FEATURED STORIES
Scott administration drawing up energy proposal that could include coal
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Advisors to Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday told about 40 representatives of utilities, industry and renewable energy groups that they're working to develop a multi-year legislative package by September that will include consideration of energy from coal.
Oil Drilling Opponents Rally Along Florida Beaches
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
Thousands plan to join hands Saturday along Florida beaches for the second annual "Hands Across the Sand" event, meant to demonstrate opposition to expanded coastal and offshore drilling as well as support for clean-energy choices.
Tuition going up 15 percent at Florida's public universities
By Kim MacQueen
Florida Current
Tuition is going up at Florida’s public universities this fall -- but even once it does, the state will still be way behind the national average.
Gov. Rick Scott kills insurance rate comparison website
By Paige St. John
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
State officials have quietly pulled the plug on a consumer-friendly website that was the sole resource for homeowners comparison shopping for the best property insurance rates.
Redistricting: The secrets, lies and shenanigans
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Feeling overwhelmed by all this talk of redistricting?
Jon Huntsman says Florida is where his presidential race 'is going to be won'
By Adam C. Smith and Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman opened his national presidential campaign headquarters in Orlando Thursday, promising the Sunshine State will be top priority for winning the GOP presidential nomination.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
Private Prisons Spend Millions On Lobbying To Put More People In Jail
By Andrea Nill Sanchez
Think Progress
Yesterday, the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) released a report chronicling the political strategies of private prison companies “working to make money through harsh policies and longer sentences.”
Rick Scott: "laser-like" as in, you can't teach me anything I don't know
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
In high prose the Sunshine (of the Empty Mind) News writes, "Scott Stays Laser-Focused on Economic Development".
From The Netroots To Maddow: Rick Scott Makes The Annals Of Republican Failure
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
I've been absent from blog posting the last few days because I was attending Netroots Nation in Minneapolis, Minn., also the homeland of "The Bachmann."
The Wrong Inspiration
By Jake
Rantings From Florida
An interesting political phenomenon of the last 50 years has been the shift of "Support Israel" from being a banner message for the Democratic Party to one for the Republicans.
This exists: tea party summer camp
Joy-Ann Reid
The Reid Report
And where else would a tea party “Jesus camp” be, if not Florida…
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott signs Florida bills on lawsuits, school food
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Bills limiting lawsuits against automakers and giving the state's agriculture commissioner authority over school food programs became law Thursday with Gov. Rick Scott's signature.
Scott vetoes bill that would weaken background screening
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill Thursday that would have allowed some volunteer workers with in-home social service groups to avoid background screenings.
State could sign off on sweeping plan to overhaul e-mail
By Gary Fineout
Florida Current
State legislators this week could sign off on a sweeping plan to overhaul the state’s e-mail system and finally force tens of thousands of state workers to use a common system and -- just as importantly -- a common set of e-mail addresses across all of state government.
Scott’s Image
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Depending on which poll you look at Governor Rick Scott has one of the lowest job approval ratings in the country.
Dear Rick: You're great. Love, Rick
By Daniel Ruth
St. Petersburg Times
It's probably an unfortunate indication you have all the grass roots support of Hosni Mubarak attempting a leisurely stroll through Tahrir Square when you are reduced to writing yourself your own fan letter.
Florida Begins Redistricting Hearings (audio story)
By Greg Allen
NPR
Florida is holding hearings as it begins redistricting — drawing up new congressional and Legislative district maps.
Show us the maps
Editorial
Florida Today
Florida lawmakers charged with reconfiguring congressional and legislative boundaries are in the first stages of a summer-long public hearing marathon to seek voter input on how new districts should be drawn.
Florida needs tougher anti-corruption laws
By Matt Reed
Florida Today
Florida has led the nation for years in the number of public officials convicted on federal corruption charges.
Libya debate creates unusual political alliances in Fla., and on Capitol Hill
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Capitol Hill is engulfed in debate over war, the strain on U.S. troops abroad and the financial toll in a time of economic strife.
Miami-Dade GOP faces financial woes
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Fireworks erupted at an otherwise perfunctory meeting of the Miami-Dade Republican Party this week when a committeeman raised his hand and asked, “Are we broke, basically?”
