Daily News Clips for December 21, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Rick Scott is most imperiled governor in nation
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s poll numbers are so bad, they are fueling speculation that he could draw a primary opponent in 2014 or be pressured by other Republicans to step aside to avert handing Democrats their best chance of winning the governor’s mansion in nearly 20 years.

Florida legislature writes rules for transparency but won’t follow them
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida’s lawmakers say they want to make the state’s $70 billion budget process more transparent, but when it comes to handling contracts and disclosing state salaries, neither Senate President Don Gaetz nor House Speaker Will Weatherford is quite ready to require the Legislature be held to the same standards that it imposes on state agencies.

Obama vows to press ahead on fiscal cliff solution
By Andrew Taylor
Associated Press
President Barack Obama says he'll press ahead with Congress to prevent across-the-board tax increases set to strike taxpayers Jan. 1 after House GOP leaders unexpectedly put off a vote on legislation calling for higher rates on million-dollar earners was abruptly scrapped Thursday evening.

Gun sales booming in Florida after Sandy Hill shooting
By Dan Sullivan
Tampa Bay Times
Gun sales in Florida have surged since last week's mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 20 children and six adults.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

On Santa’s list, Florida politicians are divided between who has been naughty and who’s been naughtier
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
With Florida’s politicians, it’s not a question of who has been naughty and who has been nice, it’s a matter of who’s been naughty and who’s been naughtier.

One Day After Mass Shooting, Florida Officials Boast Million Concealed Weapons Permit Record
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
In the state where we recently saw the deadly shootings of Trayvon Martin and others while those who shot them "shot first and invoked Stand Your Ground later," and less than 24 hours after the latest mass shooting in a crowded shopping mall in Oregon, Florida officials and the NRA are patting themselves on the back as they're poised to celebrate a big milestone.

Arm the teachers, says Rep. Baxley
By Bruce Seaman
Daily Marion
In one of the most remarkably inept comments from a Florida legislator this year – a huge accomplishment when there is so, so much competition – State Rep. Dennis Baxley (R-NRA/ALEC/Ocala) has offered this counsel (includes video).

Why the Conflagration with Protesters May (or May Not) End Well for Congressman Bill Young
By Benjamin J. Kirby
The Spencerian
Eighty-one year-old Republican Congressman Bill Young (FL-10) is serving his twenty-second term in the United States House of Representatives.

Now playing in U.S. House: GOP Fiscal Cliff Plan B Follies (A limited run)
By Daniel Tilson
West Palm Beach Liberal Examiner
Today in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party is putting on a holiday show called “Fiscal Cliff Plan B Follies.”

FLORIDA POLITICS

Miami-Dade grand jury: Absentee voting fraud clouds confidence in tight election results
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Florida and Miami-Dade County should tighten rules for voting by mail and make it easier to vote early in order to prevent fraud and plug “gaping holes” in absentee voting, a Miami-Dade grand jury has concluded.

Bennett, saying he got it wrong, changes stance on early voting
By Josh Salman
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Former Florida Sen. Mike Bennett has a new stance on early voting.

Scott schooled in art of being a politician
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
Sure, two years is an eon in politics. But when the governor has approval ratings lingering somewhere between Casey Anthony and Bashar Assad, it probably doesn't bode well for his re-election prospects. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Given the option, all 19 counties vote not to inspect septic tanks
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
All 19 counties that were required to take action on septic tank inspections under a bill passed by the Legislature last spring have voted to opt out of the requirement, according to the Florida Department of Health.

LGBT

Newt Gingrich to GOP: 'Deal with reality' that the public now supports legalized gay marriage
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Newt Gingrich on Thursday told The Huffington Post that the Republican Party should accept that the public opinion has shifted to acceptance of gay marriage.

EDUCATION

Poll: Majority of Floridians against charging tuition based on majors
News Service of Florida
Tampa Bay Times
Florida voters are overwhelmingly against charging college tuition based on what people study, skeptical that degrees can be offered for $10,000 and strongly against setting different educational goals based on race, a new poll has found.

