White House officials called for him to head an independent commission into the Gulf oil spill.


Current could carry disaster to fragile reef

By Zac Anderson and Kate Spinner

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

This 221-mile coral reef that skirts the tip of Florida -- one of the most important ecosystems on Earth -- stands near the edge of oblivion.


Cleaning oil-soaked wetlands may be impossible

By Matthew Brown

The Associated Press

The gooey oil washing into the maze of marshes along the Gulf Coast could prove impossible to remove, leaving a toxic stew lethal to fish and wildlife, government officials and independent scientists said.


DEP chief leads Fla. oil response

By Jim Ash

Tallahassee Democrat

A former Marine captain who spent 16 years climbing to the top of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Mike Sole is the consummate and even-keeled bureaucrat always at the center of Florida's stormiest environmental debates.


New Panama City airport opens Sunday

By Bruce Ritchie

FloridaEnvironments.com

Panama City and Bay County's new airport opens Sunday amid pomp and gala with state officials visiting on Saturday.

LGBT

New Gainesville Mayor Says Sexuality a Non-Issue

By Chad Smith

Lakeland Ledger

When Craig Lowe was running for class president in eighth grade at his suburban Atlanta school, someone posted a sign in the hallway declaring, "No to homo Lowe."

EDUCATION

State sizing up the class size amendment

By Joe Callahan

Ocala Star-Banner

It's turning out to be a controversial year for candidates stumping for office throughout America.


FSU, FAMU uneasy as deadline looms on Fla. budget

By Doug Blackburn

Tallahassee Democrat

The presidents of Florida State and Florida A&M universities are growing increasingly anxious as the Friday deadline looms for Gov. Charlie Crist to sign off on the state budget.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida jobless rate drops to 12%

By Jim Stratton

Orlando Sentinel

Florida's unemployment rate fell for the first time in four years last month, dipping to 12 percent, with every county reporting lower jobless rates, state officials reported Friday.


Sunshine State leads nation in mortgage woes

By Kimberly Miller

Palm Beach Post

One in five Florida homeowners is either seriously behind on a mortgage payment or in foreclosure as a dawdling economic recovery teases the Sunshine State.


New Florida automaker has high hopes to grow

The Associated Press

Ocala Star-Banner

An upstart automaker is bringing economic promise to central Florida's Atlantic Coast.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Which budget items are targets?

By Jim Saunders

Health News Florida

From the Panhandle to Miami, the state budget approved last month is dotted with millions of dollars in spending on senior-citizens centers, medical-education programs and health services that are targeted at specific areas.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Top Florida Republicans soften stance on Ariz. law

By George Bennett

Palm Beach Post

Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigration, in its original and amended forms, has become a touchy issue in Florida Republican politics.


Lowering Arizona: Boycotts will teach state financial lesson

By Stephen Goldstein

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Recently, the governor of Arizona with a flip flourish of her fountain pen -- recalling the bravado of Katherine Harris certifying the 2000 Florida vote count for George W. Bush -- callously signed a bill into law that targets illegal immigrants for deportation.


Ft. Lauderdale officials want homeless feeding ban...again

By Jef Weinberger

Broward County Examiner

A Fort Lauderdale City Commission task force established last year ostensibly to find a fixed location to feed the community's burgeoning homeless population may have more affixed to its agenda than the governing body's stated goal.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

State's Supreme Court May Rule On Century-Old 'No-Aid' for Religious Organizations Law

By John Kennedy

News Service of Florida

A century-old provision of the Florida Constitution may soon be dusted off for the first time before the state Supreme Court, with the fate of millions of dollars in state funding to religious organizations hanging in the balance.


Candidates crowd judicial races

By Jay Stapleton

Daytona Beach News-Journal

In Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond, judicial elections are crowded with candidates from all directions.


'Wild West' in Fla. streets?

By Bill Cotterell and Jennifer Portman

Tallahassee Democrat

Up to 30 shots blazed between two groups of men in a late-night 2008 street skirmish, killing a 15-year-old boy.

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