Daily Clips for December 16, 2010

FEATURED STORIES What will FL judge do? By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson saved the fireworks until almost the end of a 65-page October ruling that allowed Florida and other states to continue challenging the new federal health law. Children's Movement sets Fla. legislative goals The Associated Press Miami Herald Backed by influential business and political figures, a children's advocacy group that goes by the nickname "Milk Party" on Wednesday unveiled a $300 million wish list for cash-strapped Florida lawmakers to consider. Rick Scott’s School Voucher Plan Threatens the Viability of Public Education By Dennis Maley Bradenton Times On Rick Scott's recent pre-take-office tour, Floridians got a peek at what issues his administration's agenda will be likely to favor. House votes again to lift restrictions on gays The Associated Press St. Petersburg Times Related: How Florida voted on repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' For the second time this year the House voted to dismantle the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, giving the Senate a final shot in the waning days of this Congress at changing a law requiring thousands of uniformed gays to hide their sexual identity. Feds sue BP, other companies for oil spill damages By Michael Kunzelman The Associated Press A powerful plaintiff has joined the hundreds of people and businesses suing BP and other companies involved in the Gulf oil spill: the Justice Department. FLORIDA POLITICS Florida GOP may replace troublesome early presidential primary with straw poll By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Look out Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire. Fall of Crist? Election of Rick Scott? What's the top political story for the year? Staff Report Florida Tribune This past year may go down as one of the strangest and wildest years in the history of Florida politics. Governor may face fight from local lawmakers By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Governor-elect Rick Scott's ambitious plans to overhaul Florida government are already drawing scrutiny from local legislative leaders. Nelson requests 43 earmarks in Senate omnibus bill By Luke Johnson Florida Independent The Senate is considering a $1.1 trillion omnibus bill — essentially a bill appropriating funding for the government for next year that contains more than 6,000 earmarks totaling $8 billion. Dade GOP to select new leader By Patricia Mazzei Miami Herald In a show of unity after their party's successful election last month, Miami-Dade Republicans are expected to rally around a new, consensus leader Thursday. POLITICAL RACES Special elections set for 2 Fla. legislative seats The Associated Press Miami Herald Gov. Charlie Crist has set special elections in South Florida to replace two Democratic state lawmakers who have resigned. BALLOT INITIATIVES Head of Personhood Florida calls for action at legislative delegation meetings By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Pastor Bryan Longworth, the head of the anti-abortion group Personhood Florida, is calling for “ProLife, Tea Party, and Values speakers to let their voices be heard” at legislative meetings today in St. Lucie County. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Friends of the Everglades: ‘Taxpayer-funded bailout of Everglades polluters must stop’ By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Judge Alan Gold is slated to hold a highly anticipated and crucial hearing tomorrow concerning the restoration of the Everglades, in which he will approve or deny an EPA-developed plan that will halt agricultural poisoning in the area. Appeals court sanctions environmental groups in land-use case By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune A state appeals court ruled on Tuesday that environmental groups must pay the attorneys fees of Martin County, the Florida Department of Community Affairs and development interests for appealing a land-use case. McCollum, Sink rap oil spill claims process The Associated Press Gainesville Sun Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink have taken parting shots against the Gulf of Mexico oil spill claims process. Gov.-elect Rick Scott wrong to oppose moratorium on offshore oil drilling Editorial TC Palm Gov.-elect Rick Scott apparently has a short memory and thinks other Floridians do, too. LGBT Huckabee signs letter supporting groups designated as ‘hate groups’ By Cooper Levey-Baker Florida Independent Florida resident and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has signed a letter supporting a Family Research Council effort to push back against the Southern Poverty Law Center for designating several anti-gay organizations as “hate groups.” EDUCATION Rick Scott’s Horror-Show Plan for Florida Education By Ralph De La Cruz Florida Center for Investigative Reporting When people go to the polls to “send a message” or vote with a gut feeling, I get worried. DOE: Florida school districts need value-added techniques By Tom Marshall St. Petersburg Times In another sign that Florida is moving toward statewide use of value-added measures of teacher effectiveness, the Department of Education today named a committee to develop a plan. "Season of Saving" with the Gift of Education By Gina Presson Public News Service Florida Make this holiday time a 'season of saving.' That's the message from the Florida Pre-Paid College Plans. The Wall Street Journal says the annual spike in spending around the holidays is $65 billion nationwide, or about $600 per household. Safety, openness a tricky balance for school boards after Bay County shooting By Jeffrey S. Solochek St. Petersburg Times Related: Raw Video: Inside the Fla. School Board Shooting James Yant had talked in passing about the need to tighten security at Hernando County School Board meetings. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY New federal survey shows salary gender gap in Florida and other surprises By Brent Henzi Florida Tribune A new federal survey released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau has a treasure trove of information about Florida. State's foreclosure filings plunge 42% By Kimberly Miller Palm Beach Post Foreclosure filings plummeted in November, showing the biggest declines nationwide since 2005 as the robo-signing fracas forced lenders to pause and review flawed or possibly fraudulent paperwork. Lee County farmers continue to assess damage By Mary Wozniak Ft. Myers News-Press While the past few days of freezing temperatures might be refreshing for some, for local farmers it’s been terrifying as their crops and livelihood are on the line. HEALTH AND SENIORS McCollum's challenge of Obama's health care plan is central to national debate By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related column: McCollum's lawsuit against Obamacare raises legitimate questions As Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum argues against the new federal health care law today, he adds to a court file already swollen with "friend of the court" briefs from around the country. McCollum plays a role in another big case By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News For any other lawyer-politician, having prosecuted the president of the United States would be the biggest case of a career. Stem-cell treatment ‘cures’ HIV patient By Fred Tasker Miami Herald Doctors in Berlin, working with an American patient with both HIV and leukemia, have declared in a peer-reviewed journal that they believe they have cured both illnesses. Investing in children will pay off in long run Editorial St. Petersburg Times A nascent effort to focus Florida's Legislature on improving the lives of children has passed its first major test.