Daily News Clips for January 29, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Florida leaders who will decide Medicaid expansion get bargain on insurance
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott and state legislators will soon decide whether Florida should extend health insurance coverage to nearly 1 million residents, and those officials all get their plans from the state, many paying less than state workers.

Senators, including Marco Rubio, outline immigration reform plan
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: A chance for immigration reform
Saying the political climate may never be better, a bipartisan group of senators, including Florida's Marco Rubio, announced on Monday the framework for the most sweeping attempt at immigration reform in years, including a "tough but fair" path to citizenship for millions of people in the United States illegally.

Budget unveiling offers Rick Scott chance to use bully pulpit
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
The last time Gov. Rick Scott rolled out his budget plans, the video went viral, with almost 283,000 page views and counting.

How can Rick Scott regain momentum in 2013?
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
Scott in Franklin CountyAmid the last round of lackluster poll numbers for Gov. Rick Scott political consultant Tony Fabrizio in mid-December wrote a one-page memo where he argued that it was way too early for people to write off Scott's chances for a second term.

FLORIDA POLITICS

House follows Senate, announces Select Committee on Gaming
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The House has decided to double down on the Senate’s plan to take a year to review Florida’s quixotic gambling laws before developing a comprehensive bill ahead of the 2014 legislative session.

FEC raps Buchanan campaign on finance report
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has not fully disclosed more than $80,000 in impermissible campaign donation refunds, the Federal Election Commission said in a notice to the Longboat Key Republican.

Complaint to seek probe of Orange texting
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Public text messages should be no-brainer
Former state House candidate Sean Ashby said he's going to file a complaint with the state attorney Tuesday seeking an investigation into the Orange County leaders involved in the textgate scandal.

POLITICAL RACES

New Democratic Party Chair: Grassroots Key To Trouncing Scott In 2014
By Regan McCarthy      
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida’s new Democratic Party chair says grassroots organization is how the party will unseat Governor Rick Scott in the 2014 gubernatorial election. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

New push on for legislation dealing with how developers must pay for roads
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
When the Legislature passed growth management law changes in 2011, it repealed a state requirement that local governments charge new developments for the cost of needed roadway improvements.

Flawed model puts aquifer at risk
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The first step in protecting the state's environment is getting the science right.

Judge to rule on BP's plea deal over Gulf spill
By Michael Kunzelman
Associated Press
A federal judge will decide whether to approve an agreement for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Crist heads to India to talk about climate change
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Former Gov. Charlie Crist will appear at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit in India.

LGBT

Boy Scouts close to ending ban on gay members, leaders
By Pete Williams
NBC News
The Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation’s largest private youth organizations, is actively considering an end to its decades-long policy of banning gay scouts or scout leaders, according to scouting officials and outsiders familiar with internal discussions.

EDUCATION

Scott gets all of Florida’s four-year colleges to embrace $10K challenge
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
After catching heat from even a member of the state’s Board of Education, Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday that all 23 of Florida’s colleges that offer bachelor’s degrees have embraced his call for making available a $10,000 degree program.

Bills: Pay Florida teachers $10,000 more a year
By Jason Schultz
Palm Beach Post
After years of feeling neglected and underpaid by their state Legislature, a classroom of local teachers was shown some love Monday by two Palm Beach County legislators in the form of twin bills that would give the average Florida teacher a $10,000 raise starting in two years.

Florida’s high education rank is grade inflation
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
We know from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” that the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is: 42.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Montford wants raises for state employees
By Matthew Beaton
Panama City News Herald
State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, is spearheading an effort to get state employees their first raise in six years.

With wages, only a handful getting richer
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
A while ago, I heard an economist say something startling about wages in America.

Florida trying to recoup money from corporations that failed to meet jobs goals
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
There are 18 companies that have received $21.3 million in up-front taxpayer incentives since 1996 for projects to expand or move to Florida that have failed to meet job or wage goals.

Florida Sens. Nelson, Rubio split votes on disaster aid
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times         
The U.S. Senate tonight approved a $50.5 billion disaster aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Gov. Scott heading to Chile on trade mission
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott is heading back to South America on another trade mission.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Dean Cannon's Letter Put FL Way Behind
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Pity Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation.

What the new health care market means for Florida
Associated Press
Naples Daily News
Florida's Republican lawmakers are reluctantly acknowledging that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and are taking steps to determine exactly what that will look like.

Reporting Child Abuse a Legal Obligation
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Calls to Florida’s child abuse hotline are up 16 percent, not because there’s more abuse but because of a new law requiring people to report.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Immigration proposal brings doubts, concerns
By Laura C. Morel
Tampa Bay Times
At age 6, Juan Rodriguez and his Colombian family came to America.

Concealed Carry Arrest
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
A video showing a motorist being arrested for legally carrying a gun is lighting the internet on fire.