Daily Clips for March 22, 2011

FEATURED STORIES Poorest, sickest, oldest poised for brunt of Florida Senate budget cut proposals By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post A budget hobbled by recession-era red ink began taking shape Monday in the state Senate, including proposed cuts to schools, Medicaid and programs used by some of the poorest and sickest Floridians. Senate schools budget would call for cuts after all By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune A Senate budget panel on Monday rolled a new school funding proposal that was nowhere near as generous as one that was unveiled last week. Florida education secretary said he’ll step down this year By Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald State Education Commissioner Eric Smith will resign at the end of the school year, he announced Monday. State courts declare financial emergency, seek help By Lucy Morgan St. Petersburg Times A dramatic drop in mortgage foreclosures being filed in Florida has plunged the state's courts into a financial emergency that could jeopardize operations in every courtroom. As Ray Sansom case opens, defense vigorously denies charges By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times With his one-time colleagues working in the Capitol across the street, former House Speaker Ray Sansom went on trial Monday for his role in an alleged scheme to build an airplane hangar for a developer, a charge his attorney vehemently denied. FLORIDA POLITICS Today in Tallahassee: Packed agenda in House, Senate By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Abortion. Guns. Drugs. Vouchers. Supreme Court justices. Gambling. State Senate, House differ on budget cuts By Jerome R. Stockfisch Tampa Tribune Early legislative budget proposals confirm one thing lawmakers have been warning about – cuts virtually across the board -- and portend showdowns between the two chambers over high-profile priorities such as health care and state worker pay. Union dues bill on the move By Kathleen Haughney Orlando Sentinel The House Appropriations Committee gave the OK to a bill by Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, that could potentially limit unions’ political potency moving forward. Bill would raise limits on fundraising By Brandon Larrabee News Service of Florida Bills dealing with political fundraising and state constitutional amendments passed a Senate panel Monday despite critics' complaints that they would give more power to wealthy donors and the Legislature. House committee votes to put property tax cut on Florida ballot By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau A move to give all Florida property owners a deeper property tax cut continued to gather steam in the Florida House on Monday as a committee voted to put the measure on the ballot as early as 2012. Florida lawmakers aim to slash local regulations on businesses, too By Jason Garcia Orlando Sentinel Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature, on a mission this spring to make the state easier on businesses, isn't just targeting regulations in Tallahassee. In rush to deregulate, Senate tackles basic phone service By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau With only one in five Floridians still tethered to a traditional telephone, a Senate committee gave fast-track approval Monday to legislation that would completely deregulate land lines against the wishes of AARP and consumer advocates. Sen. Jim Norman scales back bill that inadvertently criminalized farm photography By Katie Sanders St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau One of the first bills Jim Norman proposed as a state senator targets animal-rights activists who sneak onto farms to capture footage of agricultural practices they consider cruel. Defense, prosecution heard in Sansom trial By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News Defense attorneys told jurors Monday that former House Speaker Ray Sansom not only didn't steal taxpayer money to build a $6-million airplane hangar for Destin developer Jay Odom, the men couldn't have illegally hidden the item in a state budget if they had tried. POLITICAL RACES Lois Frankel launches bid for Allen West’s congressional seat By George Bennett Palm Beach Post Term-limited West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel announced today that she’s running for the congressional seat of freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, setting up what could be yet another expensive, nationally watched race in Palm Beach-Broward District 22. Polls open for Tampa mayor, city council runoffs By Christian M. Wade Tampa Tribune By the end of today, Tampa will know who its next leader will be. