Daily News Clips for October 23, 2012

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Nonvote is not a 'No' vote this Election Day, groups warn
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Excerpt: "We're going to have people running over on their lunch hour to vote, and they're going to be handed this tome," said Progress Florida political director Damien Filer. "I would hope that everyone would vote and vote all the way down the ballot."

FEATURED STORIES

Obama Schools Romney
By David Corn
Mother Jones
The final presidential debate did not resolve much, but it showed, yet again, that Mitt Romney will say just about anything to win the White House.

Why President Obama won the debate — and why it might not matter much
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: Obama, Romney tackle Libya, Iran and Syria in final debate
Related: Facts and fiction in foreign policy debate
The issue was teed up for Mitt Romney from the get-go at Monday night’s foreign-policy debate: What happened when four foreign-service workers were killed in Libya?

After debates, close race will come down to turnout
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
With the debates now over, the final sprint of the 2012 presidential campaign begins and the trajectory seems as murky as ever.

Rick Scott’s education priorities: Keep funding steady, expand charter schools
By Steve Bousquet, Tia Mitchell and Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott wants to hold public school funding steady next year, expand charter schools, put a hold on new testing requirements for students and promises no "war on teachers."

Is he kidding?
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Gov. Rick Scott certainly has a lot of nerve.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Advocacy groups to Citizens: Call back your watchdogs
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Ethics and consumer advocacy groups want Gov. Rick Scott to pressure Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to rethink its decision to disband the Office of Corporate Integrity.

Bogus letter sent to voters in Palm Beach, other Florida counties claiming citizenship questions imperil ability to vote
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Town Councilman William Diamond was worried when he received a letter over the weekend from Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, claiming he would be ineligible to vote in the upcoming election unless he sent in a form proving he was a U.S. citizen.

Hernando County Democrat uses robocall to narrow mail-in ballot gap
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
If President Barack Obama wins Florida for a second time, he'll have plenty of people to thank for a re-election victory that at the moment hardly seems like a sure thing.

Q&A with: Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
For almost 24 years, Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho has been a recognized expert on voting systems and increasing public participation at the polls.

Weatherford names leadership team
Staff Report
Florida Current
Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, announced three members of his leadership team Monday that will help him manage the 120-member chamber and maneuver bills through the process.

POLITICAL RACES

Lynn University students revel in chance to see presidential debate in person
By Jeff Greer and Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post
Related: On foreign policy night, candidates came home to the economy
Getting a chance to see President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney in person is something Louis Davis will never forget.

President Barack Obama will hold rally Thursday morning in Ybor City
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
President Barack Obama will hold a rally Thursday morning in Ybor City, part of his "America Forward!" six-state tour this week.

Daily News/Scripps poll: Nelson still leads Mack by 4 percent after debate
By Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Naples Daily News
With just two weeks until the Nov. 6 general election, the battle for Florida's U.S. Senate seat is turning out to be closer than once predicted.

Sen. Bill Nelson makes campaign stop in Pensacola
By Carlton Proctor
Pensacola News Journal
Incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson urged about 60 Pensacola supporters to vote early and take nothing for granted, despite polls showing him with a double-digit lead over GOP challenger U.S. Rep. Connie Mack III.

Big business vs. unions in Orlando’s marquee state House races
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
The Republican candidates in Orlando’s close races for seats in the state Legislature have found a sweet ally in U.S. Sugar Corp.

Political vet John Thrasher facing novice challenger for state Senate seat
By Steve Patterson      
Florida Times-Union
State Sen. John Thrasher faces a retired public school teacher to keep his District 6 seat representing St. Johns, Putnam and Flagler counties and part of Volusia County.

Nancy Argenziano seeks a comeback
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
No political activity involving Nancy Argenziano is likely to be uninteresting.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Florida ballot questions on courts, student representation
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
A proposed constitutional amendment that would change the way Florida Supreme Court justices are appointed and give the legislature more control over court rules isn’t a power grab, said a House Speaker who pushed the proposal.

Opponents of Abortion Amendment 6 Target Florida Hispanic Voters
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
Opponents of an amendment related to abortion have launched a new ad-campaign---this time targeting Hispanic voters.

'No' on state amendments
Editorial
Florida Today
We urge you to vote “no” on all 11 of the proposed Florida constitutional amendments, which include everything from additional property-tax breaks to abortion funding.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Counties balk against governor's suggestion to appoint some oil spill consortium members
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Several of the counties on a consortium that is preparing a plan to spend some oil spill money objected Monday to a request by Gov. Rick Scott to appoint one-fourth of the consortium and its chairman.

EDUCATION

Florida Virtual School Incorporates Face-to-Face Learning
By Michelle R. Davis
Education Week
At Florida's Coral Glades High School , 13 classes of students take an online course in world history through the Florida Virtual School.

Florida Prepaid up 11 Percent
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
The price of a traditional Florida Prepaid College Plan is up 11 percent this year, to more than 53-thousand dollars.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Lower unemployment rate means fewer state benefits for jobless workers next year
By Emily Roach
Palm Beach Post
Florida ranks last in the nation for the rate of unemployed people receiving state benefits and in January its going to become even stingier.

Lawmaker Wants Mortgage Settlement Funds For State Worker Raises
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
The Florida Attorney General’s office is engaged in a tug-of-war with the state legislature over which group can decide how to spend a $300 million mortgage settlement, but one local  state lawmaker wants to divert part of the settlement to pay raises for state employees.

Why is state creating a Florida business brand — in Nashville?
By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
I have to admire Enterprise Florida's arrogant decision to outsource a six-figure job to identify the agency's "Florida business brand" to a Tennessee company.

South Florida home values up 8 percent, surpassing national average
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
South Florida’s home values were up nearly 8 percent in the third quarter of the year from the same time in 2011 and are expected to outpace national price hikes through 2013.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

State awards $35M in grants
Staff Report
Health News Florida
Twenty-eight health-care organizations in Florida  will receive a total of $35 million in state grants to enhance primary care for low-income people, officials announced Monday.

Florida meningitis cases up to 18
By James Call
Florida Current
The Florida Department of Health Monday confirmed one additional case of fungal meningitis linked to steroid shots for back pain and said additional cases are expected.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Fla. to execute mass killer after court lifts stay
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida is going ahead with the execution of a convicted mass killer from the 1970s after an appeals court lifted a last-minute stay.

1st Defendant In FAMU Hazing Case Sentenced to Community Service and Probation
By Lynn Hatter and The Associated Press
WFSU Tallahassee
The first of 12 former Florida A&M University band members facing felony charges in the hazing death of a drum major has been sentenced to community service and probation after an Orange County judge said he played only a minor role in the hazing death of Robert Champion.