FEATURED STORIES
Gov. Rick Scott signs budget, vetoes $615 million in spending
By Marc Caputo and Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
At a campaign-style event that banned some Democrats, Republican Gov. Rick Scott fashioned himself into Florida's new veto king Thursday when he axed $615 million from the state budget before signing it.
Gov. Rick Scott's budget scene scripted down to who could attend
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times
Each detail of Florida Gov. Rick Scott's first budget signing was painstakingly considered.
Gov. Scott panders, veto pen in his hand
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The governor who claimed he's not a typical Tallahassee politician demonstrated again Thursday he is no different at all.
Gov. Rick Scott signs pension reform into law
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
State employees will be required to put 3 percent of their salaries toward retirement starting in July.
Poll: Floridians warm to Obama; in U.S. Senate race, Nelson on top
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
President Obama's Florida approval rating is above water for the first time in 13 months, according to Quinnipiac University's first statewide poll since the president ordered the raid that killed Islamist terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Upholding of Arizona illegal-immigrant employment law may affect future Florida legislation
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an Arizona law that penalizes businesses for employing workers who are in the country illegally, rejecting arguments that immigration is a federal issue and paving the way for similar sanctions in Florida and other states.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
A Job Killing Budget With Veto Threats, Rick Scott: "It's Going To Be Fun!"
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
A new Quinnipiac University poll came out today, and as expected Gov. Rick Scott is now even more unpopular than he was in April.
Is Rick Scott helping Obama win Florida in 2012?
By Brian E. Crowley
Crowley Political Report
Crowley Political Report is not sure whether to admire Florida Gov. Rick Scott for sticking to his beliefs about state government or to simply note that once again Scott and his team remain clueless about what Floridians really want.
GOP Congressman Tells Televangelists U.S. Must Give Aid To Israel Or ‘Lose God’s Hand’
By Lee Fang
Think Progress
Last weekend, Rep. Dan Webster (R-FL) appeared on “Good Life 45,” a televangelist program based near his central-Florida district.
Budget Turkeys? Hah! Here’s the 2011 Turducken Awards
By Bruce Seaman
Daily Marion
You may have heard of the recently announced 2011 Turkey Watch List provided by big business front group, Florida Tax Watch.
Introducing my first infographic: Rick Scott’s First Legislative Session
By Peter Schorsch
St. Petersblog 2.0
Vision is our most dominant sense. It takes up 50% of our brain’s resources.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott signs new Fla. budget but vetoes $615M first
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
Gov. Rick Scott signed a $69.1 billion state budget Thursday, but before doing that he vetoed a record $615 million in spending, including money for environmental land purchases, college and university buildings, homeless veterans, public broadcasting and local projects ranging from health care to rowing.
New governor? Not hardly
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
So Gov. Scott does pay attention to his cratering approval ratings.
When going gets tough, Scott heads to The Villages
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Everyone knows that if you win the Super Bowl, you go to Disney World.
Undaunted Democratic legislator pushes recall provision again
By Gary Fineout
Florida Tribune
Undaunted by his inability to get his proposal heard this year, a St. Petersburg Democratic lawmaker is pushing ahead again with a proposed constitutional amendment that would let voters recall the governor as well as members of the Cabinet and the Florida Legislature.
Rick Scott: One and done.
By Mike Thomas
Orlando Sentinel
In March I wrote Rick Scott was on track to becoming a one-term wonder.
Scott administration filling out top positions
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Tribune
Some of the top officials in the administration of Gov. Rick Scott in the last few weeks have finally begun filling the ranks of senior management.
Wasserman Schultz calls GOP 'anti-women' and Florida's GOP women fight back
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
A group of Republican women in the U.S. House issued a statement this evening condemning remarks by Florida Rep. and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz that the GOP is "anti-women."
POLITICAL RACES
Tim Pawlenty fills out Florida team
By Kendra Marr
Politico
Tim Pawlenty expanded his Florida finance team Thursday, adding four veterans of presidential politics in the Sunshine State.
