Daily News Clips for July 10, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Rubio Is Losing Support Among Republican Voters
By Micah Cohen
New York Times
Until recently, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida had occupied something of a sweet spot in Republican politics: a favorite of the Tea Party but also trusted by the establishment wing of the G.O.P.

Charlie Crist's political memoir to explain why he left GOP
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Charlie Crist is taking his message of political redemption and evolution from the Democratic club circuit to your local bookstore.

Dems slam Scott's go-slow approach in LG search
By Michael Van Sickler
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Democratic Party said Tuesday Gov. Rick Scott is dragging his feet in finding the state’s next lieutenant governor.

Gov. Scott slow to scrutinize special taxing districts
By Steve Bousquet
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott sounded determined a year and a half ago when he demanded a thorough review of obscure special taxing districts that have the power to "tax, spend and incur debt at the expense of Florida taxpayers."

Tax question dodge: Unlike colleagues, Scott avoids Internet sales tax debate
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Republican governors in several states are lining up in favor of a federal Internet sales tax bill, but Florida Gov. Rick Scott prefers to stay clear of an issue that splits the GOP as he gears up for re-election.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Rubio Considers Abortion Bill to Secure Conservative Bona Fides
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Sen. Marco Rubio, who has gained some enemies on the far-right of the GOP due to his push for immigration reform, is considering introducing a bill that would ban some abortions in order to shore up his support among conservatives.

Florida Accidentally Banned All Computers, Smart Phones In The State Through Internet Cafe Ban: Lawsuit
Staff Report
Huffington Post
When Florida lawmakers recently voted to ban all Internet cafes, they worded the bill so poorly that they effectively outlawed every computer in the state, according to a recent lawsuit.

The Search Is On For Florida's Next Lieutenant Governor
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
The search has now officially started for Governor Rick Scott’s next second-In-command.

Top GOP fundraiser, state committeeman, port chairman is slumlord
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
William A. "Hoe" Brown, chairman of the Tampa Port Authority and prominent Republican fundraiser, has been running an illegal rental property that Tampa's code enforcement director calls "deplorable" and "not fit for human habitation."

POLITICAL RACES

Joe Garcia draws challenger Carlos Curbelo on day he posts big cash-haul
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia has had the roughest of days for a congressional freshman: His former campaign team is under investigation for possible elections crimes and a bevy of Republicans is lining up to take him out.

Two GOP potential candidates won’t take on Rep. Murphy
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
Two Republicans who talked with the National Republican Congressional Committee about running for the seat of Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, have decided not to enter the race.  

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Tropical Storm Chantal remains threat to Florida
By Zac Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Tropical Storm Chantal remains a threat to Florida but forecasters can't predict with certainty where the storm will go as it moves north out of the Caribbean Sea Wednesday.

Florida PSC balks at federal order on regional electric transmission, seeks rehearing
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The Florida Public Service Commission is raising concerns about the implementation of a federal initiative that is designed to encourage regional planning for electricity transmission.

Solar Energy Payoff for Floridians
By Matt Horn
Capitol News Service
Floridians may finally get to take advantage of the vast amounts of sunshine to power their houses.

The cult origins of one of Florida's most dangerous invasive species
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Even as new residents come flooding into Florida every day, so do other things, and by that I mean invasive species.

LGBT

National same-sex marriage group doesn't have Florida on its radar for 2014 or 2016
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun Sentinel
The group Freedom to Marry outlined its national strategy to advance same-sex marriage through 2016 on Tuesday.

Effects of Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage Start Rippling Out Through Government
By Jeremy W. Peters
New York Times
The federal government is moving quickly to extend benefits like health care and life insurance to gay and lesbian married couples in response to the Supreme Court decision that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.

EDUCATION

Debt, Dread, and Deferment: The Student Loan Crisis
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
The student loan crisis continues to grow in America with students owing a little over a trillion dollars last year and interest rates increasing this month.

Flagler schools discuss extra budget cuts
By Annie Martin
Daytona Beach News Journal
The Flagler County school district has reduced its budget — including cutting classes — by an additional $1.1 million.

Orange schools reviewed atheist material, but not Bible
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
Lawyers for Orange County Public Schools did not review the Bible before it was given out to high-school students but did review atheist materials before they were distributed, school officials said Monday.

Superintendent would support changing name of Forrest High School if community wanted it
By Khristopher J. Brooks          
Florida Times-Union
Duval County Superintendent Nikolai Vitti would support re-naming Nathan B. Forrest High School, but only if the public brought forth the proposal.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Florida still foreclosure capital
By Martha Brannigan
Miami Herald
Florida remains the top foreclosure state.

