FEATURED STORIES
Senate blocks Democratic-sponsored amendments to election overhaul
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Republican senators blocked a series of Democratic attempts Wednesday to make changes to a controversial election overhaul bill.
Republicans put four questions -- two tax related, two health-care related -- on 2012 ballot
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Florida voters will be have at least four questions to decide on next year's presidential election ballot thanks to proposed constitutional amendments approved by lawmakers Wednesday.
Tallahassee slashes K-12 budget
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Gainesville Sun
Florida public schools will take a financial hit in the new state budget.
Tougher abortion restrictions advance in Florida Senate
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Florida lawmakers are poised to make the state's parental notification of abortion laws stricter, making it more difficult for a minor to get a judges' approval for the procedure.
Protesters take some credit for weakened immigration bill
By Patricia Mazzei and Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
For two days this week, Sen. J.D. Alexander sat behind his desk on the floor of the Florida Senate with a rosary draped across his laptop screen.
Wasserman Schultz wins DNC job
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz took the helm of the national Democratic party Wednesday, pledging to “work every single day” to re-elect President Barack Obama and Democrats up and down the ballot.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Legislators set aside millions to defend redistricting
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
While bemoaning deep cuts to health care, education and public-employee benefits, Florida lawmakers have stockpiled millions of dollars in funds that they control and are packing away even more to pay legal bills as Florida begins the partisan process of redistricting this year.
Rick Scott Upset About Minimum Wage Rising 6 Cents but Happy With $30 Million Corporate Tax Cut
By Michael Cohen
Broward New Times
So, our tireless lawmakers finally came to an agreement on the state's budget yesterday.
Budget stuffed with turkeys, shortchanges priorities
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
For all the talk about doing things differently in Tallahassee, state leaders finalized next year's state budget the way it almost always has been done: in secret, with leaders getting what they want, regardless of what's in Florida's best interest.
Florida election law rewrite advances over Democrats' criticisms
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A rewrite of elections law in the nation's largest presidential toss-up state edged closer to completion today, with the Senate moving closer to the House on a package derided by Democrats and vote-gathering organizations.
The House proposes, the Senate disposes
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
Some people say Florida should switch to a one-chamber Legislature, like Nebraska.
Senate Democrats name Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale as next minority leader
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Chris Smith has been tapped as the next leader of the Florida Senate’s Democratic caucus, giving him the unique distinction of serving as the ranking minority-party leader in both chambers.
Florida's U.S. senators support President Obama's decision on bin Laden death photos
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
President Barack Obama's decision not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden was met with mostly acceptance by Florida's U.S. senators.
Today in Tallahassee: abortion, Medicaid
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
With just two days left in the session, lawmakers are expected to take up bills today relating to abortion, Medicaid and prescription drug abuse.
POLITICAL RACES
E-Verify may haunt Haridopolos
By Adam Smith
Miami Herald
Rick Scott last year throttled Bill McCollum on immigration, accusing him of being soft in the issue and a flip-flopper.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Florida Legislature sends health care, tax amendments to voters
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Legislature handed Senate President Mike Haridopolos an elections gift Wednesday when it approved two proposed constitutional amendments concerning health care and taxes that could join him on the 2012 ballot.
Lawmakers ask voters to repudiate health-care act
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida Legislature is taking a second stab at asking voters to repudiate last year's sweeping federal health-care reform.
State revenue cap going on Florida 2012 ballot
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Democrats said what Republicans call "Smart Cap" is a dumb idea, but Wednesday they were unable to stop the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature from putting the revenue-limiting measure on the November 2012 ballot.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Making Sure 'Florida Forever' is Forever
By Glen Gardner
Public News Service Florida
A growing chorus of business and environmental voices is calling on lawmakers to save a program that has protected millions of acres of wildlife habitat across Florida.
Senate slips environmental permitting provision into rulemaking bill
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
State Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, added an amendment to a rulemaking bill that would make it more difficult for members of the public to challenge environmental permits.
Water, weather officials say region needs a wetter-than-normal wet season to ease drought
By Alexandra Seltzer
Palm Beach Post
This year's dry season tortured South Florida, so much so that officials today said that we need the rainy season to bring a tropical disturbance just to help us get back to normal.