Miami-Dade election blues
Editorial
Miami Herald
For all the fiery passion of Miami-Dade County’s recall election, the numbers say loads about voters’ disconnect with our civic life — both in March, when county Mayor Carlos Alvarez was fired by the 17 percent of voters who went to the polls, and this past Tuesday, when less than 16 percent bothered to vote for his successor or weigh in on six charter amendments.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Swiftmud's longtime chief resigns
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
The longtime executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District has resigned, leading to questions about whether Gov. Rick Scott is pushing out the directors of all five of the state water districts.
Scott appoints retired PSC director as his new energy advisor
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott, who proclaimed during his campaign for governor that he didn't believe in the science of global warming and urged the state to open its coastal waters to oil drilling, has used his veto message to announce a new-found commitment to energy policy.
BP asks judge to dismiss many spill claims
By Michael Kunzelman
Associated Press
BP PLC asked a federal judge Thursday to dismiss most of the court claims filed against the oil giant by businesses and individuals who say they suffered economic damage from last year's massive Gulf oil spill.
EDUCATION
Third-grade FCAT results hard to compare
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
While scores on the third-grade FCAT held steady this year in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, state education officials cautioned Thursday against reading too much into them.
More than a dozen apply to become Florida's next education commissioner
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
At least a dozen candidates have applied to be Florida's next education commissioner.
At FSU: Ask the faculty
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Florida State University has taken a lot of heat over the disclosure that, in return for a $1.5 million endowment to its economics department from the Charles G. Koch Foundation, it gave a panel hand-picked by the foundation veto power over faculty hires.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
DCF lays off 500 workers, claims children will not be affected
By Kate Santich
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida Department of Children and Families began issuing layoff notices Thursday to nearly 500 employees — a move officials said would save taxpayers $48 million while preserving the agency's protection and care of abused and neglected kids.
It took a court decision, but Florida’s minimum wage will go up six cents June 1
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
Florida’s minimum wage will increase from $7.25 to $7.31 per hour effective June 1 — a result of a successful constitutional challenge filed in January by farm, restaurant, nursery and service employees, as well as day laborers and other low-wage workers.
NASA says commercial rockets will fly to space station by 2012
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
NASA's plans to use commercial rockets to supply the International Space Station are running almost two years behind schedule and will cost $300 million more than expected, according to a watchdog report presented to Congress on Thursday.
Florida's Siesta Beach is nation's top beach
By Mitch Stacy
Associated Press
After years as a head-turning bridesmaid in the best-beach rankings, Sarasota's Siesta Beach is finally the bride.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Three-judge panel named for health care challenge
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The three appellate judges hearing arguments between the government and 26 states over the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's health care law range from a veteran judge with a solid conservative record to a jurist known for her ability to pick apart lawyers to an ex-federal prosecutor who fought organized crime.
State can’t spend $35.7M grant
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
In March, Gov. Rick Scott’s staff said he would accept a $35.7-million federal health grant called the “Money Follows the Person.”
Scott vetoes bill that would eliminated agency overseeing medical care of Fla. prisoners
News Service of Florida
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott vetoed legislation Thursday that would have eliminated the Correctional Medical Authority, which has provided independent oversight of medical care of Florida prisoners for about two decades.
Florida effort to strip family planning mandate from Medicaid could bring federal scrutiny
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
The Washington Post reported this week that Indiana could lose out on some Medicaid funding from the federal government because of the state’s efforts to cut funding for Planned Parenthood.
Harvard researchers: Fetal pain bills are ‘neither scientifically nor constitutionally sound’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
This past legislative session, Florida was among a handful of states that sought to limit access to abortions when the age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
State closes controversial Panhandle reform school
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A state reform school for boys in the Florida Panhandle where former students said they were physically and sexually abused some 40 years ago will close June 30.
Long overdue end to Dozier School for Boys' legacy of abuse
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The news comes decades too late for generations of abused young men.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
SCOTUS upholds parts of Ariz. law that tripped up Fla lawmakersBy Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday upheld parts of a controversial Arizona immigration law that Florida lawmakers wanted but struggled to emulate in the 2011 legislative session.
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