Daily Clips for June 8, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

Florida lawmakers to seek input about redistricting in a series of public hearings
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
Armed with terabytes of U.S. Census data and the limitless reach of social media, the Legislature is inviting the public this summer to help re-write the political landscape.

In fighting health care law, Florida rejects millions in federal aid
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida already leads a lawsuit challenging the federal health care law, but state officials are going a step further and ignoring the law almost entirely — rejecting millions of federal dollars to provide health care for retirees, seniors, children and people with disabilities.

Ausman offers reward for written copy of Democratic Party code of ethics
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
Democratic National Committeeman Jon Ausman today challenged his party to swear off corporate campaign donations and money from political action committees and offered a $250 reward for anyone who can show him a written code of political ethics for the party.

Scott undermines state water policy
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Piece by piece, Florida's water policy is being dismantled.

FLORIDA POLITICS

House Dems say Scott's office 'unlawfully' removed protesters from budget event
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
Florida House Democrats are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi and CFO Jeff Atwater to look into the removing of unsupportive Villagers from Gov. Rick Scott's budget signing even on May 26.

Rick Scott's budget-signing fiasco was an insult to Floridians and freedom
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
You've just learned your popularity is tanking! Where are you going now?

No ethics reform in 2011 Legislature? No surprise in system that appears bent on preserving status quo
Editorial
TC Palm
The report by the Statewide Grand Jury was a clarion call to Florida lawmakers for ethics reform.

Cannon and Haridopolos make nice, calling post-session split ‘way overblown’
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon once again endorsed state Senate President Mike Haridopolos this morning in his bid to win the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012.

State redistricting public hearings set for Tampa, Largo in late August
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
As per every 10 years, Florida's legislative & congressional districts are scheduled to be revised in the coming year, and with the passage of Amendments 5 & 6, Democrats are hoping that the new law will force the creation of districts to become fairer and less gerrymandered, and with that, the possibility that they may begin getting more of their own kind elected to the state Senate and House.

POLITICAL RACES

Room for another in the Fla GOP Senate primary?
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Sounds more and more like Craig Miller, the former Ruth's Chris CEO from Winter Park who ran unsuccessful for congress last year, is poised to join the Republican primary field.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Oil Drilling Off Cuba Raises Specter of What-If
By Clifford Krauss
New York Times
Florida voters have long opposed offshore oil drilling along their coasts, and given that Florida is a swing state in presidential elections, they have gotten their way.

Environmental group proposes plan to pay ranchers for livestock lost to Florida panthers
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
An environmental group announced Tuesday that it will repay the losses of ranchers whose calves are eaten by Florida panthers.

Riverkeeper plans rally to protest Georgia-Pacific pipeline
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
The St. Johns Riverkeeper will host a rally to protest Georgia-Pacific’s controversial proposed North Florida pipeline and “demand a more comprehensive analysis of this critical issue” on Thurs., June 9, at the Jacksonville offices of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Wildfires Rage in Florida
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
In Florida, 187-thousand acres have burned, left bare by nearly 3-thousand wildfires since January 1st.

Delisting black bears must not pave way for habitat destruction, or hunting
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Usually, news that 16 species of wildlife have rebounded notably from the perils of extinction would be cause for celebration.

LGBT

More than one million troops -- half of force -- trained on gay ban repeal, military officials say
By Pauline Jelinek and Lolita C. Baldor
Associated Press
More than a million U.S. troops – roughly half the armed forces – have been trained on the new law allowing gays to serve openly in the military, and so far there has been none of the turmoil or dire consequences predicted by opponents of what had been expected to be a wrenching change in military culture.

EDUCATION

Education Week: Approval ratings drop for governors who pushed education overhauls
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
According to Education Week analysis, governors who pushed for education overhaul — such as Florida’s Rick Scott — have seen their approval ratings drop.

Florida graduation rate increases, but still far behind nation
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Despite a significant rise in the state's graduation rate, a new report shows that Florida still lags well behind the national average.

The Perils Of School Vouchers: Unregulated Florida Private School Offers High School Diploma In 8 Days For $399
By Zaid Jilani
Think Progress
Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) — buoyed by legislators who received hundreds of thousands of dollars of special interest cash — signed into law legislation that would dramatically expand access to school vouchers, which funnel taxpayer dollars into private schools.

Little revealed about ed commissioner candidates
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
The Department of Education is staying tight-lipped about whether any new applicants came forward for the high-profile job of education commissioner as the second deadline to apply for the job came and went late Monday.

Turf battle looming between powerhouse universities and state board
By Gary Fineout
The Florida Current
An attempt by leaders of Florida’s state university system to plan for the future and avoid duplication among rival schools is running into the same kind of resistance that has doomed past efforts.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Report puts Florida at top of the list for foreclosures
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Florida has once again been deemed the center of the nation’s suffering housing market, as a new study shows the state is responsible for more foreclosures than any other state.

Lawyers get more time to finish foreclosures
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Federal mortgage giant Fannie Mae more than doubled the amount of time Florida attorneys have to complete a foreclosure, acknowledging the reality of the state's overwhelmed court system and problems with foreclosure paperwork.

Scott jobs announcement from Montreal sounds like deja vu
By John Kennedy
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott’s trade mission to Canada is lined up to tout its first big score Wednesday, but the announcement from French-speaking Montreal will sound like deja vu to many Palm Beach County residents.

Gov. Rick Scott wants consumers to protect themselves
By Eric Ernst
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The door mechanism broke in my daughter's car. She called from Atlanta, where she's been going to college, wanting to know what to do.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Effects of Ryan Medicare plan could vary across Florida
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
A guest column published by Kaiser Health News points out an interesting (and largely undiscussed) feature of Congressman Paul Ryan’s hot-button Medicare plan: It ignores differences in Medicare costs between regions, and as a result it could “expose the egregious amount of money Medicare wastes in many parts of the country.”

Federal health care law argued in court this week
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
When U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson declared last year's federal health overhaul unconstitutional, the ruling vindicated Florida Republicans and other critics of the law.

Two companies are battling for $2 million Medicaid consultant contract
By Christine Jordan Sexton
The Florida Current
The Agency for Health Care Administration hopes to ink a $2 million Medicaid contract in the next three weeks, health care regulators announced at a meeting in Tallahassee on Tuesday.

Scott doctor-shops for credit: He didn't want the pill mill bill; now he has to make it work
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
As a candidate, Rick Scott proclaimed that he was not a politician.