Daily Clips for November 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Fla. legislature set to override a governor's veto today for the first time in 23 years By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post A more Republican than ever legislature will meet today to swear in new lawmakers and hand over the gavels from House Speaker Larry Cretul to Dean Cannon and Senate President Jeff Atwater to Mike Haridopolos. Legislature will let two Crist vetoes stand to please Scott and doctors By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau As Florida legislators meet today in a one-day special session to transform into law a handful of bills vetoed by Gov. Charlie Crist, they have agreed to remove two controversial items as a concession to both Gov.-elect Rick Scott and a bipartisan group of doctors and legislators. Scott names economic advisors By Tonya Alanez South Florida Sun-Sentinel Gov.-elect Rick Scott on Monday announced a group of ardently conservative and notably controversial economic thinkers who will advise him on his first budget proposal. EPA unveils new pollution standards for Florida waters, then delays them By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times For months, everyone from Florida's new Republican governor to its Democratic senator to its farmers, sewer plant operators and utilities has been trying to get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to back off new water pollution standards for Florida. Attack on public safeguards Editorial Tampa Tribune The Florida Legislature will meet today in a special session where the newly elected veto-proof GOP majority plans to override nine bills Gov. Charlie Crist rejected earlier this year. FLORIDA POLITICS Rare veto overrides, and a glimpse of the new Tallahassee By Lloyd Dunkelberger Sarasota Herald-Tribune Underscoring their zeal for a conservative agenda, two Republican lawmakers who share political philosophies and hometowns in Central Florida begin their leadership of the Florida Legislature today with a series of dramatic veto override votes. Despite ethics complaints, Jim Norman snares chairmanship in state Senate By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Senators from Tampa Bay were among the winners and losers Monday as the new Senate president completed his leadership team and found room for freshman Sen. Jim Norman of Tampa, a target of ethics complaints and an FBI probe over his financial dealings. Incoming senator chats with Bill Nelson By Bart Jansen Florida Today Sen.-elect Marco Rubio met Monday with Sen. Bill Nelson to learn about the Senate and discuss working together for Florida despite partisan differences. Amid fanfare, Marco Rubio goes for low-key introduction to Washington By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times Marco Rubio stepped out of a meeting in the Capitol on Monday and an army of reporters rushed him, thrusting recorders in his face. West blames Kaufman stepping down on sexism, racism By Luke Johnson Florida Independent Rep.-elect Allen West, R-Fort Lauderdale, is in Washington this week for new member orientation. POLITICAL RACES Hispanic community goes Republican in latest election By Beth Reinhard Miami Herald Related Politifact article: Jeb Bush says Rick Scott won Florida Hispanic vote Overlooked amid all the good news for the Republican Party on Nov. 2: After losing the Hispanic vote in 2008 and 2006 in Florida, the GOP got it back in 2010. BALLOT INITIATIVES Cannon appoints ‘Fair Districts’ foe as chair of state House redistricting committee By Cooper Levey-Baker Florida Independent The two legislators most responsible for making sure that the legislature follows the redistricting rules laid out in Amendments 5 and 6 were both members of a group explicitly created to defeat those rules. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Environmental groups tout now-finalized water quality rules, question high cost estimates By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Related: Scott, GOP leaders join chorus of voices opposed to new EPA water quality rules In a Monday morning Tallahassee press conference, several environmental groups responded to the EPA’s first round of finalized numeric nutrient criteria. Federal official defends water quality rules By Jim Ash Florida Capital News A top federal regulator on Monday defended tough new water quality standards for Florida, warning that critics are using scare tactics to inflate the cost. Legislature comes out for dirty water Editorial St. Petersburg Times Today in Tallahassee, the new Florida Legislature looks poised to ensure that future generations inherit a more polluted state. LGBT Repeal DADT This Year The Progress Report Think Progress Last week, the Washington Post reported that a Pentagon study group concluded that "the military can lift the ban on gays serving openly in uniform with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts." EDUCATION Scott plan calls for continued public spending on private education By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent Gov.-elect Rick Scott will continue to push public funds to private schools through vouchers, charter schools and the Voluntary Pre-K Program. Florida universities get $10 million for engineering, health and science By Richard Danielson St. Petersburg Times Florida's university system awarded $10 million in grants Monday to boost research and innovation, with nearly a quarter of the money going to the University of Florida. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Questions could slow foreclosures in Florida By Anthony Colarossi Orlando Sentinel By the end of June, a towering backlog of foreclosure filings piled up on the court system in Orange and Osceola counties — the legal paperwork equivalent of a tidal wave. Tampa mayor says hopes for high-speed rail still high after sales tax defeat By Robert Napper Florida Independent Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio urged a panel of state transportation officials Monday not to interpret the failure of a penny sales tax referendum for light rail in Hillsborough County as a lack of interest in high-speed rail in the area. HEALTH AND SENIORS Leaders ax drug-dispensing By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Trying to avoid "food fights" during a special legislative session, House and Senate leaders Monday backed away from overriding Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of a politically charged bill that dealt with doctors who dispense drugs. Senate starts Medicaid reform talks By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Leaders in the Florida Senate will begin Medicaid reform meetings tomorrow while in town for the organizational session/special session to override a smorgasbord of Gov. Charlie Crist’s vetoes. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Snyder's Ariz.-style immigration bill progresses despite backlash By Jim Turner TC Palm Some of the things people are writing about state Rep. William Snyder on blogs and in e-mails to his office are so bad staff members can't tell him word for word what he is being called. Proponent of Arizona-style immigration law to chair Judiciary Committee By Marcos Restrepo Florida Independent Incoming state House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, announced today the chairs of the Florida House’s key committees for the 2011 legislative session.