PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
The BluVu: Week of September 24, 2012
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
Guess who's winning the message war, Michelle Obama wows the college crowd, and Damien of Progress Florida comments on the firestorm surrounding Gov. Scott’s education tour…plus much more as political reality comes your way.
FEATURED
STORIES
Obama widening lead over Romney in key states
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A new poll shows President Barack Obama opening a double-digit lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in two of the nation's three largest swing states.
Romney in Final Push to Alienate Remaining Voters (satire)
By Andy Borowitz
The New Yorker
With just forty-three days to go until the election, Mitt Romney is in a race against time to offend the few voters he has not already alienated, his campaign manager said today.
Rick Scott's education road show was nice, but advocates want specifics
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
It will take more than a listening tour to convince education advocates across Florida that Gov. Rick Scott is on their side.
Florida GOP's opposition to justices plays ugly politics
By Sue Carlton
Tampa Bay Times
So the Republican Party of Florida is taking aim at our state Supreme Court, specifically at three sitting justices who have apparently displeased the GOP.
Rivera ran secret campaign, Sternad tells FBI
By Manny Garcia and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: A Miami Bonnie without a Clyde
Justin Lamar Sternad, whose failed congressional campaign became the subject of a federal grand-jury investigation, has told the FBI that U.S. Rep. David Rivera was secretly behind his run for office, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald have learned.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Senate president scolds lobbyists who opposed his candidates
By Mary Ellen Klas
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
It is the talk of Tallahassee: Incoming Senate President Don Gaetz arrived in Orlando to accept an award from a business lobbying group and then banned two lobbyists from his office for orchestrating attacks on his candidates in the Republican primary.
Former Republican leader Greer criticizes campaign against Florida Supreme Court justices
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
At least one Republican doesn't like the GOP's decision to oppose the merit retention of three Florida Supreme Court judges.
"Questionable” Palm Beach County voter registration forms forwarded to state attorney for review
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
The Republican Party of Florida is dumping a firm it paid more than $1.3 million to register new voters, after Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher flagged 106 “questionable” registration applications turned in by the contractor this month.
State, LWV Launch Voter Campaign
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There is almost no path to victory for presidential challenger Mitt Romney that doesn’t include winning Florida
Tampa releases St. Petersburg's estimated RNC costs
By Mark Puente
Tampa Bay Times
The city's police expenses for the Republican National Convention's welcome party at Tropicana Field have been declared so secret that a top-security clearance is needed to know the details.
POLITICAL
RACES
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan double-down in Ohio with joint appearance
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Thin Lizzy's hit The Boys Are Back in Town blared as Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan bounded onto stage together Tuesday.
Mack pushes ideological differences in U.S. Senate race
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
In front of crowds of a few dozen people, Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV is using his U.S. Senate campaign bus tour to establish his image as a conservative and paint Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson as a liberal.
WaPo, PPP polls give Nelson substantial lead
By William March
Tampa Tribune
New polls by the Washington Post and Public Policy Polling show Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson with a substantial lead over Republican challenger Rep. Connie Mack IV—14 points in the Post poll and 9 in the PPP survey.
Buchanan-Fitzgerald battle heats up
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The battle to represent Sarasota and Manatee counties in Congress is ramping up.
Voting absentee
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
In a few weeks, Florida voters will face a long, crowded, wordy ballot.
BALLOT
INITIATIVES
Reject FL amendment proposals that put politics into unwarranted places
Editorial
Bradenton Herald
Florida voters face the daunting test of understanding sometimes vague and complicated language in the 11 constitutional amendments on the November ballot -- all composed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Commissioner, Disney lobbyist exchanged messages before sick pay vote
Staff Report
WESH Orlando
Fifty-thousand supporters of a sick pay referendum took their best shot Sept. 11 to have the initiative put on the Nov. ballot, but seven Orange County commissioners kept it off.
Lessons from Orange County’s Sick-Leave Petition Drive
By Susan Clary
Florida Voices
It sounded like a good idea. In 1988, the authors of the Orange County Charter created a provision that gives voters a tool to petition for change.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Water districts respond to former board members who wrote Gov. Scott
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The chairs of the state's five water management districts say their agencies are focused on the "prudent use of taxpayer dollars" rather than on raising taxes.
Putnam says planned network of natural gas refueling stations is a model for communities
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Tuesday a planned network of natural gas refueling stations could help overcome the "chicken-or-the-egg" dilemma for alternative-fueled vehicles.
LGBT
Federal judge recuses herself in Lt. Dan Choi case protesting old 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' gay ban
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
News release from Lt. Dan Choi, who two years ago chained himself to a White House fence to protest Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
EDUCATION
Search for Florida education chief is extended to find better candidates
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Citing a lack of qualified candidates, the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday extended its search for a new education commissioner by two months.
Florida seeking school scapegoat, not school reformer
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Board of Education is experiencing deja vu. Members held an emergency meeting Tuesday morning to extend for two months the deadline for applicants hoping to be the state’s next education commissioner.
Brevard teachers go red in support of raise proposal
By Mackenzie Ryan
Florida Today
Teachers filled the Brevard School Board chambers Tuesday night, many dressed in red, in support of a union proposal that calls for raises this school year.
School Board denies application for charter school
By Joe Callahan
Ocala Star-Banner
A nonprofit group’s application to launch a Marion County online charter school was denied by the School Board on Tuesday.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Home prices, confidence, incomes all rise in Florida and nationally
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Economic optimism overflowed Tuesday as at least three measures of recovery in Florida and nationally showed gains.
More take outs announced as Citizens moves toward loan program
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The Office of Insurance Regulation announced Monday it approved 60,000 more policies to be taken out of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. by private companies.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Duval health chief quits 2 days after Times-Union report on TB outbreak response
By Tracy Jones
Florida Times-Union
The director of the Duval County Health Department “retired” two days after a Times-Union story detailed the agency’s pattern of concealing information about a years-long tuberculosis outbreak.
Questions raised about future funding of Florida drug database
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Money for a state program aimed at combating prescription drug abuse is running out, raising questions about how long the program will stay afloat and whether the state should pay for it.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
U.S. extends temporary status for Haitians
By Mike Clary
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Tens of thousands of Haitians who came to South Florida following the 2010 earthquake will get extra time to live and work here while the struggle to rebuild their shattered Caribbean nation continues.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Conservatives Launch Campaign Against Florida Supreme Court Justices (Again)
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
The executive board of the Republican Party of Florida on Sept. 21 voted to oppose the merit retention of Florida Supreme Court Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, picking up a fight that conservatives have already lost once.
Retention vote on state supreme court justices chance to put in ‘lapdogs’
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Having an independent judicial branch of government has become too inconvenient in Florida.
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