Daily News Clips for March 11, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

The Blu Vu: Week of March 8, 2013
By Gayle Andrews
The Blu Vu: Florida's Political Reality News Show
The Session is on! The Governor reveals his education epiphany... Are the Republicans hallucinating? Is election reform real? Commentary from Progress Florida’s Damien Filer (13:58) as political reality comes your way!

FEATURED STORIES

Gov. Rick Scott balancing teachers' priorities, Republicans' priorities
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott is in a tight spot with teachers.

Over state workers’ objections, lawmakers move toward pension overhaul
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A House committee Friday approved an overhaul of the Florida Retirement System, despite opposition from public worker unions and less-than-resounding support from a financial analyst advising Republican leaders.

House Committee Passes Wage, Benefits and Paid Sick Time Bill
By Tom Parkinson
WMFE Orlando
A proposed bill in that could lower wages and reduce benefits for many workers in Florida passed a House committee on a straight party-line vote Thursday.

Medicaid expansion pits anecdotes against economists' numbers
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Why do lawmakers legislate by anecdote? It's an old question that plays out every year in state houses and Congress.

In Talk Show Tour, Jeb Bush Promotes Book on Immigration and Replies to Critics
By Jackie Calmes
New York Times
Stoking speculation about his presidential ambitions, Jeb Bush, the Republican former governor of Florida, performed a rare Washington feat on Sunday, appearing on all the morning talk shows as part of a blitz that has become equal parts book promotion and damage control.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Chan Lowe
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Read the artist's commentary here.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Jeb Bush on immigration: ‘A lot of hair on fire — mine isn’t’
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Related: Political reporters act like 'crack addicts,' Jeb Bush says
Immigration is a minefield. Jeb Bush stepped in it.

Marco Rubio: I’ll Vote To Shut Down The Government Unless Obamacare Is Completely Defunded
By Sy Mukherjee
Think Progress
During an interview on conservative host Hugh Hewitt’s talk radio program Thursday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined fellow Tea Party favorites Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT) in demanding that a continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year must include provisions to defund Obamacare in its entirety.

Will Weatherford's Medicaid snub may benefit Gov. Rick Scott
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, while stiffing Florida Gov. Rick Scott on his call to expand Medicaid coverage in Florida, may be doing the governor a big favor.

Why we all should care about public records
By Rick Hirsch
Miami Herald
This week, Bal Harbour sent its police chief packing.

Textgate shows leaders' contempt for sunshine
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
What's more outrageous than government officials flouting their legal duty to conduct the public's business openly?

Stadium bill survives hostile amendments, wins approval of House panel
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Miami Dolphins’ push for a taxpayer-supported stadium renovations gained steam in the Florida Legislature on Friday, sidestepping a number of toxic amendments aimed at killing the bill.

Ethics Commission throws out Diaz de la Portilla complaint
By Kathleen McGrory
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The state ethics commission on Friday dismissed a complaint against Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, saying it was no longer in the public interest to proceed with the case.

Sen. Clemens: Stop with tax cuts and do things that make difference
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Q&A with… Sen. Jeff Clemens (D), District 27, Florida Senate.

Allen West to speak Thursday at prominent conservative conference
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Former Republican Rep. Allen West has ruled out a 2014 rematch against Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter.

Absentee ballots are real threat to voting integrity
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
In hindsight, Gov. Rick Scott's flawed attempt to purge Florida's voter rolls of noncitizens last fall almost appears quaint.

POLITICAL RACES

A shaky start for Jeb! 2016
By Joe Henderson
Tampa Tribune
The Jeb Bush we came to know as Florida's two-term governor could be brusque and dismissive, but he was also supremely confident and the unquestioned champion of his own ideas.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Big Sugar mounts new attack on the Everglades
By Randy Schultz
Palm Beach Post
Florida’s sugar growers say they really, really, really want to save what’s left of the Everglades.

Record-breaking number of manatees killed by Red Tide
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Sometime this weekend, the record for manatee deaths caused by Red Tide will be broken.

Deep trouble: How sea-rise could cause havoc in South Florida
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
The maps were intended to show how rising sea levels threaten some of Miami-Dade County’s most vital facilities.

Quickly spreading fungus killing Fla. redbay trees
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Officials say a tree fungus known as laurel wilt is spreading across parts of central Florida, killing hundreds of redbay trees.

