Daily Clips for December 29, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

Reapportionment, gambling highlight session agenda
By Brent Kallestad
Associated Press
For most lawmakers, drawing new boundaries for legislative districts that help keep them in office will be priority No. 1 in the once-a-decade session devoted to reapportionment.

Graham tries to fire up enviros before session begins
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham has sent out an end-of-year call from the newly created Florida Conservation Coalition, urging environmental activists to buttonhole their legislators before the Jan. 10 session begins.

Fla GOP wants to limit questions of party accountant in Jim Greer case
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Lawyers for the Republican Party of Florida are trying to limit testimony from a party accountant in a Seminole County lawsuit filed by former Chairman Jim Greer.

Leadership smudged by the fudge
Editorial
Miami Herald
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos’ boyish charm and leadership are so smudged by the fudge he has spread over his legislative career that his colleagues would do better without him.

FLORIDA POLITICS

The campaign to recall Rick Scott
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Democratic state Rep. Rick Kriseman of St Petersburg and state Sen. Gwen Margolis have made little headway in their efforts to allow Floridians to recall elected state officials.

Is the Florida GOP hiding info in Jim Greer case?
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Lawyers for the Republican Party of Florida are trying to limit testimony from a party accountant in a Seminole County lawsuit filed by former Chairman Jim Greer.

Battle over pari-mutuel loopholes prompts new bills from lawmakers
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
As state administrators continue to issue licenses for barrel racing, summer jai alai, card rooms and slot machines, lawmakers filed a pair of bills this week aimed at closing the loopholes detractors say never should have been used to allow the licenses in the first place.

POLITICAL RACES

Space key for GOP contenders in Florida
By James Dean
Florida Today
After the space shuttle's retirement this year, frustration over the decline in the nation's human spaceflight capability may leave President Barack Obama open to attack in the 2012 campaign.

Volatile presidential primary season not helping Republicans
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Iowa Republicans are just days away from kicking off the presidential nominating contest, and Republicans ought to hope the primary ends sooner rather than later.

‘Stealth’ campaign promotes Ron Paul in Florida
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, the grumpy old man of the Republican presidential field, is benefiting from a stealth campaign in Florida that could make him a surprise contender in the Jan. 31 primary, especially if he wins Tuesday's Iowa caucus.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

2012 Session Outlook: Utilities and Energy
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Speaking at the 2011 Florida Energy Summit, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam invoked the failures of recent legislative sessions to pass energy bills while calling for support in the upcoming 2012 session.

New shark fishing limits set for Florida waters
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The harvesting of some sharks will be prohibited in Florida state waters in 2012.

Rid Florida of the Burmese python menace
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Perhaps if the federal Office of Management and Budget had its offices based in South Florida it would act with greater haste in approving a much-needed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule banning the importation and interstate trade of nonnative and deadly animals such as Burmese pythons, which have wreaked havoc throughout the state.

LGBT

Gay couples eager to sign Orlando partner registry
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Gay advocates expect a rush of same-sex couples at City Hall when the city's new domestic-partnership registry opens next month.

EDUCATION

Bill would allow sale of naming rights to public school cafeterias
By Ron Matus
Tampa Bay Times
Florida school districts will be able to sell the naming rights for public school cafeterias under a bill filed this week.

Tougher FCAT: Florida gambles on Students
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
The state Board of Education has approved new passing scores for standardized tests, raising the ante in its already high-stakes student assessments.

Destroying higher education
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
When two members of the Florida Board of Governors pummeled University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft last week for removing an insubordinate administrator, they revealed a higher education system in shambles.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida's economy slowly improving, state report shows
Staff Report
Florida Current
A report from the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research indicates that Florida's economy is on a slow mend after declining for two consecutive years, the Financial News & Daily Record reports.

Holiday sales up across nation, Florida, locally
By Hilary Lehmen
Daytona Beach News-Journal
From mom and pop shops to big-box stores, retailers are tallying up the sales numbers this week for what they call a "pretty good" holiday season with national sales on track to rise 3.5 percent over last year.

Report: Internal bank papers show worry over Florida pursuit of pension fraud
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
An informer in a state fraud case against Bank of New York Mellon Corp. offered prosecutors an inside look at how the bank allegedly scrambled to contain a government investigation into whether the bank overcharged Florida's state and local pension funds, among others, to execute currency trades.

Minimum wage rises Sunday
Staff Report
Florida Current
Florida's lowest-paid workers will hava an extra reason to cheer the new year as the minimum wage rises 36 cents -- about 5 percent -- to $7.67 an hour beginning Jan. 1, according to First Coast News.

Bondi can go after banks: Appellate rulings have shielded lawyers, so target lenders
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi should look to Nevada, California and Massachusetts for guidance on handling foreclosure fraud.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Despite years of cutting, Florida’s safety-net services grow
By Aaron Deslatte
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Throughout the recession and economic hangover, Florida social-services advocates have warned that budget woes could unravel the safety net that supports millions of low-income families, seniors trying to stay in their homes, and people with debilitating illnesses or disabilities.

Let voters decide on tax-backed hospitals and health districts, review panel urges
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
Hospital and health care taxing districts throughout Florida would have to seek re-approval from voters every eight to 12 years under draft recommendations to be finalized today by a panel convened by Gov. Rick Scott.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Maitland senator aims to toughen state’s cyberstalking law
By Walter Pacheco
Orlando Sentinel
Tech-savvy stalkers using social media, texting and email to track or threaten their victims could face stiffer penalties under changes to the state's stalking law proposed by a Central Florida lawmaker.