Daily Clips for March 15, 2011

FEATURED STORIES Senate panel advances bill stopping government payroll deductions for union dues By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post A measure that would bar state and local governments from collecting payroll deductions for union dues was narrowly approved Monday by a state Senate committee. Fla. Senate committee part of national trend in passing anti-abortion bills By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Fueled by the November elections and their opposition to the federal health care law, Florida GOP lawmakers this spring are pushing a record number of measures severely restricting access to abortions. Sen. comm. rebuffs House, Scott on pill mills By Carol Gentry Health News Florida In a slap to the House, the Senate Health Care Regulation committee today voted unanimously to toughen existing regulations against "pill mills" – the same rules that House leaders have said aren’t needed. Business wins a round in immigration debate By Patricia Mazzei St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Score one for business in the latest round of debate over proposed immigration reform in the Florida Senate. Senate committee approves amended gun bill By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Against the advice of sheriffs and retailers, a Senate committee approved a stripped-down bill today that would permit concealed-weapons permit holders to wear their guns openly in public. Corrupt capital culture exposed from the inside Editorial St. Petersburg Times A former Florida college president, after years of denials, finally has acknowledged the obvious: He conspired with a high-ranking legislator to steal $6 million in state tax dollars to build an airplane hangar sought by a prominent Republican donor. FLORIDA POLITICS Florida has been for sale too long By Nancy Argenziano Ocala Star-Banner This week, there were grass-roots "Awake the State" rallies all over Florida. Liberal, union activists staging protests against Republican plans for federal budget Staff Report Orlando Sentinel At venues throughout South Florida and across the nation on Tuesday, liberal groups and organized labor are staging a series of protests. Republicans wary of David Rivera scandal By Alex Isenstadt and Jake Sherman Politico Florida Rep. David Rivera, under an ethical cloud and facing an expanding investigation into his finances, is in a political squeeze from Republicans in Washington and Miami just two months into his congressional tenure. Richburg's interview reveals he felt used by Sansom By Tom McLaughlin Northwest Florida Daily News What a difference a week can make. Bills on Fast Track in Fla. Legislature By Zac Anderson Lakeland Ledger The paint is barely dry on teachers' protest signs but debate over a controversial bill to end tenure and tie salaries to student test scores is nearly over, with lawmakers moving towards final passage this week. What’s coercion got to do with union dues deduction ban? By Travis Pillow Florida Independent Nothing, according to the sponsor of a measure that would make it more difficult for public employee unions to collect dues, which cleared its first Senate panel Monday. Scott's hiring of 'outsiders' didn't go smoothly By Aaron Deslatte Orlando Sentinel Gov. Rick Scott campaigned on the promise he would infuse an outsider's perspective into the insular circles of power in Tallahassee. Should Florida lawmakers loosen the law banning gifts from lobbyists? Let's get serious! Editorial TC Palm In 2005, the Florida Legislature enacted a ban on gifts from lobbyists. POLITICAL RACES Adam Hasner all but declares U.S. Senate run By Adam C. Smith St. Petersburg Times Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner has formed an exploratory committee for an expected U.S. Senate run, the latest sign that Florida may have a sizable crowd of Republicans running to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Rubio the No. 1 recipient of Koch money in 2010 Senate races By Kyle Daly Florida Independent Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has made no secret of his pro-business agenda since taking office in January. It comes as little surprise, then, that his 2010 campaign was backed largely by industries he now supports. Corrine Brown’s campaign low on cash, consultant says don’t read too much into that By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union The campaign of U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown is hemorrhaging money, but supporters say it's no indication the 10-term incumbent is leaving Congress. Tuesday Miami-Dade recall vote could signal political sea change By Matthew Haggman and Martha Brannigan Miami Herald If voters oust Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas in Tuesday's recall election, it will be another strong signal the public is hungry for change at County Hall. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Lawmakers consider bill to abolish local fertilizer laws By William March Tampa Tribune Environmentalists and local government officials are worried about a bill moving through the Florida Legislature that would abolish all local ordinances restricting lawn fertilizer use, replacing them with a less restrictive state law. Gov. Scott calls on officals to review nuclear disaster response Staff Report Florida Capital News Gov. Rick Scott has asked Florida emergency officials to review response plans in the event of disasters at any of the five nuclear reactors operating in the state. EDUCATION Under merit pay cloud, teachers ponder future By Kevin D. Thompson Palm Beach Post For the past 29 years, Sophia Youngberg has enjoyed her time as a teacher and couldn't see herself doing anything else. Today in Tallahassee: Marathon House session on education reform By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau It could be a very long day in the Florida House. Senate higher ed committee members say tuition hikes possible By Jodie Tillman St. Petersburg Times Will holding the line on tuition next year hurt public universities in the long run? Florida universities target degree programs By Denise-Marie Balona Orlando Sentinel At Florida State University, the bull's-eye is on music theory and composition. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY State Senate set for vote on Florida revenue cap Associated Press Sarasota Herald-Tribune A proposed state revenue cap similar to Colorado's "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" is set for a floor vote in the Florida Senate. Senate Budget Committee Unveils Spending Plan, Cuts News Service of Florida Lakeland Ledger With $24.2 million in general revenue cuts and another $200 million cut in trust fund revenues, a Senate budget committee on Monday unveiled its first shot at a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. GOP calls for spending cuts to federal budget By David Lightman and Lesley Clark Miami Herald Many Republican conservatives – notably some elected for the first time last year – have grown increasingly frustrated over plans to keep the government running for another three weeks, saying they want longer-term, more serious spending cuts. Congress spending stopgaps face no-vote from tea party-affiliated Florida lawmakers By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Congress is expected to pass another stopgap spending measure this week to prevent a shutdown of the federal government, but two Florida tea party favorites - Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation - say they are done approving short-term budget fixes. HEALTH AND SENIORS Medicaid bill eyes HMO profits By Jim Saunders Health News Florida As Florida lawmakers get ready to transform Medicaid into a managed-care system, they are split on a complex question: How do you make sure HMOs don't receive a windfall at the expense of patient care? Senate panel tightens abortion coverage By Carol Gentry Health News Florida Two measures that would bar public money from subsidizing abortion coverage in Florida in nearly all cases, even indirectly, passed the Senate Health Regulation Committee on Monday. Florida Senate draws battle lines to preserve prescription drug monitoring database By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau State senators drew battle lines over Florida's planned prescription drug monitoring database Monday, criticizing House leaders and Gov. Rick Scott for wanting to kill the program before it starts. DCF head outlines changes to fix 'total systemic failure' of child welfare system By Ana M. Valdes Palm Beach Post The secretary of the Department of Children and Families on Monday announced changes he hopes will help fix a "total systematic failure of the child welfare system" exposed by last month's death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona, including a re-design of the way child abuse investigators handle cases, personnel reviews and the possible firing of agency employees currently on probation. Florida May Take Ax To Many Mental Health Programs By Robin Williams Adams Lakeland Ledger Advocates for mental health and substance abuse treatment are getting a mixed message this year as they lobby lawmakers in Tallahassee to preserve existing programs for people with those issues. Scott admin bans smoking in prisons By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post Gov. Rick Scott’s administration is snuffing out smoking in prisons, saying the habit cost taxpayers $9 million in smoking-related prisoner illnesses last year. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Florida Senate immigration proposal gets first hearing By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Opponents of immigration proposals before the Florida Legislature today criticized bills that require employers to use federal databases to check the employment eligibility of workers.