LGBT

UF students rally in Tally for gay rights
By Barbara Dimajo
Independent Alligator
While most college students hit the beach this Spring Break, 12 UF students were preparing to talk to elected officials about equality issues.

Bill Clinton: Court should nix anti-gay marriage law
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Former President Bill Clinton is calling on the Supreme Court to overturn a law he signed that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

EDUCATION

Schools chief warns that plan to give parents power in school turnarounds is flawed
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
A controversial “parent trigger” plan to let parents take over failing schools is on the fast track, but Education Commissioner Tony Bennett cautioned lawmakers this week that the proposal gives the state too much power and creates too much red tape for parents.

Senate President Gaetz shoots down Gov. Scott’s across-the-board raise for teachers
By Jennifer Curington
Orlando Sentinel
Senate President Don Gaetz served notice on Gov. Rick Scott Friday that his chamber is not looking favorably on Scott’s proposal to give every public-school teacher a $2,500 raise.

Gaetz 'open' to Bennett's suggestions on trigger bill
By James Call
Florida Current
Reform advocates and school boards are lining up on opposite sides as a parent trigger bill begins to move in the Legislature.

Weatherford says House will restore university cuts
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Last year, Florida's universities were told the $300 million cut from their operating budgets would be restored for 2013-2014.

Arming Teachers Asks for Trouble
By Glenn Marston
Lakeland Ledger
A school safety bill filed by state Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, would allow school principals to assign teachers or other staff members to carry concealed weapons as a way of protecting schools and students.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

More questions than answers, Weatherford's pension bill still passes hurdle
By Michael Van Sickler
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
For the past 43 years, it’s been the primary retirement plan in Florida for employees of the state and county government agencies, school boards, community colleges and universities.

Fla. Senate president pushes for state worker raise
By Margie Menze and David Royse
News Service of Florida
The Senate president reiterated Friday that lawmakers will try to give state workers their first raise in six years, though he warned about the unpredictable nature of economic circumstances that could derail the plan.

Gaetz: Sequester creating budget uncertainty in Florida
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Senate President Don Gaetz said the federal sequester is causing problems for Florida lawmakers as they try to build a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Tax dollars are paying Florida mortgages for felons, debtors
By Susan Taylor Martin
Tampa Bay Times
While thousands of responsible Floridians struggle to keep their homes, a federal mortgage assistance program is making loan payments for felons, tax scofflaws and people with histories of running up debts they can't repay.

Reinsurers hoping to reinsert Cat Fund provisions on insurance bill
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Legislation overhauling Florida’s property insurance market made it through its first Senate committee Thursday, but some industry groups are hoping to tack on provisions to shrink the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, or Cat Fund.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

It's Senate Panel's Turn on Medicaid Expansion
Staff Report
Health News Florida
On Monday, a panel of state senators who have put months of study into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will be asked to vote on the most contentious issue of the session: Should Florida accept federal funds to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults?

Weatherford hypocritical, hard-hearted on Medicaid expansion
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, wants to deny one million Floridians access to the Medicaid program that bailed out his family.

Gaetz Mum on Medicaid
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There’s a standoff at the state capitol over the Medicaid expansion.

Florida Chamber endorses Medicaid expansion, kinda
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Calling the Affordable Care Act a flawed law but ultimately one that is here to stay, the Florida Chamber of Commerce says the state should accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid as long as certain conditions are met.

Insurers Build Clinics for Medicaid Patients
Staff Report
Health News Florida
To prepare for a massive influx of new Medicaid patients in Florida and other states, insurers are building clinics in convenient places to help them find care without resorting to a hospital emergency room, Kaiser Health News reports.

State may shrink mental health-care spending
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre unleashed a debate nationwide about whether enough is done to identify and treat the dangerously mentally ill.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida legislators to spend the next two months debating state's gun laws
By Marisa Kendall
Ft. Myers News-Press
After weeks of gun debate prompted by recent mass shootings, Florida legislators will spend the next two months determining what, if anything, will be done to change the state’s gun laws this session.

Florida's shameful sham: A bogus review of Stand Your Ground law
Editorial
Bradenton Herald
The task force commissioned by Gov. Rick Scott to review Florida's Stand Your Ground law has reached a verdict -- one entirely expected since the 19-member board was stacked with advocates of the law, including two of its authors and other lawmakers who voted for it.

