PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Floridians Want More Health Care
Staff Report
WIOD South Florida
A new poll released by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network finds strong public support in Florida to accept federal funds to increase access to health coverage through the Medicaid program…Progress Florida has set up an online petition urging Floridians to tell the Florida Legislature to approve the federal money. To see the petition, click here.
FEATURED
STORIES
Scott has big fight on his hands over teacher raises
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Tampa teachers grateful but wary as Scott touts pay-raise plan
Gov. Rick Scott's plan to give every teacher a $2,500 across-the-board pay raise is in for a rough ride in the Florida Legislature.
Teacher pay proposal smacks of political bribe
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
With an anemic approval rating, and dimming re-election hopes, Gov. Rick Scott borrowed the goodies-win-elections page from Mitt Romney's Monday-morning-quarterback playbook.
Florida House speaker wants 401(k) for state retirement accounts
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
House Speaker Will Weatherford will battle state workers to get one of his top priorities passed.
Bondi urges Floridians to seek mortgage deal cash, despite passed deadline
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday urged Floridians who believe they are eligible for a portion of the National Mortgage Settlement to continue to apply even though the deadline expired Friday.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
Scott Tries To Score Political Points Again With His Favorite Hostage: Education
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
Rick Scott is up to his old tricks again, pulling another 180 with his favorite hostages: teachers and education.
Florida Business Leaders Vow To Block Paid Sick Day Laws During Worst Flu Season In A Decade
By Pat Garofalo
Think Progress
The U.S. is currently experiencing its worst flu season in a decade, but many workers can’t heed the advice of public health experts to stay home when they’re sick due to a lack of paid sick days.
Equality Fail: Hillsborough as Scourge of the Bay
By Benjamin J. Kirby
The Spencerian
I was so proud when my town of Gulfport became the first in Pinellas County to approve a domestic partner registry.
Campaign Finance: Are “no caps” and “full disclosure” good ideas?
By Bruce Seaman
Daily Marion
Campaign finance reform had been announced in November as a priority of new Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford.
Florida's 201,000 "Missing Votes" - The Likely Votes That Were Not Cast
By JaxDem
Daily Kos
The country had many extra days to hear about the voting woes in Florida as, once again the state took it's time to count the votes -- the official tally from the November 6th election was presented on November 10th, finally.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Dems' party-chairmanship battle goes down to wire
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
The way Florida Democrats have battled among themselves in recent weeks over choosing an new leader, people might think the state governor's race is being decided this weekend in Lake Mary.
FL House Speaker Weatherford opposed to GOP Electoral College plans
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Republicans in five states, notably Virginia, have discussed changing the way they award Electoral College votes in presidential races by apportioning them on each congressional district, rather than the state's popular vote.
POLITICAL
RACES
Crist vs. Scott? More like Flip vs. Flop
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Rick Scott is about to make history as the very first governor to reform voting — and then unreform it.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Everglades legislation in works amid finger-pointing over phosphorus discharges
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Everglades restoration plan approved by federal officials in 2012 is leading toward changes in the Florida law dealing with the famed "River of Grass," key legislators said Thursday.
Audubon: Florida Development Puts Everglade Birds at Risk
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
Development and human influence in areas around Florida's Everglades continue to put certain bird and fish populations at risk, according to a report from Audubon Florida.
State to take control of Silver Springs and remove exotic wildlife
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Silver Springs, which has spent the past two decades looking like the kitschy Florida roadside attractions of yore, is about to turn into something more sedate and respectable: a state park.
LGBT
Hillsborough commissioners reject domestic partner registry
By Bill Varian
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Feckless four in Hillsborough set back rights
The president advocated for gay rights in his inaugural address this week. Some states have gone so far as to allow same-sex couples to wed.
ACLU: Allow gay-student group to organize at Lake middle school
By Erica Rodriguez
Orlando Sentinel
The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding the Lake County School Board allow a gay-student support group to form at a Leesburg middle school after the group was denied by campus administration.
EDUCATION
Lawmakers Get Update On Teacher Evaluations And The Student Success Act
By Gina Jordan
StateImpact Florida
A Florida House panel heard an update today on teacher evaluations and the state’s implementation of the Student Success Act, also known as Senate Bill 736.
Value-added measure for teachers still a work in progress
By James Call
Florida Current
Florida is plowing new territory by holding teachers accountable for students’ learning gains as called for in the Student Success Act of 2011.
Pay Raise for Teachers Is Ploy by Scott for Votes
By Rhonda Swan
Florida Voices
Rick Scott gives, but only after he takes away.
The raise Scott seeks is his standing with teachers
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida teachers will know that Gov. Rick Scott is friendly — and effective — when they get paychecks and see the raises he promised on Wednesday.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Scott’s Team Defends State Handouts To Business
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
During a meeting before an economics panel in the state Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott’s commerce secretary, Gray Swoope, defended the state’s controversial economic incentive program.
Mormon church could block Orlando-to-Miami train
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
The Mormon church could stymie efforts to build a $1.5 billion train between South Florida and Orlando International Airport by not allowing tracks on land it once owned.
Food stamp fraud costing Floridians millions
By Ana M. Valdes
Palm Beach Post
As state officials were wrapping up a study to determine how often Floridians defraud the food stamp benefits program, police in suburban Boca Raton arrested a woman they said claimed thousands of dollars in food assistance despite not being eligible.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Experts: Two-thirds of mentally ill in Florida go untreated
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Motivated by the massacre of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, Conn., Florida lawmakers are grappling with shortcomings in how the state treats the mentally ill in the hope of averting similar disasters.
Senators Get Their Wonk Groove On
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Sen. David Simmons was a math major in college.
Gov. Scott to send new baby congratulations — and vaccine reminders
By Jodie Tillman
Tampa Bay Times
If you bring someone kicking and screaming into Florida, expect a nice note from Gov. Rick Scott and wife Ann.
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