Sen. Legg intrigued by differential tuition plan
By James Call
Florida Current
Florida voters may object to the idea of a differential tuition plan for state universities, but the chairman of the Senate Education Committee says he wants to explore the idea during the spring legislative session.

Fund school resource officers for all schools, Leon superintendent urges Gov. Scott
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Feeling vulnerable to attack, many Florida parents have demanded their children's schools add permanent armed officers to protect their children.

How we can get it right for teachers and children
By Rosanne Wood
Tallahassee Democrat
The president has rightfully declared that “our first job as a nation is to care for our children ... and to give all of them a chance at a good life with happiness and purpose.”

Don’t force counties to subsidize charter schools
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
How much do tax-cutting Republicans in Tallahassee love charter schools? So much that they might be willing to raise property taxes to help charter schools.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Imminent port strike would hit 4 Florida ports
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Four of Florida’s biggest ports will shut down in nine days if dockworkers and shipping companies don’t reach a labor agreement, putting a dent in the state -- not to mention the national -- economy just as 2013 gets started.

Fla. officials announcing Nov. unemployment rate
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott is hoping the release of new unemployment figures for Florida will be an early Christmas present.

Census: Florida population growth picks up
By Zac Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida added more residents than all but two other states in the last year, according to new census estimates — good news for many industries in a state highly dependent on population growth to fuel the economy.

Suwannee County tells the NFBA – One more strike and you're out
By Stew Lilker
Columbia County Observer
Tuesday afternoon, December 18, 2012, the North Florida Broadband Authority was scheduled to appear in front of the Suwannee County, County Commission.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Fla. agency says health care to cost billions more
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
The administration of Gov. Rick Scott is now contending that the federal health care overhaul will cost state taxpayers billions more than estimates from just a few months ago.

Gov. Rick Scott gets meeting with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the health care law Jan. 7
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott is meeting in early January with federal officials to discuss whether or not the state should implement the federal health care overhaul.

Medicare Starts To Reward Quality, Not Quantity, Of Care
By Jordan Rau 
Kaiser Health News
It's no longer enough for hospitals to just send a bill to Medicare and get paid.

Funding Cuts Hurt State Score on Public Readiness
By Lottie Watts
Health News Florida
Florida hit only half of the indicators for public health preparedness, according to  the “Ready or Not” report from Trust For America’s Health.

Sen. Ring files autism bill for the 5th time
By James Call
Florida Current
Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, wants to make it easier for parents to take a child to a specialist when they suspect an autism spectrum disorder.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida to remember Newtown victims
By Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Governors across the nation, including Florida's Rick Scott, have declared Friday a day of mourning to remember the victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"Stand Your Ground" Is a Flawed Law
By Rhonda Swan
Florida Voices
Steel courage. It’s what George Zimmerman, Michael David Dunn and Michael Jock have in common.

Task force considered on gun control, mental health reform
By Jennifer Sorentrue
Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach County leaders are calling for a local task force to examine statewide gun control and mental health reforms in the aftermath of last week’s mass shooting that left 28 dead in Newtown, Conn.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida Supreme Court seeking 63 more judgeships
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
Florida's crime rate may be falling, but the state Supreme Court on Thursday said 63 more trial court judges still are needed, due largely to high workloads from budget cuts and a glut of mortgage foreclosure cases.

Fla. justices delay but stick with term limit plan
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Supreme Court is sticking with its hotly debated plan to impose eight year term limits on its chief justice and chief judges of lower courts.

Daily News Clips for December 20, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Charlie Crist testifies in D.C. on Florida elections; Gov. Rick Scott supports changes
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Former Gov. Charlie Crist condemned Florida's election law before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, accusing the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott of bringing changes "designed to encourage a certain partisan outcome."

Sorry, Rick Scott, You Can’t Shift Blame For 6 Hour Voting Lines
By Ian Millhiser
Think Progress
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed a law cutting early voting days in what was widely viewed as an effort to frustrate voters who tend to vote both early and Democratic from casting a ballot.

Poll: Voters pan most Florida education reform ideas
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
From higher tuition for arts degrees to race-based standards, a new poll suggests Florida voters are adamantly opposed to education reforms floated by Florida policymakers that essentially treat students differently.

