Daily Clips for January 17, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Legislature's redistricting handiwork destined for courts
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
After more than two years of bickering over reforms meant to curb political abuses, the Florida Senate Tuesday plans to debate maps for congressional and legislative districts that preserve Republican majorities and, its authors say, meet legal muster with Fair Districts.

Florida campaign GOP's 1st real test
By Don Walker and John McCarthy
Florida Today
An old ad campaign for the Sunshine State centered on the catchphrase “Florida: The rules are different here.”

GOP primary overshadows Senate race
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Republicans say their top two goals this year are defeating President Barack Obama and defeating Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

Is Florida strong or broken?
Staff Report
Florida Courier
In his ‘State of the State’ speech, Gov. Rick Scott takes credit for creating more jobs.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Maps produced under new redistricting standards leave Democrats divided, GOP nervous
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
After a long-fought battle to impose redistricting standards, proponents of the Fair Districts constitutional amendments have new maps — and they’re not what they had hoped for.

What's the 'State Of The State' of Florida?
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
Hearing Governor Rick Scott and his critics last week was like listening to the start of a famous Charles Dickens tale - and whether this is the "best of times" or the "worst of times" depends on who's doing the talking.

Florida citizens deserve right to speak at public meetings
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
You pay your taxes and play by the rules.

Sen. Marco Rubio making Haiti visit to review rebuilding efforts
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is headed to Haiti to review U.S.-backed efforts to help the Caribbean country rebuild two years after a devastating earthquake.

POLITICAL RACES

Romney defends business record, deflects ad criticism
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Related: Huntsman quits GOP race, endorses Romney
Under heavy debate pressure from his rivals, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney defended his record as a venture capitalist, insisted he bears no responsibility for attack ads aired by his allies and grudgingly said in campaign debate Monday night he might release his income tax returns this spring.

PPP Fla poll: Romney 41, Gingrich 26, Santorum 11, Paul 10, Perry 4
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Public Policy Polling is out with a new Jan. 14-16 Florida poll (MoE +/- 4.1%): Mitt Romney's in a strong position to win this weekend in South Carolina, and he's in an even stronger position to follow it up with a big win in Florida.

Early voting begins in 5 Florida counties
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Charles Gibson didn't have to wait long to cast his ballot for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam treads carefully with new energy policy
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam wants lawmakers to develop a comprehensive energy policy for Florida — a topic they've shelved for several years.

Obama administration to make "major" Burmese python announcement today
By David Fleshler
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will hold a press conference in the Everglades this morning to make an announcement about Burmese pythons, the fearsome constrictors that have established a breeding population in the Everglades.

Drought's return to South Florida may be imminent
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
If you thought last year was dry, this dry season is leaving that record-busting parchfest in the dust.

EDUCATION

Bulking up STEM comes with a price tag, educators say
By Rebecca Catalanello, Jeffrey S. Solochek and Sherri Ackerman
Tampa Bay Times
It's the jumper cables to America's dead battery, they say, the lighter fluid to a cooling economy.

Education reform requires investing in children
By Kathleen Oropeza
Orlando Sentinel
Education Week just released its 2012 Quality Counts Rankings. Florida earned a C+, dropping the state from 5 to 11 overall — the biggest drop of any state.

Advocacy group ranks Florida charter law as third friendliest in the U.S.
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
A national charter advocacy group has ranked Florida's charter law third-friendliest in the country, down from second last year.

Pinellas teacher offers challenge to Gov. Scott
By Ron Matus
Tampa Bay Times
Kelly Austin, a fourth-grade teacher at Bauder Elementary in Pinellas, recently sent an email to Florida Gov. Rick Scott, inviting him to spend a full week in her classroom.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Corporations game system at taxpayers' expense
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Corporate America continues to game the system at the expense of taxpayers and the economy.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Drug-dealing doctors focus of bill
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
The Department of Health would have greater authority to restrict the practice rights of health professionals caught working in “pill mills” under a bill being heard this morning.

Florida attorney general clears way for blood bank merger
By Barbara Peters Smith
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Florida Attorney General’s office announced Thursday that it will not object to a merger among the state’s three largest nonprofit blood banks, to form a giant network that serves 213 hospitals from the Keys up into Alabama and Georgia.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Activists, protesters link a number of causes to King's universal dream
By J.D. Gallop
Florida Today
In the last few months of his life, Martin Luther King Jr. poured his energy and time into organizing the ill-fated Poor People’s Campaign to bring attention to the housing and economic woes of the nation’s underprivileged.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Supreme Court to take up case of Miami man vs. drug-sniffing dogs
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
An anonymous tipster reports that you're growing marijuana in your home.