PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
FSU students challenge school’s Koch agreement
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
Excerpt: The FSU Student Senate is now introducing a resolution against the Kochs’ “undue influence on academics as established by the current agreement between the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and the FSU Economics department.”…The campaign against the FSU-Koch agreement is organized in part by Progress Florida and Florida Watch Action.
FEATURED STORIES
Legislators don't want to talk about election-law changes
By Mark K. Matthews and Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
Four Florida lawmakers don't want to talk about their role last year in changing the state's election law and are fighting a legal effort to make them do so, according to newly revealed court documents.
New report documents the scourge of wage theft in Florida
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
A study released Thursday shows that wage theft — employers stiffing workers out of money they are owed — remains a widespread problem that affects millions of Floridians, while this week the GOP-sponsored bill that would ban local anti-wage theft ordinances moved forward in a state Senate committee.
Florida's Missing Governor
By Alex Roarty
National Journal
Florida's Republican governor has been almost invisible this week even as the GOP presidential race consumes his state, shunning the spotlight at a time he could wield influence and raise his own profile.
In final Florida debate, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney brawl, Romney lands punches
By Alex Leary and Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Newt Gingrich renews his fight in Florida
Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney took their brawl to a debate stage here Thursday night, clashing over illegal immigration, whether they profited off the housing crisis — even whether putting a colony on the moon is a valid idea.
Locking out the public
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Since last year, the move to privatize South Florida's state prisons has been rife with furtive attempts to push through the overhaul with as little debate, scrutiny or analysis as possible.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
Reduced and Uneven Hours for Early Voting in Florida’s Presidential Preference Primary
By Dr. Daniel A. Smith
Election Smith
As I’ve written before, under Florida law the state must provide uniform standards for the proper and equitable implementation of voting laws.
HB1103 / SB1362 – Public Ripoff...In Perpetuity
By Sandspur
SWFWMD Matters
Ever heard of the phrase “Ordinary High Water Line?”
Four health care stories to watch for in 2012
By Darden Rice
Saint Petersblog 2.0
What will the big stories be for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2012?
Are the Koch brothers teaching you? [VIDEO]
By Robert Greenwald
Daily Kos
What's happening to academia in Florida demands national attention.
Rick Scott Shifts Medicaid Funding To His Former Company: HCA
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
In an effort to bolster his image, Florida Gov. Rick Scott this year is holding himself out as a sort of "champion" for education and said in his State Of The State address how important it was to put more funding into education, funding which he slashed from last year's budget.
FLORIDA POLITICS
U.S. Senate panel holds Tampa hearing on Florida election law
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Two Democratic U.S. senators will hold a hearing in Tampa Friday to focus on what they say are problems with Florida election laws, and the timing and location are no coincidence.
Democrats Plan Rally Against Voter Suppression Laws
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Good morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I'm Rob Lorei. Tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings in Tampa to review Florida's new voting laws. the laws which shortened early voting and put strict requirements on third-party voter registration groups have been called by some an effort to reduce voting by non-Republicans.
House panel voting on Fla. redistricting plans
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A Florida House committee is taking final action on redistricting plans for legislative and congressional seats.
Florida Senate advances ban on texting while driving, but it could hit dead end in House
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A push to ban texting-while-driving cleared a Senate budget panel Thursday, but it's looking likely headed toward a dead end in the Florida House.
Senate panel approves gambling at tracks without dogs
News Service of Florida
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A divided Senate panel on Thursday narrowly approved a bill to let greyhound tracks keep their licenses without having to offer live racing, opening the door for them to become card rooms or other types of gambling venues.
Senator: Legislature ‘rushing’ bill so ‘two major private prison companies can add to their profits’
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, says that Florida legislators are “rushing” their prison privatization plans so that “private prison companies can add to their profits.”
POLITICAL RACES
Super PACs reshaping 2012 presidential campaign
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Florida insiders divided on who will win Florida presidential primary
By now, you've probably seen the political ad several times. "Think you know Mitt?" a narrator asks. "Think again."
