PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Repeal law that sticks public with risk for building plants
By Mark Ferrulo
Orlando Sentinel
What if a contractor offered to build you a new roof and asked for the money up-front, refused to guarantee the roof would actually be built and told you there's no refund if the roof is, in fact, never built. Most Floridians would call that type of deal a scam. Unfortunately, the Florida Legislature calls that type of deal energy policy, and millions of Floridians are paying for it.
FEATURED
STORIES
Voting rights groups assail Senate elections package
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Local and national voting rights groups voiced opposition Monday to an elections bill that's awaiting a final vote in the Senate on Wednesday.
Florida legislators prepared to adjourn with no Medicaid plan
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
As the clock winds down on the legislative session, Florida lawmakers are sending signals that they are likely to adjourn without resolving the issue of whether to accept federal Medicaid money to insure the state’s poorest residents.
Fallout for States Rejecting Medicaid Expansion
Associated Press
New York Times
Rejecting the Medicaid expansion in the federal health care law could have unexpected consequences for states where Republican lawmakers remain steadfastly opposed to what they scorn as "Obamacare."
Gov. Rick Scott signs sweeping education bill
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott signed a sweeping education that will revamp high school graduation requirements and create two new diploma designations.
Standoff beween budget negotiators and Scott over teacher raises
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a sweeping education bill Monday, even as the focus on Florida schools is being largely overtaken by a battle between the governor and legislative leaders over teacher pay.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Scott's legislative agenda coming up short
By Kathleen Haughney and Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
It's a glass-half-empty issue with potential political ramifications.
What Rick Scott really said in that letter to Barack Obama
By John Romano
Tampa Bay Times
They are tighter than you know. Practically pen pals.
Turf war emerges between Cabinet officers over contracts
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater may be hitting a nerve with lawmakers and top state leaders.
In Lakeland Senator’s Bills, Questions About Personal Benefit
By Steve Miller
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
What happened to last fall’s happy talk about ethics reform in the statehouse?
Strip harassment of supervisors from Fla.’s election bill
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
For months, it seemed possible, even probable: a smart, non-contentious effort to fix the state’s election system, which the Legislature fouled up badly with political tinkering in 2011.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Despite petition, Legislature to do nothing to help springs this year
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Although thousands of Florida voters signed a petition demanding action, the Legislature will not pass any bills aimed at restoring and protecting the state's iconic springs this year, according to the chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee.
House favors land programs, Senate favors water projects in budget standoff
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
House and Senate budget negotiators remained apart on budget issues including conservation payments to rural landowners, the Florida Forever land-buying program and water projects.
Floridians must protect very special environment
By Eric Draper
South Florida Sun Sentinel
I remember the first Earth Day in 1970, when Hillsborough Bay in Tampa gave off a choking smell of sewage, and the city's sky tinted with the brown haze of smog.
Gaetz creates non-profit to protect oil spill settlement money
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Deep within the massive 100-page amendment to SB 1024, the Senate's giant economic development bill, is a lengthy new initiative offered up by Senate President Don Gaetz designed to shield any potential proceeds from the lawsuit against BP and Halliburton over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
LGBT
Ex Ravens LB Ayanbadejo talks equality in South FL
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Former Baltimore Ravens reserve linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is taking his support for gay marriage to South Florida where his career started.
EDUCATION
Senate advances controversial bill to revamp high school sports association
By Jim Turner
News Service of Florida
Proponents of the Florida High School Athletic Association are on their defensive heels as those trying to revamp how high school sports are managed in Florida are driving with the ball as the clock runs down.
US Ed. Secretary urges Florida to work on evaluations
By Christine Armario
Associated Press
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is urging Florida to quickly address any problems with its new teacher evaluation system, which grades instructors in large part on students’ standardized test scores.
State cuts dim Bright Futures opportunities
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Since the Legislature revamped the Bright Futures scholarship program in 2011, college administrators and student advocates have been fretting about the thinning of the ranks of those eligible for the merit scholarships.
Can a judge ban a student from public school?
By Khristopher J. Brooks
Florida Times-Union
The Duval County Public Schools superintendent and an expert in Florida education law say a judge was wrong when he banned a 14-year-old girl from attending any public school in the county.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Scott making strong push for tax break for manufacturers
Associated Press
Gainesville Sun
Florida lawmakers supporting a tax break for manufacturers say Gov. Rick Scott is making a strong push for an issue that represents one of his top priorities for the legislative session.
Once down and out, Florida job market gathers national steam
By Robert Trigaux
Tampa Bay Times
If the sharp drop in Florida and Tampa Bay unemployment rates was worthy of applause, add a cautionary cheer for our state's job gains compared with the rest of the nation.
Florida lawmakers shunning insurers is rare sight
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Whose side is the Legislature on, yours or State Farm's?
House wants fix for branding logo featuring tie
By Jim Turner
News Service of Florida
The Florida House is holding firm against spending money on the new Enterprise Florida business “tie.”
Florida legislators to help baseball teams, cities
Staff Report
Tampa Tribune
Florida legislators have agreed to pitch in millions more in state money to help pro baseball teams — even in cases where a team wants to move from one Florida town to another.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
'Private Option' Plan, FL Model, Passes in Ark.
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Arkansas' state legislature passed a model plan to expand Medicaid last week, even though its Legislature is dominated by Republicans and the measure had to pass by a three-quarters vote, the Associated Press reports.
Elderly advocates battle bill to limit punitive damage cases against nursing homes
By Rochelle Koff
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Families of nursing home patients and advocates for the elderly are once again fighting legislation that would make it tougher to sue the homes for neglect.
IMMIGRATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Rubio: If Boston exposed flaws, fix in immigration bill
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Sen. Marco Rubio, who has urged caution in drawing connections with the Boston bombings to the immigration debate, now says he disagrees it has "no bearing."
Fla. may shift domestic security money to schools
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida's anti-terrorism efforts could be undercut by a proposal that would shift millions of dollars intended for domestic security programs for use in efforts to bolster security at schools, some officials say.
As Firearm Ownership Rises, Florida Gun Murders Increasing
By Eric Barton
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Michael David Dunn didn’t like the volume of music coming from the SUV parked next to him at a Jacksonville gas station.
Thanks, Marco, for saving our 'freedom'
By Matt Reed
Florida Today
Thank you, Marco Rubio, for defending my gun freedom in so many awesome ways.
Rubio, others Undermine Majority on Gun Sales
By Martin Dyckman
Florida Voices
"In God we trust" may be the planet's most familiar national motto, appearing on trillions of U.S. coins and treasury bills circulating everywhere.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Clerks Of The Court Could Be Close To Having Stable Funding Source
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
The Florida Legislature is one step closer to inking out an actual deal for the state’s various clerks of the court budget.
No comments:
Post a Comment