PROGRESS
FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
Florida’s Top Political Tweeters for April
By Peter Schorsch
SaintPetersBlog
This is SaintPetersBlog‘s ranking of Florida’s Top Political Tweeters for April 2013…and Progress Florida at #27 is the top ranked organization.
FEATURED
STORIES
Nelson under pressure on gay marriage
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Florida U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is getting pressure from the liberal side of his party as the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation, and one of the few in the Senate, who opposes gay marriage.
Speaker Will Weatherford says 'never say never' to federal money for Medicaid alternatives
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As the Legislature weighs options for insuring the state's low-income residents, House Speaker Will Weatherford, for the first time, indicated Tuesday he might be open to accepting federal money.
Fear, loathing and partisanship in Senate on elections bill
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A series of partisan clashes on an early voting bill Tuesday brought a stern lecture from Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, the point man on the legislation, who said he was "taking it a little bit personal."
Fla. House sets up "parent trigger" for passage
By James L. Rosica
Associated Press
The Florida House on Tuesday debated a bill that will give parents a vote in turnaround options for failing public schools, as the measure continued to be assailed as a way to ease takeovers of public schools by for-profit companies.
Orange-inspired sick-time ‘preemption’ bill gets closer to House passage
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
The Florida House edged closer Tuesday to blocking Orange County voters from having a referendum on whether to offer paid sick-leave to workers.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Lane Rees, Florida GOP Committeeman, Arrested On Child Pornography Charges
By Nick Wing
The Huffington Post
Lane Rees, a 61-year-old GOP committeeman for Walton County, Fla., was arrested Monday night for possession and transmission of child pornography, according to a Northwest Florida Daily News report, since confirmed by other Florida outlets.
Worse? GOP Scandals or Dems' Inability to Exploit?
By Peter Schorsch
Florida Voices
Firmly in control of the Governor's Mansion and Cabinet, as well as both chambers of the Florida Legislature, the Republican Party of Florida's hegemony over state politics has been unquestioned for over a decade.
Senate moves closer to outlawing slots-like cafe and arcade games
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Despite pleas from senior citizens and veterans groups, the Florida Senate moved closer to outlawing all slot machine-like games at Internet cafes, Miami’s maquinitas and South Florida’s adult arcades.
Scott Signs Law Repealing Special Driving Permits
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Lakeland Ledger
Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday ended a controversy that began three months ago when a Florida law took effect requiring foreign visitors to obtain a special driving permit before taking to the Sunshine State's roads.
Charlie Crist's wife regains joint custody of her two girls
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Former Florida first lady Carole Crist has regained joint custody of her teenage daughters, her lawyer says, but contentious court fights with her ex-husband continue.
POLITICAL
RACES
Too early for 2016? Not for Hillary Clinton's fans
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
Hillary Rodham Clinton stayed on safe political ground Tuesday, advocating women's rights globally in a 12-minute speech, but that was enough to excite fans imploring the former first lady, senator and secretary of state to run again for president three years from now.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Report: Dolphins, Turtles Still Dying in Gulf
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
Florida wildlife continues to feel the impact of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Agricultural water bill wins support from former environmental opponents
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A bill that was shaping up to be the most controversial fight over water in the legislative session now has support from environmental groups that were opposing it.
Sen. Hays says his state lands bill likely dead as Senate panel delays action
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A Senate committee on Tuesday delayed action on a bill that would have restricted conservation land-buying by state agencies and local governments, leading the bill sponsor to acknowledge the legislation was dead this session.
LGBT
Equality Florida Twitterbombs U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson: It's 'Time to Evolve' on marriage equality
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Related: Two more U.S. senators announce gay marriage support, bringing total to 50
Equality Florida has launched a Twitterbomb of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, telling the Florida Democrat en masse that it's "Time to Evolve" on marriage equality.
EDUCATION
Moraitis says he'll amend charter schools bill
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Rep. George Moraitis plans to remove the most controversial provision from his sweeping charter schools bill, he said Tuesday.
FEA President Andy Ford Slams Parent Trigger Bill, ALEC, and 401(k)'s
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
On the first part of today’s program we’ll talk with Andy Ford who is president of the Florida Education Association- the statewide teachers union.
Local superintendents raise questions about arming teachers in schools
By Katie Tammen
Northwest Florida Daily News
Local education leaders expressed strong feelings this week about a proposed state law which would permit designated teachers to carry concealed weapons on school grounds.
Bright Futures changes could impact thousands of Hispanic and black students
By Stephanie Hayes
Tampa Bay Times
Bright Futures was always a program designed to reward high-achieving high school students by helping shoulder the cost of college.
FAU remains in denial about stadium deal with GEO Group
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida Atlantic University got a reprieve Monday when The GEO Group pulled its $6 million donation for naming rights to FAU’s football stadium, but the university still doesn’t understand what it did wrong.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Fla. lawmakers to take up $74 billion budget
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida legislators are taking their first votes this year on a new state budget.
Bill would make sports teams, stadiums compete for subsidies
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
An attempt to fund Miami Dolphins stadium improvements morphed Tuesday into a catch-all sports stadium package that could provide tax dollars for everything from Major League Soccer in Orlando to spring training improvements statewide – but require teams to compete for the money.
Proposed Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Changes Put On Hold
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Tallahassee
When it comes to insurance, Florida has had more than its share of trouble. Some insurance programs are struggling with fraud.
Sequester cuts to cost Palm Beach County elderly, children under measures approved Tuesday
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Needy senior citizens won’t get breakfast and poor children won’t get rides to pre-school under $2 million in Palm Beach County budget cuts approved Tuesday as a result of Congress failing to reach a budget deal.
Renew commitment to affordable housing
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
For four years, Florida lawmakers unwilling to have broader discussions about raising revenue have used the same excuse to undercut the state's longtime commitment to affordable housing: Cash-strapped state budgets required them to raid affordable housing programs to cover other general government needs.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Senate committee approves Bean's Plan C for health coverage
By James Call
Florida Current
Related: House panel OKs state regulators to work with federal health plan
President Barack Obama has a plan to reduce the number of uninsured people, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
House and Senate poised to let feds set insurance rates under ObamaCare
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
The Florida House and Senate look intent on shielding state regulators from any consumer criticism that stems from the insurance expansion that is part of the federal health care overhaul.
'Bold' Plan Would Replace Lawsuits
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Imagine a medical-malpractice system that resolves patients’ complaints of harm quickly, without rancor or legal fees.
Needle exchange bill inching forward in the Florida Legislature
By Audra D.S. Burch
Miami Herald
For nearly a dozen years, George Gibson worked in the shadows of Miami, meeting intravenous drug users at bus stops, corners and alleys to exchange dirty needles for clean ones.
IMMIGRATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Lawmakers Say They Want More Attention For Real Gun Law Change
By Steven Rodriguez
WFSU Tallahassee
There are many bills in Florida this legislative session that deal with gun laws.
Florida legislators join anti-Islamic crusade
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Last week, someone told the Rev. Joel Hunter that they hoped his family dies in a fire.
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