PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Progressive groups set up health care act info website
Staff Report
Florida Current
Excerpt: Progress Florida and Florida CHAIN, a health care advocacy group, teamed up to create the website…to inform Floridians about the potential benefits they see coming from the ACA, such as expanding Medicaid to provide health insurance to working poor, boosting the state economy, and creating insurance exchanges to help people make more-informed decisions when buying coverage.
Website launched to inform Floridians of life-saving provisions under Affordable Care Act
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
Progress Florida and Florida CHAIN have launched “Health Care for Florida Now” to educate Floridians about new health coverage opportunities and to engage public support to protect, implement, and support the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
FEATURED
STORIES
Proposal to change Florida state pensions to 401(k) plan moves forward
News Service of Florida
Tampa Bay Times
A bill placing all new state employees in a 401(k)-style retirement plan passed a House subcommittee on a party-line vote Thursday, setting up a major showdown between legislative Republicans and public workers' unions.
Lawyer suggests Charlie Crist's memory foggy because of too much wine
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
Perhaps it was the wine that made some Republicans forget details of events involving former party chairman Jim Greer.
Poll: Florida voters support Medicaid expansion
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
Yet another survey, this one sponsored by the Florida Hospital Association and conducted by a Republican-leaning pollster, shows that the vast majority of Floridians want lawmakers to accept federal money to expand Medicaid.
Who Led HMO Over Cliff? GOP Finance Chairman
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Universal Health Care executives grossly overstated assets and submitted “misleading financial statements” to state officials and a bank, according to documents released Thursday by the Office of Insurance Regulation.
How Marco Rubio Has Taken Over the Republican Party
By Jonathan Chait
New York Magazine
As recently as a few months ago, Paul Ryan — despite his nominal subordinate position to Mitt Romney on the Republican ticket — was the unassailable leader of the Republican Party.
BEST
OF THE BLOGS
8 Reasons Why Marco Rubio Is Not ‘The Republican Savior’
By Igor Volsky
Think Progress
Since Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) abandoned his opposition to providing undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship and embraced a bipartisan framework for comprehensive immigration, political pundits and Republican leaders have anointed the Florida Congressman the future of the GOP.
Florida Enjoying National Recognition As Ground Zero Of Election Disasters (Again)
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
Well, it's been quite a week for elections, scandals, and national attention highlighting Florida as ground zero for voting disasters, and it's only Tuesday!
Why should any environmentalist be cheering in Florida?
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
According to newspaper reports, environmentalists are "cheering" Gov. Rick Scott's request to allocate $60 million for next fiscal year.
Won’t end of Saturday mail delivery have a major impact on political campaigns?
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
News that the US Postal Service plans to phase out Saturday mail delivery is one of those “Is the Empire crumbling?” moments that is both more important and less significant than it would seem at first glance.
The Enterprise of Integrity
By Benjamin J. Kirby
The Spencerian
Buckle up, kids: this one is complicated.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Casual, calculating Rick Scott takes in fair's opening day
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A day at the deep-fried Florida State Fair on Thursday gave Gov. Rick Scott an opportunity to rework his deeply troubled image as he doggedly takes aim at a 2014 re-election campaign.
Beleaguered Finance chair for Fla GOP resigns
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Dr. Akshay "A.K." Desai has resigned as finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, amid turmoil at his insurance company and allegations by the state of " a pattern of mismanagement" and illegal financial conduct at Desai's St. Petersburg-based Universal Health Care.
Rubio disagrees with 'Time'
By Catalina Camia
Florida Today
Sen. Marco Rubio is pushing back on Time magazine’s cover headline about the role he plays in the Republican Party.
Watchdog Group Tracking Fla. Bills That Would Make Government More, Less Open
By Jessica Palombo
WFSU Tallahassee
With the Florida Legislative session a month away, some bills are being shaped in committees while others may never make it to a committee floor.