Activists Celebrate International Women's Day At Fla. Capitol
By Jessica Palombo    
WFSU Tallahassee
Friday is the United Nations’ annual International Women’s Day, meant as a time to reflect on injustice against women worldwide.

Farmworkers and members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers march from Fort Myers to Publix's headquarters in Lakeland
Staff Report
WTSP Tampa Bay
Over 150 farmworkers will walk 200 miles in two weeks to get the attention of Publix.

In El Paso, the overlooked faces of immigration
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
The children enter the room in a burst of laughter and smiles.

Community organizers march for immigration reform
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Community organizers are marching from Florida City to Homestead for immigration reform.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Gov. Scott’s pick for 4th DCA judge sparks controversy, raises questions about ‘competence’
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post
The appointment of a new judge to the 4th District Court of Appeal has sparked a political firestorm that reaches all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.

Negron bill would speed up appeals process for death row inmates
By Melissa E. Holsman
TC Palm
Condemned inmates could spend fewer years on death row and have less time for appeals under a bill being championed by state Sen. Joe Negron, which aims to speed up the death penalty appellate process.

Daily News Clips for March 7, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Groups Call for a Middle Class Revival Agenda in Florida
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
Excerpt: While the Governor has centered his message on appealing to corporate CEO's, what would a budget based on the needs of average people look like? We're joined now by Damien Filer who is with Progress Florida. Along with members of Florida Watch Action and America Votes – they are offering a middle class agenda for Florida.

AWAKE THE STATE IN THE NEWS

Florida House approves voting changes, but activists in Tampa call for more
By Mitch Perry
Creative Loafing Tampa
On the first day of the Legislative session, activist groups from across the state gathered in Florida's biggest cities calling for electoral reform in the wake of the state's latest embarrassment at the polls. "Awake the State" groups met in 22 cities, including Tampa's Lykes Gaslight Park where an estimated 150 people spoke out for election reform.

Crowd demanding voting rights swells to 200 in downtown Tampa
By Janelle Irwin
WMNF Tampa
Two hundred activists crowded Gaslight Square in downtown Tampa Tuesday to demand comprehensive changes to Florida’s voting law.

FEATURED STORIES

No facts, no logic, no reality in Will Weatherford's Medicaid stance
By John Romano
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Medicaid program helped Will Weatherford's family after all, he admits
Related editorial: On Medicaid, family facts and fantasies
I think Will Weatherford's heart was in the right place. It was his facts, theories, justifications and conclusions that seemed to wander off aimlessly.

Florida Republicans search for Medicaid expansion alternative
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Republicans in the Florida House are trying to come up with a plan for the uninsured, something they believe would be better than expanding Medicaid.

Florida House bridles at Senate’s proposed ethics reforms
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
A day after the Senate unanimously passed ethics reforms at the start of the 2013 legislative session, a House committee picked apart the bill, objecting that it went too far in some areas and weakened safeguards in another.

Sen. Greg Evers' proposed bill seeks to ban all abortions
By Louis Cooper
Pensacola News Journal
Three Northwest Florida lawmakers are supporting a proposal that would outlaw nearly all abortions in Florida, close abortion clinics and punish those who perform the procedure with life in prison.

The real GOP voter fraud: Employees admit forging voter registration forms
By Morgan Whitaker
MSNBC
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement revealed Tuesday that two employees of a company hired by the Republican Party of Florida to register voters admitted they committed fraud during the 2012 election season.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Scott tells House to try again on campaign finance plan
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
In another sign that Florida Gov. Rick Scott is moving to the populist middle, the govenor's aides told Florida House leaders Wednesday that he cannot support their plan to raise campaign contribution caps from $500 to $10,000 in exchange for more rigorous disclosure.

House panel OKs right-to-speak bill
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Florida's citizens would get the right to be heard - and not just seen - at local government meetings under a bill that has cleared a House panel.

Weatherford's woeful campaign finance idea
By Jonathan Backer
Tampa Bay Times
Florida's campaign finance system is not perfect.

Gov. Scott, Cabinet to meet in Tallahassee
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Gov. Rick Scott and members of the Florida Cabinet will meet Thursday in Tallahassee.