Lawmaker's suggestion to arm teachers met with resistance by educators
By Ben Montgomery
Tampa Bay Times
State Rep. Dennis Baxley's suggestion on Monday that schools would be safer if more people in schools had guns was dismissed on Wednesday by an assortment of people who work in schools and teach children.

Democrat files bill to limit Florida ‘stand your ground’ law
By Michael Peltier
Palm Beach Post
Armed citizens would not be able to automatically cite “stand your ground” protections if they provoke or pursue their assailants following confrontations, under a bill filed Wednesday by the Florida Senate’s Democratic leader.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Crist testifies in Senate that there was voter suppression in Florida
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
In a nation with a growing number of laws restricting voting practices, Florida stood as exhibit A in a hearing Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Miami-Dade elections report: County to blame for some problems
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
The waits of up to seven hours at some Miami-Dade polls during last month’s presidential election occurred in part because the county failed to estimate how much time it would take to fill out 10- to 12-page ballots, did not open more early-voting sites and decided not to draw new precincts this year as planned, a report issued Wednesday concluded.

State asks judge to toss Senate map challenge
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Lawyers for the Legislature asked a Leon County judge on Wednesday to throw out a lawsuit seeking to scrap the current districts for the Senate because the Florida Supreme Court had already rejected a challenge to the lines.

Four ousted in Blind Services after audit discloses sweetheart deal
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Bureau
Thousands of state workers haven't received pay raises in years, but Division of Blind Services worker Caroline McManus was due for a $97,000 boost overnight.

Atwater asks for Cabinet oversight of Citizens inspector general
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater sent a letter Wednesday to Gov. Rick Scott asking for the proposed inspector general for Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the troubled state-run insurer that is the subject of two investigations, to be under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet.

Rubio, Nelson get high approval marks
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson may be in different parties, but in both cases, a majority of Floridians believe they are doing a good job.

Floridians split on gay marriage, oppose legalizing pot
Associated Press
Miami Herald
A new poll says Florida voters are split on gay marriage, but they oppose legalizing marijuana.

POLITICAL RACES

New poll is 'just plain awful' for Gov. Scott, encouraging for Charlie Crist
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
A statewide survey of Florida voters released Wednesday gave Gov. Rick Scott "just plain awful" job-approval ratings as he cranks up his two-year campaign for re-election -- against a probable challenge by an increasingly popular ex-Gov. Charlie Crist.

Around Florida: Scott, Crist already trading jabs in advance of 2014
By Matt Dixon  
Florida Times-Union
In the otherwise quiet days leading up to the holidays, the Tallahassee discussion last week centered on election reform.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Lack of genetic diversity threatens manatees, study says
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
The population of Florida's manatees, which have been on the endangered species list since 1967, has grown to somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000.

LGBT

Scott Herman, a longtime gay Republican, becomes a Democrat after 2012 legislative loss in Broward
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Scott Herman of Wilton Manors, a gay Republican who this fall got clobbered in a run for a seat in the Florida Legislature, is now a Democrat.

EDUCATION

Front & Center with Tony Bennett: In tune with school accountability
By Darryl E. Owens
Orlando Sentinel
Last month, Tony Bennett lost his bid to remain state superintendent in Indiana.

Florida must realign its education reform efforts, Senate chairman says
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Florida has several education reform initiatives taking effect over the next two years. Perhaps too many, state Senate education policy committee chairman John Legg says.

13th Grade: ‘Common Core’ Standards Aim To Smooth The Path From K-12 to College
By Sarah Gonzalez
StateImpact Florida
In Florida, a high school diploma is not the same thing as a certificate of college readiness.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Benefits about to dry up for 113K in Florida
By Ledyard King and Mary Ordnorff Troyan
Ft. Myers News-Press
Unemployment benefits for more than 113,000 Floridians will end abruptly on Dec. 29 unless Congress extends an emergency program for people who have exhausted their state unemployment benefits.

Florida's minimum wage going up 12 cents per hour
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida's minimum wage is going up by 12 cents per hour to $7.79 on Jan.1 due to an increase in the cost of living.

