FEATURED STORIES
House to take final vote on elections bill criticized by Democrats, watchdogs
By Catherine Whittenburg and Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
A bill slammed by election watchdogs as a "preposterous" assault on voters' rights was positioned late Wednesday for full House approval this afternoon.
Senate and House break off high-level budget talks
By Gary Fineout
Florida Tribune
High-level negotiations between House and Senate leaders over the state budget have broken off this week, a sign that it may be difficult for state lawmakers to conclude their annual session by May 6.
Can Florida Gov. Rick Scott's policy shifts soften his public image?
By Michael C. Bender and Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
On the same day last week that Gov. Rick Scott ripped up his order to cut care for disabled Floridians, he told Congress that, despite his opposition, he would help create a database intended to crack down on the state's prescription drug crisis.
A year after oil spill, environmentalists fear drilling still on the horizon
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Tribune
On Wednesday's one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, some Florida environmentalists worried that oil drilling off Florida's coast looms in the future, while supporters of drilling see a hopeful change in public opinion.
Unions pulling money from banks backing Florida Chamber
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Unions representing Central Florida teachers, firefighters, police and other government workers are pulling an estimated $10 million from five banks affiliated with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, blaming them for an attack on public employees.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Florida budget has loads of hometown spending
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Even in these lean financial times, state lawmakers have found enough cash to pay for orange juice at Florida welcome centers, meals for needy seniors, a biker group safety study, extra buildings for colleges and a grant to aid the prosecution of Casey Anthony, accused of killing her child.
Redistricting process begins under new rules
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
House Speaker-designate Will Weatherford sounded an early bipartisan tone Wednesday as the committee he chairs began the inherently political work of re-drawing Florida's political maps.
Bill asks voters to OK taxpayer funding of religious institutions
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Related editorial: Lawmakers should reject proposals to divert public funding to religious schools
A section of the Florida Constitution that bans taxpayer money from funding religious institutions could be deleted if state lawmakers who view it as discriminatory "against all people of faith" have their way.
Election bills seen as GOP power play
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Holding supermajorities in the House and Senate, Republicans are pressing ahead with a broad revision of Florida's election laws, with Democrats complaining the changes are aimed at giving the GOP an edge in next year's presidential election.
League to Cannon: Why shun the public?
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
One of the newest legislative schemes to come out of Tallahassee is the one to make it harder to vote — shorter voting periods, more roadblocks for people registering voters and cracking down on people who have changed names (like newly married women) from casting provisional ballots on Election Day, for example.
Bill could exclude tea party from presidential ballot
By William March
Tampa Tribune
A little-noticed provision of the state Legislature's controversial elections bill would make it extremely difficult for a new political party to put a candidate on the state presidential ballot – a provision some say is aimed at keeping a tea party candidate off the ballot.
Repeal of red-light camera law passes House panel, faces tough battle ahead
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A House committee approved a plan to repeal red-light cameras that is pushed by a possible future speaker, but not before fellow Republicans acknowledged they had problems with the measure.
Miami lawmaker caught living outside his district, says he'll move soon
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
More than 170 days since Republican Rep. Frank Artiles was elected, he still hasn't moved to the west Miami-Dade district he represents in the Florida House — a potential constitutional violation that could cost him five months' pay.
Crowd cheers Debbie Wasserman Schultz at town hall meeting
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The questions were friendly and the crowd was adoring — with many giving a standing ovation to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, at the mention of her new role as incoming chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
Tea parties ask: Just who's behind Tea Party in Action?
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Trouble is brewing among Florida's tea parties.
Today in Tallahassee: Lawmakers wrap up a short week
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times
Legislators wrap up an abbreviated week today as House committees consider creating a Save Our Homes-style assessment cap for businesses and weigh a proposal to lift requirements that local dog tracks actually race dogs.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Caused by oil? Scientists find signs of tainted organisms, species in the Gulf
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
A year after the worst oil disaster in U.S. history slimed the Gulf of Mexico, scientists say they are finding troubling signs of an ecosystem still reeling.
Sweeping growth management bill withstands Democratic amendments in House
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Tribune
House Republicans on Wednesday rebuffed a series of amendments to a bill that would largely remove state oversight of local growth management.
BP sues rig owner for $40B; blames it for disaster
By Harry R. Weber
Associated Press
BP on Wednesday sued the maker of the device that failed to stop last year's calamitous Gulf oil spill and the owner of the rig that exploded, alleging that negligence by both helped cause the disaster.
A Year After Spill, BP Gives Big Bucks To GOP Leadership
By Alex Seitz-Wald
Think Progress
BP has broken a self-imposed moratorium on political donations to make big contributions to key Republican congressional leaders and the party’s electoral campaigns.
Fla. environmental agency appoints water czar to oversee state's 5 water districts
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
In response to Gov. Rick Scott's insistence upon more control and consistency in Florida's water policies, the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection has named a water czar to oversee the budgets, rules, regulations, permitting, lobbying and land deals made by the state's five water management districts.
Going it alone on oil damages
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott has made a curious decision not to join a multistate lawsuit against Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig that exploded last year in the Gulf of Mexico.
Few lessons learned from spill
Editorial
Miami Herald
The tourists are back, the commercial and recreational fishing industries are at work again and the Gulf of Mexico’s waters still gently lap the white sands of Florida’s west coast.
EDUCATION
Historically black colleges brace for big funding cuts
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
Florida's historically black colleges are facing crippling cuts in funding under budget proposals passed by the House and Senate earlier this month.
State to monitor Broward school system after grand jury criticism
By Cara Fitzpatrick
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith has a message for the Broward School District: "We're watching you."
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Fla. museums expect big hit in upcoming budget
By James L. Rosica
The Associated Press
Javien Lawson doesn't understand why dollars are diminishing for the state's museums. He just wants to see the alligators.
Agency dumps idea of giving capes to unemployed
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Two days after defending its plans to give out super-hero capes to the unemployed, Central Florida's workforce development board has killed the controversial public-relations effort.
Fla. House approves bill on phone deregulation
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida House has approved the deregulation of landline telephone service in the state.
Obama coming to KSC for shuttle Endeavour launch
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama plans to attend the April 29 launch of space shuttle Endeavour, adding extra star power to NASA's second-to-last shuttle launch, according to a White House official.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
House wants state to self-insure
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
A House committee easily approved a bill Wednesday that would overhaul the state employee health-insurance system, but the issue hinges on upcoming budget negotiations.
Critics say Florida House bill would choke off drug database funding
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As the federal government embarks on a national plan for fighting prescription drug abuse, Florida lawmakers are set to vote today on a House bill to address the problem.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Immigrant supporters attack lawmakers with Miami radio ads
By Patricia Mazzei
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A group of immigration advocates in Miami is turning up the heat on lawmakers over an illegal immigration crackdown proposed in Tallahassee.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Strike Florida's court-packing planEditorial
USA Today
Judges and the courts they sit on are, above all else, supposed to be independent.
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