POLITICAL RACES

Jeb Bush more open to a future White House bid
By Ken Thomas
Associated Press
Jeb Bush has long resisted pressure from supporters to run for president.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

House committee bill on Everglades condemned by environmental groups
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The House State Affairs Committee is considering filing a bill that would extend a tax on sugar farming in the Everglades and provide permitting certainty for farmers, Rep. Matt Caldwell, a subcommittee chairman, said Wednesday.

Bills dealing with controversial oil and gas 'fracking' to be heard Thursday
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Concerns about the practice of oil and gas extraction called hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" are the focus of a pair of bills being heard Thursday by a House subcommittee.

EDUCATION

In-state tuition bill for children of undocumented immigrants moving in Florida House
By Kathleen McGrory
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
2013 may finally be the year for the college-bound children of undocumented immigrants.

Bill sparks parent group to raise 'Orwellian' fears over student privacy
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
A move to make it easier for researches to access Florida educational data has some parents worried about an "Orwellian" effort that would violate student privacy.

State senator proposes crackdown on tutoring companies
By Michael LaForgia
Tampa Bay Times
Criminals would be banned from running subsidized tutoring firms and state education officials would be required to track complaints and bar providers who cheat or commit fraud under a bill filed Tuesday in the state Senate.

Common Core testing will take 8-10 hours over several days
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
As Florida and other states debate their readiness for the Common Core State Standards, the group designing the tests that would replace the FCAT has announced that its tests will last 8-10 hours and schools will need up to 20 days to administer them.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Scott wrong on his role in Florida’s recovery
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott has a story he would like to tell about the state’s economic recovery, but it isn’t the true story.

House speaker calculates pension savings in billions
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
House Speaker Will Weatherford's plan to close the traditional Florida pension system to new employees, making them enroll in the now-optional 401(k)-style investment plan, would start slowly but soon start saving billions of dollars per year, according to projections released Wednesday by his office.

Foreclosure speed-up bill continues House trek; courts ask for funding to tackle backlog
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A bill to expedite the foreclosure process passed its second committee Wednesday in the House, and court administrators are also asking lawmakers to use money from a foreclosure fraud settlement with major banks to help clear Florida’s foreclosure backlog.

House panel passes bills to shrink Citizens
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee began its efforts to reduce the risk of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. on Wednesday, passing a series of bills to reduce coverage of high-end homes and set up a clearinghouse to funnel customers away from the state-backed insurer.

Poll: Dolphins stadium-tax deal highly unpopular
By Marc Caputo and Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
About 73 percent of likely Miami-Dade voters oppose a Miami Dolphins tax-break plan for stadium improvements, according to a new poll obtained by The Miami Herald that indicates the issue is politically damaging for lawmakers.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Jeb Bush opposed to Florida Medicaid expansion
By Jake Tapper
CNN
Florida's former governor Jeb Bush isn't in alignment with the Sunshine State's current Republican executive on the issue of accepting federal dollars to expand Medicaid coverage to more lower income residents.

Bill would equalize insurance payouts on oral, IV meds
By James Call
Florida Current
Cancer patients, survivors and their supporters gathered Wednesday just outside Senate chambers to demonstrate support for a proposal mandating that insurance companies equalize coverage of oral medicine with IV-administered medicine. 

Looming physician shortage prompts medical turf wars
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
With more people likely to seek access to health care under the Affordable Care Act, medical professionals and legislators are worried that there won't be enough physicians in Florida to treat patients.

Optometrists bill advances with caution
By James Call
Florida Current
A Senate panel voted 10-3 on Wednesday to approve a bill granting more prescription authority to optometrists.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Universal gun background check bill filed, sponsor admits its a tough sell
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, introduced the “Universal Background Check Act” on Wednesday, filing a gun control bill that requires virtually all sales of firearms to be conducted through licensed dealers.

Second Amendment not unlimited
By Hubert C. Normile
Florida Today
Recently, I attended the Space Coast Progressive Alliance Forum on Gun Control and Public Safety.

Immigration Group Visits Senator Rubio's Office
By Yoselis Ramos        
WUSF Tampa
Various immigration activists have come together into what they're calling The Florida Caravan for Immigration Reform.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

'Anti-Sharia' law resurfaces in Florida Legislature
By Rochelle Koff
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A renewed attempt to pass a controversial "foreign law" bill proposed by Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yahala, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, after more than an hour of sometimes emotional public testimony.

