PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Democratic Party Door Opens for Charlie Crist in 2014
By Kenric Ward
Sunshine State News
Excerpt: Calling Crist "an incredibly adept political chameleon," Damien Filer, of Progress Florida, said he isn't sure what the former governor actually stands for. "I would look awfully skeptical at the reinvention of Charlie Crist. I don't know what he honestly believes anymore," said Filer, who worked as an aide to Florida's last Democratic governor, Lawton Chiles.
FEATURED STORIES
Gov. Rick Scott to launch inquiry into why some people were ejected from budget signing
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Video: What Rick Scott says about Democrats being booted from his budget signing
Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he will launch an inquiry into why people were selectively removed from an event in the Villages where he signed the state's $69.1 billion budget.
Florida governor signs historic Medicaid bill
By Kelli Kennedy
Associated Press
Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed two historic Medicaid bills Thursday, placing the health care of nearly 3 million Florida residents into the hands of for-profit companies and hospital networks.
Scott signs sweeping growth management overhaul into law
By Bruce Ritchie
The Florida Current
Despite environmental opposition, Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday signed HB 7207, a sweeping growth management bill that largely removes state oversight of local land-use decisions.
Florida unions host ‘Festival’ to encourage folks to organize against Rick Scott
By Bob Shaw
Orlando Sentinel
The state AFL-CIO is planning an all-day “Festival for Florida’s Future” — a combination of music, kids’ games and lots of anti-Rick Scott rhetoric — at the Orange County Fair Grounds on West Colonial Drive on Saturday.
Don't cut lifesaving help
By Elton John and David Furnish
St. Petersburg Times
Florida faces a significant AIDS crisis.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
ACLU takes on Rick Scott: ‘a Radical in the governor’s office masquerading as a conservative’
By Joy-Ann Reid
The Reid Report
ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon did not mince words during a conference call with reporters regarding the organization’s lawsuit against Florida Gov. Rick Scott over his executive order mandating random drug testing for state employees.
Mike Haridopolos Falls Through His Own Donut Hole
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
Mike Haridopolos, the self-proclaimed champion of "health care freedom" is having a little bit of trouble dancing around the issue of his desire to "free you" of your health care, and it shows.
RPOF Talking Points, in Case Scott’s Budget Left You Speechless
By Trish Ponder
Pensito Review
If you weren’t among the select few invited to Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R/Tea) ceremonial re-enactment of the signing of the hot mess that is this year’s state budget at a gated, tea party haven retirement community in the most land-locked part of Florida, we can help.
Miami Dade's role in the fracking of America
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing; the extraction process that is delivering massive amounts of gas and oil to consumers.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Gov. Rick Scott signs overhaul of Medicaid, growth laws
By Janet Zink and Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Dozens of bills affecting Floridians from the womb to the tomb were signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday.
Pafford wants to know: Who booted dissenters from Scott’s budget signing?
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
Last week, Gov. Rick Scott eschewed a traditional budget-signing ceremony for a political rally in The Villages, organized with the help of the state Republican Party, but it’s still not exactly clear who did what.
Governor or emperor?
Editorial
Miami Herald
That Gov. Rick Scott had the temerity to cast the $615 million in projects he vetoed as “shortsighted, frivolous, wasteful spending” is insult enough.
Gov. Rick Scott to visit Florida Keys this weekend
Staff Report
Florida Keys Keynoter
Rick Scott is scheduled to close out this week by making his first official visit to the Keys as governor, but who gets face time with the state's chief executive isn't clear.
Sen. Marco Rubio returns to teaching at FIU
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is returning to the classroom, taking a part-time job teaching politics at Florida International University in Miami.
A splashy start? That's not Dan Webster's style
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Five months into his rookie term, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster has proved the polar opposite of the man he replaced, Democrat Alan Grayson.
POLITICAL RACES
Mike Haridopolos stands out in Senate race for bucking GOP Medicare plan
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida’s crowded Republican Senate race has two types of major candidates: The three who support their party’s controversial Medicare revamp and Mike Haridopolos.
Mike Haridopolos' talk radio fiasco continues
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Mike Haridopolos may be the best thing ever to happen to Ray Junior, the sharp radio host for St. Augustine’s 1240 WFOY radio.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Florida Lawmakers Bow to Land Developers?
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
Land use management advocates say Florida's real estate 'bear market' is having a bullish effect on natural resources.
Eastern Palm Beach County now in worst drought on record
By Alexandra Seltzer and Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
After being in an "extreme drought" for weeks, National Weather Service officials announced Thursday that the area from West Palm Beach south through Broward County is now in an "exceptional drought" - the highest level of drought never before seen in South Florida.
