FEATURED
STORIES
A partisan Scott veto on licenses
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Democrats pounce in attempt to exploit Scott's 'Dreamers' veto
Once again, Gov. Rick Scott has refused to accept public policy established by the Obama administration that benefits Florida. And once again, the state will suffer because of his partisan gamesmanship.
Marco Rubio's immigration reform balancing act rubbing some the wrong way
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Sen. Marco Rubio has for months positioned himself as the focus of the immigration debate, the reason why a bill has gotten as far as it has.
Why Florida Business Wants Medicaid Expansion
By Lucy Morgan
Bloomberg
Florida’s business community, a bastion of conservatism on most matters, was among those pushing hardest for a state measure that would have adopted a major part of President Barack Obama’s federal health-care law.
Battle of rights: HB 655 steps on the toes of local government
Editorial
Tallahassee Democrat
You could build an entire college course around the issues raised in House Bill 655, which was passed in the recent legislative session and needs only the signature of Gov. Rick Scott.
The End of the Solid South
By Bob Moser
The American Prospect
The region's emerging majority is progressive. Its capitols are more conservative than ever. Something's got to give.
FLORIDA
POLITICS
Democrats upset by governor's Dream Act driving bill veto
By James Call
Florida Current
Democrats Wednesday intensified their criticism of Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of legislation aimed at making it easier for children of undocumented immigrants to obtain driver licenses.
Governor signs 2 business-friendly laws, 12 others
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott signed a pair of business-friendly changes to lawsuit rules Wednesday, joining some prominent corporate officers in predicting they will help Florida produce jobs.
IRS questions bonds from GOP donor development
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
The Internal Revenue Service is questioning hundreds of millions worth of bonds issued by a sprawling Central Florida retirement community built by a major Republican donor.
Graham: FBI hindered Congress’s 9/11 inquiry, withheld reports about Sarasota Saudis
By Dan Christensen and Anthony Summers
Miami Herald
Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham has accused the FBI in court papers of having impeded Congress’s Joint Inquiry into 9/11 by withholding information about a Florida connection to the al-Qaeda attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
POLITICAL
RACES
GOP launches pre-emptive attack on Sink
By William March
Tampa Tribune
The GOP says that Alex Sink, former chief financial officer, and former Gov. Charlie Crist were to blame for economic woes in Florida.
ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY
Gulf restoration too vital to wait
By Bob Graham and William K. Reilly
Washington Post
Almost daily, some mention is made of the billions of dollars in fines and penalties that might come from BP and its contractors in resolving the litigation that resulted from the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
Stronger Andrea whirls toward Florida Gulf Coast
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Tropical Storm Andrea, growing stronger overnight, headed toward landfall along Florida’s Big Bend area on Thursday, but much of the state already is feeling its effects.
LGBT
Hillsborough County Commission unanimously repeals ban of gay pride recognition
By Bill Varian
Tampa Bay Times
For years, Hillsborough County stood firm, refusing to protect gays from discrimination as other governments approved domestic partnerships and even gay marriage.
Sarasota County domestic partner registry moves forward
By Dale White
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Sarasota County is moving forward on a domestic partnership registry that would ensure hospital visitation, funeral planning and other mutual rights for unmarried couples, including those in same-sex relationships.
Miami Beach passes ordinance to reimburse federal tax on domestic partners' health insurance
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
Both SAVE Dade and Equality Florida have thanked the Miami Beach City Commission for passing an ordinance Wednesday that allows reimbursement of federal taxes on health benefits to city employees in domestic partnerships.
EDUCATION
Time to Invest More in Early Childhood Education
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Wednesday is a national day of action on early learning, with a broad coalition of groups pushing for significant new investments in early childhood education.
Fl's graduation rate for Hispanic students tops in the nation, as state makes strong gains overall, report shows
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida has made strong gains in high school graduation rates in the last decade and led the nation when it comes to having Hispanic students earn diplomas, a new report released today shows.
Orange schools praised for improving black students' AP passing rates
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
The Orange County school district is one of six urban school systems that deserves praise for improving black students' success on Advanced Placement exams, according to a report issued today.
Student-Loan Rates: College Must Be Affordable
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
As young people drown in student debt, Congress debates how much water it should add to the pool.
JOBS,
BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Critics: Fla. mortgage settlement misspent
By Aaron Deslatte and Mary Shanklin
Orlando Sentinel
South Orlando homeowner Francisco Molina said Gov. Rick Scott's decision Tuesday to spend mortgage settlement fees on new dorms, courts and the homeless misses the mark to help foreclosure victims.
Politics fueled jobless-claims report, state says
By Jim Stratton and Marcia Heroux Pounds
Orlando Sentinel
A state agency Wednesday accused the U.S. Labor Department of political bias and "investigative misconduct" in an April report that found Florida had violated the rights of some laid-off workers who are disabled or not fluent in English.
State Workers Honored For Saving Fla. Taxpayers More Than $500 Million
By Jessica Palombo
WFSU Tallahassee
Dozens of state workers from Tallahassee and Northwest Florida got awards Wednesday for making government more efficient.
The biggest budget cutter in Congress was a Floridian, group says
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
No one in Congress tried to save taxpayers more money over the last two years than U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, according calculations made by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, a non-profit group based in Washington, D.C.
HEALTH
AND SENIORS
Rejecting Medicaid: terrible deal
By Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas
Washington Post
Curious why some hard-core conservative governors, including Rick Scott of Florida and Jan Brewer of Arizona, are fighting with their legislators to accept Obamacare's Medicaid expansion?
National report shows rejection of Medicaid expansion weakens Florida mental health services
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) issued a national report showing Medicaid is the most important source of funding for mental health services.
Gov. Scott calls federal health law a disaster
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
It sounds like Republican Gov. Rick Scott is reverting back to his old talking points criticizing the federal health law, after he told a Pensacola radio station Wednesday the law is a "disaster."
Rick Scott signs abortion bill into law
By Rochelle Koff
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law on Wednesday requiring that doctors performing an abortion offer emergency medical care if the baby is somehow born alive.
Pharmacists, Doctors Ignore Database
By Bob LaMendola
Health News Florida
Only one-third of pharmacists and 10 percent of doctors are using Florida's prescription drug database, and that's a serious problem, federal officials told the state Board of Pharmacy on Tuesday.
IMMIGRATION,
CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Rubio currently opposes own immigration bill
By Aaron Blake
Washington Post
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is perhaps the most important man in the current immigration debate, says he currently wouldn’t vote for the compromise bill he helped craft.
Florida labor and religious groups push for immigration reform
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
Activists in favor of an immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate are hoping it gets approved before the Senate breaks at the end of this month.
Bondi, FDLE begin new campaign against human trafficking
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement joined with other police agencies Wednesday to announce a new education campaign for combatting the "modern-day slavery" of human trafficking in Florida.
JUSTICE
AND THE COURTS
Faster, Governor! Kill! Kill!
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
For weeks, Seth Penalver had been desperate to get an audience with Rick Scott, if just for a few moments.
Appeals court OKs prison outsourcing
Associated Press
Gainesville Sun
A Florida appeals court is giving the state's prison agency the green light to privatize health care services.
Scott sides with biz groups over trial lawyers in expert witness fight
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Wednesday a pair of lawsuit-limiting measures long-sought by business leaders but opposed by Democratic-allied trial lawyers.
Jury IDs will be kept private at Zimmerman trial
Staff Report
Palm Beach Post
The identities of potential jurors in the trial of a neighborhood watch leader charged with killing Trayvon Martin will be kept confidential.
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