Sick-time legal fights could make taxpayers ill
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
For taxpayers, the legal bills from Orange County's decision to keep a sick-time initiative off the fall ballot are just starting to arrive.

Daily Clips for May 5, 2010

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Liberal group says top Florida Republicans plan to discuss offshore drilling in 2011

By Aaron Sharockman

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Politifact

Excerpt: Both Cannon and Haridopolos have tempered their support of offshore oil drilling in wake of the major oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. But neither has abandoned the concept altogether. Progress Florida claims that both have said they plan to bring up oil drilling during the 2011 session, allowing drilling perhaps as close as 3 miles from Florida's shore. They have. And although they have indicated that the political environment has changed, they haven't canceled those plans. We rate Progress Florida's claim True.

Curbside recycling again stalled in Pinellas County

By Michael Van Sickler

St. Petersburg Times

Excerpt: Supporters of recycling didn't applaud the delay. "This is a deep disappointment," said Darden Rice, a board member of Progress Florida. "But with the new bill on Crist's desk, it makes sense to wait. Now that it's delayed again, it better be good. Otherwise, it's more talk, no action."

FEATURED STORIES

Impact forecast for Thursday is just the first wave in 'ginormous' disaster

By Paul Flemming

Tallahassee Democrat

Related: Oil could cause 'catastrophic' wildlife damage

Related: Oil spill uncertainty has seafood workers on edge

Related: Tourists concerned but not avoiding the coast

Related: Sink urges residents to begin documenting

Video: Big Bend businessmen and fishermen discuss concerns about oil spill

Luck was with emergency responders Tuesday as winds continued to push the surface sheen of an ongoing oil disaster off shore and allowed time for further preparation all along the Gulf Coast.

As oil blob triples in size, Florida fears nightmare

By Audra D.S. Burch, Joseph Goodman and Curtis Morgan

Miami Herald

Florida environmental and emergency managers acknowledged Saturday that the state can't protect every stretch of coastline threatened by an uncontrolled undersea gusher spewing a massive oil slick that has spread across the Gulf of Mexico faster than expected.

Giant dome for Gulf oil leak is next best solution

By Vicki Smith and Allen G. Breed

The Associated Press

The best short-term solution to bottling up a disastrous oil spill threatening sealife and livelihoods along the Gulf Coast should be arriving on Wednesday in the form of a specially built giant concrete-and-steel box designed to siphon the oil away.

Florida GOP trashes, blames and bashes their once-golden governor, Charlie Crist

By Adam C. Smith

St. Petersburg Times

Almost overnight, the Florida Republican Party has gone from being Charlie Crist's PR machine to Charlie Crist's archenemy.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Gelber asks governor to call special session

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

A Democratic lawmaker wants Gov. Charlie Crist to call a special session to deal with some unfinished legislative business and the threat to Florida's economy from an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Disney World, whitewater rafting among $47,000 GOP charges for Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp

By Beth Reinhard

St. Petersburg Times

The Florida Republican Party spent more than $9,500 on special Disney World tours for Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and others in the summer of 2008, according to credit card bills obtained by the St. Petersburg Times and the Miami Herald.

ACLU Florida asks Crist to veto abortion bill

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is asking Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a bill containing anti-abortion amendments they say affects the health of women.

Governor Deciding Whether To Veto Insurance Legislation

By John Frank

St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

The veto watch has begun for an industry-backed insurance bill that received limited vetting as it won approval in the final moments of the legislative session.

GOP committee to select host for 2012 convention next week

By Christian M. Wade

Tampa Tribune

Backers of Tampa's bid for the 2012 Republican National Convention could find out next week if the city will be selected to host the national political event.

Code of ethics begrudgingly embraced by County Commission

By Brittany Wallman

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Historic ethics reform is coming to Broward County government.

Legislature ignores voters' will

Editorial

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Call it "saving the worst for last" - Florida lawmakers' habit of passing poorly vetted, stealthy legislation in the waning hours of the annual session.

POLITICAL RACES

Crist Leads Rubio, Meek in New Senate Poll

Staff Report

Lakeland Ledger

Gov. Charlie Crist holds a slim lead over former House Speaker Marco Rubio and likely Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Kendrick Meek in the first public poll released since the governor left the primary for the Republican nomination.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush announces endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio

By Bill Cotterell

Tallahassee Democrat

Former Gov. Jeb Bush's long-expected endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio was announced today.

