PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Plenty misses, few hits in Rick Scott's search to purge non-U.S. citizens from voter rolls
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Excerpt: "It's a classic case of using a cannon when a flyswatter would suffice," said Mark Ferrulo of Progress Florida, a liberal advocacy group that has criticized Scott's "dragnet" approach to hunting for noncitizens on the rolls.
FEATURED
STORIES
Civil rights groups file federal lawsuit over Florida voter purge
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Related: Gov. Scott urges Tea Party backers to support his efforts to purge voter rolls
A coalition of civil rights groups have filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Rick Scott’s administration over a controversial non-citizen voter purge the Justice Department considers a violation of two federal elections laws.
Florida Democrats hope to narrow electoral gap
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Ocala Star-Banner
Qualifying for state and congressional offices ended on Friday with Florida Democrats hoping to narrow the electoral gap in the nation's fourth-largest state.
Charlie Crist's lawyer accuses Jim Greer and his lawyer of witness tampering
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
A lawyer for former Gov. Charlie Crist has accused former GOP chairman Jim Greer and his lawyer of possible witness tampering.
Latest Greer claims break new ground in tawdry
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
>From the start, it was clear that the criminal case against former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer would expose some dirty laundry at the GOP.
Ex-congressman got millions in land deal
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Adam Putnam — former congressman, current commissioner of agriculture and widely viewed as the future of Florida politics — became a very rich man in 2005 when taxpayers spent $25.5 million on 2,042 acres of his family’s ranch that had been valued at $5.5 million a year earlier, The Palm Beach Post has learned.
EDITORIAL
CARTOON OF THE WEEK
By Jeff Parker
Florida Today
FLORIDA
POLITICS
PPP: Scott's popularity keeps dropping, even within his own party
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Public Policy Polling obviously took this survey before last night's legendary LeBron show, concluding that the polarizing LeBron James is more popular than the governor.
Rick Scott: Voter registration purge 'not a partisan issue'
By Pete Bishop
Naples Daily News
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Friday that he still expects the Department of Homeland Security to release data that could help the state's supervisors of elections identify and purge ineligible voters from the state's voter rolls.
Scott's Voter Purge Is a Disgrace
By Glenn Marston
Lakeland Ledger
"Not a single eligible voter, as far as I know, has been removed from the voter rolls," said Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday.
The voter suppression fight
By Bob Hallman
Gainesville Sun
Voter suppression is a national Republican policy.
Duking it out over Florida’s voter purge
Editorial
Miami Herald
Like kids in a schoolyard brawl, Tallahassee and Washington are circling the political sandbox, preparing to duke it out over Florida’s attempt to purge the rolls of noncitizens who may have registered as voters.
Activists protest Congressman who gives millions in contracts to companies employing his children
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
A local activist group is pushing Republican congressman Bill Young to start siding with the poor and middle class.
Jeb’s ‘grand bargain’ a lesson for GOP
By Myriam Marquez
Miami Herald
A little self-deprecating, forthright about the future — both his and the nation’s — and putting a kinder face on his party, Jeb Bush’s recent TV chat with Charlie Rose reminds us why the former Florida governor remains so popular.
Gov. Scott to sign bill in Boca Raton, stopping firms from doing business with Iran
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Governor Rick Scott will sign in Boca Raton Monday a bill designed to make sure Florida companies do not conduct business in a way that helps Iran, his office said today.
POLITICAL
RACES
Statewide primary ballot set as clock strikes noon
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida's primary election ballot became final Friday, assuring voters of four new faces on Capitol Hill this fall and spirited races for the Legislature in Tampa Bay and Miami-Dade.
Mitt Romney campaign ramping up in Florida to enthusiasm of Republicans
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Rubio's prospects as Romney running mate gaining momentum
As Mitt Romney ramps up his campaign in must-win Florida, he faces a daunting reality.
Obama campaign woos Hispanics with TV, radio ads
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Her Latin American background is clear in her speech as Lynnette Acosta talks about how President Barack Obama's health care plan could help a diabetic neighbor.
In U.S. senate race, Nelson bides time while GOP rivals feud
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
While U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV battles Republican primary opponents and conservative organizations spend millions of dollars on issues ads in Florida'sU.S. Senate race this spring, their ultimate target is biding his time.