Amendments gummed up election, yet more coming
By Mark Lane
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Well, one thing everyone in Florida agrees on is that the insane lines at the polls last election were caused, at least in part, by all those long state constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Ease the way to the ballot box
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The effort it took to vote in the last election varied widely across the country.
POLITICAL
RACES
Roger Stone for governor of Florida? He's considering
By Amy Hollyfield
Tampa Bay Times
Roger Stone, an infamous political consultant, tells National Review Online that he will probably run for governor of Florida.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Wildlife Federation sues Rick Scott and Cabinet over Everglades leases
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
The Florida Wildlife Federation has sued Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet to stop its decision Jan. 23 to allow sugar and vegetable farmers to continue leasing state-owned land in the Everglades for another 30 years.
Scott budget's land-buying, springs and cleanup items draw lawmaker interest
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Conservation land-buying, springs protection and cleaning up contamination sites were among the issues raised by legislators Thursday while being briefed on Gov. Rick Scott's budget request.
Silver Springs to become state park after $4 million conversion
By Ludmilla Lelis
Orlando Sentinel
Silver Springs, the Ocala-area attraction drawing tourists since the 1800s, will become a state park in October, following $4 million in changes that will remove exotic animals and amusement rides.
LGBT
Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
A Miami-Dade circuit judge has approved a private adoption allowing three people - a gay man and a married lesbian couple - to be listed on the birth certificate of their 23-month-old daughter.
EDUCATION
Galvano: Teacher pay raise needs a lot of work
By James Call
Florida Current
Members of the Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee Thursday listened politely while Kim McDougal, the governor’s education policy coordinator, explained Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed education budget.
Governor appoints three to Florida Board of Education
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday reappointed John Padget of Key West to the Florida Board of Education and named two newcomers to the board.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Pension 'reform' bill won't wait for study
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida House is moving full speed ahead on a plan to shutter the state's public employee pension system over the next few decades and require new 401(k)-like retirement plans for state and county employees, including teachers, firefighters and police.
House unveils foreclosure package in Tallahassee
By Michael Peltier
News Service of Florida
Hoping to speed up the rate of foreclosures, a House panel on Thursday approved a measure backers say will allow mortgage holders and consumers to more quickly resolve their issues and get on with their lives.
More job turnover at Florida jobs agency as top official leaves
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
Another top official at Florida’s economic development agency has left, continuing an exodus of executives from the Department of Economic Opportunity, created by Gov. Rick Scott 18 months ago.
Cash on the table
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Gov. Rick Scott and some legislators are acting like a guy who's been down on his luck, but his fortunes improve and he has money in his pocket — so he goes on a shopping spree.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
S. Florida eye surgeon under scrutiny with Sen. Menendez frequently prescribed expensive drug
By Jay Weaver And Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
A South Florida eye surgeon who’s a friend of a U.S. senator is under federal criminal investigation for billing Medicare millions of dollars to treat elderly patients for services they may not have needed, The Miami Herald has learned.
Optometrists win round 1 in annual battle
By James Call
Florida Current
Nearly 100 lobbyists, reporters and eye doctors crowded into a meeting of the House Health Quality Subcommittee on Thursday for the latest battle in what’s been called an eyeball war between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Warehousing profoundly disabled children at senior nursing homes has to stop
Editorial
Miami Herald
Florida’s profoundly disabled children won a significant victory last week when a Miami Gardens nursing home began closing down its much-criticized 60-bed pediatric unit.
CIVIL
RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES
In immigration debate, evangelicals tie issue to Bible to push Republicans
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
I was a stranger and you invited me in.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Fla. Capital Punishment Ban Dies In First Committee Hearing
By Jessica Palombo
WFSU Tallahassee
The death penalty lives on in Florida…at least through this Legislative session.
Florida justices side with bank in foreclosure fraud case
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
The banks were the winner Thursday in a highly anticipated Florida Supreme Court decision involving a Greenacres foreclosure case.
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