FEATURED
STORIES
As Gov. Scott tries midterm move to middle, ACLU cites civil-liberty attacks
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
The ACLU of Florida says the 11 lawsuits the advocacy organization has filed or joined challenging policies of Gov. Rick Scott show his two years in office have been marked by repeated attempts to undermine constitutional liberties.
Florida election supervisors want up to 14 early voting days
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Hoping to avert future voting meltdowns, Florida election supervisors will urge the Legislature to restore up to 14 days of early voting and expand voting locations.
Is Charlie Crist Florida's Next Governor?
By Terrence McCoy
Miami New Times
Days before this past November's election at a cramped deli off Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, a new yellow Camaro glided into the parking lot and hummed to a rest. An Obama 2012 sticker was pasted onto its bumper.
Gov. Scott defends $26 billion health costs
By Kelli Kennedy and Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Republican Gov. Rick Scott defended himself Thursday against criticism that he was overstating how much the federal health care overhaul would cost his state, saying it's unclear how much the federal government will fund.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Rick Scott plays Obamacare 'Chicken' with feds, fast & loose with facts
By Daniel Tilson
West Palm Beach Liberal Examiner
Florida Governor Rick Scott, after turning yesterday's Washington DC meeting with Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius into a politically twisted Game of Chicken, today faces new questions regarding seemingly intentional efforts to mislead the general public about the cost of federal health reform to the state and its taxpayers.
Rhee's StudentsFirst grades education on ideology, not results
By Laura Clawson
Daily Kos
Michelle Rhee continues her descent into parody. You might have thought that teaching students to read would be a good way to evaluate educational performance, but no.
Is online education a poisoned chalice?
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
My friend in venture capital is an investor in online education. A former top executive in one of the largest school systems in the nation, he posed the question, "Does online education work?"
The Next Irresponsible Expansion of Florida’s McKay Scholarship is Here
By Bob Sikes
Scathing Purple Musings
Now it won’t matter that a child wasn’t even a student in Florida the year before to qualify.
Record Numbers in Florida Locked and Loaded
By Trish Ponder
Pensito Review
The news that nearly 800,000 people in Florida requested the background checks needed to purchase a firearm in 2012 gives the rest of the country one more reason to avoid the Sunshine State.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
FDLE finds no evidence of vote fraud in MTV's Rock the Vote
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
If there were any questions that the people running MTV's Rock the Vote were perpetuating fraud in registering voters, those were answered Thursday.
Bill filed to limit amendments
News Service of Florida
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
In the wake of an election in which voters had to wade through 11 constitutional amendment proposals put forth by legislators and complained of long voting lines, a Democratic state senator wants to limit how many ballot questions lawmakers can pose.
Activist, fundraiser compete for Democratic Party chair
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
The race to lead the Florida Democratic Party is heading down to the wire, and dividing elected leaders from the party's traditional grassroots bases of support.
Orange Mayor Jacobs proposes major texting, lobbying reforms
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
In the midst of the textgate scandal, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs today proposed major reforms in lobbying and texting rules that she said would be some of the toughest in the country.
POLITICAL
RACES
Marco Rubio Is GOP's Top Choice for 2016, But He's Trailing Hilary Clinton by 14 Points
By Kyle Munzenrieder
Miami New Times
It's not exactly news that Republicans have such a deep politi-crush on Marco Rubio that they'd like nothing more than to make him their 2016 nominee.
Scott’s committee adds $360K for 2014 efforts
News Service of Florida
Saint Petersblog
A political committee that will play a key role in Rick Scott’s 2014 re-election bid raised $360,000 in November and December, including $100,000 from AT&T, according to the state Division of Elections website.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Bill would let landowners acquire state land without having to buy it
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A bill that would allow private landowners to acquire state land without having to pay for it is raising concerns among some environmental groups.
Sen. Bill Nelson is going python hunting
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Sen. Bill Nelson has taken some ribbing for his focus on Pythons in the Everglades.
Yard Waste Will Power Florida Cars
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
Florida will be the country's first location to produce ethanol from yard waste such as leaves and tree trunks.
LGBT
Eleanor Sobel's New Domestic Partnership Bill Will Be 'Lucky' To See Debate, Critic Says
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Hollywood) has filed a "domestic partnership" bill for the March session of the Florida Legislature.
EDUCATION
Gov. Rick Scott reshapes state Board of Governors with five appointments
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida Gov. Rick Scott reshaped the state university governing board Thursday, stacking it with five like-minded Republicans whom he expects to heed his opposition to new tuition increases.
District audit panel suggests tighter controls on charter schools’ student attendance reporting
By Jason Schultz
Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach County School District needs to develop better controls over how charter schools take and report student attendance, district audit committee members said Thursday.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Lawmakers to disburse part of foreclosure settlement funds next week
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A legislative budget panel will meet next week to parcel out $60 million to aid troubled homeowners as part of an agreement between Attorney General Pam Bondi and legislative leaders over how to spend some of a foreclosure fraud settlement with five large banks.
It’s Time to Stop Paying Companies to Ship Jobs Overseas
The Progress Report
Think Progress
The presidential election served as a useful opportunity to educate the American people about some of the worst elements of our tax code.
Racing away with the cash
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
This was a thing of fife and drum beauty: Republicans and Democrats putting aside their petty, partisan disharmony to come together as comrades-in-chicanery for the good of their pals.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Slammed for 'warehousing' children in nursing homes, state pitches changes
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration has launched an “enhanced care” program in response to scathing criticism about the treatment of hundreds of disabled children who are kept in nursing homes.
Lawmakers, Stakeholders Converge On Orlando For Health Care Summit
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
A first of its kind Health Care Summit is underway, and hundreds of people all around the nation are expected to weigh in on Florida’s health care system.
Scott Should Just Tell Citizens the Truth
By Rhonda Swan
Florida Voices
Gov. Rick Scott cannot be trusted.
Scott admits to faking the cost to Florida of Medicaid expansion
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott finally had to admit that he faked the numbers for how much it would cost Florida to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Gov. Scott is a no-show on call with other govs and president over guns
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Vice President Joe Biden, heading up White House talks on gun control, held a conference call with the nation's governors yesterday, including some who have been sharply critical of the president.
Pistol-packing teachers? A formula for disaster
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
The need for security, especially when it concerns our kids, can give birth to loopy ideas.
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