FEATURED STORIES
Legislative session ending with much unresolved
By Aaron Deslatte and Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida Legislature drops the curtain Friday on an annual lawmaking session clouded by the politically combustible redistricting process, with a trove of costly and controversial tax, insurance and classroom issues still hanging in the balance.
Labor groups march on Capitol to protest budget cuts
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
Hundreds of workers from labor groups across the state held a rally at the Florida Capitol today to protest budget cuts in the $70 billion state budget set to be voted on tomorrow.
Tax relief bills for businesses sails through Legislature
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
With less than 36 hours to go before the end of this year’s legislative session, House and Senate lawmakers signed off Thursday on a massive last-minute $800 million package of tax relief for businesses.
Just when you thought the parent trigger debate couldn't get any more tense...
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Senate spent more than two hours on Thursday night debating the hot-button parent trigger bill.
Senate approves bill to allow bigger tuition hikes at top universities
By Kim Wilmath
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Legislators should demand better on higher ed
In a state with an ever-increasing shortage of higher education funding, Florida's top universities could soon have the power to seek unlimited tuition hikes.
BEST OF THE BLOGS
"Parent Trigger" Or Hostile Takeover Of Public Education For Profit?
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
A vote on the controversial "Parent Trigger" bill has been pushed back until tomorrow in the Florida Senate.
Florida Anti-Sharia Legislation May Outlaw Orthodox Jewish Divorces
By Eli Clifton
Think Progress
A Florida Senate panel’s hurried decision last week to pass a measure banning the use of Sharia law may, in practice, serve to prevent Orthodox Jewish couples from using Jewish religious courts to arbitrate their divorces.
What Florida is doing to its public schools
By Jean Clements
The Answer Sheet
Horace Mann called public education the “great equalizer.” Quite simply, he believed that without a strong system of public schools in this country, the elite would get an education while the middle class and poor would not.
Bogdanoff: a fresh-faced new Great Destroyer from Broward
By Gimleteye
Eye On Miami
For nearly a quarter century I have observed Florida's greatness whittled away, one land use decision at a time, to benefit speculators who manipulate politics to extract value out of wetlands and environmentally sensitive lands buffering the Everglades and Biscayne Bay.
Legislators zero-out programs helping the homeless
By Daphne Street
Saint Petersblog
Yesterday, Florida legislators reached a deal on a $70 billion budget. While there is much news going around about implications to a variety of services and programs throughout Florida, one cut in particular will have a significant effect on the most vulnerable population in Florida — the homeless.
FLORIDA POLITICS
'Weird vibe' pervades Capitol as observers look for signs of final-day meltdown
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The mood going into the final day of the 2012 legislative session has darkened amid speculation that major bills are being killed for political payback.
Protesters Rally for the Middle Class
By Danielle Eldredge
WCTV Tallahassee
Hundreds of Floridians say lawmakers are crippling the middle class. They joined at the capitol today as a unified front.
Limiting agenda, lawmakers hope to end session on time -- and unscarred
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County would lose almost $8 million in state healthcare dollars under one of almost 30 hastily crafted bills top lawmakers are looking to push through the Legislature by today's scheduled finish.
Senate Dems form strange alliances in last days of session
By James Call
WFSU Tallahassee
The budget is complete. But in a frantic race to finish Friday, the legislature is debating policy reforms to health care, auto insurance and failing public schools.
Caylee's law, high school sports bills among many sent to Scott Thursday
Staff Report
Palm Beach Post
Caylee's Law and measures affecting high school sports and Florida's major universities were among the more than a dozen bills receiving final approval by the House or Senate Thursday and sent to Gov. Rick Scott.
Gov. Rick Scott presses for strong PIP reform before session ends
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott waited until the 59th day of the legislative session to issue critical comments Thursday about the Senate's approach to curb auto-accident fraud.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Environmental permitting bill that failed last year passes Senate, goes to governor
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A permit streamlining bill similar to legislation that died last year without a vote in the Senate passed that chamber unanimously on Thursday.
Gulf Coast RESTORE Act Passes Big Hurdle
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
Florida and other Gulf Coast states are one step closer to restoration of areas damaged by the 2010 BP oil spill.