Employees Affected By Prison Health Care Suit May Have To Reapply For State Benefits
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
As the state continues its battle to privatize the state’s prison health care services, some employees, who are still in limbo, may now have to reapply for their state benefits.

Boehner goes off-track in avoiding ‘fiscal cliff’
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
House Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman on Wednesday called President Barack Obama’s promise to veto Rep. Boehner’s “Plan B” “fiscal cliff” proposal “bizarre and irrational.”

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Next Challenge for the Health Law: Getting the Public to Buy In
By Abby Goodnough
New York Times
On its face, the low-key discussion around a conference table in Miami last month did not appear to have national implications.

DCF chief inspects Miami Gardens nursing home where girl died
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
Florida’s top child-welfare administrator visited children Wednesday at a troubled Miami Gardens nursing home that is under investigation over its treatment of medically fragile children in state care.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

It's official: Florida passes 1 million threshold in concealed weapons permits
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Former Gov. Charlie Crist shifts on guns, supports new restrictions
Florida officials don't know when, but sometime in the last 24 hours someone received the 1 millionth concealed weapons permit in Florida -- making it the first state to reach that milestone.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Fla. Attorney General ends bid to force testimony
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is dropping her effort to force a newspaper reporter to testify in a criminal case involving a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.

Daily News Clips for December 19, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Qpoll: Scott’s popularity remains low, faces ‘herculean’ task to change voters’ minds
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
As Gov. Rick Scott prepares for a re-election bid in 2014, more than half of Florida’s voters say he doesn’t deserve a second term and Scott’s job approval rating remains low, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University.

Gov. Scott: Florida needs more early voting days
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Florida Gov. Rick Scott told CNN‘s Soledad O’Brien this morning that the state needs a longer early voting period after some voters, including those in Palm Beach County, waited up to eight hours to cast their ballots.

As nation moves ahead on gun control, Tallahassee in denial
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Nation cries out for reasonable gun laws
It came at an unfathomable cost. But across the nation, long-held political bargains that have pitted individual gun rights against broader public safety concerns are being re-examined after the loss of 20 innocent schoolchildren and six adults in Newtown, Conn.

Rubio, Nelson divided on assault weapons ban
By Ledyard King
Ft. Myers News-Press
Like many other parents still trying to absorb Friday’s mass shooting in Connecticut, Marco Rubio was more anxious than usual when he took his kids to school Monday.

House GOP focusing on fiscal cliff backup plan
By Alan Fram
Associated Press
Still short of a "fiscal cliff" deal with the White House, top House Republicans are laboring to rally their rank-and-file behind an alternative plan that would prevent looming tax increases for everyone but those earning over $1 million a year.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Florida's new license plate design announced
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Unlike presidential races in Florida, the counting of votes for the next state license plate ended on time Friday with — so far, at least — no threat of a recount.

Rick Scott Looks For Other Budget Transparency Options
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Gov. Rick Scott has announced that he will take a look at other possible budget transparency programs in Florida.

Bad return address on Christmas cards from Gov. Rick Scott's political committee
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
It is definitely not the Governor's Mansion. There are no stately white columns on the modest house 3 miles east of the state Capitol.

Sachs targets ECOs with bill to curb libelous political ads
By James Call
Florida Current
A South Florida senator wants tighter regulations on political electioneering communication organizations.

Santa's List for State Politicians: Naughty, Naughtier
By Peter Schorsch
Florida Voices
With Florida's politicians, it's not a question of who has been naughty and who has been nice, it's a matter of who's been naughty and who's been naughtier.

Legislative pay hikes disappoint, yet hope on other issues remains
Editorial
Bradenton Herald
When House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz assumed their new positions of power last month, both talked about a fresh bipartisan approach in their opening speeches.

For transparency in government
Editorial
Miami Herald
It’s disappointing, though not surprising, that Gov. Rick Scott decided last week to allow a budget tracking website that Florida taxpayers have already paid for to remain on the shelf while the state pursues new bidders for the project.

POLITICAL RACES

Fla. poll says Scott's re-election in jeopardy
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's chances for re-election are in jeopardy, a new poll shows.

