Daily Clips for March 12, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Legislators hit hardest the pocketbooks of state workers, college students
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Bills that passed, failed in the 2012 legislative session
After a year of incremental drops in the state’s unemployment rate, Florida lawmakers came to the Capitol armed with promises to jump start jobs, but they left handcuffed by the stubborn economy.

Controversial 'parent trigger' bill fails on tie vote in Senate
By Kathleen Haughney and Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
A contentious "parent trigger" bill that divided the Florida Senate and outraged many parent groups failed Friday on a 20-20 vote.

Ready for special session? Florida Supreme Court rejects Senate redistricting plan
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
The state Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Florida Senate's redistricting plan, meaning lawmakers will be returning to Tallahassee later this month to redraw some of the lines.

Florida progressives win battle over transparency in financial incentives, tax breaks for businesses
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos today committed to include “a formal study reviewing the effectiveness of economy development incentives, tax credits, exemptions, and subsidies,” in the state’s economic incentives bill, which is now on its way to the governor’s desk.

New state budget may come with a future cost
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Lawmakers cobbled together another $70 billion state budget without raising taxes and while avoiding some of the deeper cuts they faced in recent years.

Gov. Rick Scott: the outsider turns insider
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Rick Scott, the tea-party government-cutting conservative, stormed into office as an outsider and once boasted the "deal-makers are crying in their cocktails."

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Jim Morin
Miami Herald

FLORIDA POLITICS

Lobbying pays off big for business
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
William Ibarra was pleasantly surprised to learn that the taxes he pays at his small Miami charter flight company would be slashed by thousands of dollars, after the Legislature last week passed a slew of business tax cuts.

Session's outcome shows chamber's clout — and limits
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
As the clock ticked toward the end of the 2012 lawmaking session, Florida's most influential business lobby was desperate for a win.

A Florida Senate story of conscience vs. agenda
By John Romano
Tampa Bay Times
In the final days of a lawmaker's tenure, there are usually congratulatory farewells.

Fla. Legal Bill: $475 per Hour per Lawyer
By Glenn Marston
Lakeland Ledger
The Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott do not realize that they can't do anything they want.

Will Weatherford, first Tampa Bay House speaker in a decade, ready to take reins
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Although he's not yet speaker, many consider him the most powerful lawmaker in Tallahassee.

Open-government advocates celebrate 'Sunshine Week'
By Anika Myers Palm
Orlando Sentinel
Laura Williams' interest in public records was born of tremendous personal tragedy: In 1996, her then-husband, who had abused her, killed both their 2-year-old daughter and himself.

A session of petty power games
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
The last day of the Florida Legislature is always a windstorm of political haggling and rapid-fire voting, where much is unclear.

The new rules
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
The Florida Legislature has pretty much always undertaken its once-every-decade redistricting chore with two paramount objectives: To protect incumbents and to keep the ruling party in power.

POLITICAL RACES

Florida's 'ATM' spews cash for Romney, Obama
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Call it the First Florida Bank of Campaign Finance.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Rubio stands alone on Restore Act
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was the only Gulf state senator yesterday to vote against the Restore Act, the legislation that would dedicate 80 percent of BP oil spill fees to the region.

Bill language repealing septic tanks inspection requirement passes House, headed to governor
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The House on Friday passed a repeal of the statewide septic tank inspection requirement as part of a Florida Department of Health reorganization bill.

Bill allowing African wildlife on state lands passes Senate, is headed to governor
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House bill that would allow zoo animals to be released on state lands passed the Senate on Friday and is headed to the governor.

Bondi hires legal team for Fla. oil spill claims
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Attorney General Pam Bondi has hired four law firms to help with Florida's claims related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill two years ago.

Florida's biggest solar-energy plant far from realizing its potential
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
The mirror-covered behemoth that constitutes Florida's largest, and one of the nation's most ambitious, ventures into solar energy has been producing a small fraction of the power promised by its owner.

LGBT

More South Florida mayors come out for gay marriage
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Related: Gay adoption, marriage rights among themes at South Florida PrideFest
Far from big-city liberal enclaves and South Florida communities known as havens for gays and lesbians, several local mayors have stepped into what used to be seen as a political minefield: support for gay marriage.

EDUCATION

More money for schools won't make up for past cuts
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida school districts could face more painful budget cuts this spring, despite a spending increase approved by the 2012 Legislature.

Charter school backers find little support in Tallahassee
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
The charter school lobby came to Tallahassee this year with an ambitious agenda.

Walton Foundation Funding Florida Education Groups
By John O'Connor
StateImpact
The Foundation for Excellence in Education received $1.55 million from the Walton Family Foundation in 2011, according to a rundown on the Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog.

Florida is one step closer to getting a 12th university
By Kim Wilmath and Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The creation of Florida's 12th university has cleared its second-to-last hurdle, with both the House and Senate approving the move with nominal resistance.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

House, Senate pass $70 billion budget that would shrink state workforce
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
The Florida House and Senate sent Gov. Rick Scott a budget of almost exactly $70 billion that would cut 4,354 positions, potentially shrinking the size of the state workforce by 3.6 percent.

Scott declares victory after Senate signs off on auto insurance fix
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
Florida Gov. Rick Scott put on an aggressive lobbying effort during the final day of the session and in the end was able to successfully shepherd his top priority through what was considered a dysfunctional Senate.

Property tax cut proposals to go on ballot
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida voters will be asked this fall to cut taxes for senior citizens and for the families of "fallen heroes."

Sen. Fasano kills Sen. Alexander's bid to shrink Cat Fund, passes Citizens assessment bill
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, on Friday stripped off provisions from a bill that would have reduced the coverage of the state’s property reinsurance fund by $2 billion over two years.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Medicaid conforming bill clears divided Senate
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
A full-court press by counties fell short on Friday night, as some unlikely supporters helped the Senate approve a sweeping Medicaid conforming bill that includes a controversial plan to deduct county revenues to collect unpaid bills.

3rd time is charm for Hudson's health reorganization bill
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
After three years of trying, the Legislature on Friday passed a reorganization of the Florida Department of Health.

Lawmakers fail to agree on ALF reform bill
By Brittany Alana Davis and Michael Sallah
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Staff Writers
After years of rampant abuse in Florida’s assisted living facilities, Gov. Rick Scott and top lawmakers promised to create the most significant reforms in a generation to better protect thousands of frail elders and mentally ill residents.

Recent political events reviving battle of sexes
By Lona O'Connor
Palm Beach Post
It was a heck of a way to celebrate International Women's Day.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida passes random drug tests of state workers
By James L. Rosica
Associated Press
Florida state agencies can randomly drug-test their employees under a bill passed Friday by the Legislature - the first of its kind in the nation.

Don't deny law school graduate fruits of his labor
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
He contributed to civic life as an Eagle Scout, high school valedictorian and graduate of New College and Florida State University's College of Law.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Blood-alcohol tests under fire in DUI cases
By Arelis R. Hernandez
Orlando Sentinel
Tahirih Martin has an obvious limp. Her hip was cracked and her foot shattered when she was ejected from her taxicab in a collision with an alleged drunken driver last year on Goldenrod Road.