FEATURED STORIES
Haridopolos joins Gov. Rick Scott in calling for energy policy allowing Florida offshore drilling
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Senate President Mike Haridopolos joined the governor Friday in calling for a new state energy policy that will open the door to oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast, new nuclear power and increased investment in renewable energy.
Thousands join hands on the sands of Florida's beaches
By Wayne K. Roustan
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Upwards of 5,000 people joined hands across Florida beaches at noon Saturday to protest offshore oil drilling and promote clean energy.
Lawmakers expect redistricting litigation — and they're ready to pay
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Florida's gerrymandered districts ensure re-election
Related editorial: Drawing fair districts
Florida lawmakers tasked with redrawing the state's political maps are professing they'll follow the constitutional amendments passed last year to strip partisanship from the redistricting process. Meanwhile, their lawyers are trying to invalidate them in court.
Many new Florida laws reflect GOP philosophy
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
Florida will take another step into an era of declining expectations from its cash-strapped state government this week when the most austere in a series of tight annual budgets goes into effect.
State job recovery shows troubling trend
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
When new employment statistics were announced this month, Gov. Rick Scott was quick to jump on the data, noting that Florida has been steadily gaining jobs - nearly 61,000 since he took office in January.
Gov. Scott picks Tallahassee insider MacNamara as chief of staff
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott continued a weeklong shakeup in his office on Friday, naming Stephen R. MacNamara his new chief of staff.
Scott may be dragging down GOP presidential candidates
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott is re-launching his administration after six months, shedding his coterie of "outsiders" in favor of old hands in the Capitol in hopes he can reposition himself with voters.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Andy Marlette
Pensacola News Journal
Related editorial: Water, water, not everywhere
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott signs major bills dealing with corporate taxes, abortion and rulemaking
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed 14 bills, including two controversial measures dealing with abortion and a rulemaking bill that shifts the burden of proof from applicants to those who challenge proposed state permits.
Governor's SunRail decision could come this week
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
This could be the week the SunRail commuter train gets back on track or gets derailed, like so many other mass-transit plans for Orlando.
Two state Capitol insiders getting new roles
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
A pair of longtime Capitol insiders will be taking on new duties early next month.
AARP raps Gov. Scott for not exempting volunteers from background checks
Associated Press
Orlando Sentinel
The senior citizens group AARP says it's baffled by Gov. Rick Scott's veto of a bill that would have exempted social service volunteers from background screening.
Voting rights: Floridians must speak up for 'people power'
By Stephen Goldstein
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Politically left, right or center: Every Florida voter needs to become "a card-carrying member" of the American Civil Liberties Union and also support Fair Districts Florida.
'Greatest good fortune' for politicians is bad luck for voters
By Randy Schultz
Palm Beach Post
Last week, state legislators began pretending that they care what the voters think about how Floridians will vote for Congress and the Legislature in 2012.
Disillusioned Argenziano fights for old GOP values
By Lauren Ritchie
Orlando Sentinel
In an impassioned essay published recently in her hometown Citrus County newspaper, former state senator and ousted Public Service Commission member Nancy Argenziano took aim at the Republican Party and hit it dead in the heart.
New Florida Voting Law: Voting Ban On Final Sunday
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
The Legislature's recent changes to Florida's elections law were so massive and controversial, it would be ironic if the overhaul came tumbling down because of one slightly obscure overstep.
POLITICAL RACES
Poll: Gov. Rick Scott’s Unpopularity Handicapping GOP Pres Candidates In Florida
By Jon Terbush
Talking Points Memo
Related: Obama leads in Florida
A plurality of Florida voters say they are less inclined to support a Republican presidential candidate in 2012 because of the way their freshman GOP governor has acted since taking office, according to a PPP poll to be released Friday morning.
Florida's GOP Senate candidates court tea party vote at Pinellas forum
By David DeCamp
St. Petersburg Times
The route to a tea party-led political forum ultimately required turning to the right.
Tampa 2012 GOP convention planners prepare for slight chance of hurricane
By Richard Danielson
St. Petersburg Times
As he looks ahead to hosting next year's Republican National Convention, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is upbeat, but blunt.
