Daily Clips for April 19, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

Gov. Scott's reversals, missteps not helping persuade lawmakers to pass his agenda
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
After a governor's race marked by his laser-like focus, Rick Scott has instituted a dizzying series of policy reversals that could threaten the key promises that powered him to the Governor's Mansion.

Florida Legislature cracks down on…voting?
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
Having solved all other problems, the Florida Legislature now turns to the most dangerous threat of all…voting.

Who wins in Medicaid overhaul?
By Jim Saunders
Health News Florida
As the Florida House and Senate transform the $20 billion Medicaid system, they will create winners and losers.

BP claims czar defends payouts of just $3.8 billion from $20 billion fund
By Steve Huettel
St. Petersburg Times
Related editorial: Too many still await help from oil damages
The official responsible for doling out cash to people and businesses hurt by the BP oil spill isn't worried his agency has paid out less than 20 percent of what the company set aside for claims.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Retaking state: Floridians need to get active now
By Stephen Goldstein
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Florida Gov. Rick Scott doesn't just look scary; he is scary — and he does scary things.

Advocates Say Sunshine Law Under Attack
By Bill Rufty
Lakeland Ledger
Florida's landmark Government in the Sunshine Law is being attacked again, public records advocates say.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist's portrait unveiled in Capitol
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Inherent in the rise — and fall — of former Gov. Charlie Crist is that much of the time he let voters see in him whatever they liked.

Today in Tallahassee: Action shifts to Panama City
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times
With the Legislature off observing the Passover holiday, the governor and Cabinet leave the state capital for a two-day tour of the Panhandle to mark the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

POLITICAL RACES

Webster's fundraising lags Grayson's
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Freshman U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, raised just $30,000 in campaign contributions so far this year -- the lowest total of any congressional freshman and less even than the amount raised by the man he defeated last November.

Stearns seeking a 13th term in Congress
By Bill Thompson
Gainesville Sun
Less than four months into his 12th term on Capitol Hill, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns has indicated that he is ready for a baker's dozen.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

FPL's solar power plan gets new life
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In a last-ditch attempt to revive legislation that would let them control the market for solar power development in the state, Florida Power & Light has proposed a compromise that would allow state regulators to determine if they are entitled to raise rates to pay the costs of renewable energy plants.

Lawmakers may reign in water districts
By Dinah Voyles Pulver
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Between all the discussion in Tallahassee this spring about jobs, education and social reforms, one other issue being debated is the future of the state's water management districts, a set of five agencies that often catch criticism from all directions.

Year after the spill, state lawmakers not passing bills to protect Gulf
By Ryan Mills
Naples Daily News
Nearly a year after the biggest oil spill in the nation’s history began spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, some Florida lawmakers say not enough is being done in the state Capitol to repair the damage – both economic and ecological – and to prevent a future disaster.

Claims fund uses oil spill aniversary to tout progress
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
Oil Spill claims administrator Kenneth Feinberg marked this week’s anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (the rig exploded on April 20, 2010) by highlighting the fund’s progress and defending the fact that the bulk of the claims paid by the fund have been so-called quick payments.

BP chairman: deep-sea drilling must go on
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
The chairman of BP has told a Swedish newspaper that the oil giant never considered abandoning deep-sea drilling after the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year.

A no-brainer -- we think
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
Given his responsibilities to the residents — and taxpayers — of Florida, it seems inconceivable that Gov. Rick Scott will not meet Wednesday's deadline to join a federal lawsuit against the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

LGBT

Study: Gay, straight teens more likely to attempt suicide in politically conservative areas
By Lindsey Tanner
Associated Press
Suicide attempts by gay teens - and even straight kids - are more common in politically conservative areas where schools don't have programs supporting gay rights, a study involving nearly 32,000 high school students found.

EDUCATION

Broward schools using the “F” word: Furlough
By Carli Teproff
Miami Herald
As the Broward School Board contemplates how to slash more than $100 million from next year’s budget, one word keeps resurfacing – furlough.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

SunRail backers plan to lobby Gov. Rick Scott
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Chamber turns to tough talk on Scott, SunRail
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other Central Florida leaders are compiling a list of backers that includes more than 80 cities, businesses and chambers of commerce to show Gov. Rick Scott that the region supports the SunRail commuter train.

State launches probe into campaign to provide superhero capes to jobless
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
State labor officials asked their inspector general Monday to investigate why a Central Florida agency wants to spend public money to furnish the unemployed with capes.

Scott names FDOT boss
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
After apparently mulling the decision for months, Gov. Rick Scott didn’t look far in naming a new chief of the state’s road-building agency, which lawmakers look to as a potential job creator in a punishing economy.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Nancy Pelosi holds town hall meeting in Orlando, vows to fight Medicare 2011 changes
By Linda Shrieves
Orlando Sentinel
U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — flanked by Reps. Corrine Brown (D-Orlando) and Kathy Castor (D-Tampa) — held a town hall meeting with about 60 Orlando senior citizens today and vowed to fight Republicans' Medicare 2011 changes that would result in a voucher program.

TGH, All Children's fear effect of proposed Medicaid cuts
By Mary Shedden
Tampa Tribune
Legislative proposals to slash the state's support of Medicaid programs have area hospital leaders fearing for the worst.

Repeated tests show seafood safe
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
Armed with $20 million for testing and marketing from a settlement with BP, Florida seafood regulators hope to counter a barrage of negative publicity that is already surrounding Wednesday's anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

New ephedrine database blocks sales of cold medicine used in Florida meth labs
By Alexia Campbell
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A new statewide database has blocked thousands of cold- and allergy-pill purchases as authorities crack down on the growth of meth labs in Florida.

Chances of booster seat law passing appear slim in Florida
By Larry Hannan
Florida Times-Union
Michael Aubin wants to help parents do the right thing.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Tallassee’s harsh immigration bills flunk common-sense test
Editorial
Miami Herald
Some lawmakers in Tallahassee apparently believe that the way to appease the state’s most strident voices on immigration is to adopt an Arizona-style bill, opening the door to a divisive, unneeded and emotionally-charged debate.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Speaker Dean Cannon: Impeachment request should wait until panel gets chance to act on 1st DCA judges
By Lucy Morgan
St. Petersburg Times
House Speaker Dean Cannon says he wants to give the Judicial Qualifications Commission a chance to deal with judges at the 1st District Court of Appeal before considering an impeachment request.