Daily Clips for March 3, 2011

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS Personhood Florida leader’s comments ‘jaw-dropping,’ a ‘bad assumption’ and ‘beyond the pale’ By Virginia Chamlee Florida Independent Excerpt: Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo blasts Longworth for saying many of his critics have “participated in taking their own child’s life.” “This is just a jaw-dropping statement that further illustrates how on the fringe these people are,” Ferrulo says. “They aren’t getting much support, so that angst is coming forth through these absurd, rhetorical fluorishes. We all say things when we’re frustrated, but this one is really beyond the pale.” Major protest against Rick Scott’s agenda planned in Tampa & Clearwater for March 8 By Mitch Perry Creative Loafing Tampa Excerpt: “Awake the State” is the name of the major protests being planned up and down Florida next Tuesday, March 8, the first day that the Florida Legislature convenes for their 2011 regular session…There is a plethora of local groups that are helping to organize the rally, including the Florida Consumer Action Network, Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, Hillsborough Parents Teacher Association, Hillsborough Schools Employees Federation, West Central Labor Council, National Nurses United, the Refuge, Poor People’s Human Rights Campaign, the Tampa chapter of NOW, Equality Florida, Progress Florida, Florida Watch Action, and others. FEATURED STORIES Scott squares off against senators over rail funds By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News With the clock ticking on $2.4 billion in federal funding and possibly 24,000 jobs, attorneys for Gov. Rick Scott and two state senators will square off in the Florida Supreme Court today in a politically charged showdown over separation of powers. Activists plan protests against Florida Gov. Scott's proposals By Anthony Man South Florida Sun-Sentinel After simmering for days on the Internet, opposition to Gov. Rick Scott's budget-cutting proposals is about to boil over into the streets — where activists opposing the governor will find tea party activists ready to defend their champion. Haridopolos' $152,000 book now available online By Brendan Farrington Associated Press Related: Excerpts from Sen. President Haridopolos' book Senate President Mike Haridopolos' $152,000, four-year-old book became available Wednesday to anyone with a Kindle. Reject Gov. Scott's proposal to eliminate trust funds Editorial Orlando Sentinel The details of the budget process in Florida might seem like a subject that would matter only to accountants. FLORIDA POLITICS Gov. Rick Scott says senators want court to push their failed rail policies By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Related PolitiFact article: U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown overstates Florida high-speed rail job figures Gov. Rick Scott says two state senators suing him because he rejected federal money to build high-speed rail want the court to push their failed policies. Activists, Fla. AG disagree over felons' rights By James L. Rosica Associated Press Civil rights leaders met Wednesday with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, voicing their opposition to her call to halt the current practice of automatically restoring voting and other rights to nonviolent felons in the state once their sentences are up. Democrats stand up for ‘Fair Districts’ amendment in court By Cooper Levey-Baker Florida Independent In a motion filed yesterday, state Sen. Arthenia Joyner and state Reps. Janet Cruz, Luis Garcia, Joe Gibbons and Perry Thurston (all Democrats) have asked to join the lawsuit challenging Amendment 6 — one of the two “Fair Districts” amendments that limit the legislature’s power to gerrymander districts — in order to defend it. Sweeping bill would boost power of ethics panel to investigate elected officials By Gary Fineout Florida Tribune A sweeping bill meant to boost the power of the state’s ethics commission has been filed by Sen. Mike Fasano. Bill would garnish wages of elected employees with unpaid fines By Brent Henzi Florida Tribune As the Commission on Ethics continues to weigh whether to pursue nearly 300 unpaid fines from elected officials totaling more than $300,000, legislation was filed on Tuesday that would garnish wages until fines are paid in full. Florida auto insurers seek more power to fight fraud By Howard Troxler St. Petersburg Times Let's agree that we need to fight auto insurance fraud in Florida. Scott to give first State of State speech at 6 p.m. By Steve Bousquet St. Petersburg Times Gov. Rick Scott will deliver his first State of the State speech at 6 p.m. next Tuesday. Fla. reflects partisan divide in vote delaying U.S. government shutdown for 2 weeks By George Bennett Palm Beach Post The U.S. government won't grind to a halt Friday after bipartisan House and Senate votes this week to finance another two weeks of federal operations. Sen. Nelson files Holocaust survivors’ bill By Jay Weaver Miami Herald U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who faced a protest planned by Holocaust survivors at his Miami Beach fundraiser Friday with President Barack Obama, has filed legislation that would give hundreds of victims the right to sue European companies for millions of dollars in unpaid life insurance claims. