PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Florida legislature home to dozens of millionaires
By Lilly Rockwell and Michael Peltier
News Service of Florida
Excerpt: Damien Filer, a spokesman for the progressive advocacy group Progress Florida, said the confluence of wealth and legislation is troubling. Likewise, lawmakers of overly modest means can also find themselves in compromising circumstances. "There is an inherent danger anytime money and policymaking mix," Filer said. "We have a system that is far too much a pay-to-play situation."
For Rick Scott, a Tough Road to Reform
By Kenric Ward
Sunshine State News
Excerpt: On the other hand, Damien Filer of Progress Florida said, "Rick Scott is prioritizing his image and poll numbers over the real problems of middle-class Floridians. Ask working families in Florida what they care more about -- Rick Scott's poll numbers or the number of jobs he's cut."
FEATURED STORIES
Big business still filling state GOP coffers
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
If Florida's political landscape is any test, neither the recession, unemployment nor the state's fiscal crisis has hurt political donations.
Republicans dash for cash as Gov. Rick Scott wages public-relations makeover
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Buoyed by complete control of state government, Florida Republicans are killing Democrats in the dash for campaign cash this year, and the GOP is putting that money to use to improve the governor's public image.
Republican Party spends heavily to boost Rick Scott’s popularity
By Gary Fineout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Republican Party of Florida has poured large sums into polling, automated phone calls and online ads in the last three months to bolster Gov. Rick Scott’s public image.
Questions for Gov. Rick Scott
By Michael Putney
Miami Herald
Gov. Rick Scott, a regular on Fox News and lately a chatterbox on friendly AM radio stations in Florida, finally agreed to sit down with me for an interview, for which I was grateful, what with my suspect “lamestream” media credentials.
GOP field seeking Nelson's seat continues to grow; as does Nelson's campaign chest
By Adam Playford and John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson unveiled a robust campaign bankroll Tuesday even as another Republican challenger made his debut in the race, joining a pack of already established, well-financed opponents looking to unseat the two-term incumbent.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Who’s buying Florida’s political parties?
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
In Florida, where donations to individual candidates are subject to strict limits, the big money in politics tends to flow through the parties, campaign committees and other channels.
Gov. Scott at last passes hearing test
By Sue Carlton
St. Petersburg Times
For a while there, it seemed like Gov. Rick Scott's first term in office was going to be like watching him take a hearing test at the doctor's office and fail it repeatedly.
Voters request fewer lawmakers, stronger representation
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach News-Journal
More than two dozen state legislators filled the stage at the News-Journal Center seeking input Tuesday night on how Florida's political boundaries should be redrawn.
Making Political Office the Exclusive Domain of the Wealthy
By Fred Markham
Bradenton Times
In the continuing saga of judicial erosion of public campaign finance laws, a Florida federal judge has eliminated the matching funds provision in the Florida Election Campaign Finance Act.
POLITICAL RACES
Former Ruth's Chris CEO Craig Miller joins Republican field for U.S. Senate
By Jessica Vander Velde and Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
A wealthy, but little-known businessman jumped into Florida's Republican U.S. Senate race Tuesday, calling himself the candidate for Main Street and muddying an already unsettled primary.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
ACLU: Legislators ‘misled’ public about repeal of Florida’s ban on ‘taxpayer-funded religion’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
The American Civil Liberties Union just released a report arguing that Florida legislators’ rationale for a constitutional amendment that would repeal Florida’s ban on taxpayer funds going to religious institutions is false.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Board orders last try at compromise on rock mining in Palm Beach County
By Jennifer Sorentrue
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County commissioners will make one final attempt to reach an accord with environmentalists and mining companies over the future of rock mining in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Everybody knows what the tea party members oppose.
Adam Putnam unhappy with BP oil spill response
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Nearly 15 months after the massive BP oil spill blighted the Gulf of Mexico and beaches across the Southeast, Florida's top agriculture official said Monday that an untold number of residents whose livelihoods were disrupted have not been compensated.
