FEATURED STORIES
New Census Bureau measurement shows poverty greater than previously thought
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
The U.S. Census Bureau’s alternative Supplemental Poverty Measure — “a new measure of poverty to complement the official measure,” released this week — shows that 49.1 million Americans were poor in 2010, “more than the 46.6 million using the official definition of poverty.”
Florida House Democrats seek investigation into new voting laws
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Following Sen. Bill Nelson’s lead, House Democrats from Florida have sent a letter to House leaders requesting hearings on the impact of new state voting laws on voter rights.
Ohio Keeps Collective Bargaining Rights; Will Florida Do the Same?
By Gina Jordan
StateImpact Florida
Ohio voters have rejected a law that significantly weakened the collective bargaining power of more than 350-thousand public employees.
Pay-for-Performance Law A ‘Nightmare,’ Teachers Say
By Merissa Green
Florida Ledger
After 27 years in the classroom, Marlene Hyde doesn't want to teach anymore.
Florida lawmakers turned away grant money for cancer control programs
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Among the long list of federal health grants the state has shunned in past year was a small award that would have “reduced the burden of cancer.”
FLORIDA POLITICS
Florida GOP will ask judge to dismiss Jim Greer lawsuit
By Rene Stutzman
Orlando Sentinel
At a hearing tomorrow morning, attorneys for the Republican Party of Florida will ask a judge to throw out Jim Greer's revived lawsuit against them.
State investigating four more election violations
By Mark Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Florida teachers no longer are the only ones accused of violating the state’s controversial new voting laws.
Corruption, not politics
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
A jury was wise to reject the defense argument that an elected official could pocket cash from a permit applicant because that's just how politics works.
Remove Sen. Alan Hays from redistricting panel
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Words matter. And these should disqualify Sen. Alan Hays from sitting on a panel charged with drawing congressional and legislative districts: "We all know there are many Hispanic-speaking people in Florida that are not legal"
POLITICAL RACES
Herman Cain's Florida supporters largely silent on allegations
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Fla poll: Cain leads Romney 27 to 21; Romney leads Obama
Florida launched Herman Cain into the top tier of presidential candidates six weeks ago by overwhelmingly backing him in a high profile mock GOP primary election, and it was one of the first states where the Georgia businessman put together a serious campaign operation.
Rick Perry’s cringeworthy moment: ‘Commerce, Education and the, uh….’
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
The Department of Energy, a Jimmy Carter creation that has been a familiar conservative punching bag for more than three decades, eluded Texas Gov. Rick Perry during tonight’s GOP presidential debate when he launched into a familiar riff about federal agencies he’d like to dismantle.
Fact Check: Romney’s clunker claim on auto bailout
By Calvin Woodward and Christopher S. Rugaber
Tampa Tribune
Mitt Romney's claim that President Barack Obama “gave GM” to the United Auto Workers stood as one of the overstatements of the night Wednesday when Republican presidential candidates grappled with the economy in their latest debate.
Road to GOP primary in Florida might not be laughable without sense of humor of 50 milligrams of 'passion'
By Carl Hiaasen
TC Palm
When Florida's Republican 2012 presidential primary was moved up to Jan. 31, the reaction was mixed.
Former GOP chief Slade backs Lemieux for U.S. Senate race
Staff Report
Florida Times-Union
Tom Slade, a former head of the state GOP and Jacksonville state senator, has endorsed George LeMieux in the U.S. Senate race.
Straws in the wind
Editorial
Miami Herald
Off-year election results offer a quick snapshot of the national electorate.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Personhood Florida leader ‘not deterred’ by Mississippi vote
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Bryan Longworth, the head of Personhood Florida, says he is undeterred from his goal of placing a “fetal personhood” amendment on Florida ballots, despite the sound rejection of a similar initiative in Mississippi yesterday.
Fla. abortion foes regrouping after Miss. loss
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
Sponsors of an anti-abortion citizen's initiative in Florida were regrouping Wednesday after voters in Mississippi defeated a similar "personhood" proposal.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Report: BP winding down oil spill cleanup
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
According to a plan approved by the Coast Guard and obtained by the Associated Press, BP will no longer be responsible for the cleanup of any oil washing up on Gulf of Mexico shores, unless officials can prove it came from the BP well that blew out in 2010, killing 11 workers and sending more than 20 million gallons of oil into the gulf.
