Daily Clips for August 10, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

Justice Department approves routine parts of election law
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida's effort to secure federal approval of a sweeping new election law cleared one hurdle Tuesday, but a bigger obstacle lies ahead.

Scott: 'I want to fix this stuff, as much as I can'
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
Gov. Rick Scott held his fingertips a foot apart Tuesday and talked about how to get from Point A to Point B, in government or business, by using people and money wisely.

Florida Gov. Scott hires tea party activist to public liaison team
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott has hired a tea party activist as part of an eight-person team tasked with doing advance work for the governor's public events and acting as community liaisons.

Push to create private jobs powered controversial state parks plan
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
A controversial plan to allow private contractors to build and operate campsites at state parks came from a push to create private-industry jobs to help Gov. Rick Scott fulfill a campaign promise, according to internal e-mails exchanged by parks officials earlier this year.

State senator calls out Legislature for ‘hypocrisy’ over Affordable Care Act dollars
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
State Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, criticized the Florida Legislature today for its “hypocrisy” in accepting funds from the Affordable Care Act for Title V abstinence-only education grants, while at the same time rejecting millions that were allocated to child abuse and neglect prevention programs.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Floridians have right to know what to expect at election
By Perry Thurston
South Florida Sun Sentinel
I am angered and disappointed by Gov. Rick Scott's recent maneuvers to suppress the vote in our community.

Reverse Robo-Calls Target Scott
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
For months Florida voters have been receiving robo-calls from Governor Rick Scott boasting of his accomplishments. Now the tables have turned.

Poll shows Rick Scott's robo-calling is working, not backfiring
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
In looking at the results of last week's Quinnipiac University survey of Florida voters, it's pretty clear that Gov. Rick Scott is getting marginally better liked (or less disliked).

Scott survives first Florida newspaper editorial board meeting
By Michael C. Bender
St. Petersburg Times
Gov. Rick Scott sat down this morning with the Tallahassee Democrat editorial board and lived to tell about it.

Allen West on the economy, gays, and Wasserman Schultz
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Congressman Allen West has made plenty of headlines in recent weeks as he voted for the deal to raise the federal debt ceiling, became a target of gay activists, and squabbled with his colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

PSC to interview 15 to replace ousted executive director
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Public Service Commission has narrowed the list of applicants being considered for executive director from 129 to 15 who will be interviewed, with six being from Tallahassee.

POLITICAL RACES

Surprise leader in Florida GOP race for U.S. Senate speaks to Palm Beach County tea partiers
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Rick Scott proved an outsider who spends more than $70 million of his own money can get elected in Florida. Mike McCalister is testing whether an outsider without Scott's personal fortune can win.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Department of Agriculture testifies against EPA water pollution rules
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
This morning’s hearing on Florida water pollution rules, sponsored by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, was much of the same.

U.S. agriculture secretary, state officials to tour Winding Waters, announce Everglades restoration
By Susan Salisbury
Palm Beach Post
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and leaders from Florida government, agriculture and conservation will visit the 548-acre Winding Waters Wetland Preserve in suburban West Palm Beach Thursday to announce several major Everglades restoration projects, the USDA said today.

Reshuffling continues at DEP with changes also at state wildlife agency
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection named a new chief information officer on Monday but lost its top law enforcement official last month.

EDUCATION

AP: ‘Increased scrutiny’ at for-profit schools, including several in Florida
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
A new piece by the Associated Press examines the increased scrutiny of for-profit schools, which have been subject to whistleblower lawsuits and, in Florida, an attorney general’s investigation.

Charter-school requests booming in Central Florida
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
Interest in opening new charter schools is booming in Central Florida, driven in part by a state law encouraging their expansion.

Cuts keep dimming Bright Futures college scholarship
By Deborah Circelli
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Billy Schap worked hard through high school to get the state's Bright Futures Scholarship but has watched his award shrink since starting college last year.

Charters don't match hype
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
On June 27, the governor's press office churned out a release informing Floridians, "Gov. Scott signs legislation to strengthen, expand charter and virtual schools. Parents empowered to choose education best for students."

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Floridians feel sting of new unemployment law
Associated Press
Ocala Star-Banner
Melanie Sellers didn't receive her $198 unemployment compensation payment last week.

CFO Atwater says nation's debt rating downgrade should not affect Florida -- for now
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said the nation's lowered credit rating by Standard & Poor last week may cause "some pause" in the market place, but should not immediately effect Florida's own borrowing or investments.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Medicaid to favor FL HMOs
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
A little-noticed clause in the state overhaul of Medicaid could mean a bonanza for WellCare Health Plans and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida.

Due to budget losses, Healthy Start cuts jobs, serves fewer clients
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
It’s been a tough couple months for Healthy Start coalitions in Florida, ever since the Legislature cut more than $5 million from their budget and pulled back on one the few opportunities the organization has to fill in the recently created gaps.

KidCare Enrollment
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There are an estimated 700-thousand kids in Florida with no health coverage, even though the state offers free and low cost insurance for kids.

State looks to strengthen oversight of assisted living facilities
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Florida's assisted-living facilities are getting a closer look under a workgroup established by Governor Rick Scott.

DCF director resigns months after girl's death
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
The Miami regional director for the Department of Children and Families is resigning.

Prescription drug program ends up a money-saver
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Medicare Part D has kept seniors healthier and reduced Medicare's expenditures for hospital and nursing home care.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Restore ex-felons’ right sooner
Editorial
Miami Herald
If Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet went strictly by the numbers, then they would make it easier for ex-felons to regain their civil rights — particularly to vote — after serving their time in prison. But instead, they made it harder.

Study supports automatic rights restoration
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
A new Florida Parole Commission study suggests that felons who quickly have their civil rights restored are more likely to become contributing members of society and are far less likely to reoffend.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

New Restrictions on Felons Could Cost Taxpayers
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
It’s hard to build up much compassion for prisoners and jail inmates.