Daily Clips for December 22, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

House Republicans pick party over nation
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
If your taxes go up 10 days from now, you will know whom to blame: U.S. House Republicans, including all of those in Florida and Tampa Bay.

Rep. Buchanan's credibility takes hit in election report
By Susan Taylor Martin
St. Petersburg Times
Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan claimed the Federal Election Commission had "completely exonerated'' him of accusations that employees of his car dealerships were illegally reimbursed for campaign contributions.

Evicted firefighter leads charge against Bondi
By Mary Shanklin
Orlando Sentinel
Evicted this week from his home of 40 years, retired Orange County firefighter Booker T. Perry and a new coalition added to the mounting criticisms against Florida Attorney General Bondi's handling of the foreclosure crisis.

Lawmakers watching what they say on redistricting
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
Many lawmakers and other key players in Florida's process for drawing new congressional and legislative districts have adopted their own don't ask, don't tell policie

Everglades, Kissimmee River restoration projects get boost from federal spending bill
By Craig Pittman
St. Petersburg Times
Amid bitter partisan disputes over payroll tax cuts and other budgetary wrangling, the spending bill that Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed contains $142 million for restoring the Everglades and the Kissimmee River.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Rick Scott’s First Year Comes to a Close
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Today is Governor Rick Scott’s three hundred fifty-first day in office.

Cannon lays out House session schedule
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times
House Speaker Dean Cannon told members Wednesday not to expect a lot of floor action the first several weeks of session, part of the "collateral" impact of session's early January jump.

Scott: Lawmakers need to shut down barrel racing, slots
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott is calling on lawmakers to quickly close what he called a gray area in Florida law that allowed a Panhandle racetrack to get a permit for barrel racing and a card room and opened the door for slot machines.

POLITICAL RACES

Romney says Gingrich can't take heat of a campaign
By Shannon McCaffrey and Kasie Hunt
Associated Press
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney argued Wednesday that if rival Newt Gingrich can't handle the criticism generated by negative campaign ads, the former House speaker will wilt going up against President Barack Obama.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Faith leaders say ‘Religious Freedom’ amendment is still misleading
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, one of the many groups challenging a 2012 ballot measure that would eliminate restrictions on state funding for religious institutions, says a recent rewrite of the proposed amendment is still misleading.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

From Washington, good news for the Everglades
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The halting state-federal effort to restore the Everglades has taken a positive turn. Congress authorized $142 million for the project next year, clearing the way for new construction that will vastly improve water flow into the River of Grass.

Governor says he's still working on energy issues and isn't deferring to Putnam
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he won't have an energy bill to offer the Legislature in 2012, and he also said he isn't deferring to Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam on energy issues.

Occupy St. Pete goes after Progress Energy: Don't make us pay for your mistake!
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
About 75 Occupy St. Pete protesters lined the streets and crowded the corners in front of Progress Energy’s downtown St. Pete offices last Saturday.

Cutting Mercury Pollution, Saving Lives, Creating Jobs
By Rebecca Leber
The Progress Report
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced today an important new rule that finally sets limits on mercury, arsenic, and other toxins released into our air.

EDUCATION

Scott smacks down proposal to move education commish to Cabinet
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Although some lawmakers have filed bills to place the Education Commissioner position back in the Cabinet as an elected official, Gov. Rick Scott isn’t having it.

State's grades for high schools are delayed
By Christopher O'Donnell
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
High school principals hoping for an early Christmas gift in the form of an A grade for their school will have to wait a little longer.

Genshaft takes heat for appointing interim USF-Poly leader
By Kim Wilmath
St. Petersburg Times
The way that University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft replaced the chancellor of her Lakeland campus has caught the ire of the soon-to-be leader of the Florida Board of Governors.

Testing Firm Faces Inquiry on Free Trips for Officials
By Winnie Hu
New York Times
New York State’s attorney general is investigating whether the Pearson Foundation, the nonprofit arm of one of the nation’s largest educational publishers, acted improperly to influence state education officials by paying for overseas trips and other perks.

The FCAT gamble
Editorial
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The state Board of Education has approved new passing scores for standardized tests, raising the ante in its already high-stakes student assessments.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Gov. Scott says he would sign Internet sales tax bill, with caveat
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
While hanging on to his pledge not to raise taxes, Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he would sign a bill that would impose a tax on Internet sales, if the bill doesn’t increase the overall revenue to the state.

Publix could get jobs cash for developing cow pasture
By Sara K. Clarke
Orlando Sentinel
Publix Super Markets has saved $528,000 in Orange County taxes during the past three years by claiming an agricultural exemption on a cow pasture it owns near the airport.

Growth spurt since 2010 census has Florida closing in on N.Y. for No. 3 spot
By Adam Playford
Palm Beach Post
Even as the nation's population growth sagged to its lowest level since the 1940s, Florida has swelled since the 2010 census, adding more than a quarter of a million people, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Number of Floridians with private health insurance decreases
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
According to a new report from the Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board, the number of people in Florida with private health insurance has continued to decline.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Final autopsy report on FAMU hazing victim Robert Champion details extensive bruising, swelling
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
FAMU drum major Robert Champion's body was badly bruised on the chest, arms, shoulders and back when it arrived at the medical examiner's office, according to a full autopsy report released Wednesday.