PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
January 7th Weekly Show
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu: Florida’s Political Reality Show
Pam Bondi suddenly decides to pay attention to foreclosure fraud, Eric Holder promises swift evaluation of Florida’s voter suppression law and Damien tells us what to expect during what promises to be the most furious legislative session in a long time.
FEATURED STORIES
Democrats introduce ‘Fair Economy Act’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Democratic legislators announced an effort to change the state’s tax structure at a press conference in the capitol today.
Prison privatization effort resurfaces in bills that would exclude public comment
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Goaded by a Tallahassee judge, Senate Republican leaders are trying to change state law to let them privatize any state functions without having public input until after the deals are done.
Rick Scott picks former state official, lobbyist as next elections chief
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday named Ken Detzner, a lobbyist and former state official, to be Florida's new secretary of state — a post he briefly held nearly a decade ago under former Gov. Jeb Bush.
In Miami, story of profits and layoffs highlights debate over Mitt Romney's tenure at Bain
By Alex Leary and Marc Caputo
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers
Off a gritty bend in the Miami River, a few miles from a warehouse where he recently touted his job-creation plans, there's a complex of buildings that bear witness to a time when Mitt Romney's private equity firm laid off hundreds of workers, shuttered a profitable factory and made out with hundreds of millions of dollars.
GOP campaign rhetoric raising racial concerns
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Hoping to win the hearts of Southern conservatives, Newt Gingrich leaned into his argument that President Barack Obama is a "food stamp president" and that poor people should want paychecks, not handouts — a pitch that earned him a standing ovation in South Carolina during a presidential debate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Florida's roadblocks to caring for poor children cost millions
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott likes to talk about eliminating government rules for businesses, but when it comes to helping Florida's poorest children enroll in government-funded health insurance, he doesn't mind the red tape.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Members of Florida delegation withdraw support for controversial anti-piracy bills
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
Florida elected officials who co-sposored congressional legislation to fight online piracy announced today they have withdrawn their support, while Google and Wikipedia joined many other online companies and organizations in a blackout to stop passage of the legislation.
House casino bill sponsor proposes changes to reduce gambling options
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The House sponsor of the bill to bring three mega resort casinos to Florida unveiled a series of amendments Wednesday to make the measure more palatable to his conservative, anti-gambling colleagues.
Groups denounce new prison privatization bills
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
In a state Senate rules committee hearing today, groups showed up to voice their opposition to two bills that would make it easier for the state to privatize prisons — and other government agency functions.
Gov. Scott's power generator
Editorial
Northwest Florida Daily News
Silly us. We thought the Florida Legislature began its session early this year mainly to approve redistricting maps and adopt a state budget.
POLITICAL RACES
As GOP race reaches Fla., economy dominates
By Curt Anderson
Associated Press
Property manager Nancy Leon knows all too well the effects of Florida's dismal economy.
A $4 MILLION Tax Cut for Himself, A Tax Increase for You?
The Progress Report
Think Progress
When it comes to Mitt Romney’s taxes and his tax proposals, there is a lot to be shocked about.
Romney should release tax returns now
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The longer former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stalls on releasing his tax returns, the more it looks like the Republican presidential candidate has something to hide.
Bondi aids Romney despite healthcare record
By William March
Tampa Tribune
As Florida attorney general, Pam Bondi has championed the state's leading role in a court challenge to President Barack Obama's health care reform plan, making it a centerpiece of her administration.
Senate Prez Haridopolos endorses Romney
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Saying he’s “deeply concerned and disappointed” by Republican attacks on presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney, Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said he has decided to break his silence on the race and endorse Romney before Florida’s Jan. 31 primary.
Small crowds speak to Rick Perry's struggles, dying campaign
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Rick Perry walked into a pizza shop with eight news cameras trained on him, a dozen more reporters and a handful of Texas troopers and campaign staff.
DCCC picks Fla stars among congressional challengers
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today named 36 congressional seat for its "Red to Blue" of highly targetted seats across the country and highlighted a couple Florida Democratic contenders, Keith Fitzgerald in the Sarasota area challenging Vern Buchanan and Val Demings in the Orlando area district represented by Daniel Webster.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
House panel agrees on bill to extend water permits despite environmental concerns
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to file a bill that would extend permits from 20 to 30 years for alternative water supply projects.
House committee delays vote on fertilizer bill amid questions, opposition
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House committee on Wednesday delayed action on a bill that would exempt certified landscaping professionals from local fertilizer ordinances after observers on both sides said there were not enough votes to pass it.
Obama: No on oil pipeline, more review needed
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
President Barack Obama says he's denying an application for a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline because a GOP-mandated deadline didn't allow time for a full review.