Budget cuts kill funding for groups working to protect springs at four state parks
By Bruce Ritchie
The Florida Current
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection told springs stakeholders this week that four groups working to restore springs will not receive department funding next year because of budget cuts.
Without fix counties can still claim to recycle in excess of 100 percent
By Bruce Ritchie
The Florida Current
A proposal to fix a 2010 law change that could allow counties to claim they recycle in excess of 100 percent died last month when the legislative session ended.
LGBT
Transgender prom queen from Davie breaks down barriers
By Susannah Bryan
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Gay rights advocates are calling Andrew "Andii" Viveros a hero in heels.
EDUCATION
Governor approves voucher expansions, baggy pants bill
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
A trio of bills overhauling state voucher programs and a measure cracking down on baggy pants at public schools were signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday.
For Florida's public schools, here come budget cuts
By Kim MacQueen
The Florida Current
This is graduation week in many of Florida’s public schools, a generally positive, uplifting time.
Scott's political show doesn't hide his damage to education
By Andy Ford
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When Gov. Rick Scott announced his budget proposal in February, the word "education" was notably absent from the political event.
Running Rick Scott’s education claims through the Malarkey Meter
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott’s newest slogan is “Less Waste – More for education.”
FSU faculty committee reviewing Koch agreement
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A committee appointed by faculty leaders at Florida State University has begun reviewing the university's unusual contract with a famously conservative donor.
As debt mounts, few college students understand loan payoff process
By Leslie Williams Hale
Naples Daily News
Janea Soliven is more than five years out of college, and she’s still learning how her student loans work.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO on the new state budget
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Today we'll talk about the new state budget signed last Thursday by Governor Rick Scott. Our guest is Rich Templin, Ph.D., Legislative and Political Director of the Florida AFL-CIO.
Florida consumer confidence holds steady in May
By Donna Gehrke-White
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Floridians are still wary of the economy, and their own current financial situation, but at least the state's consumer confidence didn't decline for a fourth straight month.
Insurance Rate Increases
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Tornadoes and floods taking lives and destroying homes throughout the country could raise the price Floridians pay for property insurance.
Tourism BP funds finalized
By Jamie Page
Pensacola News Journal
Escambia County commissioners on Thursday awarded $4.38 million in BP grant money to — as Commissioner Marie Young once put it — "the same people who always get the money."
Florida makes short list of states adequately funding road repairs
By Brent Henzi
The Florida Current
Florida is one of only four states and Washington D.C. to spend the adequate amount of money on road maintenance to maintain quality roads, a new report shows.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Three doctors groups suing Florida over law limiting doctors in asking patients about guns
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Three groups of doctors are suing Gov. Rick Scott over a bill he signed into law Thursday restricting health care workers from asking patients questions about guns.
Scott to sign 'pill mill' regulation bill Friday
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott will sign HB 7095, the "pill mill bill," tomorrow at ceremonies around the state.
Drug co-pays soar; patients frantic
By Brittany Davis
Health News Florida
Each time Judith Postol swallowed a pill in May, she’d anxiously count down how many were left.
State facing unexpected $45 million Medicaid shortfall, officials say
By Liz Freeman
Naples Daily News
Florida hospitals are being dealt more budgetary woes, this time through an unexpected letter from the state Medicaid program.
New Fla. nursing home watchdog rejects criticisms
By Matt Sedensky
Associated Press
The new top advocate for Florida's nursing home residents insisted Thursday he is committed to patients' wellbeing and rejected suggestions he is too friendly with the industry to effectively serve as watchdog.
Bureau of HIV/AIDS director explains Drug Assistance Program crisis, ignores federal report
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
That Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program has been in a funding crisis since 2010 is no secret, but how the state helped make that crisis possible has been largely ignored.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Welfare providers on drug-test law: It's not so simple
By Ihosvani Rodriguez
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Fleeing from an abusive husband, Sherry Holland packed her three children into a U-Haul van and headed hundreds of miles to Florida looking for a new life.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Fla. high court has new policy in some death casesBy Brendan Farrington
Associated Press
The state Supreme Court reversed a death sentence in a 1988 Pensacola quadruple murder case and then told the lower court Thursday that there is no longer a need to hold a new sentencing hearing, just decide whether Michael Coleman should serve his four life sentences concurrently or consecutively.
Citrus County electrician gets Gov. Rick Scott's first full pardon
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
James Turner received something Thursday no one else has from Gov. Rick Scott: a full pardon.
Judge looking into perjury claims
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
Leon Circuit Judge Terry Lewis is expected to decide soon whether he will order a top prosecutor for State Attorney Willie Meggs to turn over records from an informal perjury investigation to a crusading Tallahassee attorney.
No comments:
Post a Comment