Daily News Clips for March 27, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Florida Must Fix Its Broken Approach to Elections
By Mark Ferrulo
Florida Voices
Florida’s elections must be free, fair and accessible. But the 2012 election in Florida, where long lines forced many voters to wait several hours to exercise their fundamental civic duty to vote, once again made Florida the poster child for election disasters.

FEATURED STORIES

Legislators ask court to shield them from having to testify over maps
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The latest fight over the state’s congressional redistricting map came before a Tallahassee appeals court Tuesday as lawyers for the state argued that legislators and their political consultants should not have to testify about how they made their decisions.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson calls for investigation of mortgage aid program
By Susan Taylor Martin
Tampa Bay Times
Sen. Bill Nelson is calling for a federal investigation of Florida's Hardest Hit Fund, a $1 billion mortgage assistance program that has denied aid to thousands of desperate homeowners while helping felons, tax scofflaws and people chronically in debt.

Gov. Rick Scott calls for 'Jesus stomping' investigation
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Florida Atlantic University has apologized for a controversial classroom lesson that led critics to accuse the school of religious intolerance.

Debate intensifies in parent-trigger debate
By James Call
Florida Current
Jeff Wright says there’s more to the story than what's told by proponents of the "parental trigger" bill.

U.S. Supreme Court takes up gay marriage case
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
The U.S. Supreme Court moved cautiously into the gay marriage debate Tuesday, wondering if it is the right time to weigh in on a sweeping and fast-evolving social issue while signaling any ruling likely will not settle the debate.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Ex-RPOF chairman Jim Greer faces sentencing hearing
By Jim Turner
News Service of Florida
Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, who pleaded guilty on the eve of a potentially politically salacious trial that could have aired the laundry of the state GOP and former Gov. Charlie Crist, will find out his prison fate Wednesday.

Trooper says FHP looks the other way when lawmakers speed
By Matt Dixon  
Florida Times Union
A current Florida Highway Patrol sergeant and a trooper who was fired say the department has an unspoken policy that allows state lawmakers to get away with speeding.

Eliminate slush funds
Editorial
Miami Herald
The drive to change the state’s loophole-ridden campaign finance laws continues to gather steam in the state Legislature, thanks to support from the presiding officers of the House and Senate who want to eliminate some of the most abusive practices in the system.

POLITICAL RACES

Fla. Dems Pray for Crist's Resurrection
By Jordain Carney
National Journal
There are more than 4.7 million registered Democrats in Florida, but it looks more and more like only one is a viable -- and willing -- potential candidate to challenge vulnerable Gov. Rick Scott: former GOP Gov. Charlie Crist, who joined the Democratic Party in December

2014 Gubernatorial Race Shapes Up: What Gov. Scott and Dem Challengers Are Doing
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
The 2014 gubernatorial race is shaping up, as Governor Rick Scott has released his first campaign ad this week.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Once unopposed, fracking bills gain opposition as they move in House
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
House bills that would require disclosure of certain chemicals used in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing while providing exemptions for others as protected "trade secrets" are facing increasing environmental opposition.

Time Is the Enemy in Dealing With Looming Water Woes, Florida Legislator Says
By Bill Rufty
Lakeland Ledger
The Florida Legislature is dealing with major controversies this session like Medicaid, education funding and state employee pay raises, just to name a few.

Levy County nuclear plant project clears environmental hurdle
By Ivan Penn
Tampa Bay Times
The Levy County nuclear plant project moved a step closer to securing its operating license on Tuesday after a three-judge panel ruled against an environmental challenge.

LGBT

As Supreme Court Deliberates, Jeb Bush Speaks
By Andrew Rosenthal
New York Times
Quite a few Republicans have been announcing new stages in their “evolution” on same-sex marriage, which is being debated in the Supreme Court today and tomorrow.

EDUCATION

Rival Groups on 'Parent Trigger' Bill Ratchet Up Pressure
By Bruce Schreiner
Associated Press
With a key vote looming in the Florida House, rival groups ratcheted up their arguments Tuesday on a bill that would give parents a stronger voice in charting a turnaround course for failing public schools.

Latest proposals let only best Florida charter schools set own enrollment numbers
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott’s pitch to lift enrollment limits on charter schools is drawing lukewarm support from fellow Republicans in the Florida Legislature, with many saying they are cautious about giving a green light to expansion.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Union research shows pension overhaul will cost workers, taxpayers
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Public employee unions fighting the House pension overhaul rolled out research Tuesday that says the move will cost taxpayers more — challenging the view of House Speaker Will Weatherford and other proponents that closing the traditional plan to new workers will reduce state costs.

Religious Groups, Unions Join Fight Against Anti-Sick Pay Bill
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Religious groups and unions in Florida are fighting a bill that would prohibit local governments from mandating paid sick time for workers.

South Florida Workers Protest Possible Changes
Staff Report
WIOD Miami
A protest is taking place at Florida State Representative Eddy Gonzalez's Hialeah office today.

Florida consumer confidence surprisingly rises
By Jeff Harrington
Tampa Bay Times
In defiance of conventional wisdom — and much of the rest of the country — Florida consumers are feeling more chipper about the economy, according to a monthly survey released Tuesday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

1.7M in FL to Get Break on Premiums: Report
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
More than 1.7 million Floridians will qualify for health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, according to a national consulting company report released Tuesday by the consumer group Families USA.

You may be eligible for health-care tax credits
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
You may be one of 1.7 million low- to middle-income Floridians eligible for tax-credit subsidies worth thousands of dollars a year to help you pay for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act, starting in 2014.

Study: Health overhaul to raise claims cost 32 pct
Associated Press
Ocala Star-Banner
Insurance companies will have to pay out an average of 32 percent more for medical claims on individual health policies under President Barack Obama's overhaul, the nation's leading group of financial risk analysts has estimated.

Business group urges Floridians to say 'No thanks' to Medicaid expansion
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
While some of the state's top business groups have warmed up to the idea of accepting federal money and expanding Florida's Medicaid program, The National Federation of Independent Business is saying "No Thanks." 

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

New re-entry prison aims to improve inmates' chances outside
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Top officials of Florida's prison system toured their $17 million new re-entry center Tuesday and called it the next big innovation for getting convicted felons ready to return to -- and stay -- in free society.

Justices, Citing Ban on Unreasonable Searches, Limit Use of Drug-Sniffing Dogs
By Adam Liptak
New York Times
The Supreme Court on Tuesday limited the ability of the police to use drug-sniffing dogs outside homes.

George Zimmerman's lawyers file witness list with 130 names
By Rene Stutzman
Orlando Sentinel
Attorneys for George Zimmerman have filed a new defense witness list, and it includes more than 130 people.