Bondi sides with BP against spill victims
By Rick Outzen
Hernando Today
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi injected herself into the federal court proceedings surrounding the BP oil spill last week.
Study being conducted on oil spill health effects
Staff Report
Pensacola News Journal
The Florida Department of Health and Escambia County Health Department are inviting agencies and organizations that may have had contact with workers and volunteers from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to attend an informational meeting about a federal study into the long-term health effects of the spill.
New national wildlife refuge south of Orlando gets its 1st land donation
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Decades of abuse have left Florida's Everglades ecosystem in a "state of crisis," but new efforts to protect vast landscapes, a war against invading python snakes, and the world's largest restoration effort are not too late, the head of the U.S. Department of Interior said Wednesday.
LGBT
35 years ago: Singer Anita Bryant vows to repeal Miami-Dade County's original 1977 gay-rights law
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Thirty five years ago, Miami-Dade County passed its original gay rights ordinance, amending the existing nondiscrimination law to ban bias in jobs, housing and public accommodations on the basis of “affectional or sexual preference.”
EDUCATION
Does the Teacher Protection Act protect teachers?
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times
A proposal known as the Teacher Protection Act caused a stir in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee today.
Latvala: Time to commit to funding education
By Ron Matus and Rebecca Catalanello
Tampa Bay Times
After several years of steep cuts to the state budget, including education spending, Sen. Jack Latvala said Tuesday the time is ripe for the state to look at raising new revenue, including closing a loophole on Internet sales taxes.
Early-learning audit shows fraud, 'parade of horrible'
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's early-learning program may have allowed thousands of people to fraudulently obtain subsidized childcare services for their children, according to a new state audit.
College presidents want power for higher tuition for STEM programs
By David DeCamp
Tampa Bay Times
If Florida lawmakers demand more science and technology college graduates, University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft and other state university leaders have an idea of their own: Allow colleges to charge undergraduates a higher, market-based tuition for those more extensive courses.
Forget money for building, Scott wants funds returned, UF hears
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
Not only will state universities lack money for construction and maintenance in the next few years, but they also will have to give some unspent money back.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
President Obama will be at Disney today to announce tourism initiatives
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
With his daughters back at the White House, President Barack Obama heads to Walt Disney World on Thursday for a trip that's pure business: an announcement of several initiatives aimed at luring more foreign travelers to Florida and other U.S. hot spots.
Florida's jobless fear possible benefits lapse
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
Florida's limping economy will sustain a further blow if Congress does not extend emergency unemployment benefits set to expire Jan. 1.
State pension chief wants to double down on investment strategy
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The official managing Florida's $120 billion pension fund wants lawmakers to double the amount of money his agency can set aside for special investments that critics say are harder to value and carry more risk than traditional stocks and securities.
Citizens Looking to Shrink
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
The state is losing half a billion dollars a year to corporations moving their profits to subsidiary companies in other states with lower taxes.
Wary EU sour on Florida citrus imports
By Susan Salisbury
Palm Beach Post
Florida's war against canker ended in 2006, but six years later a battle is still being waged on the international front.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Most states, but not Florida, progressing on health reform
By William Gibson
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Twenty-eight states are well on their way to establishing Affordable Insurance Exchanges, but Florida is not one of them, according to a federal report released on Wednesday.
Legislators introduce bill to set up health insurance exchange
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
State Sen. Nan Rich, D-Sunrise, and Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, have introduced legislation that would set up a Florida health insurance exchange as required by federal law.
Waiting list: dilemma for Medicaid
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Florida's unfolding plan to keep elderly and disabled Medicaid patients out of nursing homes through the use of HMOs faces a huge obstacle: The state already has a long waiting list for the kinds of home- and community-based services those patients need.
Florida lawmakers: Get tough on ALFs
By Michael Sallah and Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
After years of stripping away critical protections at assisted-living facilities, Florida lawmakers are radically changing course in what could lead to one of the toughest laws in the nation against abusive caretakers.
Fasano defends resolution honoring crisis pregnancy centers
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
A statement from the office of state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, says that his resolution to honor pregnancy resource centers this month is meant to honor “the compassionate people who work in these centers,” who “truly believe in the value of human life.”
Florida law would ban bias by at-home patients
By Diane C. Lade
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Floridians receiving professional home healthcare could become among the few in the nation with their own bill of rights.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Teen's accidental shooting proves folly of 'Docs vs. Glocks' law
By Beth Kassab
Orlando Sentinel
Every parent's worst nightmare played out Sunday night inside an Eatonville home.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Former corrections executive named to parole panelAssociated Press
Tampa Tribune
The newest member of the state parole commission is no stranger to the corrections business.
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