Rep. Kathy Castor may face challenge from Mark Sharpe
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Republican Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe is talking about challenging Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor for her congressional seat in 2012. Sharpe, who pushed hard for the high-speed rail line connecting Tampa to Orlando, said this week he wants to be able to participate in national discussions on deficit reduction and America's wars.
Mayoral candidates’ campaigns wind down
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Related: Absentee ballots: Everyone’s doing it
With the end of the grueling campaign for Miami-Dade mayor in sight, Julio Robaina and Carlos Gimenez traversed the county on Saturday, trying to outrun the rain and seeking the last-minute support of voters casting their ballots early.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
As safety worries grow for existing U.S. nuclear fleet, proposed new reactor design faces mounting problems
By Sue Sturgis
Facing South
A yearlong Associated Press investigation has found that federal regulators have kept aging U.S. nuclear reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards or failing to enforce them.
Opponents of coastal oil drilling join hands in solidarity
By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
Last year's BP oil spill has faded from the headlines, but that doesn't mean Nina Perino is ready to forgive and forget.
Protesters join hands against oil drilling in Gulf
By Rebecca Ross
Pensacola News Journal
Sparkling green water and soft white sand — it was another postcard-perfect day on Pensacola Beach.
EPA rules for Florida water trashed in House hearing
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
Members of Congress were told Friday that clean-water rules targeting algae in the St. Johns River and other Florida rivers were examples of the federal government making decisions that should be handled by states.
Drought wreaks ecological havoc on Lake O plants
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Even an untrained eye can see there is something wrong with Lake Okeechobee. Floating docks at the boat ramp no longer float. The knees of cypress trees are naked and dry. And the cleats on pilings where boats tie off in the canals are now 10 feet above the water line.
Fight over Lee mining could lead to challenge of Florida’s new growth law
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
The agency that was responsible for Florida’s growth management wants to drop out of a big fight over rock mining in eastern Lee County.
LGBT
Wedding plans bloom as NY legalizes gay marriage
By David B. Caruso and Verena Dobnik
Associated Press
As the news flashed around the globe that New York state had legalized gay marriage, New York fashion designer Malcolm Harris didn't waste any time.
Gay marriage backers: NY vote has national impact
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Many obstacles still lie ahead for supporters of same-sex marriage, and eventually they will need Congress or the Supreme Court to embrace their goal. For the moment, though, they are jubilantly channeling the lyrics of "New York, New York."
New York's new law gives St. Pete Pride parade an extra buzz
By Kameel Stanley
St. Petersburg Times
Patti Holston woke up Saturday morning and knew this year's Pride festival was going to be different.
EDUCATION
Educated children key to Florida's economy
By Gov. Rick Scott
Orlando Sentinel
One of the critical components of my seven-step plan to create 700,000 jobs in seven years and turn Florida's economy around is to make sure our state has the best-educated work force, ready to work in our 21st-century economy.
More teachers seen leaving
By Marcia Lane
St. Augustine Record
Numbers are up for retirements, resignations and non-reappointments in the St. Johns County School District.
A weekend interview with Gerard Robinson, Florida education commissioner-select
By Jeff Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
With a unanimous State Board of Education vote, and the full backing of Gov. Rick Scott, Gerard Robinson won the job this week as Florida's new education commissioner.
As schools cut budgets, strains on counselors grow
By Christine Armario
Associated Press
Roslyn Wagner's tone shifts from cheerful to concerned as she looks through the grades of the teenage boy seated before her.
Decline in minority enrollment alarms Florida's law schools
By Denise-Marie Balona
Orlando Sentinel
Law schools in Florida have struggled for years to draw more minorities into legal fields long dominated by white men.
State starts charging fees for GED classes, reaction mixed in Collier, Lee
By Joanna Chau
Naples Daily News
As the cost of education in Florida continued to rise, GED, ESL and ELL classes remained free.
Prepaid college plan might not cover tuition rate hikes
By Morris News Service
St. Augustine Record
Families with Florida Prepaid College Plans should take another look at whether the package they bought will cover the ever-higher expense of higher education.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Gov. Rick Scott faces tough decision on costly Orlando commuter rail line
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Roused by his tea party base, Gov. Rick Scott early this year halted a decades-in-the-works bullet train linking Tampa and Orlando — citing concerns about possible costs to Florida taxpayers.