A trade-off with benefits
Editorial
Miami Herald
The Obama administration already has set a quicker pace for putting more fuel-efficient cars on the road, vehicles that go farther on a gallon of gas, emit fewer pollutants and reduce how often drivers have to tank up.
The enemies of clean water
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Rep. John Mica, the Winter Park Republican whose district hugs the east coast of Florida and stretches from near Jacksonville to the Orlando area, should appreciate the benefits of clean water.
EDUCATION
Be wary over Rick Scott’s push for charter schools
By Mark Woods
Florida Times-Union
As one of his first acts as governor, Rick Scott visited a charter school in South Florida, pointing to it as a prime example of what we need more of: a public school, funded with taxes but run by a private, for-profit company.
New Florida education commissioner to headline event with Michelle Rhee
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
In one of his first public appearances as Florida's new education commissioner, Gerard Robinson will headline an event sponsored by a pro-voucher group along with former Washington D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee.
States Keep Pushing For Tougher Teacher Policies
By Liana Heiten
Education Week
As the majority of legislative sessions around the country come to a close, many states will finish the season having pushed through policy changes that are likely to have a notable impact on teachers.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
What unemployment numbers mean for minorities, women
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
The situation of women, blacks and Hispanic workers who are employed, unemployed or looking for jobs in the U.S. merits a closer look.
Uncle Sam Closing His Wallet
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
One out of every five dollars of personal income in Florida comes from government programs, and by years end many of those programs will be scaled back.
Feds give money to project vetoed by the governor
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Monday, The U-S Department of Agriculture gave Florida citrus growers 11-million dollars for citrus disease research over the next four years.
St. Johns water district announces deep cutbacks
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
The St. Johns River Water Management District unveiled deep cuts in its staff and operations Tuesday in response to a new state law that imposed large budget reductions on Florida's five water-policy agencies.
Water managers' 29 percent tax-rate cut means $27 tax savings on $200,000 home
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
With buy-outs behind them and layoffs looming, the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District will continue efforts to comply with a new budget-slashing law by lowering its property tax rate by 29 percent.
SunRail groundbreaking set for Monday
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will come to Orlando on Monday for what essentially will be the groundbreaking for the SunRail commuter train.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Florida rejects funding to keep seniors out of nursing homes
By Scott Selis
Daytona Beach News-Journal
A small group of Florida's lawmakers has proven that politics are more important than giving the elderly broader health care choices.
Florida seniors say "Hands Off" Medicare
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
A Florida senior advocacy group is saying "hands off" Medicare as Congress continues budget talks in the run-up to August.
Florida Family Policy Council president: We are at the ‘beginning of the end’ of abortion
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
In a newly published statement, John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, writes that increases in anti-abortion legislation, anti-abortion campaigns targeting minorities, sidewalk counseling and crisis pregnancy centers, combined with attacks on Planned Parenthood, are all evidence of the “beginning of the end” of abortion rights in the U.S.
Florida physicians seeking block on gun gag law
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Organizations representing thousands of Florida doctors are asking a Miami federal judge to block a new state law restricting what physicians can discuss about firearms with patients.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
No common ground for Dyer, Food Not Bombs activists
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
With arrests at Lake Eola Park continuing to draw international attention, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer might have finally found a problem he can't solve.
Judge Requires Greater Openness About Secure Communities
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
You have to wonder how many more hits that the federal immigration enforcement program Secure Communities can absorb.
Crops rot as Georgia feels effects of immigration law
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
In Georgia, crops are rotting in the fields because migrant workers aren't there to pick them.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Harry Sargeant civil case reads like a spy novelBy Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Harry Sargeant, a one-time Republican political player snared in controversies over a corruption probe and pricey war-time oil shipments, took the witness stand Tuesday in a contract dispute that reads more like a spy novel.
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