AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS
Miami Herald Twitter followers query Gov. Rick Scott on jobs, jobs and jobs
By Colleen Wright
Miami Herald
Excerpt: “Tell us how cutting spending and taxes creates jobs when corporations sit on record amounts of cash?” asked AwakeTheState.
FEATURED STORIES
Scott getting low-cost health insurance from state
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Gov. Rick Scott, a critic of the federal health care overhaul, is paying less than $400 a year for health insurance for himself and his wife.
Before State Department rerouted contested parts of elections bill, feds sought more information
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice granted “pre-clearance” to 76 provisions of Florida’s controversial new elections law.
Groups call on lawmakers to finish redistricting work by January
Staff Report
Florida Tribune
Several groups that backed the Fair Districts measure renewed complaints on Wednesday that lawmakers aren't moving fast enough on redistricting and called on the Republican-led Legislature to complete its work by mid-January.
"Watch List" of FL Citizen Activists Distributed at AR GOP Congressional Town Hall
By Dawn Teo
Huffington Post
Staffers of at least one Congressional office, Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.), distributed "homework" to Congressional town hall attendees in the form of a "watch list" that features photographs, personal information and pointed questions about six activists who are constituents of Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), each of whom was openly critical of Webster at his town halls earlier this year.
Gov. Rick Scott: 2012 presidential race is all about jobs
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
More than a year before the next presidential election, Florida Gov. Rick Scott is making a prediction.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Dems to file Florida Investigation Integrity Act
Staff Report
Citrus County Daily
State Representative Darren Soto (D-Orlando) and House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders (D-Key West) announced today their intent to file a bill to preserve the integrity of Florida’s investigatory state agencies.
Scott takes early lead in ‘Worst Governor’ polling
By Bob Shaw
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott is off to an early lead in “The Worst Governor Ever” race.
Gov. Scott goes fishing in the Florida Keys
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott is going fishing in the Florida Keys to promote tourism.
Elections commission hands out fines
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
The Florida Elections Commission heard appeals from candidates fined for failing to turn in elections reports on time.
Bishop leaving AIF, with some questioning the future of the big corporate lobby
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
One of the Capitol’s most potent business lobbies Wednesday was in search of a new leader.
Tampa MoveOn protesters to Sen. Rubio: "Jobs not cuts"
By Josh Holton
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Jobs, not cuts, was the message of protesters today, outside Congressional offices across the country.
POLITICAL RACES
Politicos predict Charlie Crist will try to get old job back
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Crazy as it may sound, many of the savviest political minds in Florida think Charlie Crist will run for governor in 2014.
GOP hopefuls look to debate for last-minute boost
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Seven Republican presidential contenders will try to use Thursday's debate in the leadoff caucus state of Iowa to cast themselves as the strongest alternative to one rival: front-runner Mitt Romney.
Ron Paul spreading same message as always, resonating finally
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Ron Paul framed it as "a fight that could literally change our country" and laid out a plan: Return to the gold standard, end U.S. military interventions overseas, demolish the Federal Reserve and stop bailouts.
Huntsman faces long road in GOP presidential primary
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
With cellar-dwelling poll numbers and a campaign shake-up to boot, Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman's campaign trumpeted Wednesday's endorsement of Jeb Bush Jr. as a "major announcement."
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Obama administration to announce $100 million for Everglades restoration
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
The Obama administration will announce today that it's spending $100 million buying development rights from Central Florida ranchers and farmers to aid wetland restoration on nearly 24,000 acres in the Northern Everglades.
FPL seeks rate increase for nuclear expansion that opponents say may never come
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Against a backdrop of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant disaster and fears about the stability of the U.S. economy, Florida utility regulators are considering an expansion of nuclear power in the state and how much of the bill will be shouldered by rate payers.
Environmental groups maintain they were shut out at Stearns’ water pollution hearing
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Environmental groups are disputing claims by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, that they weren’t included in the congressman’s Tuesday water pollution hearing because they didn’t ask to be.
Few attend rally held by Koch Brothers' group
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
What happens when you hold a rally and no one shows up?
Solar rebate applicants hit with last-minute glitch
By Julie Patel
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Some Floridians who applied for cash from the Florida Solar Rebate Program nearly two years ago are facing an 11th-hour hurdle.
EDUCATION
New lawsuit against Gov. Rick Scott is over new textbook adoption law
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A volunteer group formed out of concern about terrorism will sue Gov. Rick Scott today for what it deems a threat to public schools: new textbook adoption policies.
Study finds difficulty of Florida FCAT in the “basic” range
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
A study released today that compares the difficulty of state tests found Florida’s FCATs were above the national average in difficulty, but only “basic” compared to the national test.
Florida legislators ignore education mandate
By Mark J. Castellano
Lehigh Acres Citizen
"The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida…”
Civics education suffers from neglect
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
No doubt there will be some who will mourn the passing of the nearly 200-year-old U.S. House page program that gave thousands of teenagers the unique experience of observing the inner workings of the Capitol — for better or worse.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Plunge shrinks state pension fund's value by $8 billion
By Catherine Whittenburg
Tampa Tribune
Political drama in Washington and the ensuing turbulence on Wall Street has cost Florida's state retirement fund $8 billion in market value since the end of July.
Close the tax loopholes
By Sen. Bill Nelson
Politico
After watching Standard & Poor’s performance in the Enron and housing debacles, it’s hard to stomach their decision to downgrade America’s credit.
The GOP’s Not-So-Super Committee
By Alex Seitz-Wald
Think Progress
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today their picks for the fiscal super committee created by the debt ceiling deal.
Florida wants to collect its sales tax for online buys
By Matt Galnor
Florida Times-Union
Just because there isn't a Florida sales tax charge on certain online purchases doesn't mean the buyer doesn't owe the tax.
Under new rules, loan modification won't protect you from foreclosure
By Donna Gehrke-White
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Many South Florida homeowners facing foreclosure may believe getting a preliminary loan modification offer from their lender will save them from losing their home.
What you need to know about back-to-school sales-tax holiday
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday begins Friday and lasts through Sunday.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Advocates, doctors concerned about prenatal care access in state Medicaid overhaul
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
As Florida waits for approval from the federal government before moving forward with its plans to overhaul Medicaid, patient advocates remain concerned about problems with prenatal care access that plagued a five-county pilot program similar to the new statewide measure.
Big insurer shakes up mental-health field
By Brittany Davis
Health News Florida
Some mental health providers say they will no longer treat Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida patients in light of a “surprising” letter they received from the company last week.
Gun law legal challenge shot down by Florida Medical Association
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
The Florida Medical Association has agreed to do something it hasn't in the past: Defend Florida physicians in administrative challenges.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Another round in Ten Commandments fight hits Fla.
By Brent Kallestad
Associated Press
The folks who live in this sparsely populated rural region along Florida's upper west coast don't like outsiders butting in, especially when it comes to their religious beliefs.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Stearns prevails in lawsuitBy Bill Thompson
Gainesville Sun
An Ocala resident who made a longshot bid to unseat veteran U.S. Rep Cliff Stearns last year is finding it equally tough convincing judges that federal election laws are unfair.
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