Daily Clips for June 13, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

How Rick Scott’s noncitizen voter purge started small and then blew up
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida’s latest elections controversy began in the smallest of ways: a five-minute chat a year ago between Gov. Rick Scott and his top election official.

U.S. Sen. Nelson, Gov. Scott at loggerheads over Florida voter purge
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott took to the national airwaves Tuesday morning to defend the state’s decision to sue for access to a federal immigration database to help purge non-citizens from voter rolls.

Romney, in Florida, calls Obama out-of-touch; Obama ads respond in kind
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
In case you missed President Obama’s remark Friday that “the private sector is doing fine,” Mitt Romney’s campaign is doing everything it can to make sure you don’t forget it.

Gov. Rick Scott, Cabinet weigh in on pension fight before Supreme Court
News Service of Florida
Tampa Bay Times
With Republican legislative leaders and the Florida League of Cities already weighing in, Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet officers have asked the state Supreme Court to approve a plan requiring public workers to chip in money to the state pension system.

Johnson & Johnson Drops ALEC
By Annie-Rose Strasser
Think Progress
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson announced today that they are dropping their membership from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

FLORIDA POLITICS

Scott defends voter purge on national media
By James Call
Florida Current
Governor Rick Scott remained on the offensive Tuesday in his effort to purge noncitizens from Florida’s voter registration rolls.

GOP Election Supervisor Blasts Florida’s Lawsuit Against Feds, Won’t Restart Purge Regardless Of Outcome
By Josh Israel
Think Progress
Even if Gov. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) administration prevails in its new lawsuit against the Obama administration, his efforts to purge voters before November’s election still faces a major obstacle — the county elections supervisors, including 30 Republicans, who have the ultimate authority over the voting rolls.

The 'Voter Fraud' Myth Debunked
Staff Report
Rolling Stone
As we've reported at Rolling Stone, over the past few years Republicans in more than a dozen states have been knocking themselves out passing laws that make it harder for people to vote.

State’s political purge has misfired
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
By now, it should be clear that Gov. Scott is very worried about non-citizens who vote illegally.

Florida will be one of 6 states to be part of AFL-CIO Voter Protection effort
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
Ben Jealous, the President and CEO of the NAACP, doesn't think much of what Governor Rick Scott is trying to do to insure that non-citizens don't vote this year in Florida.

Jeb Bush: D.C. has lost willingness to compromise
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he believes that the willingness to compromise that allowed Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan to succeed no longer exists in Washington — and he faults both parties.

Mayors overrun Orlando for conference
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Nearly 200 mayors from across the country will descend on Orlando on Wednesday for the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors — for daytime discussions and quite a bit of after-hours fun.

POLITICAL RACES

Mitt Romney visits Orlando, attacks President Barack Obama for being 'out of touch'
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times
Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest presidential candidates in U.S. history, a man who made his fortune at a prominent private equity firm.

Mica and Adams debate — and dislike — each other
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
The Republican candidates for Congressional District 7 — centered in Seminole County — offer few bright-line differences on GOP dogma, but that doesn't mean party voters don't have a choice in the Aug. 14 primary.

Jim Norman has withdrawn from his state Senate race
By Bill Varian, Lee Logan and Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
Jim Norman has spent 20 years playing the blood sport of Florida politics, earning a reputation as an advocate for athletics, lower taxes and less regulation.

RNC traffic, security concerns may empty downtown Tampa
By Richard Mullins
Tampa Tribune
Charlotte Baker has heard enough about the Republican National Convention coming in August to close up her downtown office that week and head for the hills.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Suwannee River Water Management District delays leasing public lands for private hunting use
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Suwannee River Water Management District on Tuesday put on hold plans to lease state land for private hunting after an outcry from hunting supporters who said it would set a dangerous precedent statewide.

With water fears rising, DEP's Ann Shortelle picked to lead Suwannee River water district
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Amid concerns about the region's water future, Ann Shortelle of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was picked Tuesday to lead the Suwannee River Water Management District.

The hunt for water dollars
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
Florida's water management disricts used to buy and manage land in order to better protect the state's water resources.

LGBT

Jacksonville man claims he was fired for being gay, supports human rights bill
By Erin Hawley
First Coast News
A First Coast man says a controversial bill may have prevented him from being fired for being gay.

EDUCATION

More parents protest testing
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
A growing number of Florida school districts are adopting — or at least considering — the resolution decrying over-reliance on high-stakes testing that's making its way around the country.

Education conference expects decline in public school enrollment
By James Call
Florida Current
Although Pomp and Circumstance may still be echoing in school auditoriums across the state, about 200,000 kindergarten-age children are expected to be enrolled at public schools.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

States forecast highest tax revenue in five years
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
U.S. states expect to collect higher tax revenue in the coming budget year that combined would top pre-recession levels, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Interim Citizens president Grady in running to get permanent post
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. interim president Tom Grady could have the “interim” tag ripped from his title as early as Wednesday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Will PIP changes work? State pays firm to say
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
The Florida Legislature enacted sweeping changes to the state’s no-fault auto insurance law this year in hopes of reducing premiums.

Man who suffered facial attack recovering, doctors say
By Elinor J. Brecher
Miami Herald
Ronald Edward Poppo — possibly blind, horrendously disfigured — is a happy man.

Lake Shore Hospital Authority: Secret procurement - No public comments allowed
By Stew Lilker
Columbia County Observer
Columbia County's Lakeshore Hospital Authority has proven time and time again that it does not represent the people who foot the bill for its existence, the taxpayers of Columbia County.

Health care rebates on tap if reform stands
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Despite the legal assault on President Barack Obama's health care reform law by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, one provision of the law is about to pay huge dividends to Florida consumers.

Reason for skepticism
Editorial
Miami Herald
A well-connected healthcare firm is poised to get the kind of second chance to prove itself that Florida routinely denies for people who have run afoul of the law.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Travyon’s parents propose “Trayvon Martin Amendment” to self defense law
By Frances Robles
Miami Herald
The parents of slain teen Trayvon Martin asked the state task force reviewing Florida’s controversial self-defense law to revise it and make it harder for someone who starts a fight to end it with deadly force.

How much ground?
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
It's a good thing that Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has an open mind about her task force's examination of Florida's controversial “stand your ground” law.

NRA survey takes aim at sheriffs association
Associated Press
Florida Current
The National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida are surveying sheriff candidates in Florida on whether they're willing to take a stand against the very association that will represent them in the Capitol if they win.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Zimmerman’s Wife Is Charged With Perjury
Associated Press
New York Times
The wife of George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon Martin, was charged with perjury on Tuesday, accused of lying at a hearing when she told a judge that the couple had limited money.