Daily News Clips for October 10, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Obama campaign makes massive Florida push for absentee votes
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
President Barack Obama's campaign, eager to bank as many early votes as possible in Florida, is launching an unprecedented program to encourage supporters to vote by absentee ballot right away.

Obama, Romney show new urgency in close race
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Related: Romney promises no abortion legislation
With swinging polls making the White House race as unpredictable as ever, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney were crossing Ohio today and making their case with new urgency in the campaign's final weeks.

Florida ballot snafu draws fears of voter confusion in court elections
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
To the dismay of three Florida Supreme Court justices who have been targeted for defeat by conservative groups, at least 60,000 absentee voters in Palm Beach County may have difficulty finding the judges' names on the November ballot.

Voter fraud? Amendments? Supreme Court? Scott opts not to weigh in on thorny issues
By Mike Van Sickler and Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
From voter fraud to the Supreme Court, Gov. Rick Scott opted not to weigh in on some of the thorniest political issues of the day during a media briefing Tuesday, regularly deferring to the Republican Party of Florida, attorney general Pam Bondi, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the board of Citizens Property Insurance and others.

Reject legislative meddling with courts
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Amendment 5 on the general election ballot has a long, complex summary of nearly 600 words that is purposely confusing to voters.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Scott accidentally gives out adult phone line for meningitis hotline
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
During today's meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Gov. Rick Scott gave a routine update on the fungal meningitis outbreak in the state.

Judicial defense group goes on air blasting politicians
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Although it doesn’t mention Republicans or Gov. Rick Scott by name, the first advertising salvo on behalf of Supreme Court Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince makes the case that Tallahassee politicians after “absolute power.”

Longer ballots mean extra absentee postage
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida absentee voters should be prepared to add extra postage if they want to be sure mail-in ballots arrive and get counted on Nov. 6.

'Textgate' shows Orange County is out of control
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
I have a daughter in middle school. So I'm familiar with the drama that can accompany text messaging.

POLITICAL RACES

Youth rallied for Obama in '08; now there's an enthusiasm gap
By Bob Rathgeber
Ft. Myers News-Press
When Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, he energized and captivated young voters across the nation’s college campuses, a big reason he swept into the White House.

Jeb Bush says Romney would 'unleash' entrepreneurs
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, campaigning for Mitt Romney Tuesday, said a Romney administration would "unleash the animal spirits of the country" with his plans to deregulate business and simplify taxes.

Ann Romney to visit Moffitt; Ryan preps in St. Pete for debate
By William March
Tampa Tribune
The Tampa area is getting lots of attention from the Mitt Romney presidential campaign this week.

Ahead of debate, Paul Ryan stops in St. Petersburg
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan quietly arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday to continue preparations for his Thursday night debate against Vice President Joe Biden.

Romney V Obama: Who's Better For the Middle Class?
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
What is the the true cost of a Romney-Ryan Presidency on Florida? We're joined now by Tara McGuinness, Executive Director of the Center for American Progress Action.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Intent of 11 ballot questions was to deceive
By Fabiola Santiago
Miami Herald
Neither good intentions nor true desire for voter input placed the 11 state constitutional amendments on a crowded ballot headlined by a presidential election.

Proposal puts schools, other vital public services at risk
By Liz Buckley
Orlando Sentinel
As a native Floridian and a mother of two young boys, I am voting no on Florida's Amendment 3 this Nov. 6.

Reject this cap
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
In the past five years, the University of Florida has seen its state funding cut by 25 percent.

Reject misleading Amendment 6 on abortion
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Amendment 6 would take away privacy rights in Florida.

Intrusive government
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Both federal and state laws already prohibit the use of public funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life is endangered.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Exclusive: Fracking confronts Florida
By Mary Wozniak
Ft. Myers News-Press
South Florida may be ripe for fracking.

Conservationists want Florida wildlife to have its own corridor
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
Natural habitats in Florida are being threatened by development and road expansion. 

EDUCATION

BOE to seek increase in budget, flexibility from Legislature
By James Call
Florida Current
Related: Board delays action on immigration suit
The Florida Board of Education approved a legislative agenda on Tuesday that would allow school districts greater flexibility to meet state standards and  includes a 4.4 percent increase in spending for public schools and colleges.

State seeks to double enrollment in charter schools
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Florida sets reading, math goals based on race, ethnicity
Florida education leaders want to double the number of children enrolled in charter schools in the next six years, while also expanding other school-choice options for students.

Gov. Scott proposes grant program for teacher-training
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott continued his new-found focus on education Tuesday, announcing that he would seek $2 million from next year’s legislature to finance a teacher training program.

FSCJ board approves $1.2 million for president's exit
By Kate Howard Perry and Adam Kealoha Causey         
Florida Times-Union
The Florida State College at Jacksonville Board of Trustees gave its president most of what he asked for Tuesday as he stepped down: a continued role and a paycheck for almost two years to come.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Citizens’ move to delay $350M loan falls short for Weatherford
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. on Tuesday opted to temporarily delay approval of a controversial $350 million loan to private companies, but also indicated it might not comply with a request from a top lawmaker calling for legislative review of the program.

Speaker-designate Weatherford taps Rep. McKeel as budget chair
Staff Report
Florida Current
Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford sent a memorandum to House members Tuesday announcing he has named Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida leaders agree to ease funding restraints on prescription drug database
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The state’s governor and top lawmakers are backing away from a ban on using taxpayer dollars to pay for a database that the system’s supporters say is critical in combating prescription drug abuse.

FL reports 1st death in outbreak
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Florida has registered its first fatality from the fungal meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated back-pain injections, the Department of Health announced Tuesday night.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Gov Scott Gives Take On Probe Into Inmate Death, Use Of Excessive Force In Prisons
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
A total of 11 correctional employees who work at Union Correctional Institution have now been suspended.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida justices deny stay of Oct. 16 execution
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Supreme Court has denied a convicted mass killer's request for a stay of his execution schedule for Oct. 16.