Privatization’s unspoken risk: Corruption
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
The future of government runs for 10.5 miles through the heart of Broward County, amid rocks and dust and earth-moving equipment and trucks and workers along Interstate 595, where motorists can look out their car windows and contemplate another three years of traffic hell.
Americans not so concerned about debt crisis, poll finds
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Americans seem not to have awakened to the fast-looming debt crisis that could summon a new recession, imperil their stock market investments and shatter faith in the world's most powerful economy.
What the GOP Really Means by ‘Shared Sacrifice’
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Yesterday, we covered the GOP’s temper tantrum, as the New York Times called it, in which Republican leaders bailed on negotiations to avert a default on our obligations — a default that is only on the table as a result of the GOP’s willingness to keep paying the bills we started racking up as a result of Bush-era policies.
Companies bet on expanding gambling in Florida
By Michael Vasquez and Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Florida was once the state where casino blueprints went to die. Three times in one 16-year span, voters rejected the idea of Las Vegas-style casinos.
New rules chip away at homeowners' rights
By Mary Shanklin
Orlando Sentinel
New laws that take effect next week for homeowner and condo associations cut back on the rights of owners and renters alike while shoring up community associations' ability to collect delinquent dues and fees.
Public employees good at squeezing a dollar
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Nameless and faceless, civil servants too often are blamed for all that's wrong with government, being cast as lazy, incompetent spendthrifts abusing the public exchequer.
Florida workers challenge retirement contributions
Editorial
Ft. Myers News-Press
When it came to public employee pensions, the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott let their anti-union, anti-government enthusiasms blind them to their legal and moral obligations.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Medicaid Cuts Could Impact Florida Economic Recovery
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
A report from the organization Families USA says that every federal Medicaid dollar that flows into Florida stimulates state business activity and generates jobs.
Fla. panel rejects funds for elderly
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A Florida legislative panel Friday rejected millions in federal money designed to help remove patients from nursing homes and provide them with similar care in their own homes.
Legislature rejects federal grant money again
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Florida lawmakers on Friday rejected federal grant money that would have implemented a program meant to transfer people from nursing homes to community based care initiatives.
NOW holds rally at Rubio's office to protest 'war against women'
By Alex Orlando
Tampa Tribune
When Gloria Wood hit 80 years old, aches, pains and doctor bills hit back. An irregular heartbeat didn't help, either.
AHCA signs $2 million Medicaid contract
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Mercer Health & Benefits edged its only competitor and will earn $2 million to help the Agency for Health Care Administration implement a new overhaul of its $22 billion Medicaid program.
Some Florida urgent-care clinics will be required to post prices for common procedures
By Richard Martin
St. Petersburg Times
State Rep. Richard Corcoran recalled a day last year when a doctor recommended an MRI test for his wife's back pain.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Get-tough laws hurt more than immigrants
By Bill Maxwell
St. Petersburg Times
Just north of Florida in the farm fields of Georgia, the impact of the nation's illegal immigration debate is now taking shape.
Food Not Bombs activist accuses Orlando mayor of defamation
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
One of the activists arrested after feeding the homeless at Lake Eola Park said he will file a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Buddy Dyer for calling members of his anti-poverty group "food terrorists."
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Fla. Gov. Scott has yet to sign a death warrantAssociated Press
Miami Herald
Gov. Rick Scott still hasn't acted on what past governors have said is one of their most serious responsibilities - signing death warrants.
Death penalty flawed
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
Last week a federal judge in Miami deemed the Florida death penalty unconstitutional because juries do not have to detail the aggravating factors in first-degree murder cases that caused them to recommend the punishment.
Clarence Thomas crosses ethical line
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Unlike other members of the federal judiciary, U.S. Supreme Court justices are not bound by a comprehensive set of ethics rules.
Don't Put Away So Many Prisoners
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
The debate continues over privatizing the prison system as a way to save the state money, but a premier tax watchdog group, respected for its conservatism and fiscal frugality, has another idea: Don't put away so many prisoners.
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