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Sen. Marco Rubio wants to use budget resolution to stop EPA By Alex Leary and Craig Pittman St. Petersburg Times Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, wants to insert a measure in the forthcoming budget resolution that would bar the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing water pollution rules that business groups in Florida oppose. Bills filed to streamline state permitting processes By Bruce Ritchie Florida Tribune Bills that would seek to streamline state agency permitting for a variety of possible projects have been filed in the House and Senate. AIF pushes back, slowly, on Glades study By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post One of Florida’s biggest business lobbies fired back Wednesday at the Everglades Foundation — disputing a four-month-old report by the environmental group which touted the economic benefits of restoring its namesake, fabled swamp. BP withholds majority of 2010 bonus payments By Jane Wardell Associated Press BP is blocking bonuses to executives who were responsible for operations in the Gulf of Mexico during last year's disastrous well blowout, including former CEO Tony Hayward and former head of exploration and production Andy Inglis. EDUCATION Two sides make their pitch on the teacher pay issue By Kim McGrory Miami Herald Consider it an education showdown. Teachers to reaffirm merit-pay opposition By Chris Umpierre Ft. Myers News-Press For years, Cape Coral Elementary teacher Debbie Leith's pay has been based on her seniority and advanced degrees. It's FCAT Writing time. Do you know who's scoring your child's exam? By Jeff Solochek St. Petersburg Times As fourth, eighth and tenth graders across Florida write their hearts out (really?) for the FCAT, we thought it appropriate to consider who will evaluate their work and decide whether they're meeting grade level expectations. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Florida's low corporate taxes not its biggest draw, survey finds By Mary Shanklin Orlando Sentinel When Italian bottle-cap maker Pelliconi Group looked at sites for its first U.S. factory, corporate-tax rates weren't top of mind. Hays says bill would help stem "coming tsunami" of commercial foreclosures By Kim MacQueen Florida Tribune A bill filed by Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, would make it much easier for banks to foreclose on commercial mortgage holders -- so easy that they wouldn’t need the courts at all. Questions for Tallahassee Orlando Sentinel Why do we bemoan shortfalls in state revenue when the Legislature could re-examine the more than 244 sales-tax exemptions and subsidies on the books? Florida casinos remain 'recession proof' By Michael Vasquez Miami Herald Casinos were once considered largely “recession-proof,” but the deep economic slump of the past few years did serious damage to the profits of casino havens such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. HEALTH AND SENIORS Scott: We’ll take the $35.7M By Carol Gentry Health News Florida Gov. Rick Scott will allow a state agency to accept a $35.7-million federal health grant, even though the funds flow from a law that Scott hates and says is invalid. Fighting Obama, not helping Floridians Editorial St. Petersburg Times President Barack Obama extended an olive branch this week to opponents of health care reform by agreeing to let states act sooner to create their own programs. Patients, doctors irked at Medicaid HMOs By Brittany Davis Health News Florida In the five years since Florida Medicaid launched an experiment in private managed care, Leslie Rosenstock says, her disabled son has been shuffled through three HMOs. Fla. health agency revamp would end primary-care cash for county departments By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post The Florida Department of Health has proposed a sweeping plan to reorganize --- and shrink -- its operations. 5 from WellCare indicted By Jose Patino Girona Tampa Tribune Five former executives of Tampa-based WellCare Health Plans were indicted Wednesday for allegedly defrauding the Florida Medicaid program, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Stearns gives gun bill another shot By Bill Thompson Gainesville Sun For 16 years U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns has advocated allowing concealed-weapons permit holders to carry their handguns across state lines. JUSTICE AND THE COURTS Meggs says cost shouldn't be a factor when arguing death penalty By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News State Attorney Willie Meggs, preparing for a death-penalty sentencing in a grisly Big Bend case, today disputed state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda’s argument that belt-tightening legislators could save millions by ending capital punishment in Florida. ACLU appeals Judge Perry's anti-pamphletting order By Rene Stutzman Orlando Sentinel The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed a petition with a Daytona Beach appeals court, saying Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. went too far when he banned a group from handing out leaflets to people reporting for jury duty at the Orange and Osceola County Courthouses.