PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Interest groups precisely measure their 'investment'
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Excerpt: Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, who finished second-from-last in the chamber, said the business-lobby scorecards have become more disconnected from the realities faced by local businesses and community needs. "I much prefer to be a champion of the middle class than the insurance industry"...
Funding short-shrift
By Ray Seaman
Ocala Star-Banner
Years of funding cuts have taken their toll on Florida's education system, making our state less attractive to parents, new businesses and growing companies looking to relocate here.
Scott's budget won't fix Florida's schools
By Ray Seaman
Gainesville Sun
Last year alone, Gov. Rick Scott pushed for $1.3 billion in cuts to public education, resulting in thousands of teacher layoffs and cutbacks to arts, music, after school, and other crucial programs.
FEATURED STORIES
Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill still causing damage in gulf 2 years later, scientists find
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Two years later, spill's dangers linger
On Florida's Panhandle beaches, where local officials once fretted over how much oil washed in with each new tide, everything seems normal.
GOP officials knew about Greer fundraising deal, former finance chair says
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
Harry Sargeant III, former finance chair for the Florida Republican of Party says he and other party officials knew all about it when former GOP chairman Jim Greer and the party's executive director took over fundraising operations.
Scott tries to woo back tea party in 'Tax Day' rally in Orlando
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
If Gov. Rick Scott had any damage to repair in his relationship with Florida's tea party groups, Lake Eola Park may have been the place to start, and Sunday afternoon the time.
Scott may slash state's payment to workers' retirement plan
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Gainesville Sun
Three days after a trial judge ruled the Legislature’s 2011 effort to make public employees pay part of their pension costs was unconstitutional, lawmakers passed another pension bill reducing government contributions to more than 100,000 public employees.
NRA's Marion Hammer stands her ground
By Ann O'Neill
CNN
Marion Hammer was 5 when she first held a gun in her hands.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Mike Luckovich
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FLORIDA POLITICS
Report: Florida leads nation in campaign contributions to state party committees
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
A new report from the National Institute on Money in State Politics finds that Florida is No. 1 in the country for the amount of money that state party committees receive in campaign donations.
Florida Senate women flex muscles
By Brittany Alana Davis
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
On the final day of the 2012 legislative session, Sen. Paula Dockery worked the Senate chamber, counting “no” votes on a bill to turn failing public schools into private charter schools.
Scott does airport duty
Staff Report
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott tried out his customer service skills Friday at Tampa International Airport, working alongside airport employees.
POLITICAL RACES
Obama struggles to win over the white working class
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Obama stops in Tampa to promote trade with Latin America
They are the coveted, talked about and hyper-analyzed voters of the 2012 election: women, Hispanics, independents.
Former AG Gonzales: Rubio not a wise VP pick
By David Puente
CNN
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio would not be a wise pick for number two on the GOP ticket this year, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told CNN Saturday.
Republicans fret about Connie Mack campaign
By Adam C. Smith and Marc Caputo
Tampa Bay Times
With an iconic name and access to Washington cash, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack looked like the great Republican hope when he entered Florida's U.S. Senate race and posed a serious threat to Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.
Mack and LeMieux are now fighting over money
By Bob Rathgeber
Ft. Myers News-Press
Despite appeals from Republican leaders around the state, U.S. Senate candidates Connie Mack of Fort Myers and George LeMieux of Fort Lauderdale continue attacking one another.
BALLOT INITIATIVES
Casinos on the 2014 ballot? Political committee lays the groundwork
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
After failing to persuade the Florida Legislature to pass a bill to open South Florida to mega resort casinos, gambling interests have taken the first steps to bring the issue directly to voters in 2014.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Florida objecting to gulf oil spill settlement
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Florida is objecting to a settlement agreement between BP and lawyers representing more than 100,000 individuals and businesses claiming losses from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Gov. Scott rejects Tea Party request to veto energy bill
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who rode into office with the support of tea party groups and other conservative organizations, rejected their request that he veto a wide-ranging energy bill.
Putnam releases report showing energy bill's economic benefits
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
On the eve of the deadline for Gov. Rick Scott to take action on the energy bill, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam released a consultant's analysis showing that the bill would generate more tax revenue than the tax breaks it would provide and would support 3,350 new jobs by 2017.
Despite veto, Florida habitats still in jeopardy
By Bill Maxwell
Tampa Bay Times
Here in Florida, shortsightedness and greed have always guided and motivated our movers and shakers, our leaders.
Florida must join the fight against invasive animals
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
When state regulators discovered a few years ago that the purity of Florida's native largemouth bass was threatened by crossbreeding with a northern species, they went after the problem with all the eagerness of a hungry fish going after a worm.