EDUCATION
Florida's education budget: $1.1 billion less
By Jeff Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Tampa Bay school districts brace for deeper budget cuts
Florida lawmakers have agreed to reduce per-student funding by $542, putting the state below 2006-07 levels.
Huge expansion of charter schools and virtual schools approved by Legislature
By Kim MacQueen
Florida Tribune
While on the campaign trail, Gov. Rick Scott talked about expanding options -- especially virtual and charter school options -- for parents of children attending Florida’s K-12 schools. He’ll get that chance this week, as bills that vastly expand both are headed his way.
With legislative changes, teachers face a different landscape
By Jackie Alexander
Gainesville Sun
As the Student Success Act passed, third-year teacher Brandy Hughes watched in disbelief.
Legislature embraces moving Florida's school food programs to Agriculture Department
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's proposal to house school food programs within his agency, setting up a unique change in command that he says will bring more fruits and veggies to cafeterias.
FCAT writing scores for 2011 hit historic highs
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida students made "impressive" gains on the FCAT writing exam, putting their scores for 2011 at historic highs, the Florida Department of Education announced Wednesday morning.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Voters given chance to lower property taxes again
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida voters will have a chance to reduce property taxes for first-time home buyers, commercial property owners and snowbirds under a constitutional amendment the Florida Senate voted Wednesday to put on the November 2012 ballot.
House passes sweeping property insurance bill
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Plans to increase the rates of state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. by up to 25 percent are dead in the Legislature this year.
Unemployment comp battle heats up as session cools down
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Both the House and Senate are battling it out over one of the provisions of an unemployment compensation reform bill.
Florida lawmakers poised to expand gambling, cut compulsive gambling aid
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As Florida legislators prepared to pass bills to let greyhound tracks stop racing dogs and start installing slot-machine look-alikes, they also slashed $1 million from compulsive gambling prevention in their budget.
Unemployment benefit cuts head back to Florida Senate
Staff Report
St. Petersburg Times
Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, amended a controversial bill Wednesday night to cut unemployment insurance and give state businesses a tax cut.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Despite bipartisan opposition, restrictions on judicial bypass for parental notice of abortion pass
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Related: Mandatory-ultrasound bill moves forward, with opt-out provisions
Efforts to roll back restrictions for a minor seeking a judicial bypass to a mandatory parental notice for an abortion failed today during the last action before the bill’s final vote tomorrow in the Florida Senate.
Bill will mandate drug tests for Florida welfare recipients
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
An amendment filed Wednesday by a bipartisan group of state senators, including Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, sought to drug test an unlikely group: Bright Futures students.
Sen Prez says Medicaid up tomorrow
By Kathleen Haughney
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Senate President Mike Haridopolos said a Medicaid bill will be heard by the Senate tomorrow that reflects a compromise between the House and Senate.
Next Medicaid consultant could earn $2 million
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Florida will spend $2 million on a consultant who can help the state implement the Medicaid overhaul that is expected to be passed this session.
University of Miami doctors get protection from lawsuits
By Patricia Mazzei
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In a long-sought move, the University of Miami won a legislative victory Wednesday when Florida lawmakers agreed to extend state lawsuit protection to university doctors working in public hospitals.
Assisted-living facility caretakers unpunished: ‘There’s a lack of justice’
By Michael Sallah, Carol Marbin Miller and Rob Barry
Miami Herald
While his caretakers watched him die, William Hughes shivered under the covers in a cramped and dirty bedroom.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Florida immigration bill moves through Senate, but House approval seen unlikely
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
With no debate, the Florida Senate quickly and quietly approved an immigration measure, keeping alive for now the issue the GOP-dominated legislature is unlikely to ultimately agree on.
Scott not giving up on immigration reform
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he is not giving up on immigration legislation.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Lock 'em up less bills quietly advancing in Fla.By Margie Menzel
News Service of Florida
After more than a decade during which the Republican mantra was to get tougher on criminals, measures aimed at more gently helping some criminals and ex-offenders break a cycle of incarceration and recidivism - while saving the state money - are quietly becoming law this year.
Case closed: No new study
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, deservedly lost his attempt to undermine the independence of the Florida Supreme Court.
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