Daily Clips for September 15, 2010

FEATURED STORIES State police unions endorse Sink; PBA calls Scott plan 'dangerous' By Catherine Whittenburg Tampa Tribune The Police Benevolent Association, which has endorsed Alex Sink for governor, slammed her GOP opponent's budget-cutting plan as "dangerous" to the public. At least part of health-care lawsuit will continue By Kris Wernowsky Florida Capital News At least a portion of Florida's lawsuit challenging health-care legislation will proceed, a federal judge who presided over a first-round hearing on Tuesday said. GOP wrestles with federal stimulus funds By Gary Fineout Sarasota Herald-Tribune Even as Rick Scott, the Republican Party's nominee for governor, campaigns on a platform that rejects Florida taking the federal stimulus, legislative leaders in Scott's party continue to gladly accept the federal dollars. Crist considering dropping an appeal to uphold Florida's gay adoption ban By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday said he has had an "appropriate evolution" regarding gay rights and is considering dropping the state's lawsuit seeking to uphold Florida's ban on gay adoption. Sink, Crist and Bronson urge more sympathy, urgency for Florida oil spill claims By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Prodded by Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, top state officials on Tuesday agreed to pressure the oil spill claims manager to process pleas for help faster. FLORIDA POLITICS Former Florida GOP chair apologizes to Obama on education speech By Angie Drobnic Holan St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact A year ago, we fact-checked a statement from the Republican Party of Florida that claimed President Barack Obama intended to indoctrinate school children with socialist ideology. Atwater, Republican Party take heat for failure to release credit card audit By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Democratic CFO candidate Loranne Ausley lashed out at Senate President and Republican CFO candidate Jeff Atwater and the Republican Party of Florida today, criticizing the party for failing to release the complete audit of its credit card spending. League of mayors to discuss state issues By Tania Valdemoro Miami Herald Sixteen mayors from around the state are coming to The Biltmore Hotel on Thursday to set next year's agenda for the Florida League of Mayors. POLITICAL RACES PBA endorses Sink for governor, blasts Scott By Jim Ash Florida Capital News The Florida Police Benevolent Association this morning broke one tradition — endorsing Republicans for governor — but kept another, not mincing words, very much intact. Alex Sink says Florida is last on two state employee measures By Amy Sherman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact Voters don't often hear politicians in Florida declare "We're No. 1!" when it comes to state spending for certain programs. Jennifer Carroll isn't as much of an 'outsider' as Rick Scott claims By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact Trying to keep the outsider label that pushed him to victory in the Republican primary for governor, millionaire businessman Rick Scott says he has picked a fellow outsider for lieutenant governor in state Rep. Jennifer Carroll. Judge won't dismiss Crist lawsuit By Pat Gillespie Florida Capital News A circuit judge Tuesday denied Gov. Charlie Crist's motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking return of campaign contributions. First Crist, then Meek cancels West Palm event rather than cross Kravis picket line By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post Faced with a demonstration that threatened to make him look anti-union and his opponent appear as a friend to working folks, Gov. Charlie Crist this evening decided not to attend Wednesday's luncheon where he was to face off for the first time against fellow U.S. Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek. Florida agriculture commissioner candidates show off style differences at forum By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times With the political air being sucked up by high-profile races for governor and U.S. Senate, the candidates for agriculture commissioner joked at a joint appearance Tuesday that there's no need for lawyers or a TV market map to schedule a debate for the Cabinet post. Oil drilling at center of Agriculture Commissioner race By Kate Bradshaw WMNF Community Radio Tampa It might not be the first statewide race that comes to mind this year, but the contest for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services has gotten competitive. Candidate has ties to rival's manager By Patricia Mazzei Miami Herald He has no campaign website yet. He has not reported raising a dime from any apparent donors. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Panel says BP oil spill threatens Gulf’s resources By Nathan Crabbe Gainesville Sun Florida State University oceanographer Ian MacDonald was one of the first scientists to contradict official estimates of the BP oil spill, correctly saying that more oil was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico than company and government officials had claimed for months after the disaster. Research into Gulf of Mexico oil spill goes on with or without the money By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune When the BP oil spill began following a rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, researchers in Florida didn't wait, says State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan. Senate rejects Nelson amendment, oil industry applauds By Andrew Restuccia Florida Independent The Senate today rejected an amendment to the small business bill sponsored by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., that would have excluded much of the oil and gas industry from a key manufacturing tax deduction. Feinberg announces more generous claims process for Florida tourism industry By Travis Pillow Florida Independent Since he took over the oil spill claims process in August, Kenneth Feinberg has faced criticism from Florida officials who fear the state’s tourism industry wouldn’t be compensated for many of its losses. Oil spill: Feinberg 'skeptical' of some oil claims The Associated Press Pensacola News Journal The administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for victims of the Gulf oil spill said Tuesday he is "skeptical" of claims that are not in close proximity to the BP disaster but is becoming more flexible on the issue. Governor is red over Legislature's refusal to fund green By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday sent a letter to top legislative leaders where he said he was "disappointed" that a budget panel didn't consider a request to make available more than $31 million in rebates to residents who were willing to install solar panels or upgrade their heating and air conditioning systems. U.S. judge demands water district show it has money to undertake Everglades cleansing By Christine Stapleton Palm Beach Post A federal judge wants the South Florida Water Management District to explain where it will find the billions of dollars it needs to comply with his order to clean water headed to the Everglades, since the district's financial advisers told another federal judge it does not have the money. Florida PSC rejects four utilities' conservation plans By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com The Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday rejected energy conservation plans for three utilities after staff said they failed to meet the aggressive annual goals established by the commission. The utilities have 30 days to resubmit the plans. LGBT Crist may drop defense of state gay adoption ban The Associated Press Tampa Tribune Gov. Charlie Crist said today that he'll consider ending a legal battle over Florida's ban on adoptions by gays, but a man who challenged the law doesn't want him to. More on Crist's pro-gay rights 'evolution' By Steve Bousquet Miami Herald Now that he supports allowing gay couples to adopt children, Gov. Charlie Crist was asked Tuesday whether the state should drop its appeal of a Miami court case that struck down the ban. EDUCATION Broward School Board to face penalty rather than use subs for smaller classes By Akilah Johnson South Florida Sun-Sentinel Broward School Board members are prepared to accept up to $35.9 million in penalties rather than use substitute teachers to comply with new class-size limits. UF has used federal funds as bridge to stable future By Nathan Crabbe Gainesville Sun Some national universities are worried about what happens when the federal stimulus money runs out this year, fearing their institutions will fall off a financial cliff. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida's budget outlook improving By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Florida's budget picture is improving, but state economists are still waiting to gauge the fallout from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill catastrophe. State to get $11.6M bonus for food stamp program improvements Staff Report Ft. Myers News-Press Florida will receive an $11.6 million bonus from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for earning the best payment accuracy in the country in the food stamp program and the most improvement in processing applications. HEALTH AND SENIORS Insurance Companies To Remove Benefit Caps By Julie Rovner NPR On Sept. 23, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to place a lifetime limit on the benefits they pay out. Insurers Target Health Reform The Progress Report Think Progress Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that several insurers had filed requests to raise health insurance premiums above the rate of medical inflation and were blaming the newly-enacted health care law for at least part of that increase. Crist, doctors skeptical of privatizing hospital district By Bob LaMendola South Florida Sun-Sentinel Gov. Charlie Crist and physician leaders raised doubts Tuesday about the tax-collecting North Broward Hospital District's proposal to privatize its billion-dollar-a-year operation. Miami patients relying on expensive specialists By John Dorschner Miami Herald In a turn-around from previous studies, a research team is reporting that Miami area patients are using less, not more, of one medical service than the national average: primary care physicians. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Hernando jail transfer the latest point of controversy for Florida’s private prison industry By Bianca Fortis Florida Independent In the last few decades, private prisons, which now house about 9 percent of the inmate population in the U.S., have grown steadily in number — but so has criticism of an industry that makes its profits from the rehabilitation of criminals.