Daily News Clips for March 21, 2013

AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS

Democrats In Tallahassee Less Outnumbered Than They Used To Be
By Rick Stone  
WLRN Miami
Excerpt: They still don't have a majority in the capitol but Democrats felt new confidence at their recent Awake the State rally.

FEATURED STORIES

Who might be Rick Scott's next lieutenant governor?
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related: 5 people who could be Florida’s next lieutenant governor
Gov. Rick Scott says he won't start looking for a new lieutenant governor until the legislative session ends in May, but the guessing game already is raging over a decision that an unpopular leader must get right.

Democrats rejoice with Gov. Scott trailing in early polls
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Two new polls in two days have shown former Gov. Charlie Crist and other Democrats easily defeating Gov. Rick Scott in a matchup for governor of Florida in 2014.

Senate Republicans pitch Medicaid expansion alternative
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Related editorial: Put health above politics
Top Senate Republicans, who last week said no to expanding Medicaid, want to instead use the $55 billion offered as part of President Barack Obama's health care law to funnel poor Floridians into subsidized, private health insurance.

Bucking Gov. Rick Scott's plan, Senate proposes merit-based raises for teachers
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Less than three weeks into the legislative session, Gov. Rick Scott's signature proposal to give across-the-board pay raises to teachers appears to be in serious trouble.

Empower Parents; Don't Manipulate Them on Schools
By Paula Dockery
Florida Voices
First it was called the parent trigger bill but when that became a negative connotation, it was rebranded the ”parent empowerment act.”

FLORIDA POLITICS

Hands in the cookie jar, again and again
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
Sometimes it seems like we are teachers, trying to inject just a little bit of knowledge into recalcitrant children.

PPP Poll: Floridians support citizenship, gay civil unions, tighter gun control
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
More details from the PPP Florida poll conducted last week find majorities of Floridians support tighter gun control, pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants, and a super majority supporting at least civil unions for gay couples.

Fla. lawyer accused of heading charity scam talks
By Tamara Lush
Associated Press
A prominent Jacksonville attorney accused of masterminding a $300 million gambling ring disguised as a veterans charity says he simply advised his clients on legal matters and that prosecutors are trying to "force a connection" between him and the operation of the business.

Bills could affect whether you watch a show from the nosebleed seats
By John Romano
Tampa Bay Times
So you've been saving your money to see a concert this summer.

Florida lawmakers take on 'feral' cat problem
News Service of Florida
Tampa Bay Times
This could be the ultimate legislative cat fight.

Five things to look for in Thursday’s legislative session
By Rochelle Koff
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Like the weather, the legislative agenda is heating up. The House meets Thursday, taking up several important bills.

POLITICAL RACES

Sen. Rich lags in recognition in race for governor
By William March
Tampa Tribune
While as many as half a dozen Democrats dither about running against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014, former state Sen. Nan Rich of Weston is pounding the campaign trail and has been for a year.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Deal with feds on water quality rules wins quick approval from House committee
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Setting up a likely quick passage through the House, the State Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to introduce a proposed committee bill to approve a plan with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on setting water quality standards in Florida.

Sea grass gains good sign for future for Tampa Bay
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
A cleaner Tampa Bay is sprouting more and more sea grass, a sign that the bay is almost completely recovered from the time, decades ago, when it was a polluted cesspool.

Power play picks consumers' pockets
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Florida electricity customers just can't compete against the nuclear industry and utility companies in Tallahassee.

LGBT

Should Florida repeal the ban on same-sex marriage?
By Opinion Staff
Palm Beach Post
This week, the ABC News-Washington Post poll recorded record high sentiment in favor of same-sex marriage: 58 percent.

Domestic partnership registry rejected by Hillsborough Commission; provide info packet of "Important Life Decisions" instead
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
The Hillsborough County Commission approved a packet of legal documents put together by Al Higginbotham in lieu of a domestic partnership registry that was struck down last month.

EDUCATION

Galvano releases education budget recommendation
By James Call
Florida Current
The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee said he hopes to finalize an education budget recommendation at a March 27 committee meeting.

As UCF reels, firearms lobby pushes for guns on campuses
By Beth Kassab
Orlando Sentinel
As UCF students were still grappling with how close they might have come to mass murder, a gun-rights group was in a Jacksonville courtroom arguing that Florida universities have no right to ban guns from campus.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Senate panel votes for more controls, less money for Gov. Scott's business incentives
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott would get a fraction of the money he wants to use to lure business to relocate or expand in Florida if the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development's budget recommendations prevail in overall budget talks.

Citizens CEO: Give insurance consumers more choice
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
The CEO of Florida’s largest property insurer, Citizens, said a change he wants could help as many as 30 percent of new customers find coverage outside the state-run carrier, while another panelist at a roundtable Wednesday called for state action to address problems spotlighted by reporting in the The Palm Beach Post.

Officials: State will be protected, despite potential of nearly 1,000 Florida National Guard furloughs
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
The Florida National Guard is assuring state residents that even if it is forced to furlough workers, as a result of the mandatory federal cutbacks known as the sequester, its members will still be on the spot to help victims of wildfires, hurricanes, or other disasters.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Time runs out before committee hears Bean's plan C on expansion
By James Call
Florida Current
It may have been a good thing that time ran out before the Senate Health Policy Committee could hold a workshop Wednesday on Sen. Aaron Bean’s alternative to Medicaid expansion.

Pastors Pray for Medicaid Expansion
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
A group of religious leaders, House Democrats and union workers are praying for Florida to expand Medicaid.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

How a Path to Citizenship Will Boost the Economy
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Reforming our broken immigration system and offering the 11 million undocumented immigrants already here a path to earned citizenship is morally right thing to do, but it’s also the economically smart thing.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

House Panel Debate About 'Smart Justice' Bill Turns Into Battle: Public Vs. Private
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
A Florida House panel has cleared a bill that seeks to keep non-violent offenders from re-offending and going back to prison.

Judge grants injunction against Florida's PIP insurance law
By Charles Elmore
Palm Beach Post
A Leon County judge has issued a partial injunction against the state’s PIP auto insurance law, putting at least a temporary stop sign in front of one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top legislative priorities of the past year.