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Initial Senate draft budget includes money for beaches, petroleum tanks By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune Beach restoration and petroleum contamination cleanup programs will receive close to the same amount in a Senate subcommittee's draft version of the 2011-12 budget as those programs received this past year. Walton County bill raises statewide concerns for sea turtles By Bruce Ritchie FloridaEnvironments.com Some environmentalists are asking the Legislature to take a closer look at a local bill for Walton County that could allow sea walls to remain in place without state permits. EDUCATION Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith resigns By Ron Matus and Jeffrey S. Solochek St. Petersburg Times Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith, who has continued pushing far-reaching school changes while the state is earning national kudos for progress, announced Monday he intends to resign June 10. Principals leery of provisions in teacher bill that would affect them, too By Jeffrey S. Solochek St. Petersburg Times After Cooper Dawson turned around one struggling St. Petersburg school, she was asked to do it again. Late end-of-course algebra test results could cause late report cards By Jason Schultz Palm Beach Post The results of the first round in a statewide experiment in computerized end-of-course tests will not be released by the state until after the end of Palm Beach County's school year. Senator downplays proposed suspension of Florida Prepaid program By Jodie Tillman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Sen. Evelyn Lynn said Monday she only wanted to give the state some "breathing room" when she pitched a controversial proposal last week to close the Florida Prepaid College program to new participants. Pre-K gets results, despite budget woes By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel Florida youngsters who took part in the state's pre-K program were more prepared for kindergarten when school started in August than children who did not, recent state figures show. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY House and Senate far apart in how to handle $3.75 billion budget gap By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune Related: Senate draft budget includes money for Miami port but not other items sought by Scott It may not be easy for state legislators to reach a deal anytime soon on how to fill the state’s $3.75 billion budget gap. Homeless advocates against Scott's budget cuts By Matt Dixon Florida Times-Union When Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his budget in February, one thing in particular got Cindy Funkhouser's attention. Public workers not better off, study contends By Mary Wozniak Ft. Myers News-Press Public-sector workers have become targets in Florida for critics who say they get too much money, too many benefits and are largely to blame for a nearly $3.8 billion state deficit. Alabama judge suspends union-deduction ban similar to Florida proposal By Travis Pillow Florida Independent In a preview of the legal battles to come if a similar law is passed in Florida, Lynwood Smith, a federal judge in Alabama, has suspended a law banning automatic payroll deductions for members state employee unions, according to the Huntsville Times. Florida's home vacancy rates, No. 1 in nation, are drag on recovery By Robert Trigaux St. Petersburg Times Florida has roughly half the population of California, but more vacant houses. In fact, Florida, has more vacant houses — 1,567,778, more than one out of every six — than any state in the country. HEALTH AND SENIORS Abortion bill tightens parental notification requirements By Kathleen Haughney South Florida Sun-Sentinel A panel of House members Monday approved a bill that attempts to limit a minor's ability to get an abortion by strengthening parental-notification requirements. $1B in cuts in Senate HHS budget By Jim Saunders Health News Florida When Sen. Joe Negron released a proposal Monday to cut at least $1 billion from health- and human-services programs, it was a first step in what likely will be a contentious budget process. Gov. Scott names Ormond Beach doctor as Florida surgeon general Associated Press Palm Beach Post Gov. Rick Scott has named a former Florida Medical Association president and retired military doctor as the state's surgeon general. Liz Dudek to stay at AHCA; Dr. Frank Farmer to lead DOH By Carol Gentry Health News Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s appointees to lead the state’s two health agencies came as a delightful surprise to some people who know them because they aren’t Scott's political cronies and both have solid records of achievement. After its first year, health law's future is still in question By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar Associated Press One year after President Barack Obama signed his historic health care overhaul, the law is taking root in the land. Whether it bears lasting fruit is still in question. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Business backlash against immigration crackdowns By Travis Pillow Florida Independent Senate President Mike Haridopolos has opposed efforts by business groups to soften some of the enforcement provisions in one of the Senate’s immigration bills. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Battle over wrongful convictions pits GOP legislators versus law-enforcement By Kim MacQueen Florida Tribune At their meeting in Tallahassee Monday, the Florida Innocence Commission ultimately voted to support a measure that would update and revamp the way law enforcement agencies conduct eyewitness identifications. But the move took the commission most of the day, and was a bumpy ride for all concerned. Divided commission endorses bill on police lineups By Jim Ash Florida Capital News A divided Florida Innocence Commission voted Monday to endorse a controversial bill that would set minimum standards for police lineups.