Daily Clips for May 25, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

At Republican rally, Rick Scott to celebrate 'jobs budget' that kills c.4,500 jobs
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: Q poll: Rick Scott even more unpopular -- 57 percent disapprove
It's long been a staple that a budget is as much a policy roadmap as a political statement, but Gov. Rick Scott is kicking it up a notch with his...er...the Republican Party of Florida's announcement that he'll be signing Florida's "jobs budget" Thursday in the friendliest of GOP places, The Villages retirement community.

Scott plans more budget cuts
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Today
The last time Gov. Rick Scott went to a big public rally at The Villages he signed a giant taxpayer protection pledge promising never to raise taxes.

Democratic upset in New York could expose liability of Medicare votes in Florida
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Democrats are ecstatic tonight after taking a House seat in what had been a safe Republican district in western New York. And the results could chasten Republicans in Florida.

Florida Public Service Commission names Curt Kiser interim director
By Mary Ellen Klas and Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Public Service Commission named an interim executive director Tuesday after accepting the resignation of Timothy Devlin, saying his forced departure was a "private matter."

FSU showing signs it's learning from Koch mess
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Florida State University president Eric Barron has seen the light.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Q-Poll: Scott’s job approval numbers get worse, and his budget is ‘unfair’
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Quinnipiac University has released its new poll of Gov. Rick Scott’s job approval rating, and the picture doesn’t look good for the rookie governor.

Did campaign cash help pave the way for prison privatization?
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
The National Institute on Money in State Politics took a look at the numbers.

POLITICAL RACES

Robaina, Gimenez in runoff for Miami-Dade mayor
By Matthew Haggman
Miami Herald
The race to be the next Miami-Dade County mayor is down to two, after voters threw their support behind former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and former County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez but failed to give either candidate more than 50 percent of the votes required to crown a winner.

Stand of Pawlenty: presidential candidate in South Florida, calls for cuts to retiree benefits
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
A day after telling Iowans their beloved ethanol subsidies will have to go, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty used a stop in senior-heavy Florida to call for reining in Social Security and Medicare benefits for future retirees.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Under Baxley bill, voters consider ban on state funding for abortions
By Bill Thompson
Ocala Star-Banner
Come November 2012, Florida voters will have an opportunity to enshrine a ban on public funding for abortion in the state Constitution.

Taxpayer-subsidized ads for abortion-funding amendment will cost more than was spent on abortions
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
State Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, is the sponsor of a house bill that would amend the Florida Constitution to ban taxpayer funding for abortions.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

On orders from Gov. Scott, Swiftmud eliminates seven basin boards
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
In a move they said was dictated from Tallahassee, Southwest Florida Water Management District board members voted Tuesday to get rid of seven volunteer boards that help with everything from restoring Tampa Bay to planning for future water needs.

Water management district asks governor to ax bill that cuts budget
By Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
The agencies that oversee regional water resources may soon be in a bind if Governor Rick Scott signs a new law limiting how much they can collect from property taxes.

Fishermen Need Answer
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Scientists have been pulling an unusual number of sick fish — with skin lesions, fin rot and other symptoms — out of the Gulf of Mexico.

EDUCATION

Thousands of Broward teachers protest job cuts and demand raises
By Cara Fitzpatrick
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Ringing bells, carrying signs and shouting slogans like "Yes, we can," teachers clogged the sidewalks Tuesday around the Broward School District headquarters to protest job cuts, district mismanagement and a lack of raises.

Deadline arrives for education chief applicants
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
The national search for Florida's next education commissioner has yielded three applicants so far, but several more are expected before the deadline Wednesday.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Group finds $203M in 'turkeys' in Florida's budget
By Bill Kaczor and Laura Wides-Munoz
Associated Press
A research and advocacy group with close business ties Tuesday recommended that Gov. Rick Scott veto 105 "turkeys" worth $203 million because they were added to Florida's budget after bypassing normal vetting processes or had not been requested by an agency or the governor.

Scott signs port security clearance bill in Tampa
By Ted Jackovics
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott today signed into law an employee security-clearance bill to eliminate the requirement for duplicative state and federal security standards that have added costs to employers at Florida's seaports.

Expressway, state reach deal to build Wekiva Parkway
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Metro Orlando's major road-building authority and the state are joining forces to build the Wekiva Parkway, $1.8 billion missing link in the region's beltway.

State regulators reach settlement over phone service for low income households
By Susan Salisbury
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday accepted Associated Telecommunications Management Services, LLC's settlement offer to resolve apparent violations of Florida Statutes and Commission rules in providing Lifeline service.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Poll: More Americans favor abortion rights
By Lynda Waddington
Florida Independent
Related: Report: Economic recession, poverty had biggest effect on abortion rates
The number of Americans who self-identify as abortion rights supporters grew while the number identifying as anti-abortion rights advocates shrank, according to a new national poll.

DCF Layoffs, What’s Next
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Five hundred Department of Children and Families employees are losing their jobs due to state budget cuts.

‘Turkeys’ include health projects
Staff Report
Health News Florida
Some of the priciest projects listed in the Florida TaxWatch “Turkey Watch Report,” which labeled $203 million worth of budget items as superfluous, are related to health and social services.

Pain clinics challenging raids
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
When police in March swooped down on the Total Medical Express of Orange Park, they seized $42,000 in cash and medical records --- and closed what was billed as a pill mill.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

More to be charged in Scott Rothstein Ponzi scheme
By Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Four people will be charged in connection with the $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, federal sources said Tuesday.