Daily News Clips for May 29, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Sequester Could Effect Florida During Hurricane Season
By Mike Springer
WCTV
Excerpt: "There's real cause for concern here in Florida because we are looking at cuts," said Damien Filer of Progress Florida.

FEATURED STORIES

Obama's Next Big Campaign: Selling Health Care To The Public
By Ari Shapiro
NPR
President Obama often tells audiences that he has waged his last campaign. But that's not exactly true.

Another bad deal from Citizens
Editorial
Miami Herald
No doubt many readers instinctively flinch when they see yet another story in The Miami Herald involving Citizens Property Insurance.

Leon County judge orders release of redistricting documents, again
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Tampa Bay Times
A Leon County judge has again ordered more documents to be turned over to plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit over Florida’s redrawn legislative maps.

Would Koch Brothers be good for journalism?
By Brad Ashwell
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
As you read this newspaper you are probably not thinking much about who owns it. But the question of who may be purchasing it along with several other major newspapers has the attention of many.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Rick Scott signs texting-while-driving ban, but does it have teeth?
By Rochelle Koff and Gina Cherelus
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
It may not be the strongest law, but texting while driving will be prohibited in Florida starting Oct. 1.

Once again, Bill Nelson denies he wants to run for governor
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing
Despite his protestations to the contrary, Bill Nelson continues to be floated as a possible Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2014.

Florida GOP launches attacks on Crist
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Fifteen months before Democrats choose a nominee to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican Party of Florida has launched attacks on undeclared Democratic frontrunner Charlie Crist.

Jim Davis,'06 Democratic candidate for governor, not sold on Charlie Crist
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Charlie Crist is working to win over members of his new party but he hasn't convinced Jim Davis, the 2006 Democratic candidate for governor, who says Crist would be judged on his record -- "and he's got a record."

POLITICAL RACES

Shawn Harrison looking for rematch with state Rep. Mark Danish
By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
The last time Shawn Harrison and state Rep. Mark Danish ran against each other was nearly seven months ago.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Everglades restoration law gets Scott's go-ahead
By Andy Reid
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Big Sugar and environmental advocates alike Tuesday celebrated Gov. Rick Scott's signing of Everglades legislation aimed at getting more pollution-fighting help to Florida's famed River of Grass.

Gov. Scott must support massive project that is key to restoring the Everglades
By Randy Schultz
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott prematurely claimed victory Tuesday on saving what remains of the Everglades.

After years of legislative fights over fertilizer rules, sides can't agree on way forward
By Bruce Ritchie
The Florida Current
After battling yet another year over legislation that would restrict local fertilizer ordinances, the opposite sides in the issue remain in sharp disagreement over how to proceed.

Governor signs brownfield restrictions into law
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law a bill that forbids businesses from receiving state tax breaks simply because of perceived pollution on their properties.

EDUCATION

Broward struggling to fix aging schools
By Karen Yi
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
With no major boost to capital funding approved by the state Legislature this year, the Broward County school district is running out of options to fund long-term fixes for its deteriorating schools.

Schools move away from media specialists
By Gabrielle Russon
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The scarlet letter still stuck from grade school, O for outcast.

Polk County School Board Budget Shortfall Balloons; Officials Must Cut $12.7 Million
By Merissa Green
Lakeland Ledger
Unexpected increases in expenses and losses of revenue has caused the Polk County School District's budget shortfall to swell to $12.7 million, School Board members were told Tuesday.

Manatee parents press Mills on teacher layoffs
By Erica Earl
Bradenton Herald
More than 1,300 parents are asking the school district to reconsider eliminating 182 teaching positions in Manatee County, saying layoffs "are not an acceptable solution to the financial crisis affecting Manatee County schools."

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida consumer confidence nears pre-recession level
Staff Report
Gainesville Sun
Florida consumer confidence rose for the third straight month in May to the highest level since the Great Recession.

Scott's tortured logic on Amazon
Editorial
Ocala Star-Banner
Rick Scott proudly touts himself as the “jobs governor,” but his recent rejection of a proposed deal to bring one, possibly two, massive warehouses for online retail giant Amazon to Florida has proven that his own rigid political ideologies are more important than bringing hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs to our state.

Miami-Dade social services feel sequester pinch
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Rosanna Taveras figured the federal budget cuts from the so-called sequester would go unnoticed at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami.

Federal cuts force Marion Senior Services to close dining sites two days a month
By Jim Ross
Ocala Star-Banner
Marion Senior Services has announced it will close its congregate dining sites two days per month in June, July and possibly August.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

State of Florida Insurance: Sweet Deal for House Members
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Will Weatherford, speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, said recently that his chamber's decision not to expand Medicaid benefits "wasn't an oversight but a thoughtful, purposeful action."

Outbreak Pharmacy Had Been in Trouble Before
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Florida authorities are tracing the steroids that were shipped into the state from a Tennessee-based compounding pharmacy thought to be responsible for seven infections.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Chief justice ends practice of congratulating new Eagle Scouts
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
Florida’s highest-ranking judge ended the long-standing practice of sending letters of congratulation to Eagle Scouts as the Boy Scouts of America agonized publicly over whether to admit gays as members.