Daily News Clips for February 1, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

In turnaround, Scott proposes record spending; increases sought for schools, state workers
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott proposed a $74.2 billion state budget Thursday that would prove the largest in Florida history, a dramatic departure for a one-time political outsider who pledged to slash spending and shrink government.

Scott Eliminating 3,647 State Jobs In New Budget
By Tim Kephart
CBS Miami
Governor Rick Scott unveiled his spending priorities for the coming year Thursday with the release of his annual budget recommendations.

Gov. Rick Scott promotes Florida through branding campaign
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott joined top business leaders Thursday to unveil a new “business branding” campaign, the latest initiative in a multipronged effort to cast the state of Florida as an attractive place for commerce.

Numbers on Medicaid add up to savings for Florida
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott claims to be about crunching the numbers and doing what is right for Florida taxpayers.

Obama Says He’ll Introduce Immigration Plans If Congress Doesn’t Act Quickly
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he will release and pursue his own immigration reform plans if Congress doesn’t act quickly on its own.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Marco Rubio Votes "No" On Sandy Relief, Again
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
Once again Sen. Marco Rubio is playing politics at the expense of disaster victims.

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax The Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor
By Travis Waldron
Think Progress
The poorest Americans are subject to a tax rate at the state and local level that is twice as high as the tax rate paid by the wealthiest earners thanks to “fundamentally unfair” state tax laws, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

Senate filibuster deal should have been filibustered
By Daniel Tilson
West Palm Beach Liberal Examiner
So you hate Congress. And of course, you're not alone.

The Flawed Assumptions and Intentions of Florida’s Education Accountability System
By Bob Sikes
Scathing Purple Musings
It’s not certain where the most recent work of the Shanker Institute’s Matt DiCarlo will take the debate on Florida’ education accountability system.

A very important change to SaintPetersBlog’s advertising policies
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
During the 2012 election cycle, more than seventy political candidates, from presidential candidates to city councilman, advertised on SaintPetersBlog.

FLORIDA POLITICS

House Goes After Political Slush Funds
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There is new hope tonight, that political mudslinging in Florida will be toned down by the next election.

In Florida Legislature, inexperience rules
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
If you've ever thought that Florida's Legislature looked more like a fraternity than a collection of serious statesmen, there's a reason for that…besides just the immaturity of their ideas.

After 25 years, Collins Center closes amid financial woes
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Collins Center for Public Policy, one of the state’s most respected think tanks, announced Thursday it is closing its doors after 25 years as a non-partisan Miami-based policy center.

FEC rescinds letter rebuking Buchanan
Staff Report
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Federal Election Commission has rescinded a letter admonishing U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan for not fully disclosing more than $80,000 in impermissible campaign donation refunds.

Weatherford named to Republican Legislative Campaign Committee executive panel
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was named to the 19-member Republican Legislative Campaign Committee executive committee, a release from the Republican State Leadership Committee announced Thursday. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Budget: Governor requests more money for conservation land-buying, Everglades restoration
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott's fiscal year 2013-14 budget request includes $75 million for conservation land-buying, $60 million for Everglades restoration and $135 million for petroleum tank cleanups.

'Manufacturing Competitiveness Act' raises concerns among environmental groups
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House bill that would reduce the time for state agencies to review permit applications for manufacturing plants in some cities and counties is raising concerns and opposition among some environmental groups.

LGBT

Furor from both left and right over proposed shift in Boy Scouts no-gays policy
By David Crary
Associated Press
The Boy Scouts of America faces intensifying criticism from the left and right over a proposal to move away from a mandatory no-gays membership policy and allow troop sponsors to decide the matter for themselves.

EDUCATION

House, Senate leaders cautious about Scott’s $1.2 billion promise for schools
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott’s pitch Wednesday for $1.2 billion more for public schools didn’t draw resounding support from his fellow Republican leaders in the Legislature.

Fla. back on track with Race to the Top
By Christine Armario
Associated Press
A year after Florida was put on warning for falling behind on its $700 million Race to the Top grant projects, U.S. Department of Education officials say the state has regained its momentum.

Florida Supreme Court rules tuition power resides with Legislature
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Legislature, not the Board of Governors, has the power to set tuition rates and fees at public universities, but lawmakers cannot tell the panel how to manage those institutions, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Florida PTA recognized for parent trigger opposition
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
The national PTA has given its Florida affiliate an Outstanding Advocacy Award for its fight to halt the Parent Empowerment Act, commonly referred to as the parent trigger, during the 2012 legislative session.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Gov. Rick Scott proposes largest budget in Florida history at $74.2 billion
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott, who ran as a cost-cutting critic of "bloated" government, opened the state's checkbook Thursday and urged the Legislature to pass a $74.2 billion budget, an increase of $4 billion.

Thanks but no thanks on bonus, PBA tells governor
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Even before Gov. Rick Scott publicly touts a new bonus plan for some state employees, a union representing some of those workers has in effect told the governor, "Thanks but no thanks."

Budget: Transportation gets boost in Scott's recommendations
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Included in Gov. Rick Scott’s $74.2 billion budget recommendations unveiled Thursday is a $917 million increase in the Department of Transportation budget, an 11.22 percent increase over the current fiscal year, bringing the total transportation budget to $9.1 billion.

Atwater calls for pre-auditing of state contracts
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced Thursday he will push for pre-auditing of state contracts to crack down on poorly written contracts.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida needs health care takeover by the federal government
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart believes that the state made the right choice not to implement the Affordable Care Act until the 11th hour, even though delaying means that Florida has abdicated control of its health care marketplace to the federal government.

For elderly in South Florida nursing homes, this flu season could be dangerous
By Sonja Isger
Palm Beach Post
The flu has charged through 17 Florida nursing homes and long-term care facilities this season, including two in Palm Beach County last month.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Sen. Marco Rubio's role in immigration debate draws tea party criticism
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was lifted to national prominence with help from the tea party, but his leadership on immigration reform has elicited strong reaction from members of the conservative movement, from outrage to acceptance.

Genshaft, other Fla. university chiefs back immigration reform
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft and the heads of several other state universities and colleges are urging Congress to pass the immigration reform legislation presented this week in Washington, framing it as an issue of fairness and economics.

Gun control: Officials set sights on ammunition background checks
By Peter Jamison
Tampa Bay Times
Without bullets, slugs or shot, a gun is no deadlier than a steel club. But the question of how to keep firearms' lethal projectiles out of the wrong hands has historically been a low priority for regulators more concerned about the guns themselves.

Under the gun
Editorial
Miami Herald
Even after the stunning tragedy in Newtown, Conn., it’s nearly impossible for Congress to hold a constructive conversation over gun control, thanks to efforts by diehard opponents led by the National Rifle Association and its supporters.