AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS
Awake The State to hold new rally in Tampa
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
The activist group Awake The State, which has many offshoots, such as Awake Tampa, led a series of protest rallies against Governor Rick Scott and the GOP-led Florida Legislature last spring, and they were some of the most successful political rallies by liberal Democrats seen in Florida in a long time (Awake The State was named by Cl last month as the activist group of the year).
FEATURED STORIES
Shakeup alert: Rep. Connie Mack to enter Florida’s Senate race
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida Congressman Connie Mack planns to enter the Republican race for U.S. Senate, adding a big name to a contest that has lacked drama for months.
Jim Greer contradicts George LeMieux's claim of doing minority outreach for Florida GOP
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
It had never been clear what George LeMieux did to earn $150,000 for consulting services with the state GOP in 2008 and 2009 after he left his job as Gov. Charlie Crist's chief of staff for private law practice.
Judge: Cuts to state employees violated contract
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The decision to cut state and local government workers pay 3 percent and shift the money to the state’s pension fund broke the state’s contract with employees, a Leon County circuit judge told lawyers for Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature on Wednesday.
Florida’s Jobs Shell Game
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
“Jobs” is the political word of the day. In a nation and a state desperate to get back to work, politicians are given the leeway to do almost anything in the name of jobs.
'Destination casino' bill sets stage for gambling debate in Florida
By Kathleen Haughney and Nick Sortal
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A long-promised "destination casino" bill was filed Wednesday, allowing three Las Vegas-style operations in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and setting the stage for a full-throttle debate about gambling in Florida.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Marco Rubio faces Hispanic critics
By Scott Wong
Politico
In Miami’s Little Havana, the Cuban exile community has rallied to the defense of its favorite son, Sen. Marco Rubio, as he fights off allegations he embellished his family history to boost his meteoric political career.
Election reform adds challenge to voting
By Deirdre Macnab
Orlando Sentinel
Almost every Floridian wants to forget the embarrassment and confusion of our 2000 election process.
PIP workgroup to release its report on Tuesday
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Expect to see a report on Florida's personal injury protection (PIP) from the state's insurance consumer advocate next week.
Fresen cleared on ethics complaint
By Katie Sanders
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
The state Commission on Ethics has announced it found no probable cause for a complaint accusing Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, of violating state voting conflict law.
Occupy Orlando marches in protest through downtown
By Bianca Prieto
Orlando Sentinel
Occupy Orlando members marched through downtown Wednesday afternoon in response to police removing the group's supplies from Senator Beth Johnson Park.
Tampa should set workable rules for protests
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Tampa police have worked hard to avoid confrontations with the local group, Occupy Tampa, that is taking part in the nationwide protests against this country's economic conditions.
POLITICAL RACES
Rick Perry, during St. Pete Beach visit: Barack Obama is an American citizen
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Rick Perry recently told Parade magazine that "I don't have any idea" whether the birth certificate released by President Barack Obama is real. He told CNBC this week that Obama's citizenship "is a good issue to keep alive" and noted he had discussed the matter with Donald Trump.
Protesters criticize Rick Perry's Social Security proposal outside pricey St. Pete Beach fundraiser
By Kate Bradshaw
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Top GOP contenders are trying to get attention from Republican voters in the Sunshine State ahead the primary.
CNN polls: Romney has big lead in Florida and New Hampshire; barely up in Iowa, South Carolina
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Mitt Romney is ahead in Florida and three other early states on the Republican presidential selection calendar, according to polls released today by CNN.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Judge hearing challenge to Fla. religion amendment
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
A judge is hearing arguments over a ballot proposal to repeal Florida's ban on public financial aid to churches and other religious organizations.
Selling funding as freedom
By Howard Simon
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Watching the Florida Legislature stumble, maneuver and scheme, it's still surprising that lawmakers have crafted a massive government expansion and new funding entitlement they are trying to sell to us as a "freedom."