LGBT
Buckhorn signs domestic partnership ordinance because "it's the right thing to do"
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn signed a domestic partnership ordinance this morning that will give un-married couples some of the same rights as those that are married.
Gay pride events prompt voter registration efforts
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
It's Miami Beach's turn to hold a gay pride event this weekend. For some, that means a day of political organizing.
EDUCATION
FCAT season begins this week with lots of changes, more pressure
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's testing season kicks into high gear Monday, marking a springtime tradition for 2.2 million students in public school.
It's time: FCAT testing begins Monday
By Heather Carney
Naples Daily News
It's the start of the week Florida students dread.
Getting into the ACT
By Joe Callahan
Gainesville Sun
As high school students take the ACT today, some of these juniors and seniors are hoping to earn a great score that will ensure their admission to college, and others hope to score high enough just to graduate high school.
UF, other schools nearing infrastructure ‘crisis'
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
A lack of state funding for building construction and maintenance has University of Florida officials struggling for ways to repair aging buildings and construct new ones.
Governor, veto Florida Polytechnic
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
As a first-time candidate for public office, Rick Scott promised voters he would be different.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Budget watchers unveil annual 'turkey' list; urge Scott vetoes
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A $1.4 billion state budget shortfall didn't stop lawmakers this year from stuffing the $70 billion budget with a little bit of pork, according to an annual review of the state spending plan.
Santa Rosa banker Hunting Deutsch named new economic development chief
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Hunting Deutsch, a banker from Santa Rosa with nearly 30 years of executive and management experience was named executive director of the Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday by Gov. Rick Scott.
Black and Latina working women face higher rates of unemployment, poverty
By Marcos Restrepo
Florida Independent
African-American and Latina women, who now make up an important part of the U.S. workforce, face higher rates of poverty and unemployment than white and Asian working women.
Jobs for teens will be scarce again this summer
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
As Florida's labor market struggles to find its footing, the youngest workers in the state face some of the slipperiest stumbling blocks.
SunRail studies who might hop aboard commuter train
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
With locomotives on order and tons of new track delivered, SunRail is now trying to figure who might ride the $1.2 billion commuter train.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Bill reorganizing state health department presented to Scott
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Independent
A bill that critics say will weaken Florida’s health department was presented to Gov. Rick Scott today.
Florida health insurers to rebate estimated $113 M
By Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Floridians who buy health insurance without the help of an employer can expect estimated rebates of $143 to $949 in August because of the federal health care overhaul.
Flagler to weigh joining Medicaid lawsuit against state
By Julie Murphy
Daytona Beach News Journal
Flagler County commissioners will decide today whether to join the Florida Association of Counties in its lawsuit challenging the state's decision to require counties to pay old, disputed Medicaid bills, officials said.
Escambia County may join Medicaid suit against state
By Nate Monroe
Pensacola News Journal
Escambia County commissioners are preparing to join a lawsuit against the state over a controversial Medicaid law that has added more than $6 million to the county's budget deficit this year.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Obama pledges immigration reform early in second term
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
In his most specific pledge yet to U.S. Hispanics, President Barack Obama said Saturday he would seek to tackle immigration policy in the first year of a second term.
Stand Your Ground may yet survive
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Dennis Baxley is an author of one of the nation’s most notorious gun laws, Stand Your Ground.
What would MLK do?
By Kelly Benjamin
Creative Loafing Tampa
“What the hell is he talking about?” seemed to be the question on the minds of many of Tampa’s political movers and shakers last week as they patiently sweated in their seats looking perplexed toward the conclusion of the mayor’s long, oddly dramatic State of the City address.
In war zones, shooters must use restraint; In Florida, fire away!
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Here's a simple observation. Florida residents with gun permits shouldn't be encouraged to use their weapons more carelessly than U.S. troops in war zones.
Unnecessary, trouble-making law
Editorial
Miami Herald
Stand Your Ground. If only the details of the law were as straightforward, as resolute as its name.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Fla. redistricting shifts to courtrooms this weekAssociated Press
Gainesville Sun
The state's redistricting discussions shift this week from the Florida Capitol to a pair of courtrooms in Tallahassee.
Legislator to advocate locally for repeal of death penalty
By Glenn Coine
Gainesville Sun
By repealing its death penalty, Florida could save $45 million, according to state Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda.
Warnings lead Circuit Judge Krista Marx to abandon campaign for state attorney
By Joel Engelhardt and Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
Circuit Judge Krista Marx chose not to run for state attorney after she learned supporters of the lone candidate in the race, Dave Aronberg, planned to attack her reputation and challenge her husband's judicial seat, The Palm Beach Post has found.
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