Daily News Clips for January 24, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

The BluVu: Week of January 24^th
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
Obamacare takes center stage in Florida as the President is sworn in for a second term and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer has commentary on that. The Governor tries some heavy lifting to repair his image with educators, but they're not convinced....all this and more as political reality comes your way!

FEATURED STORIES

Teachers skeptical of Gov. Rick Scott's plan to raise their pay
By Rob Shaw
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott unveiled a plan Wednesday he said would give Florida's public school teachers a $2,500 pay raise.

Critics say Scott's shift politically motivated
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida Gov. Rick Scott came into office slashing state education budgets, taking on teachers and other public employees over their pensions and backing the Legislature’s effort to cut early voting in Florida.

If Guns Don’t Kill People, Why Does Florida Cheat Mental Health?
By Tim Padgett
Time Magazine
Maybe Florida is hoping to deflect attention from its hopeless election system.

Lawmakers challenge Rick Scott's economic incentives claims
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Florida lawmakers are pressing Gov. Rick Scott's job-creation team to cough up more details about the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax-incentives it awards to companies every year.

Cabinet OKs no-bid leases for Duda, Florida Crystals despite enviros’ delay request
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
Related commentary: Saving the Everglades will save region’s drinking water
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday unanimously approved 30-year, no-bid leases for two major growers in the Everglades despite a request from environmentalists for more time to review the land deals, made public 10 days ago.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Transparency developers say Senate leaders had access to site for more than a year
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
It remains one of the most perplexing questions surrounding the tug of war over the Senate's now-defunct Transparency 2.0 web site: Why would Senate leaders pay $5 million for a budget transparency web site for members but let it sit idle for more than a year until the contract expired?

Deja vu: Local governments eye many of the same legislative issues for 2013
By Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Naples Daily News
Pension reform and taxes are among the top priorities for local governments as the 2013 legislative session approaches.

Take Legislature, elections out of PSC process
By Beth Kassab
Orlando Sentinel
We're supposed to believe that Florida's system for selecting the people who set our utility rates is fair and free of political meddling.

Clinton quizzed by Rubio, praised by Deutch in congressional hearings
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
In what was hyped as a face-off of potential 2016 presidential rivals, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio quizzed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday on what steps she took to protect American diplomats before the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three others.

Creative Fix for the Campaign-Finance Quagmire
By Peter Schorsch
Florida Voices
In a pivotal story arc on HBO's seminal series, The Wire, veteran police commander Howard "Bunny" Colvin attempts to effect some real change in the troubled neighborhoods for which he has long been responsible.

Close revolving doors
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
It was distressing to learn Tuesday that two former state House speakers are ready to become lobbyists in Tallahassee.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist’s Spark Could Help heat up the Democrats
By Rick Outzen
Florida Voices
Charlie Crist will likely be the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer to run against Republican Governor Rick Scott in 2014.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

House hears criticism of energy conservation law, but chairman isn't sure about legislation
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House subcommittee on Wednesday heard praise and criticism of Florida's energy conservation law, which has been the recent focus of criticism and a legal challenge.

BP Claims Czar Addresses State Cabinet
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
The man in charge of doling out 20 billion dollars in BP money met with the governor and State Cabinet today.

Environmentalists sue to prod national fisheries service to protect corals
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
The National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to develop a recovery plan for two Florida corals it listed as threatened six years ago, an environmental group alleged in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Silver Springs set to become Florida state park
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Silver Springs, one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions, is going out of business and will become a state park.

LGBT

Hillsborough County to consider domestic partner registry
By Sean Kinane
WMNF Tampa
Hillsborough County Commission will take up the issue of a domestic partnership registry Thursday.

EDUCATION

Scott to push for teacher raises, but after layoffs Palm Beach County educators wary
By John Kennedy and Jason Schultz
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott, who has signed state budgets that whipsawed classroom spending the past two years, said Wednesday he wants $480 million set aside next year for across-the-board pay hikes for teachers.

Bennett gets philosophical with Senate panel about education
By James Call
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott was the first item on the Senate Education Committee’s agenda for Wednesday’s meeting.

Rep. Stewart proposes using gun taxes to boost school safety
News Service of Florida
Tampa Bay Times
Tax collected on the sale of ammunition and guns would go into a "Safe Schools Trust Fund," to pay for additional guidance services and school safety measures under legislation filed in the House.

FAMU says its making big changes to battle hazing
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Florida A&M University officials say in a new report that they're making sweeping changes to battle hazing at the school.

Florida Lawmakers Consider An Online University
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida lawmakers are considering whether to create a 13th public state university which would be entirely online.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Lawmakers scrutinize economic incentive programs as budget battles brew
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Lawmakers in both chambers of the Legislature are taking a closer look at Florida’s economic incentives programs, after high-profile failures have left state taxpayers paying for companies that went bankrupt and failed to provide the promised jobs.

Big bill—and maybe higher rates—coming soon on Citizens Property Insurance
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
A massive, multipronged bill to reform Florida’s property insurance market could be introduced soon in the Florida Legislature, as influential committee chairs are determined to shrink Citizens Insurance and stave off potential “hurricane taxes.”

Florida attorney general makes personal appeal for more state funds
By Matt Dixon  
Florida Times-Union
Attorney General Pam Bondi made her pitch Wednesday for money to hire lawyers and upgrade an aged phone systems.

Silence not golden on library cuts
By Darryl E. Owens
Orlando Sentinel
As the state has grappled with budget shortages in recent years, Florida libraries haven't been silent about funding cuts.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Senators Tackle Medicaid Economics
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
State Senate committee hearings tend to be long on detail, short on excitement.

Poll says majority of Floridians support Medicaid expansion
By Brian Bandell
South Florida Business Journal
A majority of Floridians support the expansion of Medicaid eligibility that can be enacted through the Affordable Care Act, according to a poll funded by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

Hospitals urge delay on new Medicaid payment system
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
Florida hospitals are pushing for a delay in the scheduled July 1 launch of a new Medicaid payment system.

Mental Health Services Suffering
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
After cutting thirty-four million dollars from the states mental health budget over the last three years, Florida now ranks 49th nationally in available care.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Obama order meant to clear up NRA-backed language in health care law
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Among the 23 gun-related executive orders issued by President Barack Obama last week was one clearing up confusion about an NRA-backed provision that had been tucked into the president’s signature policy achievement, the Affordable Care Act.