Business Leaders Welcome New State-Funding For Technology Startups
By Ryan Benk  
WFSU Tallahassee
Business leaders gathered Tuesday to laud the ceremonial signing of a bill that tweaks an existing statute matching technology startups with in-state investors.

Workforce Central Florida still struggles in state rankings
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
Workforce Central Florida is no longer considered a "high-risk" organization by state officials, but it continues to score poorly on monthly reviews that compare it with other jobs agencies across Florida.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Marketing begins for Fla.'s online health exchange
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A massive marketing campaign is underway with just three months left until residents start enrolling for health insurance through the new government exchange.

DOH Cancels Studies in Mid-Stream
By Bob LaMendola
Health News Florida
Medical researchers across Florida say they fear a state bureaucratic decision will strip them of up to $10 million in grants and prematurely shut down ongoing studies involving thousands of patients.

Who's Watching When You Look For Health Information Online?
By Scott Hensley         
Health News Florida
When it comes to sensitive health information, government-run websites appear to do a better job protecting your privacy than many news and commercial sites.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida 'Dreamers' head to capital; Rubio faces more conservative criticism
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
About 60 immigration activists from Florida are headed to the nation's capital as part of a press for the House to take up reform legislation.

Pass immigration reform for Orange County and the nation
By Lorraine Tuliano and Homer Hartage
Orlando Sentinel
Last week, the U.S. Senate approved a comprehensive package of immigration reforms by a vote of 68-32, with both Florida senators, Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, voting in favor of reform.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Defense winds down case at George Zimmerman trial
By Kyle Hightower
Associated Press
George Zimmerman's attorneys are finishing up their defense of the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer charged with killing Trayvon Martin, though the judge first must rule on two requests by defense attorneys.

Execution of Miami killer Gore halted again
By David Ovale
Miami Herald
For the second time in less than three weeks, a court has stayed the execution of Miami killer Marshall Lee Gore, who was set to die by lethal injection Wednesday.

Florida Bar should protect rights, not judges
By Michael Mayo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Do lawyers give up their First Amendment rights when they become members of the Florida Bar?

Daily News Clips for July 9, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Movement underway to overturn Florida's gay marriage ban
By Troy Kinsey
Tampa Bay News 9
Excerpt: Damien Filer with Progress Florida is in full support of legalizing gay marriage, but he said he doubts it will happen in 2014. "I don't think it's realistic to decide, basically about six to eight months before you'd have to qualify for the ballot, to start this whole process," he said. "It's really a multi-year process to do this."

FEATURED STORIES

Scott's push for deregulation could have far-reaching effects
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Related editorial: Bonuses clash with DEP role to guard resources
Adena Springs Ranch is a battle of Old Florida proportions between environmentalists and the new push for deregulation fostered by Gov. Rick Scott's order to gut government "red tape."

As state GOP unleashes on Charlie Crist, his former Republican donors take a more affable approach
By Matt Dixon  
Florida Times-Union
As the political tea leaves indicate that former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist will seek his old job as a Democrat, the state GOP has started to sharpen its attacks.

Gov. Scott hits campaign trail in rural, GOP-voting Panhandle
By Steve Bousquet
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott chose an unusual location to pitch his campaign theme that "everybody should be a Republican."

Committee supporting Rick Scott spent $112k buying governor's mansion ornaments
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
Of the $627,440 spent this year by Let’s Get to Work, a committee supporting Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election campaigns, nearly 20 percent was to purchase ornaments from the foundation setup to support the governor’s mansion.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Gov. Scott says search for next LG will be 'internal'
By Steve Bousquet
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott said Monday that the search for his new lieuteuant governor will be headed by chief of staff Adam Hollingsworth, and he emphasized it will be "internal" with no vetting by outsiders.

Scott touts job creation at Republican party dinner
By Jeff Burlew
Tallahassee Democrat
Gov. Rick Scott capped off a long holiday weekend of North Florida campaign appearances with a stop Monday night in Wakulla County, where he was the featured guest of a barbecue dinner hosted by the local Republican Party.

DBPR deputy secretary quits abruptly a week after report
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
A high-ranking executive of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation abruptly resigned without explanation Monday, a week after a blistering internal investigation report said he told six alcoholic-beverage agents that employees were expected to obey illegal or unethical orders, or find new jobs.

Weatherford to announce new committee assignments next month; few changes anticipated
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, sent a letter to all 120-members of the House on Monday, alerting them to changes in committee membership he will make next month, but also hinting there won’t be an overhaul of committee assignments.