Before overflow crowd, water districts work for public buy-in
By Christopher Curry
Gainesville Sun
Related editorial: Water promises
A mix of skepticism and hope flowed Wednesday evening as leaders of the region's two water management districts worked to gain public support for their recently forged partnership on water supply issues.
EDUCATION
Democrats blast education cuts using election-year themes
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith joined House Democrats in blasting ruling Republicans Wednesday for falling short in dollars for public schools and forcing university students to shoulder an increasingly bigger share of state higher education spending.
Obama, GOP governors share many views on education
Associated Press
Florida Today
A funny thing is happening between President Barack Obama and many Republican governors when it comes to improving America’s schools: They are mostly getting along.
High school recruiting bill heads to Gov. Scott
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
By a narrow 21-18 vote, the Senate passed a bill Thursday relaxing restrictions and punishments on recruiting high school athletes.
Fla. voters could change university panel
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida voters will be asked to change the membership of the panel that oversees the state university system.
Bait & Switch: USF Poly Folly
By Paula Dockery
Florida Voices
In this year’s session, both houses of the legislature were fooled by one of the oldest tricks in the book, the bait and switch.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Legislature puts business-property tax cut on ballot
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
A tax cut to help small businesses immediately — and larger ones down the road — will go before Florida voters this fall.
State pension plan ruling a victory for Florida worker rights
By Michael Mayo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The pattern of shoot-first-ask-constitutional-questions later has again come back to haunt Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature, this time with the 2011 law requiring government workers to contribute three percent of their salaries toward the state’s pension plan.
Slew of state religious leaders call on state Senators to support Miami-Dade wage theft program
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
Nearly 60 Florida religious leaders issued a letter Wednesday opposing GOP-sponsored bills that would gut Miami-Dade county’s wage theft program.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Sebelius: federal healthcare law gives options to women
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
More than 17 million American women are uninsured, but the health care law signed by President Barack Obama could drastically reduce that number.
Lawmakers fail to act on covering more children through KidCare
News Service of Florida
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
While the Senate has passed legislation to make state workers’ children eligible for low-cost health insurance, a House companion hasn’t been heard, with backers of the idea saying the state is risking losing millions in federal funds for not making it easier to enroll families in the KidCare program.
Local government dispute forced Medicaid payments
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Local government officials are growing increasingly frustrated as state lawmakers appear to have settled their budget problems in part by pushing them off on counties.
Bill restoring prison health watchdog agency goes to Florida governor
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The House late Wednesday agreed to the Senate's plan to revive the Florida Correctional Medical Authority, a watchdog agency responsible for overseeing health care at Florida's prisoners.
Assisted-living residents need lawmakers' help
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
As time ticked down on this year's session of the Florida Legislature, slated to end today, lawmakers were still trying to hammer out an agreement on what should have been among their first priorities — reforming and strengthening regulation of the state's assisted-living facilities to better protect their vulnerable residents.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Orlando churches, activists support farmworkers fasting outside Publix HQ
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
Orlando-area churches and activist groups are heading to Publix Super Markets' headquarters in Lakeland this weekend in support of a six-day protest fast by tomato pickers seeking higher wages.
Lawmakers get tough on trafficking; reach out to victims
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Earlier this year, state lawmakers promised to fight human trafficking — and to provide more support for the child victims.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
'Compromise' on expert testimony passes Senate unanimouslyBy Travis Pillow
Florida Current
The Senate made changes to its overhaul of requirements for expert testimony Thursday but the bill remains at odds with the House's proposal, with a day remaining to reconcile the differences.
Claims bill heads to Gov. Scott to benefit man paralyzed in crash with speeding cop
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A bill to award $10.75 million to a Sunrise man who was paralyzed by a speeding cop 14 years ago gained House and Senate approval Thursday after an agreement was reached to eliminate all legal fees associated with the claim.
Governor's apparent choice for state attorney: Peter Antonacci
By Dara Kam and George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Peter Antonacci, a former Florida statewide prosecutor and deputy attorney general who has handled high-profile assignments for Republican and Democratic governors, appears to be Gov. Rick Scott's choice to fill the Palm Beach County state attorney's job, sources in Tallahassee said today.
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