Daily News Clips for February 15, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Jim Greer whistleblower blasts campaign finance bill over loophole
By Mary Ellen Klas
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The man who blew the whistle on former Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer is now calling foul on House Speaker Will Weatherford's self-described campaign finance reform.

League Of Women Voters: Raising Political Contribution Cap Equals 'Legalized Bribery'
By Jessica Palombo    
WFSU Tallahassee
“Legalized bribery and extortion” is’ how the League of Women Voters is describing a campaign-finance-reform proposal moving through the Florida Legislature.

Federal election commission may take back seat to Florida reforms
By Mark K. Matthews, Scott Powers and David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Voting problems are nothing new. But as President Barack Obama showed Tuesday night, so are proposed solutions.

Jeb Bush discusses public school alternatives with Florida legislative leaders
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Former Gov. Jeb Bush returned Thursday to the Florida Capitol for one of his few visits since his two terms as chief executive ended six years ago.

State GOP uses Crist's potential run to raise money
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Republican Party of Florida is using the possibility of former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist running for his old job as a Democrat to motivate donors.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

It’s BaaaaAAAAACK! Contradictions, Clowns, Conflicts and All…Parent Trigger Returns
By Bob Sikes
Scathing Purple Musings
I’ve been wondering when we’d see this Vaudeville act again and whether or not it was going to be about stroking Jeb Bush’s ego.

Florida legislators seek cleaner image and better camouflage
By Daniel Tilson
West Palm Beach Liberal Examiner
Start spreading the news, for better and for worse. After years of being dogged by scandal, corruption, ethics violations, criminal investigations, indictments, overheated rhetoric and who knows what else, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) is trying to rehabilitate its tainted image - and reinforcing it at the same time.

Rubio’s ‘Shaky And Sweaty’ Performance Was the Worst GOP Rebuttal Since Gov. Jindal Channeled Kenneth the Page
By Jon Ponder
Pensito Review
In his rebuttal to Pres. Obama’s State of the Union speech last night, Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio delivered the worst political performance on the national stage since, well, Oct. 3 — and the worst GOP rebuttal since Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal unintentionally imitated Kenneth the Page on “30 Rock” when he delivered the rebuttal to the president’s first address to Congress in February 2009.

Will charter school bill give away schools?
By Bruce Seaman
Daily Marion
The filing of PCB 13-01 (PCB=Proposed Committee Bill), a bill related to charter schools, would require a school district to hand over an educational building that had been used for K-12 purposes to a charter school … for free. How’s that for a sweet deal? But there is more.

What Marco Rubio Doesn’t Understand About Debt And The Economy
By Travis Waldron
Think Progress
While Rubio has been pitched as the “savior” and “new face” of the GOP, a preview of his speech gives the indication that he is just as disconnected from the current economic reality as the rest of his party.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Rubio's Rebuttal Was a Disaster for GOP
By Rhonda Swan
Florida Voices
If Marco Rubio is the savior of the Republican Party, members of the GOP should start looking for their lifeboats.

Guilty plea leaves GOP saying, 'Whew!'
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart's lament to Ingrid Bergman about Paris, at least we'll always have the trollops in golf carts.

Only after Greer fell did GOP speak up
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
So Jim Greer pleaded guilty — and now the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida probably will slink quietly away to prison.

Measure to repeal use of red-light cameras passes first hurdle
By Margie Menzel
News Service of Florida
The state law allowing local governments to use cameras to catch red-light runners would be repealed under a bill that narrowly passed in the House Economic Affairs Committee on Thursday.

Obama to spend long holiday weekend in Florida
By Darlene Superville
Associated Press
President Barack Obama will spend the long holiday weekend in Florida, relaxing with friends.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

South Florida delegations urged to recognize reality of sea level rise
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Legislators from South Florida counties are being urged to help their communities combat sea level rise by supporting funding for alternative water supplies, beach and Everglades restoration and renewable energy.

Legislation would require 5-year plans for restoring Florida's threatened springs
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House bill that would require water management districts to develop five-year plans for restoring springs water quality and flows was filed Thursday.

EDUCATION

‘Parent Trigger’ Proposed Again in Florida Legislature
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
A bill that would allow parents to decide the fate of failing public schools — which could mean turning a troubled public school into a charter school — will come up for consideration in the upcoming session of the Florida Legislature.

Lawmakers, commissioner sow seeds to delay Common Core in Florida
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Education commissioner Tony Bennett continued his efforts Wednesday to update lawmakers on the state's effort to implement the Common Core State Standards by 2014-15.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Labor groups warn against changes to Florida's pension program
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
Proposed legislation in the Florida House would force new state employees hired after 2014 to use a 401k-style retirement fund instead of the current pension program.

Pension swap gets a boost

By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Legislative leaders who want to make newly hired public employees join an investment fund similar to the 401(k) plans in the private sector -- rather than having the guaranteed monthly pensions now favored by four out of five government workers -- got a tactical boost Thursday from Florida TaxWatch.

Change to Florida Retirement System could raise local taxes
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Legislature’s House Government Operations Subcommittee last week approved a bill that Chairman Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, characterized as making “minimal changes” to the Florida Retirement System.

Citizens wants to spend more on reinsurance, put less in surplus
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
Never mind the risk exposure of state-run property insurer Citizens is shrinking — its board decided Thursday to spend more of its ratepayers’ money, $327 million, on private reinsurance in 2013.

Realtors push for commercial rents sales tax phase-out
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Members of the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee heard a proposal Thursday to phase-out the state's 6 percent sales tax on commercial rental property, which brings in $1.3 billion each year. Florida is the only state in the nation to collect the tax.

Florida first in foreclosure woe for fifth straight month
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Florida ranked first in foreclosure activity for the fifth consecutive month in January as new mortgage defaults and foreclosure auctions skyrocketed in Palm Beach County.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Palm Beach County newborn’s death raises troubling questions
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
Diella Beth Ludwig and her twin sister were born while their mother lived at the state’s Lowell Correctional Institution.

Death no bar to Florida nursing home arbitration
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Supreme Court says nursing home arbitration agreements signed by patients remain valid even if they should die.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Judge denies George Zimmerman's request to delay 'stand your ground' hearing
By Rene Stutzman
Orlando Sentinel
The judge in the George Zimmerman murder case on Thursday rejected his lawyers' request to delay the start of his "stand your ground" hearing in April and ordered 500 potential jurors – more than the fire marshal allows in the Seminole County Courthouse jury room – for his June trial.