Sen. Nelson tries to block Cuba drilling
By William Gibson
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Hoping to discourage oil drilling in Cuban waters near South Florida, Senators Bill Nelson and Robert Menendez introduced a bill on Wednesday that would make it easier for Americans to sue foreign polluters for damages.
Growth-law panelists predict legislative tinkering in years ahead
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Some panelists discussing state growth management law on Wednesday said they expect developers and their legislative allies to seek new law changes in the coming years despite a growth management overhaul passed this year.
Wrestle control over big snakes
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Another python devouring wildlife in the Everglades, another photo goes viral.
LGBT
Can Homophobia Reduce Your Home Equity?
By Gary J. Gates
Huffington Post
It's a widely held belief that gay people are good for the neighborhood.
EDUCATION
USF Poly split debate rages on
By Kim Wilmath
St. Petersburg Times
Related: USF Poly hasn’t waited to start promoting itself, paying $500k for marketing
Two-and-a-half hours into the debate about whether to make USF Polytechnic the state's 12th university, at the Florida Board of Governors meeting, the discussion rages on.
USF students protest tuition hikes, meet with administrators
By Jessica Vander Velde
St. Petersburg Times
They're upset about tuition hikes totaling 15 percent.
Freedom From Religion Foundation: School prayer bill ‘patently unconstitutional’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
In a letter to state legislators, the co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation warn policy-makers that a new school prayer bill is “patently unconstitutional.”
Conflicting Reports on Effectiveness of Charter Schools
By Gina Jordan
State Impact
The Florida Department of Education is touting a report that highlights the charter school movement.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
State jobs agency wants more money – though it can’t keep track of what’s been spent
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott's new jobs agency is asking lawmakers to double-down on the amount of job-creation cash it gives out to companies despite some shaky accounting over millions in tax breaks the state has paid out in past years.
Challenges promised to gambling permits issued under state loophole
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
The Scott administration’s decision to issue a jai-alai permit in Miami and a barrel-racing permit in the tiny North Florida town of Gretna has unleashed a mad dash across the state for the rare pari-mutuel permits but, opponents said Tuesday, they will fight the decisions in court.
New report grades Florida cities’ public employee pension plans
Staff Report
Florida Current
The relative financial health of the 208 pension plans for public employees and elected officials of Florida's 100 largest cities have been analyzed and graded in a report released Wednesday by the LeRoy Collins Institute.
Sadowski coalition looks to prevent affordable housing trust fund raid this year
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The Sadowski Housing Coalition, an association of business groups, charities and advocacy groups for the poor and elderly, is hoping to prevent a fourth straight year of heavy raids on the Florida’s affordable housing trust fund.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
U.S. Supreme Court meets on health law fate
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
The Supreme Court is scheduled to meet in secret Thursday to decide whether to take up legal challenges, including one from Florida, to the 2010 health care reform law.
Suiting up for ACO game
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Two major Orlando Hospitals and White-Wilson Medical Center in the Panhandle are among dozens of organizations in the state hoping to create alliances and reshape their business models to form accountable care organizations.
Employees pass up health insurance benefits as costs rise
By Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The rising cost of health insurance is pushing more South Florida employees to consider what had been unthinkable: Passing up medical coverage offered at work.
Health secretary emails 2,300 CMS employees to ease worry after agency director abruptly quits
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
The head of Florida's main health agency this week tried to allay fears that a shakeup in his department could be a prelude to the end of the bureau that helps out children with severe medical problems.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Legislation would set rules for shackling of incarcerated pregnant women
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Advocates for legislation that would create humane rules for the shackling of incarcerated pregnant women say the law would fill a present gap in jail policies in Florida, despite claims by the Florida Department of Corrections that the measure is unnecessary.
For Florida, Alabama’s Immigration Enforcement Has Unintended Consequences
By Ralph De La Cruz
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
After experiencing domestic out-migration for the first time in its history, Florida may finally be attracting folks from other states to move here.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
DOC helps veterans transition from prison to public lifeBy Sascha Cordner
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
A new program designed to give inmates who are also military Veterans a second chance is coming to five of the state's correctional facilities.
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