Fla GOP beefing up staff
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
From the Republican Party of Florida today:

POLITICAL RACES

Graham raises $375K in first three months of campaign
By Ledyard King
Tallahassee Democrat
Democrat Gwen Graham raked in an impressive $375,000 during her first three months of fundraising in her campaign to unseat GOP congressional incumbent Steve Southerland in 2014.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

New push in Florida for medical marijuana
By Zac Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Kim Russell is not a hippie. A devout Christian, Russell homeschools her children and drives them to play dates in a minivan.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Warnings, watches in path of Tropical Storm Chantal; South Florida in early cone of probability
By Sonja Isger and Julius Whigham II
Palm Beach Post
Tropical Storm Chantal was moving toward the Lesser Antilles late tonight as several Caribbean islands were under storm warnings or watches.

DEP uses 2 figures now to report statewide increase in recycling in 2012
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Florida's statewide recycling rate jumped from 30 percent in 2011 to either 35 or 48 percent in 2012, depending on which figure you choose to accept.  

EDUCATION

Voucher program growing rapidly
News Service of Florida
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The state's voucher-like system that allows students to attend private schools experienced record enrollment growth in the 2012-13 school year, according to a state report, and a spokesman said the program expects to add even more students for the upcoming year.

Lake County School Board focuses on final details of austere new budget
By Erica Rodriguez
Orlando Sentinel
Lake County schoolchildren next month will be greeted with a lot of changes, including major busing cutbacks, fewer guidance counselors to help with college plans and fewer staffers to help give state-mandated tests.

Band director moving to Connecticut says 'something terribly wrong with the system'
By Lauren Ritchie
Orlando Sentinel
This is the story of one teacher's journey of passion, and unfortunately for students in Lake County, the trail leads far from here.

Students hope Congress can reach deal on lower loan rates
Staff Report
Daytona Beach News Journal
Olivia Lisbon was ecstatic when she was accepted to start classes this fall at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Her only problem — how to pay for it — became an even bigger concern last week after Congress failed to reach an agreement on extending lower interest rates on student loans.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

GOP Gulf governors say federal furloughs hurt hurricane preparedness
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott and two other Republican Gulf Coast governors have asked President Obama to immediately suspend National Guard furloughs, saying the cutbacks make their states vulnerable during hurricane season.

Scott touts expansion of waste disposal company in Ponte Vedra
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott announced the anticipated addition of 85 jobs on Monday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Ponte Vedra, part of the expansion of the corporate headquarters of Advanced Disposal, a waste management company.

Study: Florida is more entrepreneurial than nation as a whole
By Nancy Dahlberg
Miami Herald
We're about 30 percent more entrepreneurial than the nation as a whole.

Fla. Lottery sales top $5 billion for first time
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The Florida Lottery topped $5 billion in sales for the first time during the fiscal year that ended June 30, the department announced Monday.

Don't make workers pay to get paid
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Low-wage workers are often one broken-down car, one injury or one unexpected expense away from disaster.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Reaction to delay in health care act
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
Editor's note: Last week, the Obama administration abruptly postponed a key piece of the Affordable Care Act — the requirement that larger employers provide affordable health insurance or pay penalties.

Health reform will help businesses
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
"Help the poor" is not an appeal that goes very far in the Florida Legislature. But, "keep Florida business competitive" is more likely to galvanize Tallahassee.

Troubled Tampa nursing home loses funding, will close
By Carol Marbin Miller
Miami Herald
Federal health regulators are cutting off all Medicaid and Medicare payments to a Tampa nursing home that was accused earlier this year of failing to provide “meaningful” activities to the severely disabled children who live there — making Lakeshore Villas the second pediatric nursing home to close this year amid controversy over the warehousing of frail children.

20-week ban latest assault on abortion rights
Editorial
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Attempts by conservatives to chip away at abortion rights continue.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

ACLU urges limits on police use of Florida prescription drug database
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The state should limit law-enforcement agents’ ability to go on “fishing expeditions” with Florida’s prescription drug database, including requiring them to get a search warrant to access the database, an ACLU lobbyist told health officials Monday.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

State aimed too high in Zimmerman prosecution
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
The prosecutors of George Zimmerman are taking a drubbing in the media, as well as in the courtroom.

Execution scheduled for Fla. man in 1988 slaying
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A former escort service owner who was convicted of killing two women is scheduled to die by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on Wednesday.

Daily News Clips for July 8, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

The BluVu: Week of July 8, 2013
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
The governor's re election bid looks scary, scandal is all around the Heritage deal, and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer talks about how Gov. Scott torpedoed paid sick leave as political reality comes your way!

FEATURED STORIES

Florida expects plenty of questions as health exchanges come online
By Tia Mitchell
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The federal government surprised big employers by delaying a key provision of the health care law, but that doesn't mean the law is going away entirely.

Political tide rising for Scott
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
With 16 months left before his critical re-election bid, Gov. Rick Scott remains one of the most unpopular governors in America.

