PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
March 26th Weekly Show
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu: Florida's Political Reality News
The tragedy of Trayvon Martin haunts America, redistricting is not going well for the Republicans, Amy Mercado examines the separation of church and state in Action Latina and Damien has the latest from Progress Florida on WrongWayRubio.com.
FEATURED STORIES
Florida serves as proving ground for progun laws
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related: 'Stand your ground' law protects those who go far beyond that point
Related: Florida stand your ground law cases
The shooting of Trayvon Martin has brought an avalanche of criticism directed at Florida's "stand your ground" law.
‘Stand Your Ground’ and More Crazy Florida Laws
Staff Report
The Daily Beast
Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law has received national attention in the wake of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.
For millions, the health reform decision could take away benefits they're already using
By Richard Martin
Tampa Bay Times
While the Supreme Court deliberates behind closed doors, nearly 8 million Americans who already are benefiting from the Affordable Care Act may be awaiting the court's decision on the fate of the landmark health reform law decision more closely than most.
EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Andy Marlette
Pensacola News Journal
Related editorial: Dumbing down the law
FLORIDA POLITICS
Group keeps eye on state accountability
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Here are some of the types of problems the founders of a new state watchdog group would like to solve or prevent.
Are lawmakers protected by First Amendment against drug testing?
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen torched Florida lawmakers for passing a drug-testing bill for state workers that excluded one class of government employees: the elected officials who passed the law.
Union-financed Stand Up Florida stages protests against U.S. Rep. Allen West
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
A union-financed group is going after U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, using the anti-corporate language of the Occupy Wall Street movement from an office in the Corporate Building on Corporate Way in West Palm Beach.
Florida legislators loading up on 'bill trains'
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
Legislative sausage-making is a term often used to describe the process of turning an idea into public policy.
Senate to decide punishment in state Sen. Jim Norman's ethics case
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As Sen. Jim Norman of Tampa prepares to battle two opponents for his Senate seat, he's also waiting for his punishment.
POLITICAL RACES
Rubio-Bush-Ryan plan: Stop Rick Santorum
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Marco Rubio sounds worried. So do Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan.
In speech, Marco Rubio is mum on vice presidency, Mitt Romney
By Drew Harwell
Tampa Bay Times
Days after his endorsement of Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio returned Saturday night to the county that helped boost his national ascent.
Mack, Lemieux draw contrasts in GOP Senate race
By Brendan Farrington
Associated Press
Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux aggressively pointed out differences between himself and GOP Senate frontrunner Connie Mack IV at a Saturday night forum with tea party organizers, drawing a sharp response from Mack.
Campaign trail brings LeMieux to Mack territory
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
With deep family ties to the region, Sarasota could easily be seen as a stronghold for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack IV.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
Elephant center in Indian River County highlights issue behind zoo animals bill
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Groundbreaking is planned next week for the National Elephant Center in Indian River County, which supporters and opponents alike of HB 1117 say represents their arguments on the bill.
Farmers should pay more for Glades cleanup
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Taxpayers from Miami to Maui are spending billions of dollars to restore the Florida Everglades, a vibrant ecosystem critical to the nation's economy.
LGBT
St. Pete moves to adopt DP registry; Orange hits “problems”
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Elected leaders in the cities of St. Petersburg and Gulfport are moving to adopt domestic partner registries, according to this report from the Tampa Bay Times, but Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said Friday she’s still researching how to make it work here.
Anti-gay U.S. Defense of Marriage Act heads to federal appeals court in Massachusetts
By Denise Lavoie
Associated Press
A legal battle over a law that denies federal benefits to married gay couples is headed to a federal appeals court in Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage.
EDUCATION
Parents: Schools disproportionately punish blacks
By Georgia East
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Trayvon Martin's trip to Sanford was taken, in part, so he could get his priorities straight after being suspended from school, his father said.
Smith: Consider privatizing school buses
By Mike Wright
Citrus County Chronicle
A few years ago, a national school bus company approached Citrus County School District officials with the offer to privatize transportation service.
FAMU's anti-hazing panel must meet in public after all
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida A&M trustees decided Friday to reverse course — again — on the charge of its appointed anti-hazing committee.
Veto polytechnic
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
When state Sen. J.D. Alexander undertakes a quest, controversy is his common companion.
Failing Florida
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
For the past five years, the Florida Legislature has been steadily cutting state funding for universities, while jacking up student fees and tuitions.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Statewide jobless rate dips to 9.4 percent
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Florida's unemployment rate dipped to 9.4 percent in February, as the state added 10,100 new jobs, but at least part of the improvement was because of a small decline in the size of the state's labor force.
Time will tell if new law fixes rampant car insurance fraud
By Tia Mitchell
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The long list of suspected car insurance scammers now includes food truck vendors.
Florida's banking industry is emerging, slowly, from the financial crisis
By John Hielscher
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida's banking industry showed signs of improvement in 2011, with better earnings, fewer failures and more institutions with stronger health ratings.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Florida Blue debut: Insurance company drops cross and shield
By Marni Jameson
Orlando Sentinel
Health insurance just got simpler – at least in name.
Uphold healthcare reform
Editorial
Miami Herald
Something has to be done about healthcare in the United States.
Medicaid Also Part of Court Fight
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Although the challenge of the mandate for every American to have health insurance was at the center of last week's oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court, Florida officials have an equally high interest in another provision in the Affordable Care Act.
Poor children deserve equal care
Editorial
Miami Herald
When Florida and many other states began to close institutions for people with mental and developmental disorders 50 years ago, they held out great hope for families.
CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Trayvon Martin’s shooting case draws partisan battle lines
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: How a small town mismanaged crisis
From suspect to victim to cultural symbol, Trayvon Martin has metamorphosed into a political point of departure over race.
Civic leaders, celebrities rally in Miami for Trayvon Martin
Staff Report
South Florida Sun Sentinel
As more than 1,000 people flocked to Miami's Bayfront Park Sunday under a blazing sun, Trayvon Martin's hometown rolled out the most elaborate and spirited rally yet calling for justice for the slain teenager.
Trayvon Martin shooting: It's not George Zimmerman crying for help on 911 recording, 2 experts say
By Jeff Weiner
Orlando Sentinel
As the Trayvon Martin controversy splinters into a debate about self-defense, a central question remains: Who was heard crying for help on a 911 call in the moments before the teen was shot?
Pool rule turns into battle over federal regs
By William E. Gibson
South Florida Sun Sentinel
South Florida Congressman Allen West has found a new battleground for fighting federal rules: the swimming pools and hot tubs in local communities, hotels and resorts.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Bondi awed by appearance before Supreme CourtBy Steve Otto
Tampa Tribune
All in all it was a big week for Temple Terrace and King High's Pamela Jo Bondi.
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