Marco Rubio maintains push for more drilling

By Alex Leary

St. Petersburg Times

Marco Rubio joined the call Tuesday for a swift investigation into the "horrifying" BP oil disaster but said he still supports offshore drilling as part of an overall energy strategy.

Chiles family backs Senate candidate Meek

By Carl Mario Nudi

Bradenton Herald

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek met Tuesday with long-time friends Rhea Chiles and her two sons, Bud and Ed, whose names still carry some cache in state Democratic politics.

For Senate candidate, mother's shadow looms

By Jeremy Wallace

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

With a new outlook in the U.S. Senate race, Democratic candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek swung through the region on Tuesday with renewed vigor in promoting his campaign and picking up key endorsements.

Bids for Crist's portrait passes $6,000 mark on eBay

By Jose Patino Girona

Tampa Tribune

In just over a day on the auction block, Charlie Crist's portrait is getting the attention and inching its way to the dollar amount the sellers - the Republican Party of Florida - dreamed of.

Some Republicans angry at Brown-Waite

By William March

Tampa Tribune

Local Republicans are criticizing what some call a ploy by U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite to choose Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent as her successor in Congress. There are also calls for Nugent to resign as he runs for the seat.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Disarray, slow response to slick has Florida officials frustrated at British Petroleum

By Kimberly Miller and Dara Kam

Palm Beach Post

Related AP story: Fla. environmental head optimistic about spill

Florida's top officials -- from Gov. Charlie Crist on down -- say the oil company that caused the massive Gulf spill is frustrating their efforts by holding up approval of local response plans even as the slick spreads perilously close to land.

Gulf oil spill could 'devastate' South Florida's environment

By David Fleshler

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Few parts of the United States would be as devastated by an oil slick as the southern coast of Florida.

Group: Wildlife Casualties Just Beginning in Gulf Spill

By Gina Presson

Public News Service Florida

While Gulf Coast residents are waiting for the oil to strike their shores, at least 31 dead sea turtles have washed ashore in Mississippi.

Lawyers looking for oil-spill lawsuits flood Florida

By Henry Pierson Curtis and Kevin Spear

Orlando Sentinel

No oil has washed ashore in Florida yet, but the state is already awash in lawyers seeking clients for lawsuits against those responsible for the blown-out well that's gushing 210,000 gallons of crude each day into the Gulf of Mexico.

Tampa Bay agencies publish pro-drilling message touting safety of offshore drilling

By Mariella Smith

Creative Loafing Tampa

The current issue of Bay Soundings, "Tampa Bay's Science and Nature News Journal," includes a full-page message promoting oil drilling off Florida's coasts and touting the safety(!) of offshore drilling.

Turkey Point nuclear plant is focus of Thursday open house

Staff Report

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Federal regulators will hold an open house in Homestead Thursday to discuss safety performance at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant.

The burden's on BP

Editorial

Pensacola News Journal

So far, oil company BP has been forthright about its responsibility for the oil spill, and its intent to cover legitimate economic losses for businesses and individuals across the Gulf Coast.

Energy not used

Editorial

Gainesville Sun

Every gallon of oil seeping into the Gulf of Mexico from last week's catastrophe is wasted energy.

EDUCATION

Group sues Florida schools over limits on prayer

The Associated Press

Tampa Tribune

A conservative group is suing a Panhandle school district over its limits on prayer.

275,000 School Jobs on Chopping Block, Survey Says

By Alyson Klein

Education Week

Cash-strapped school districts are considering deep staff reductions--an estimated 275,000 employees--in the 2010-11 school year, according to a survey scheduled to be released today by the American Association of School Administrators.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

On the brink

Editorial

Florida Today

The Florida Legislature, which just finished its annual session, passed a $70.4 billion budget, but has little to brag about.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Abortion bill deserves a veto

By Sue Carlton

St. Petersburg Times

You could call it a sneaky, last-minute ploy to circumvent a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion, if it weren't so laughably transparent.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Jacksonville leaders fear perception of intolerance may carry economic price

By Deirdre Conner

Florida Times-Union

In the room when the Jacksonville City Council debated the appointment of Parvez Ahmed, a Muslim scholar and university professor, there were a lot of people holding their breath.