Daily Clips for January 31, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Florida's GOP campaign ends in frenzy
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The polls opened across South Florida at 7 a.m. and now it's up to the voters.

Florida's voting fairness problem
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
As Republican primary voters go to the polls today, there is a cloud over the state's voting process.

Educators criticize latest Florida school rankings
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's more than 3,000 public schools have been ranked from best to worst in a new database released this morning by the state.

Campaign finance watchdog highlights money behind Florida prison privatization move
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
The National Institute on Money in State Politics released a report yesterday that highlights the money behind the state’s renewed plans to privatize state prisons.

The great Florida public land giveaway
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
What better way to sneak through a bill than to give it a title like "Ordinary High-Water Mark for Navigable, Nontidal Waterbodies."

FLORIDA POLITICS

Expert warns that elections law already affecting voter registration numbers
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Daniel Smith, an elections expert and professor at the University of Florida, warned during a U.S. Senate hearing last Friday that the state is witnessing a decrease in voter registration numbers due to a new law passed by the state’s GOP-led Legislature.

Senate panel kills change to Florida election law
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A Senate committee failed to pass a change to state elections law that would have prohibited electronic terminals that some voting officials use to swipe driver's licenses to verify voter eligibility.

Breaking recent trend, Rick Scott registers to vote in Tallahassee
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
When Gov. Rick Scott casts his ballot in Tuesday's Republican presidential preference primary, he'll do it in Tallahassee for the first time — and he'll be the first governor to do that in the capital city in years.

No plot against Allen West
By Tim Mak
Politico
The politician at the center of a blog-generated conspiracy theory that alleges Mitt Romney’s involvement in a redistricting scheme that marginalizes Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) told POLITICO he is “a huge Allen West fan” and insists there is no intention to harm the tea party favorite.

Senators scale back on local term limits
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
A Senate panel pared back part of a measure that would have proved contentious when applying term limits to local officials.

POLITICAL RACES

Mitt Romney pads advantage in Florida with aggressive early voting effort
By Alex Leary and Patty Ryan
Tampa Bay Times
Related: It's Florida primary day: Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Related: Five counties key to Florida's presidential primary results
"With a turnout like this, I'm beginning to feel we might win tomorrow, what do you think?"

Expert: This GOP primary 'like ultimate fighting'; Will it leave general election wounds?
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Related: On eve of primary, it's Freddie Mac attack vs. Reagan's right jab
Related: Scott votes. For whom? Won’t say
The Florida primary battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich has been bloody.

Romney Confronted Over Extreme Anti-Immigrant Position
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Undocumented immigrant students who would benefit from the DREAM Act, which Mitt Romney has repeatedly promised to veto, have repeatedly confronted Romney in recent weeks.

Latino group in Hillsborough sues, saying GOP primary schedule hurts Hispanic Republicans
By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
A Hillsborough County Latino group Monday sued Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, contending that the GOP’s primary schedule unconstitutionally dilutes the electoral clout of Hispanic Republican voters.

Miller pulls out of Senate race to run for Congress
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Craig Miller has pulled out of the U.S. Senate race in Florida and announced he will run instead for Congress in the district newly drawn to center on Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties – a race that could pit him against veteran Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Study: Everglades pythons wiping out other animals
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
According to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ever-proliferating pythons in the Florida Everglades appear to be wiping out large numbers of small mammals.

Homeowners and businesses who invest in renewable energy could get a tax break under plan
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
A Senate committee revived the stalled debate over renewable energy in Florida on Monday and moved forward with a bill to give $16 million a year in tax incentives to businesses and homeowners, beginning next year.

Southerland announces he'll file bill to delay federal pollution limits
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland said Monday he will file legislation in Congress prohibiting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from implementing federal water quality rules until it reviews Florida's proposed rules.

EDUCATION

Florida issues ranking for every school in the state
By Ron Matus and Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
First school districts. Now individual schools.

Union to sponsor panel on the dangers of for-profit colleges
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
The Service Employees International Union will be sponsoring a panel discussion and nationwide webcast on “the dangers of for-profit colleges” this Thursday.

Bright Futures scholarships may get tougher to keep
By Scott Travis
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Recipients of Florida's Bright Futures scholarships may be in for a much dimmer future if their grades slip in college.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Economy weighs heavily on Florida working class
By Tamara Lush
Associated Press
Clarito Macalalad knows what it's like to support a family of four on a $12.08-an-hour wage.

Workers' comp exempt from excess profits law
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Workers' compensation carriers would no longer be required to return “excess profits” to policyholders under a bill approved by the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee Monday afternoon.

A year later, state pension chief finally fills watchdog job
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Facing pressure to fill a vacant watchdog position, state pension chief Ash Williams announced the hiring of a new inspector general Monday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

House bill would revamp medical malpractice litigation process
By Marcello Iaia
Florida Independent
A Florida House judiciary committee passed a bill Friday to grant greater protections for health care providers in medical malpractice cases.

Sugar police lack any grain of integrity
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
It's fascinating to see Florida's lawmakers take a stand against sugar.

When records go digital, it's win-win for patients, doctors
By Anne Geggis
Ocala Star-Banner
A number of taps on his iPad and Dr. Donald Novak can get up-to-the-minute views of every test, imaging study and prescription his patient has encountered — at least at Shands HealthCare.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Prison privatization plan goes to Senate floor
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Senators are expected to start debating a version of a South Florida prison privatization plan.

Barbs Fly in FL Private Prison Conflict
By Les Coleman
Public News Service Florida
Florida correctional officers say a proposal to privatize some prisons amounts to the government picking winners and losers.