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
More clean water for Everglades possible under proposed plan
By Erika Bolstad
Miami Herald
An Everglades restoration task force that meets Thursday in West Palm Beach is expected to announce a fast-track planning effort, that if approved by Congress, will put more fresh and clean water into the central and southern portions of the River of Grass.
Hometown Democracy leader unveils site detailing ‘The Price of Sprawl’
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Nearly a year after the so-called “Hometown Democracy” amendment was soundly defeated in the state of Florida, the group that backed it has unveiled a website detailing the negative effects of urban sprawl in various counties throughout the state.
Rooney's offshore drilling proposal is making waves
By Eve Samples
TC Palm
It's one of Martin County's greatest political strengths.
Key West hospital serves special clientele
By Trimmel Gomes
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
After months of rehabilitation, a loggerhead sea turtle was released back into the wild in the Florida Keys Tuesday.
LGBT
Miami LGBT rights group ‘tremendously negatively impacted’ by new voting laws
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
SAVE Dade, a Miami-based LGBT rights group, says it has been “tremendously negatively impacted” by the state’s new voting law, which created new restrictions on third party voter registration.
EDUCATION
Giving Florida's students a Third World education
By Mark Allen Peterson
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Scott has declared that Florida doesn't need any more anthropologists and needs to cut back on psychologists and other social scientists as well.
Rick Scott says no to anthropology; students say yes
By Scott Travis
South Florida Sun Sentinel
This debate is one for the anthropology books, but if Gov. Rick Scott has his way, there may not be many left.
Palmetto teacher disputes firing
By Angeline Taylor
Bradenton Herald
Lincoln Middle School teacher Stephanie Holtey was terminated this week under a new state law that allows teachers on a probationary contract to be fired for any reason, district officials said Tuesday.
Without funding, YouthBuild GED and job skills program in peril
By Justin George
St. Petersburg Times
In his early 20s with no high school diploma, Gino Voltere was languishing at North Boulevard Homes, a public housing complex south of downtown.
Senator steps in over voting law, teacher's plight
By Derek Catron
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Jill Cicciarelli's students got a real-life civics lesson Wednesday when U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson quizzed them on the state law their teacher violated in helping them register to vote.
Florida 45th most expensive, or 6th cheapest, for tuition
Staff Report
South Florida Sun Sentinel
If you want to move somewhere with cheaper in-state college tuition, you now have six choices.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Teachers union goes to court to challenge pension changes
By Kathleen Haughney
St. Petersburg Times
The 140,000-member statewide teachers union argued Wednesday that Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature violated a contract with 572,000 teachers, prison guards, nurses and other public employees when it substantially changed the state's pension system this year.
At STEM summit, a call for Florida to raise its competitive bar
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
One nagging theme emerged at Wednesday's summit meeting dedicated to improving Florida's students and work force for 21st century technology jobs.
Ban debit fees? How grand
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
State Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, has introduced House Bill 375, which would stop banks from imposing debit card fees such as Bank of America's planned $5-a-month charge.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
State proposes steep cuts to Medicaid coverage for hospital stays, doctor visits
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
After being told by the House that its proposed budget reductions were unacceptable, Agency for Health Care Administration staff looked for additional ways to find "savings."
Miami-Dade grand jury probes troubled ALFs
By Michael Sallah and Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
After years of rampant neglect at assisted living facilities, a Miami-Dade County grand jury has launched an investigation into conditions in the homes, including reports of frail elders dying from abuse and breakdowns in enforcement that allowed dozens of dangerous ALFs to stay open, The Miami Herald has learned.
Lawyer Opposing Health Law Is Familiar Face to the Justices
By Kevin Sack
Gainesville Sun
It would be hard for any lawyer to fathom a more riveting caseload than the one Paul D. Clement carried during his seven years in President George W. Bush’s Justice Department.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Judge makes right call in halting Florida welfare drug testing
By Michael Mayo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
When it came to drug testing welfare applicants, the state aimed for the cup first and asked questions later.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
How the Legal System Favors the 1 PercentBy Glenn Greenwald
Mother Jones
As intense protests spawned by Occupy Wall Street continue to grow, it is worth asking: Why now?
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