Instant analysis: Key takeaways from today’s Quinnipiac poll of Rick Scott
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
Related: Rick Scott committee now at $5 million raised for 2014 race
A new Quinnipiac poll finds Gov. Rick Scott’s job performance rating upside-down at 45% disapprove to 36% approve.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Wood storks no longer endangered species, say feds; Audubon disagrees
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
The wood stork, on the endangered list for more than 25 years, has bounced back, federal officials announced Tuesday.

UF researchers study manatee population, outlook
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
University of Florida researchers studying manatees say that despite a growth in population, their outlook remains risky.

Source of persistent Gulf sheen remains a mystery
By Michael Kunzelman
Associated Press
Underwater inspections at the site of BP's Deepwater Horizon rig disaster have failed to identify the source of a persistent sheen on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, officials said Tuesday.

State gets 2nd Panhandle land deal as part of oil spill settlement
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Trust for Public Land has purchased and donated to the state a conservation easement on 2,336 acres in Walton County that is part of a larger private nature preserve. 

EDUCATION

Brevard legislators: Armed teachers worth considering
By Dave Berman
Florida Today
Should teachers bring guns to school along with their briefcases and lunch bags?

Orange leaders OK $3M for more deputies in elementary schools
By David Damron and Erica Rodriguez
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County commissioners voted 6-0 Tuesday to pay up to $3 million for full-time, armed deputies at elementary schools in its unincorporated areas until the end of the academic year in a move designed to quell campus fears after last week's mass killings in Newtown, Conn.

Legislators told of flaws in new teacher evaluations
By Joey Flechas
Gainesville Sun
Related editorial: The joke’s on us
Three state lawmakers got a chance to listen to Alachua County teachers talk about a controversial new state teacher evaluation system during a forum at Buchholz High School on Tuesday night.

13th Grade: What Florida Colleges Are Doing To Help More Students Complete Remedial Courses
By Lynn Waddell and John O’Connor
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Jamille Cunningham’s primary learning tool in her remedial reading course at St. Petersburg College is a computer program.

The Real Cost of Gov. Rick Scott's Education Proposal
By Pamela Newton
Huffington Post
A chill is running down the spines of English majors everywhere.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Gov. Rick Scott right that Florida economy soured under Charlie Crist but wrong to blame him
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald PolitiFact
Former Gov. Charlie Crist has the Florida political world buzzing about a potential face-off with Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014.

Black Business loan fund takes jobs agency to court over certification
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The Black Business Investment Fund of Central Florida is suing the Department of Economic Opportunity for its refusal to certify the group as a Black Business Investment Corporation for the current fiscal year, denying the fund millions of dollars to loan to minority-owned businesses.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

'Gunshine State' Offers Mixed Reaction
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Don’t expect Friday’s massacre of first graders to nudge Florida in the direction of gun control, not even on assault weapons.

'If I'd Had To Wait Until 67 For Medicare, I'd Be Dead'
By Russ Mitchell
Kaiser Health News
Sam Lewis turned 65 in the nick of time. For a year, he'd been broke.

Dental care is a much needed part of overall health but isn't always affordable
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
With or without insurance, dental care is often neglected in health care decisions because it’s so expensive. But good dental care is about more than just a pretty smile, it’s a vital part of overall health.

Moffitt To Employees: Flu Shot or Mask
By Lottie Watts
Health News Florida
When H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center asked its employees to get flu shots, only about 60 percent complied.

Miami-Dade owner of mental health chain pleads guilty to stealing millions from Medicare
By Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Kept behind bars because of fears he might flee to Cuba, Armando “Manny” Gonzalez has pleaded guilty to stealing tens of millions of dollars from Medicare by fraudulently billing the taxpayer-funded program through a mental health chain in Miami-Dade and North Carolina.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Gun-control backers see domino effect on firms after Newtown school shootings
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Retailers, investors and Hollywood are reacting to the massacre of 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., in what gun control advocates are hoping will be a domino effect.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Fla. Attorney General wants reporter to testify
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is jumping into the twisting criminal case against a former aide to Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, asking that an appeals court force a newspaper reporter to testify for the prosecution.