PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Champions of Florida's Middle Class Stand Up to Gov. Scott
By Mark Ferrulo
Florida Voices
As everyday Floridians continue to be under assault by a Governor and legislative leadership beholden to powerful, wealthy interests and their torrent of campaign contributions, we shouldn't forget these legislators who are courageously standing and fighting for us.
April 9th Weekly Show
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu: Florida's Political Reality News
The Trayvon Martin case is in court for one reason, Floridians are paying a hefty price for bad laws passed by the Republican legislature and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer tells us who really works for the middle class in the Florida legislature as political reality comes your way.
FEATURED STORIES
Scott to sign state budget Tuesday at Jacksonville-area school
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott hits the road this morning to sign the new state budget at a top-rated elementary school in an upscale suburb of Jacksonville.
Scott keeps biggest turkey in state budget
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
Gov. Rick Scott loves to zap the so-called “turkeys” he sees lurking in the state budget.
Gov. Scott, in West Palm Beach, says Trayvon's family deserves justice
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott got a reminder of the worldwide impact of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin at an international business conference here today.
Embarrassed by Bad Laws
Editorial
New York Times
A year ago, few people outside the world of state legislatures had heard of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a four-decade-old organization run by right-wing activists and financed by business leaders.
Latest round of redistricting briefs sets stage for oral arguments
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
New state constitutional provisions intended to protect minority voting rights emerged as important terrain in the legal contest over the state's revised Senate redistricting plan.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Scott faces Republican test on budget vetoes
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday will sign a $70 billion state budget at a St. John's County elementary school.
POLITICAL RACES
CFO Jeff Atwater thinking of running for U.S. Senate
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Mack campaign responds to prospect of Jeff Atwater entering senate race
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today told the Shark Tank blog that he is taking a look at running for U.S. Senate, taking on Connie Mack and George LeMieux for the nomination after being recruited to get in the race.
'Clean zone' vote delayed
By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
The city's legal staff has asked for more time to address the Tampa City Council's concerns about Mayor Bob Buckhorn's proposed "clean zone" for the Republican National Convention.
Details of RNC security gear remains a secret
By Ray Reyes
Tampa Tribune
Riot gear valued at $815,000. Surveillance equipment for a police helicopter with a price tag of $1 million. Nearly 2,000 walkie-talkies and two-way radios worth $6 million.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Breaking the foreign-oil habit
By Sen. Bill Nelson
Politico
It’s possible to ease our pain at the gas pump — if we just keep in mind that prices are part of a bigger story.
Gopher tortoises no longer buried alive, but will relocation save them?
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's approach to saving gopher tortoises from extinction a decade ago allowed developers to bury the docile reptiles alive in their burrows in return for what critics called "blood money" that was used to buy and protect tortoise habitat elsewhere.
Environmental groups push for sea turtle habitat designation, threaten lawsuit
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
Sea turtles that nest on Southwest Florida’s beaches could be taking a detour to a federal courtroom in a fight over their habitat.
Law enforcement merger may save money, but will it protect state parks?
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
When state park visitors see law enforcement officers in the future, they'll likely be state wildlife officers rather than Florida Department of Environmental Protection park police.
EDUCATION
Harder FCAT is forerunner to national curriculum
By Lynn Hatter
WFSU Tallahassee
Students across the state are taking their annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment test, commonly called the FCAT.
Charter school principal suspended for tampering with FCATs
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald
Unlike most schoolchildren in Florida, the students at Ramz Academy charter school in Little Havana weren’t able to take the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test on Monday.
New FCAT could lead to end of art and music classes
By Dave D'Marko
Central Florida News 13
A new era of FCAT testing was ushered in Monday as students started taking FCAT 2.0.
UF students form human chain to protest computer science cuts
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
University of Florida students formed a human chain Monday around the computer and information science and engineering department, protesting a budget-cutting plan that event organizers said would destroy the department.
Time's not right for Polytechnic
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
Gov. Rick Scott has until Saturday to sign or veto a bill to instantly transform the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland into Florida’s 12th independent state university.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Poor feel brunt of lingering recession
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
It has never been easy to be among the poor in America.
Senate defeats 'Buffett Rule' as Nelson, Rubio go party line
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
The Senate this evening defeated the Democrats' proposed "Buffett Rule" to raise taxes on the wealthy.
Fixing nation's finances starts with people like me
By Whitney Tilson
Palm Beach Post
I am part of the 1 percent of the 1 percent. By that I mean that I am fortunate to be a wealthy American and I say, "It's OK to raise my taxes."
Toll Road Bill
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
A bill paving the way for more toll roads in Florida is awaiting the governor’s decision.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Governor Urged to Veto Dept. of Health Reorganization
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
Governor Rick Scott is being urged by a number of health professionals to veto legislation reorganizing the Florida Department of Health.
No severability clause? No problem. Counties say lawsuit will focus on county Medicaid billing only
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Current
The Florida Association of Counties says its lawsuit to thwart the new Medicaid county billing requirements in HB 5301 will be surgically drafted so that the other provisions in the measure won’t be overturned, namely a change that would for the first time allow children of state employees to participate in the Florida KidCare program.
Agency details Medicaid plan
By News Service of Florida
Ft. Myers News-Press
Nearly a year after lawmakers approved moving to a statewide Medicaid managed-care system, the Agency for Health Care Administration last week sent another round of detailed information to federal officials about how the plan would be carried out.
KidCare enrollment hits all-time high
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Tallahassee
More than two million Florida children are now enrolled in the state’s health insurance program for low income kids.
Hospice profits raise questions about Medicare volunteer rule
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Quick: Name the only industry in which Medicare requires volunteers to provide free labor - in some cases helping for-profit executives become millionaires.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Guns permits in Florida: A growth industry
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Florida lawmakers played fast and loose for 'stand your ground'
George Zimmerman is part of a large and growing class in Florida: He holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Death row inmate cites conspiracy, wants new lawyerBy Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
After 32 years, convicted murderer Paul Scott finally got the chance Monday to tell a judge about the powers that he says have conspired to keep him on death row.
Florida Supreme Court panel says no to politics
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission's members can no longer participate in judicial politics.
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