Daily Clips for March 1, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Redistricting maps divide Florida Supreme Court
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
In a legal showdown that could reverberate for decades, a conflicted Florida Supreme Court grilled the authors and critics of new legislative-district maps Wednesday over whether lawmakers have followed new voter-adopted anti-gerrymandering reforms.

Foreclosure speed-up bill passes House
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A bill designed to reduce the hefty backlog of foreclosure cases in Florida courts passed through the House on Wednesday with a bipartisan 94-17 vote.

Florida House passes bill that would prevent county anti-wage-theft laws
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County would be unable to create an out-of-court system to help workers who accuse employers of cheating them out of their pay under a measure approved along party lines by the Florida House on Wednesday.

Students to protest tuition hikes, higher ed cuts on Thursday
By Kim Wilmath
Tampa Bay Times
Students from public universities across the state on Thursday will protest what they see as "aggressive attacks" on higher education in Florida.

Florida voter restrictions challenged
By Tim Mak
Politico
Florida will become the latest battleground in the national fight voter ID on Thursday, when a federal judge will hear a suit brought by Rock the Vote and other civic groups over new restrictions.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Democrats, GOP can agree - when their perks at stake
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Anytime somebody tells you that Democrat and Republican lawmakers can't work together anymore, tell them they're wrong.

Florida lawmaker introduces amendment mandating random drug-testing of state legislators
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
State Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, has introduced an amendment that would include lawmakers in a bill that facilitates random drug testing of state employees.

Senate panel rewrites changes to expert testimony rules
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
A Senate panel on Wednesday rewrote the bill (SB 378) that changes the state's standards for expert testimony in court cases, placing it at odds with the version passed last week by the House.

POLITICAL RACES

Florida still leading the pack in primary Super PAC spending
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Despite the hotly-contested primary race in Michigan yesterday, Florida remains the state in which the most amount of money has been spent by Super PACs in a primary.

5 things we've learned in the Republican presidential primary campaign
By Alex Leary and Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Mitt Romney's victories in Arizona and Michigan put him back in the lead position for Super Tuesday and the slow, sometimes painful march toward the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

From vodka bars to art museums, GOP has convention party sites lined up
By Jodie Tillman
Tampa Bay Times
Looking to throw a big party during the Republican National Convention?

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Personhood Florida continuing push for 2014 amendment
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
The head of anti-abortion group Personhood Florida says that his group is continuing its push for an amendment on the state’s 2014 ballot, despite receiving little help from state legislators or pro-life groups.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

House and Senate negotiators agree on Everglades restoration, invasive plants spending
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
House and Senate budget negotiators on Wednesday agreed on a $30 million appropriation for Everglades restoration and $23.5 million for invasive plant control in fiscal year 2012-13.

House passes bill repealing septic tank inspection requirement
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Florida House on Wednesday approved a bill that would repeal a statewide septic tanks inspection requirement.

Senate amendment revives trails bill opposition while House passes African wildlife bill
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Senate on Wednesday created renewed opposition to a bill allowing sponsorship of state trails by amending the bill before final passage, while the House passed a bill allowing African wildlife on state lands.

LGBT

First-ever openly gay FL legislator? LGBT community could gain from new maps, Steinberg resignation
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Miami Beach’s gay community is buzzing with talk that, for the first time in Florida history, an openly homosexual state legislator could win office and sit in the state House.

EDUCATION

Fla. lawmakers reach deal on college tuition
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida lawmakers, racing against the clock to reach a deal on a roughly $70 billion state budget, have signed off on a deal to raise tuition for college students.

Student 'inspirational messages' poised for final passage in Tallahassee
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
A measure allowing public school students to offer 'inspirational messages' at assemblies is set for final passage tomorrow, despite objections from Democrats and civil rights groups that the proposal is unconstitutional and could prompt bullying.

School bus advertising measure clears House
Staff Report
Ft. Myers News-Press
The Florida House has passed legislation that would permit some advertising on the sides of Florida school buses and require the online posting of legal notices.

Bill would allow school employees to share sick leave with coworkers in need
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Three years ago, Bayonet Point Middle School teacher Connie Duffy was ailing and out of sick leave.

Child care under fire in Legislature
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
In Tallahassee, they are calling it early learning reform.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Welfare restrictions bill ready for House vote
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
After a late-night floor session in which state House members bloviated about sending memorials for federal spending caps and balanced budget amendments to Congress, lawmakers on Wednesday finally prepared a bill restricting the use of welfare benefits at unsavory locations for a final vote.

Bad business: Helping restaurants on the backs of those who live on tips
By Sue Carlton
Tampa Bay Times
If you have ever waited tables, you know the difference between a bad server and a good server having a bad day.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

U.S. Senate to vote on rollback of birth control mandate tomorrow
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
The U.S. Senate will vote on an amendment tomorrow aimed at rolling back a federal decision that would have made contraception more affordable for women with health insurance.

ALF reform may be in jeopardy
By Brittany Alana Davis and Michael Sallah
Tampa Bay Times
After years of people dying of abuse in Florida's assisted living facilities, lawmakers this year unveiled some of the toughest legislation in the nation to protect residents and punish the worst abusers.

Medicaid billing fight could cost Florida counties
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida counties stand to lose nearly $300 million in state revenue over the next few years, a punishment of sorts for what the state says are unpaid Medicaid bills.

Concussion Bill Nears Finish Line
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Every year thousands of Floridians suffer traumatic brain injuries.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame has first inductees
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Radio Tallahassee
Governor Rick Scott joined other officials at the Capitol Wednesday in the induction of the first members into the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame.

Senate panel rams through bill Muslims and Jews call discriminatory
By Kathleen Haughney
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Ignoring about 50 people who wanted to testify – and with a total of three minutes of deliberation – a Senate panel Tuesday slammed through a measure that both Muslims and Jews say is discriminatory and would prohibit them from freely practicing their religion.

Supporters, opponents of immigration detention center continue to battle
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
Residents opposed to a federally-funded, privately-managed immigration detention center in South Florida issued a statement Wednesday calling on President Obama to step in and halt the project.

Coalition of Immokalee Workers and allies to begin six-day Fast for Fair Food Monday
By Sean Kinane
WMNF Radio Tampa
On Monday, Immokalee migrant farmworkers and their allies will begin a six-day Fast For Fair Food in Lakeland.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida prison system to cut back visits probation officers make to offenders
By Steve Bousquet and Kameel Stanley
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Buckling under the weight of a $79 million deficit, Florida's prison system is cutting back on the visits that probation officers have with offenders — a move sure to raise public safety concerns.

Obama picks a nominee for Florida district court
By Mark Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama today nominated a new candidate to serve as a judge for the Middle District of Florida.