Few calls for permits to protest during RNC
By Kevin Wiatrowski
Tampa Tribune
Today is the deadline for protesters and others planning rallies during the Republican National Convention to reserve a city park.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Florida's Amendment 4 a boon for first-time home buyers, but counties cringe
By Mark Puente
Tampa Bay Times
Shawn Merritt, who bought a new house in Wesley Chapel last month, has 3,000 reasons to vote for Amendment 4.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Land 'bank' tests Florida's scaled-back environmental oversight
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
An attempt by investors to start an environmental-land "bank" in Florida, a business initially valued at more than $100 million that would profit by replacing wetlands destroyed by developers, has left in its wake three state officials forced to resign or suspended after they objected to the project.
DEP's Tampa director made pollution regulation more business-friendly, then quit
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Last July, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection hired a Bonita Springs engineer and charter boat captain named Gary Colecchio to take charge of its Tampa district office, even though Colecchio had virtually no experience in dealing with the DEP.
Pacific Legal Foundation asks U.S. Supreme Court to take up Orange County landowner's case
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A legal foundation that last year opened a Florida office is carrying an Orange County landowner's case against the St. Johns River Water Management District to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hunting for dollars
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
The Suwannee River Water Management District used to buy and manage land in order to better protect the region's water resources.
LGBT
St. Petersburg creates domestic partnership registry
By Alli Langley
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Registry is a welcome step toward equality
The City Council unanimously approved the creation of a domestic partnership registry Thursday that would give legal rights to unmarried couples, gay or heterosexual.
Vanguard students prevail; Gay-Straight Alliance allowed
By Vishal Persaud
Ocala Star-Banner
Under the pressure of a pending lawsuit and a possible injunction from a federal court, School Superintendent Jim Yancey announced late Friday that he would allow two Vanguard High School students to start a Gay-Straight Alliance.
EDUCATION
Backtracking on Florida Exams Flunked by Many, Even an Educator
By Michael Winerip
New York Times
Bill Vogel, the superintendent of schools in this suburb of Orlando, has always been vigilant about preparing his district for the state tests.
Disparity in FCAT scores a result of many factors
By Joey Flechas
Gainesville Sun
At first glance, Tuesday’s FCAT results may leave parents wondering how there can be such disparity in the district.
Former Jeb Bush education adviser gets dubious distinction
By Laura Isensee
Miami Herald
Former Gov. Jeb Bush’s top policy advisor on education, Matthew Ladner, recently got a national award. Just not the kind a policy advisor welcomes.
Romney's divisive play for vouchers
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wants to have it both ways.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
New hurdles for Florida jobless
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
As the slow economic recovery shows signs of stalling, those with the most to fear might be Florida's unemployed.
Critics say lax visa rules for foreign workers allow abuse by employers
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
The six college students from Thailand and Vietnam had paid thousands of dollars to participate in an internship program at an Orlando hotel and get hands-on experience in the hospitality business.
Scott Walker’s Pyrrhic Union-Busting Victory
By Pierre Tristam
Florida Voices
Around Christmas 1981, facing the threat of a Soviet invasion, Polish tanks rolled across Poland to put down a huge insurgency by Solidarity, the celebrated trade union.
While two companies dominate North Florida road contracts, FDOT shrugs
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
In the big-money business of state-funded road projects, two powerful contractors have dominated Florida’s Panhandle for the past decade to a potentially illegal level.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Hospitals hope law upheld
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Hospital executives have their fingers crossed that the Supreme Court will uphold the Affordable Care Act, because so many of their patients lack insurance.
Saying it's changed, WellCare wants in on state Medicaid contracts
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A Tampa-based health insurer with a checkered past is preparing to bid on billions of dollars in state government contracts to serve Florida's poor and disabled.
Company fights state over discount drug program
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
The pharmaceutical services company that runs a program to offer discounted drugs to about 250,000 uninsured Floridians is challenging the Agency for Healthcare Administration's decision to award the contract to a different company.
Health law makes care more humane
By Joanie Schirm
Orlando Sentinel
After reading the interview on June 2 with Patrick J. Geraghty, CEO of Florida Blue (formerly Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida), I have a question.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
‘Stand Your Ground’ law task force will hear from law enforcement, attorneys and public on Tuesday
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The stage is set for a possible showdown Tuesday over Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law in Central Florida, not far from the Sanford community where neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Analysis: the investigation into Florida's Supreme Court justices
By Craig Patrick
Fox 13 Tampa Bay
Governor Rick Scott has directed state police to investigate the three justices appointed by Democrats.
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