POLITICAL RACES
Presidential candidate Huntsman calls Florida 'a key,' draws high-profile GOP attention
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Newly announced Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman's first campaign visit to Florida piqued the curiosity of some high-profile Republicans and drew attacks from some top Democrats as he vowed to run "very, very aggressively" in the Sunshine State.
Romney leads the way in Florida
By Tom Jensen
Public Policy Polling
Mitt Romney has a double digit lead for the Republican Presidential nomination in Florida, further cementing his front runner status in the wake of Mike Huckabee's exit from the race.
Marco Rubio as Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential Pick a "Dream Ticket," Romney Adviser Says
By Matthew Hendley
Broward New Times
Republican presidential candidates are going to need an incredible campaign strategy to dismantle President Obama in the 2012 election.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Gov. Scott to propose energy legislation, conscious on cost
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
After remaining on the sidelines on energy issues since taking office, Gov. Rick Scott is entering the fray, ordering up renewable energy legislation, demanding that utility regulators lower energy-efficiency standards and preparing a new energy plan, the governor's top policy advisers said Thursday.
Rule change protects manatees
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Manatees are among Mother Nature's most guileless and gentle creatures, and among her most vulnerable to the deadliest of predators — humans.
LGBT
Obama says gay couples deserve same rights as all
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
While praising New York state lawmakers as they debated legalizing gay marriage, President Barack Obama stopped short of embracing it. Instead he asked gay and lesbian donors for patience.
EDUCATION
Scott signs transfer of school food and nutrition programs to agriculture department
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott signed off Thursday on Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's session priority: transferring school food and nutrition programs from the Department of Education to his agency.
Florida narrows gap between white, Hispanic students on test scores
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida is a leader among the states in closing the academic-performance gap between Hispanic students and their white classmates, a new national report shows.
Chances of lightning strike greater than some questionable FCAT scores
By Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post
The two FCAT answer sheets were so similar that the odds of the tests being taken independently was one in a trillion.
FCAT scores thrown out for two kinds of irregularities
By Marc Freeman
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Palm Beach County schools targeted in a recent statewide crackdown on FCAT cheating can appeal invalidated scores by Sept. 1, school district officials said on Thursday.
Orange schools budget expected to remain flat for 2011-12
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
While other districts are making painful cuts for the coming school year, Orange County Public Schools are predicting a budget nearly identical to the current one.
Florida's Bright Futures scholarships to be evaluated
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A Florida State University professor has received a federal grant to evaluate the state's Bright Futures scholarship program.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Glades prison closing tabled as officials seek ways to save jobs
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
The Glades communities got some breathing room this week when Florida Corrections Secretary Edwin Buss told local leaders that the state will fund the Glades Correctional Institute until at least Sept. 1.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Democrat asks feds to nix Florida Medicaid overhaul
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich has asked federal officials to reject Florida's Medicaid overhaul.
National Right to Life Convention kicks off in Jacksonville
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Related: Operation Rescue wants information on every abortion provider
The 2011 National Right to Life Convention kicked off in a riverfront Hyatt in Jacksonville this morning.
NOW to protest at Marco Rubio's Tampa office before conference begins
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
As we featured in the current issue of CL, the National Organization for Women is coming to Tampa this weekend for its annual national conference.
‘Wellness’ channel planned in FL
By Marty Clear
Health News Florida
A cable television channel devoted to health and wellness programming is gearing up to launch in September out of Pinellas County studios.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Food Not Bombs Threatens Legal Action Against Orlando
Staff Report
WFTV Central Florida
The controversial group Food Not Bombs says it plans to take legal action against the city of Orlando.
Rick Scott's Brother Is a Welfare Recipient With a History of Drug Charges
By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami New Times
Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a bill that requires all people seeking welfare take mandatory drug tests.
Senators introduce comprehensive immigration reform bill
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Harry Reid, D-Nev., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., John Kerry, D-Mass., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., reintroduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill on Wednesday.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Governor urged to review Fla. death proceduresBy Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
The executive director of a soon-to-be-disbanded oversight commission for Florida's death penalty sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday saying the panel's work needs to somehow continue.
More sniping in case involving Taj Mahal judge
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
The lead prosecutor leading the judicial ethics case against embattled 1st District Court of Appeal Judge Paul Hawkes on Wednesday fired back his own salvo over attempts to have him disqualified.
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