Daily Clips for August 8, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum to speak at GOP convention
By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Pam Bondi among RNC speakers in GOP leaders' latest announcement
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be among the headliners speaking at the Republican National Convention, GOP chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday.

Gov. Scott will do balancing act describing Florida economy to GOP faithful
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Related: Gov. Scott’s view on Florida jobs and taxes contrasts with Romney’s
News item: Gov. Rick Scott will deliver a speech at this summer’s Republican National Convention. Scott is expected to say how (wonderful / horrible) the economy has been in Florida under (his / President Obama’s) administration.

Scott’s Agency Head Exodus
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There is an exodus at the state capitol. Two of Governor Rick Scott’s agency heads quit last week. Seven have bolted since Scott took office.

Scott keeps distance from latest HCA probe
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott kept his distance Tuesday from allegations that his former hospital chain is being investigated by federal officials over billing for unnecessary medical treatments, mostly at its Florida hospitals.

Coalition of environmental groups launches petition drive for constitutional amendment
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Related editorial: A way to protect Florida’s treasures
A coalition of the state's top environmental organizations on Tuesday launched a petition drive to put an amendment on the November 2014 ballot that would guarantee a stable source of money for environmental protection.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Republican convention protesters have questions for Tampa officials during ACLU rights forum
By Liz McKibbon
WMNF Tampa
The Republican National Convention begins in Tampa in less than three weeks; areas of the city designated as the Event Zone and Designated Protest Area will bear additional restrictions.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, lawmakers disagree over foreclosure settlement funds
By Tia Mitchell and Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Attorney General Pam Bondi clarified Tuesday that she was not feuding with the Legislature over how to spend $300 million in cash earmarked for Florida as part of a $25 billion national foreclosure settlement.

Gov. Scott on embattled Lt. Gov. Carroll: 'She's done a great job'
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
It has been a rough few weeks for Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.

Rev. Al Sharpton urges ‘action’ to get South Florida’s black voters to vote
By Veit Medick and Anna Edgerton
Miami Herald
The Rev. Al Sharpton came to South Florida Tuesday to encourage black voters to register, get the proper ID and cast their ballots.

Consultant ends up in tough spot: the limelight
By Patricia Mazzei, Charles Rabin and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Fired from one campaign and chastised by another, veteran Miami political consultant Al Lorenzo finds himself in a position where no political operative wants to be: in the news.

POLITICAL RACES

Romney to appear at $50,000 per couple fundraising dinner in Fort Lauderdale
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Mitt Romney will pop into a $50,000 per person/couple fundraiser in Fort Lauderdale on Monday as he swings through Florida for campaign events.

Armed fleet of boats to patrol Tampa's waters during RNC
By Ray Reyes
Tampa Tribune
Fully automatic machine guns are attached to the sides of a Hillsborough sheriff's office boat whenever cargo ships require an escort into the Port of Tampa.

In Florida primary, Reps. John Mica and Sandy Adams represent GOP mainstream vs. tea party
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Two years ago, veteran U.S. Rep John Mica helped Sandy Adams get elected to Congress.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Jacobs: Sick leave measure can still make ballot
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Study: Paid sick-time would help employers, too
Worker advocates trying to get a mandatory sick-time measure to voters this fall got some good news from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs when she said Tuesday the initiative still could clear a number of hurdles in time to make it on the Nov. 6 ballot.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Scott avoids wading into FPL rate hike request
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
As the Public Service Commission on Tuesday resumed public hearings in a $690-million rate request by Florida Power & Light Co., Gov. Rick Scott avoided taking a stand on the issue despite concerns about cost of living increases for energy.

Top Billboard Company Won’t Be Charged in Tree-Poisoning Case
By Myron Levin
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
No criminal charges will be filed against billboard giant Lamar Advertising Co. despite evidence that company workers in Tallahassee, Fla., over at least seven years secretly chopped down or poisoned trees to provide clearer views of its roadside signs. 

EDUCATION

Thanks, but no thanks: Big names not interested in Florida commissioner job
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Strike the name of Tom Luna, Idaho's superintendent of public instruction, from the list of possibilities to replace outgoing Florida education commissioner Gerard Robinson.

Jeb Bush urges Miss. to follow Florida on schools
By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is urging Mississippi leaders to follow his state's example on education changes, and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is signaling his support for many of Florida's approaches.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Report: Low-Wage Jobs Are Flooding Florida
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
A recent Georgetown University study claims that Florida is poised to become a state of mostly low-wage and/or low-skilled jobs.

Atwater to auto insurers: Quit whining
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
CFO Jeff Atwater thinks auto insurers should get on board with rate reductions and “quit whining.”

Investigation finds 741 tax returns filed from single Belle Glade home
By Donna Gehrke-White
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A small South Florida city has attracted the attention of federal investigators looking into tax refund fraud and identity theft, according to an independent watchdog agency that oversees the Internal Revenue Service.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Sarasota schools get $800,000 insurance rebate
By Christopher O'Donnell
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
About 2,700 Sarasota County school employees may see cheaper health insurance premiums for their families next year after the school district received a rebate of more than $800,000 from its health insurance provider.

Panel finishes its work on new regulations for ALFs
By James Call
Florida Current
A 15-member committee addressing assisted living facility regulations will issue a report recommending new regulations on Aug.15.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Gun Control Advocate Says Neither Obama Nor Romney Have Taken Strong Stand Against Gun Violence
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
Coming up today- in the wake of the tragic killings in Wisconsin of people in a Sikh temple by a white supremacist we'll talk with Ladd Everitt who is communications director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

Lake City FL to be ground zero in war against official use of Confederate Flag in Florida
By Stew Lilker
Columbia County Observer
Last Monday's NAACP Lake City chapter town hall meeting was mostly an informational meeting, which reminded all the attendees what the NAACP stood for and how it got to where it is today.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Suit to kick Florida justices off ballot gets hearing
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A trial judge is hearing argument in a lawsuit aimed at throwing three of his seven bosses — Florida Supreme Court justices — off the Nov. 6 ballot.

Judge voids Fla. limit on minors' campaign giving
Associated Press
Ocala Star-Banner
A two-decade-old Florida law limiting the contributions minors may make to state and local political campaigns is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech rights, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Fla. Bar: Nothing disqualifies illegal immigrant
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
An illegal immigrant born in Mexico appears to qualify for a law license, though the Florida Board of Bar Examiners says it still wants an advisory opinion from the state Supreme Court before making a final decision.