PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Public support builds for Florida oil drilling ban
By Steve Bousquet and Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Excerpt: A poll released Monday by Progress Florida, a liberal group supporting the oil ban, showed that 71 percent of Florida voters want the chance to vote on the issue and 50 percent of those surveyed oppose drilling within 10 miles of Florida's coast.
With oil session set to begin Tuesday, Fla. House still has no hearings planned
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Excerpt: While most polls show Floridians split on whether they would vote to ban offshore drilling, a survey released Monday from Progress Florida showed 71 percent believe that they should be allowed to consider the question.
Distrust hangs heavy over session
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Tribune
Supporters of a placing a ban on oil drilling in the state Constitution say you don't have to go far back in history -- only to 2009 -- to show why one is needed.
FEATURED STORIES
Florida Legislature's Special Session May Result Mainly in Bickering
By Gary Fineout
Lakeland Ledger
Florida lawmakers return to the Capitol today for a rare summertime special session that may produce little more than partisan rancor and finger-pointing.
Special session on drilling ban set for quick non-action
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
A politically isolated governor dragged lawmakers back to Tallahassee to take up a hot-button issue.
BP Considers New Plan to Permanently Seal Well
By Henry Fountain
New York Times
As scientists on Monday allayed concerns that BP's well in the Gulf of Mexico was damaged, the company said it was considering an alternative plan that could permanently seal the gusher sooner than had been anticipated.
Choosing Big Oil over clean beaches
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Charlie Crist called the Legislature into special session today to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to ban oil drilling in state waters.
POLITICAL RACES
The Resurrection of Charlie Crist
By Arian Campo-Flores
Newsweek
Not long ago, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist seemed like a dead pol walking. Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio was thrashing him in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Crist's 30-point lead had swung to a 30-point deficit; funding was drying up, as were endorsements.
Charlie Crist supports extending unemployment benefits
By Adam Smith
St. Petersburg Times
That makes Republican Marco Rubio the only major U.S. Senate candidate who opposes the proposal to extend unemployment benefits for nearly 200,000 Floridians and 2.5 million Americans.
Democratic Senate hopeful Meek struggles to define himself
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
The leading Democrat in Florida's nationally watched U.S. Senate race is a former state trooper, a civil-rights demonstrator, a foil to Jeb Bush, a frequent travel companion to Bill Clinton and a lawmaker who once led the charge for reducing classroom size.
Dirty diapers, huckster, political ads go negative
By Mitch Stacy
The Associated Press
The dirt -- specifically dirty diapers -- is flying in Florida's race for governor.
McCollum calls for lawsuit caps and "medical homes"
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Tribune
Attorney General Bill McCollum, who filed a lawsuit earlier this year to block federal health care reform, released his own detailed health care proposal on Monday that calls for reviewing health insurance mandates, lowering caps on lawsuits against doctors and increasing the number of medical residency programs in Florida.
Anti-health reform group with ties to McCollum releases new ad, donates to his 527
By Luke Johnson
Florida Independent
The League of American Voters, a little-known Washington, D.C., conservative group that campaigned aggressively against the health-care reform law signed by President Obama, released a new ad attacking Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's opponent Rick Scott.
The Rick Scott-Playboy-gay dating website connection
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact
Rick Scott's ties to a company have become, let's just say, the "centerfold" of a new attack being leveled by Scott's challenger for the Republican nomination for governor, Attorney General Bill McCollum.
Florida GOP Wants To Rewrite History - And Run Against Obama & Pelosi
By Daniel Tilson
The Examiner
Anyone curious to know how and why things got so bad in Florida in recent years, from its economic woes to pervasive political corruption, need only look North.
Boyd plays 'offense' in reelection bid
By Alex Isenstadt
Politico
After more than a decade of coasting to easy reelection in his Florida Panhandle-based seat, Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd finds himself under assault from the right and the left -- and he's spending accordingly.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Proposed Fla. tax relief amendment under attack
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
Labor unions and a taxpayer are challenging a proposed state constitutional amendment that would give an extra property tax break to some home buyers.
Florida Supremes stay lower court battle over Fair Districts
By Josh Hafenbrack
Orlando Sentinel
The fate of the Fair Districts redistricting proposals on the November ballot -- Amendments 5 and 6 -- will be decided by the state Supreme Court.
St. Petersburg's idea to thwart Hometown Democracy
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
This is clever, I do admit. The city of St. Petersburg has a plan to dodge Amendment 4, even if the voters approve it in November.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
In Fla., resentment washes ashore along with oil
By Matt Sedensky
The Associated Press
For decades, billions poured into Gulf Coast states that allowed oil drilling off their shores.
FAQ: As the special session begins, what you need to know about Florida offshore drilling
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
Gov. Charlie Crist has convened a special session to propose a constitutional ban on offshore drilling.
Deal announced today to preserve nearly 26,000 acres of Everglades
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Nearly 26,000 acres in the northern Everglades ecosystem are being targeted for environmental protection in an ambitious deal to be formally announced today in Kissimmee by federal agricultural authorities.
Renewable sources advocates target special session
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
Despite discouraging results after years of trying to get the state to draw more power from renewable sources, advocates are set to at least make another effort in the special session beginning today.
LGBT
U.S. falls even further behind on gay rights
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
It's the United States that continues to be a hemispheric follower, not a leader, in the push to extend basic rights to a segment of the citizenry.
EDUCATION
More botched tests by company that scored FCATs turn up in Minnesota
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
Related: FCAT delays also weigh heavily on students
The troubled testing company that botched the release of this year's FCAT scores is being blamed for problems in Minnesota, too.
Schools plan class size challenge
Staff Report
Bradenton Herald
Some Florida school boards are planning a lawsuit to challenge penalties that could reach $351 million statewide if they fail to meet class size limits this fall.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Citizens Insurance committee recommends increasing premiums by up to 11.3 percent
By Julie Patel
TC Palm
A Citizens Property Insurance committee approved a proposal Monday to increase premiums by up to 11.3 percent.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Defending Arizona: Florida residents contribute to Arizona's fight for immigration enforcement law
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
When the Obama administration goes to court Thursday against Arizona's new immigration enforcement law, Mark Benson of Jupiter will have a stake in the outcome.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Crist names Fishel to replace Albritton on circuit court
By S. Brady Calhoun
Panama City News Herald
A local civil attorney and mediator has been selected to take over Circuit Judge Richard Albritton's seat, the governor's office announced Monday.
No comments:
Post a Comment