Daily Clips for March 14, 2011

FEATURED STORIES No movement from Scott on anti-gerrymandering amendments By William March Tampa Tribune Despite the impending arrival of the final 2010 Census redistricting data, Gov. Rick Scott still isn't saying when or whether he'll seek federal approval of anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendments passed by Florida voters in November. Fla. pension system favors judges, elected officials By Sally Kestin South Florida Sun-Sentinel For the hundreds of thousands of public workers in Florida's statewide pension plan, not everyone is treated equally. Florida high-speed rail not dead yet: $2.4 billion open for bids, LaHood says By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau High-speed rail in Florida may not be dead yet. For Florida Tea Party, rare access to Capitol By Zac Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune Patricia Sullivan stood ready at the entrance of the Capitol rotunda, handing out agenda packets to busloads of Tea Party activists who began arriving just after dawn. Chamber of fear Editorial Orlando Sentinel Related column: Florida Chamber of Commerce an embarrassment We'd expect better from the Florida Chamber of Commerce than this: In the ongoing debate over cutting public employee pay and benefits, the business group has resorted to portraying its union opponents as downright dangerous. Ray Sansom case shocker: Ex-college president flips on him, developer By Alex Leary and Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau The criminal case against former House Speaker Ray Sansom took a dramatic turn Friday as a co-defendant turned state's evidence and acknowledged that $6 million Sansom put in the state budget was to benefit a developer. EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK By Jim Morin Miami Herald FLORIDA POLITICS Former Gov. Bob Graham fears proposals of Gov. Rick Scott By Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham has been mostly silent about the proposals of men who have succeeded him in the office he left in 1987. Tallahassee's Balzac of the Banal By Daniel Ruth St. Petersburg Times Perhaps in the riveting sequel to his blockbuster nonselling book, which could be titled My Pet Goat Meets the Florida Legislature, Senate President Mike Haridopolos might consider a chapter along the lines of: "What a Cravenly Ambitious Pol Should Do When Caught Receiving a $152,000 Gratuity for Penning the Great American Drivel." Will Weatherford's rise to next House speaker is swift By Jodie Tillman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau The swift political rise of Will Weatherford began with a college assignment: keep the freshmen in line. Local governments in Fla. improve in public records audit By Jennifer Kay Associated Press A statewide test that requested information from local governments showed that most are complying with Florida's public records law, a major improvement over past years when most did not. Sunshine Law advocates fear setback in Florida Legislature By Bob Rathberger Ft. Myers News-Press Five years ago, a teenager from Panama City died in a sheriff's boot camp, a day after guards forced him to keep running. Charging for admission By Ray Reyes Tampa Tribune Requesting public records from the governor's office now comes with a cost. Florida Farm Bureau on farm-photo felony bill: ‘We’re revising the whole thing’ By Brett Ader Florida Independent A controversial Senate bill currently under review in Tallahassee will be revised, according to a spokesman for the Florida Farm Bureau. Libertarian aims to repeal moldy statutes By Jim Ash Florida Capital News The rules are different in Florida, but not the way most people think. FBI collects oaths of office of former Florida Sen. Mandy Dawson By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau As part of a federal inquiry into former state Sen. Mandy Dawson, an FBI investigator this week collected the Fort Lauderdale Democrat's oaths of office she signed in 2002 and 2004. Obama's main opposition may come from governors' mansions By Alex Leary and Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times It may be a bigger threat to President Barack Obama than Romney, Palin or Gingrich — a crew by the name of Christie, Scott and Walker that is slashing budgets, undercutting the new health care law and picking fights with unions. Rick Scott’s ideological blinders By Myriam Marquez Miami Herald It’s now official. Our non-blinking governor is encouraging legislators to join him in this wide-eyed adventure to make government run like a business. POLITICAL RACES Buchanan unlikely to seek Senate seat By Jeremy Wallace Sarasota Herald-Tribune U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's changing role in Congress is making him less of a factor in the 2012 U.S. Senate race and opening a door for other Republicans looking to take out two-term Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. West forms federal 'leadership PAC' By George Bennett Palm Beach Post He's already a platinum YouTube star, Internet traffic generator and cable TV mainstay. Now freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, has formed a federal "leadership PAC" that could come in handy if he wants to lift his national profile any higher. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY No money for beach renourishment in Scott's budget By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times For decades taxpayers have been footing the bill to pump extra sand onto eroding beaches around Florida. But this coming year may be different. Legislators withdraw bills that would put golf courses in state parks By Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times A week after they introduced bills to let Jack Nicklaus build golf courses in state parks, Sen. John Thrasher and state Rep. Patrick Rooney Jr. withdrew it Friday. Oil spill recovery bill evolving By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News The Senate's major oil spill recovery legislation changed significantly in a budget committee Friday, its last stop before the full chamber could consider the proposal as soon as next week. The cost of doing nothing: How nutrient pollution harms small businesses By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent During the summer of 2005, Ben Williams, owner of Fishermen’s Dock