Daily Clips for January 7, 2010

FEATURED STORIES Scott tours charter schools with 'Waiting for Superman' notable; touts merit pay By George Bennett Palm Beach Post With education reform lightning rod Michelle Rhee at his side, Gov. Rick Scott toured a charter school today and said he'll press for merit pay for teachers and more opportunities for parents to choose which schools their kids attend. State fines HMOs $4M By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Two HMOs have been hit with nearly $4 million in fines after a long-running dispute about whether they improperly denied or reduced speech-therapy services for children in Florida's Medicaid program. New rules limit GOP's power over voter districts By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune Republicans have never had more political strength in Tallahassee going into a redistricting process as they do this year. BEST OF THE BLOGS Five Takeaways from Tallahassee – Inaugural Edition By Peter Schorsch Saint Petersblog Trying to drive from Tally to the ‘burg in under four hours, I thought up the idea for a new series of posts called “Takeaways from Tallahassee” in which I will do my best to offer some analysis, in bursts of insightful nuggets, on what is really going on in the state capital. So, Just How Close is Florida? By Steve Schale SteveSchale.com Tis the season for speculation on 2012, so it came as no surprise that after my Holiday self-imposed no-telephone call break, I found several messages on my phone from reporters asking my take on whether Florida is truly a toss-up state for President Obama, especially after what here (and everywhere else) happened in November. Grim Details Emerge on Scott SuperAgency Plan By gimleteye Eye On Miami Fast report here. A Governor Rick Scott powerpoint presentation is making the rounds, that was used by the Scott Transition Team on Regulatory Reform, dated December 20th. It is a fascinating glimpse into the condensation of GOP strategy for Florida and perhaps the nation, guided as we were given to learn, by the foremost conservative foundations who were invited, by Governor Scott, to fill up his clean slate. Moving the Agenda Leftward By Jake Rantings From Florida The new NY Times interview with Alan Grayson is great reading, but it also is important in reminding what is at stake in the next two years politically for House Democrats. Rick Scott's Inauguration Speech - If He'd Had Truth Serum With Breakfast By Daniel Tilson West Palm Beach Examiner Hello, shareholders - uh, no - stakeholders. Thanks for paying, uh, coming, yes, thanks for coming to my coronation, uh, corporation, uh, no, doggone it, excuse me. FLORIDA POLITICS Hispanics Are Likely to Play Larger Role in Next Elections By Luista Lopez Torregrosa Politics Daily With historic victories in the midterm elections, Hispanics flexed their growing political muscle, helping elect -- and defeat -- well-known top-tier candidates in places like California and Nevada, New Mexico and Florida. Scott needs to confront corruption Editorial Tampa Tribune Related: Corruption tax One of Rick Scott's first acts as governor following his inauguration Tuesday was to order a review of last month's grand jury report on government corruption. And so are state Democrats By Joy-Ann Reid Miami Herald Happy 2011, Florida Democrats! I'm sure you're all rested up from the inaugural festivities, since, let's face it, your presence was pretty much optional. From the start, Gov. Scott giving the media fits By Tom Lyons Sarasota Herald-Tribune Some of the advice sent by past and present elected officials to incoming Gov. Rick Scott was sound and wise. POLITICAL RACES Scott appoints ‘Fair Districts’ foe to run 2012 elections By Cooper Leavy-Baker Florida Independent Gov. Rick Scott yesterday announced his appointment of Kurt Browning as Florida’s secretary of state, a position filled by Browning from 2006 till April 2010. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Oil findings boost chance of corp. criminal charge By Harry R. Weber and Curt Anderson Associated Press Months of investigation by a presidential commission and other panels reinforce the likelihood that companies involved in the Gulf oil spill will be slapped with criminal charges that could add tens of billions of dollars to the huge fines they already face, legal experts said Thursday. Scott appointments could reshape Florida By Zac Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune In a move with the potential to unravel decades of growth management and environmental policy, Gov. Rick Scott has named two agency heads who have strong ties to the state's development industry. Oil spill claimants deserve consistency, straight answers Editorial St. Petersburg Times Legitimate questions are being raised by businesses in Tampa Bay and elsewhere that are on the losing end of the BP claims process. St. Johns Riverkeeper announces intent to study science behind Georgia-Pacific waste pipeline By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent In its continuing fight against a pipeline that will allow Georgia-Pacific to dump waste into the St. Johns River, river advocates are pledging to study the scientific validity of a report being used by the paper giant to justify its actions. EDUCATION Districts ready to sue over class-size policies By Kim MacQueen Florida Tribune Related: Fla. may impose $43 million in class size fines A legal fight could be brewing over soon-to-be imposed penalties against school districts that have failed to meet class size restrictions. Duval educators, school leaders complain of mandates from the state By Mary Kelli Palka Florida Times-Union Duval County education leaders want fewer unfunded or underfunded state mandates and more flexibility to decide how best to educate students. Billionaire to open private high school at former JCC site By Kevin D. Thompson Palm Beach Post Billionaire energy magnate Bill Koch isn't satisfied with the quality of high schools in Palm Beach County. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Senate President Haridopolos Says $300 Million Too Costly For High-Speed Rail By Keith Laing News Service Of Florida Newly inaugurated Gov. Rick Scott has not yet signaled whether he will get on board with a high-speed rail system connecting Tampa and Orlando, but the Senate president says he won't go along for the ride. Rick Scott considers "destination casinos'' for his economic plan By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he is open to allowing Las Vegas-style casino resorts in Florida, opening the door for promoters to move swiftly ahead with legislation this year that would end the decades-old ban on the high stakes games. Florida cold snap pushes up produce prices By Curtis Morgan Miami Herald Arching her eyebrows at prices along the produce aisle, Ilene Ellman decided to alter her shopping routine. HEALTH AND SENIORS Health reform repeal is a ruse Editorial Orlando Sentinel Under new Speaker John Boehner, U.S. House Republicans are bulling ahead with a doomed effort to repeal the health reform law that Congress passed last year when Democrats were in charge. Florida House bill would combine 4 health care-related agencies By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union Four health care-related agencies with nearly 40,000 state workers would be eliminated and their responsibilities swept into one newly created department under legislation filed Monday by state Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach. 3 universities get total of $4.7 mil for HIV study Associated Press Two Florida universities and one in California have been awarded a $4.7 million grant to study the connection between marijuana use and HIV infections in adolescents. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE, AND SOCIAL ISSUES Rick Scott Neglects Sexual Orientation, Handicaps, Marital Status In Anti-Discrimination Order By Nick Wing Huffington Post Newly-minted Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) this week signed a narrow non-discrimination executive order that neglects to extend protections based on sexual orientation and identity, handicaps, or marital status. Scott appointee's résumé raising questions By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post One of Gov. Rick Scott's first hires worked on Scott's campaign digging up dirt on his opponents and sat on the board of a South Florida anti-immigration group tagged by civil rights advocates as an "extremist" organization. As Jennifer Carroll takes office, Florida's grim past recedes a little further By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Moments after Jennifer Carroll was sworn in Tuesday as Florida's first black female lieutenant governor, Katina Glasco grinned broadly, raised her fists and mouthed an enthusiastic, "Yes!" Change would relax handgun law By Kaustuv Bastu Florida Today A movement to let Floridians openly carry their handguns in a holster makes its first stop in Brevard with a rally in Melbourne on Saturday. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Crist leaves office without appointing judge to appellate court By Carol Spencer-Wendell Palm Beach Post Four judges nominated to fill an appellate court vacancy met with Gov. Charlie Crist and his staff last month.