Latest Quinnipiac poll detects bounce for Obama in Florida
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
President Barack Obama's popularity among Florida voters appears on the upswing as Republican candidates fight it out in hopes of a primary victory Tuesday that would propel them closer to their party's nomination.
Newt Attacks Romney for Profiting Off Florida Foreclosures
The Progress Report
Think Progress
This morning, Newt launched a new broadside against Mitt Romney, attacking him for personally profiting, via a Goldman Sachs investment, off mortgage lenders responsible for thousands of foreclosures in Florida.
Candidates unloved in Southwest Florida town hit by foreclosures
By Tamara Lush
Associated Press
At Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, the conversation often centers on real estate.
Fighting uphill battle, Santorum set to move on from Florida before the primary
By Andrew Abramson
Palm Beach Post
>From a small gym in Okeechobee to a mega-church in Naples, Rick Santorum has spent the last five days stumping across Florida with the same message to undecided GOP voters: Don't believe the pundits, it's a tied race between himself, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Restoring Everglades should help cleanup Treasure Coast rivers
By Cynthia Washam
TC Palm
While local environmentalists are calling for cleaner St. Lucie and Indian rivers, officials restoring the Everglades are working to reduce the source of the rivers' pollution.
Volusia development decision exposes growth law changes, opponents say
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
An administrative law judge's decision this week backing a proposed Volusia County development shows the reach of growth management law changes approved by the Legislature in 2011, those involved on both sides of the case said.
Florida parks log record turnout in December
By Jim Waymer
Florida Today
A record-breaking 1,494,874 people turned up at Florida’s 160 state parks in December, an increase of 439,937 visitors from December 2010, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
LGBT
Gay rights groups: ‘positive’ meeting with Mayor Jacobs on DPR
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs met with gay rights groups this morning about adopting a domestic partner registry and the activists emerged saying “positive progress” was made, and the two sides plan to meet again soon.
EDUCATION
Fla. university students oppose tuition increase
Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
State university students rallied in front of the old Florida Capitol on Thursday to say it's time to stop annual tuition increases.
US education chief to visit Pembroke Pines school today
Associated Press
South Florida Sun Sentinel
U.S. Education Commissioner Arne Duncan is visiting Florida this week to talk about job creation and making college more affordable.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Senate panel warms to Gov. Scott's tax plans
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Members of the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax were enthused Thursday to hear Gov. Rick Scott’s plans to cut taxes on businesses.
Senate Panel OK's Work Force Bill
Staff Report
Lakland Ledger
A bill giving Gov. Rick Scott and future governors more control over regional work force boards passed its first Senate stop on Thursday in response to a series of embarrassing incidents regarding mismanagement at the local jobs boards.
Florida Gov. Scott to visit fast-growing optical retailer
By Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday will visit a new South Florida location of optical retailer America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, which plans to open 20 stores and hire for 200 new jobs in Florida this year.
Stand up for state retailers, not Amazon
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
If Florida were a state that put a priority on leveling the playing field for its businesses, Amazon.com's proposal to continue to avoid collecting sales taxes here for another two years by building distribution warehouses wouldn't have any traction.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Nurses association sues to block prison health-care outsourcing
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
A union representing health-care workers has sued to block the outsourcing of health-care services in Florida's prisons.
First lady visits Tampa to promote healthy eating plan to Hispanic Americans
By Patty Ryan
Tampa Bay Times
Abelardo Arteaga, nearly 90, was raised in Cuba. A doctor once told him: Eat only what you can hold in two hands.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
ACLU challenges Fla. law limiting minor donations
Associated Press
Miami Herald
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a state law that limits how much minors may contribute to state and local political campaigns.
Florida Legislature wasting time on social issues
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
It was late last year when the Florida Legislature served notice that this year's 60-day session was going to be all business.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Gainesville Correctional closure delayed until MarchBy Cindy Swirko
Gainesville Sun
The closing of the Gainesville Correctional Institution, set for Wednesday as part of a statewide overhaul of the prison system, has been delayed until March to give the employees more time to request transfers and find work.
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