Seafood in Jacksonville, was grappling with an unusual problem: Though Northeast Florida is home to thousands of species of fish and is well known for its booming shrimp industry, his customers weren’t interested. The outrageous lies about growth management Editorial Tampa Tribune Listen to Gov. Rick Scott and legislators prattle on about how growth management laws are job killers and one cannot help but wonder what Florida they live in. EDUCATION Educators decry infusion of politics into schools By Marcia Lane St. Augustine Record Education reform is being driven by partisan political considerations rather than the cool analysis of research. Tampa Bay teachers say they're under attack, undervalued and undermined By Marlene Sokol St. Petersburg Times She's the least political person she knows. But there's Emilsa Guillot, waving a protest sign at rush-hour motorists on Kennedy Boulevard. Federal budget battle has children's programs in cross hairs By Kate Santich Orlando Sentinel Lawmakers in Washington have proposed what some are calling "devastating" cuts to programs for children — from Pell Grants to Head Start to job training for older teens. Repeal gym-class requirement, lawmakers urge By Eloísa Ruano González Orlando Sentinel Florida schools worked up a sweat creating more gym classes after the state passed a law more than a year ago requiring middle-school students to take more physical education. Educator sought, received state money well after school was evicted By Jane Musgrave Palm Beach Post Socrates Maradiaga received tens of thousands of dollars from the state to continue to run a school for disabled children even after it was evicted from its home and, from all accounts, had ceased operations. Testing, testing Editorial Gainesville Sun U.S. Sec. of Education Arnie Duncan estimates that as many as 80,000 of America's 100,000 public schools may be classified as "failing" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Amendment would prohibit Citizens Property Insurance from covering near-shore homes By Paul Flemming Florida Capital News An unlikely coalition of Republican lawmakers, tea-party activists and environmentalists wants to get state-owned Citizens Property Insurance out of the business of covering near-shore homes. How Flaws Undid Obama’s Hope for High-Speed Rail in Florida By Michael Cooper New York Times The rest of the world calls them bullet trains because they go so fast. More train hi-jinks: Scott puts brakes on SunRail By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Gov. Rick Scott has put the brakes on the $1.2 billion SunRail commuter train in Central Florida by freezing $235 million in contracts for the project until July while he decides whether to allow it to go forward. Hey governor: What's the point of tax cuts if insurance rates go through the roof? By Michael Mayo South Florida Sun-Sentinel Every time Gov. Scott speaks, my shrinking wallet trembles. Unions have good reason to worry By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Crossing Monroe Street on opening day of the legislative session was like stepping through the looking glass. Scott's three reasons for rejecting rail unjustified Editorial Bradenton Herald The third leg of the stool upon which Gov. Rick Scott stood in rejecting high-speed rail has broken off like the other two. HEALTH AND SENIORS Gov. Scott shifting clinics to his wife raises conflict of interest questions By Stacey Singer Palm Beach Post As Florida Gov. Rick Scott reorganizes health agencies, cuts spending and pushes for new free-market health policies, his ownership of Solantic, the urgent care chain, increasingly poses conflict of interest questions. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi asks for expedited appeal in health care lawsuit By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday asked for an expedited, full-court appeal hearing in the state's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal health care reform law. Florida asks feds for waiver from federal health care reform law By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune Florida's top insurance regulator is asking the federal government to waive tough new medical loss ratio requirements for insurance companies that sell individual policies. DOH plan slammed, praised By Jim Saunders Health News Florida The top Senate Democrat today blasted a reorganization proposal for the Florida Department of Health, saying it would harm dental health and other local programs that should remain priorities. Department of Health proposal to slash 1,600 jobs earns applause from House By Brent Henzi Florida Tribune The Department of Health's proposal that would significantly restructure the agency by eliminating more than 1,600 jobs was lauded by House members on Friday, while others voiced skepticism. Prescription drug abuse leads to spike in neglect cases, child protection investigators say By Rita Farlow St. Petersburg Times The stories are startling, heartbreaking, infuriating. Sparks fly again in long-running feud over $1 billion in hospital money By Christine Jordan Sexton Florida Tribune The fight continues between the for profit and not for profit hospital industries over the distribution of a $1 billion pot of federal dollars meant to help fund low income uninsured and indigent people. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES More conservative Legislature considers evolution bill By Elaine Silvestrini Tampa Tribune As lawmakers wrestle with financial and policy challenges that could affect the quality of education in the state, one influential legislator is also hoping to change the way evolution is taught in Florida public schools. Another bad gun bill Editorial Pensacola News Journal In Gov. Rick Scott's quest to make Florida "business friendly," he should consider the importance of having enough doctors to provide good health care to the state's residents. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Florida prisons officials want to trim budget through attrition, not layoffs By Katie Sanders and Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Top officials overseeing Florida prisons said Friday they will not lay off correctional officers as part of this year's $3.6 billion budget crunch, dealing a setback to Gov. Rick Scott's plan to overhaul the system by firing hundreds of those workers.