State Workers Set to Lose Jobs; Prison Health Care Changes Underway
By Matt Horn
Capitol News Service
Some are calling it the dirtiest deal in the last 20 years.

Marco Rubio’s pathetic Rick Perry moment
By Joan Walsh
Salon
Poor Marco Rubio. His role in developing a Senate immigration reform bill has hurt him with the Tea Party – but it doesn’t seem to be doing much to help him with Latinos.

Big Sugar ad touting role in preserving Everglades irks environmentalists
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
A Big Sugar ad campaign has struck a sour note with environmentalists.

A stake in the heart of a law that guaranteed fair elections
By Sen. Bill Nelson
Gainesville Sun
The U.S. Supreme Court, in striking down a central provision of the Voting Rights Act, hammered a stake into the heart of a law that’s been used to guarantee fair elections in this country since 1965.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Andy Marlette
Pensacola News Journal

FLORIDA POLITICS

Critics say Gov. Scott giving Great Floridian Awards to donors
Staff Report
WFTV Orlando
Gov. Rick Scott is handing out an unprecedented number of Great Floridian Awards, with critics saying the list of recipients for this year's class is filled with GOP donors and sports celebrities including Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, and Bubba Watson receiving the award.

Legislative leaders rewarded high-performing staff with salary hikes
By Mary Ellen Klas
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
When Florida legislators this year broke the freeze on employee pay and offered state workers salary increases for the first time in seven years, legislative leaders made sure to give some of their own employees pay raises, too.

Sen. Marco Rubio courted to take up ban on abortions at 20 weeks
By Adam Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Marco Rubio's championing of immigration reform has caused him to lose some luster among some conservatives.

When a vote against is actually for a bill
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
As if there were not enough reasons to view Congress cynically, consider this little gem.

Bondi's fiscal worth up 65 percent
By James L. Rosica
Tampa Tribune
Attorney General Pam Bondi's net worth increased 65 percent during the time she has been in public office, according to financial disclosures made public this week.

POLITICAL RACES

Democrat Murphy, a GOP target, fills coffers in anticipation of campaign battle
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
While the field of potential Republican challengers remains amorphous, freshman Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, has already banked more than $1 million for his 2014 re-election effort.  

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Archaeological site could sink commercial spaceport location
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
Space Florida, the state's aerospace economic development agency, wants to build a commercial spaceport next to Kennedy Space Center.

Miami’s Atlantis, interrupted
Editorial
Miami Herald
What are the stakes for Miami and South Florida if we continue to let Nature — addled by the devastating climate change effects caused by spiking carbon dioxide emissions (mostly from coal-fired power plants) — take its course?

Water war leaving Florida dry
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Congress should intervene to keep Georgia and the Army Corps of Engineers from further damaging the seafood harvest and environmental habitat in Florida's Apalachicola Bay.

Feds respond to lawsuit regarding 4 Florida species
Associated Press
Panama City News Herald
Federal wildlife officials say they’re working to reduce a backlog of animal and plant species in Florida and nationwide that may be candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

LGBT

Advocates: Florida will have gay marriages someday
By William March
Tampa Tribune
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, supporters say equal marriage rights for same-sex couples will come to Florida - the only questions being when and how.

EDUCATION

Education Officials Weigh Changes To School Grading System
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
School districts across Florida are anticipating another drop in school grades.

Technology needs put squeeze on Lee County schools' budget
By Ashley A. Smith
Ft. Myers News-Press
Lee schools have a quickly growing student body that will need more space in the next five years, but there’s an additional demand being placed on their limited capital improvement fund — technology needs.

Fla. Poly Gears Up to Recruit Students
By Mary Toothman
Lakeland Ledger
Florida Polytechnic University can open its doors despite a reduced budget, an unfinished campus, a controversial beginning and no accreditation. But one thing it can't do without is students.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Teamsters file unfair labor-practice complaint against state
By Travis Pillow
Tallahassee Democrat
The union that represents state prison guards is arguing the state has created “illegal” working conditions for officers by not compensating them for paid holidays.

Walmart firings prompt Grayson to submit retaliation legislation
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
Lisa Lopez and Vanessa Ferreira got involved in a national campaign calling for better pay and work schedules at Walmart stores. Then they lost their jobs.

Shadow of student loans could hurt housing market as graduates swim in debt
By Drew Harwell
Tampa Bay Times
Amanda Tappan, 21, tries her best to save money.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Employer mandate delay upends strategy for Florida Medicaid advocates
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Related editorial: Take the time to get Obamacare right
The Obama administration’s decision to delay for a year the requirement that large employers provide health insurance to their workers likely ended any hopes Florida Democrats had of expanding Medicaid coverage in the near future to low-income residents.

U.S. relaxes health law income, insurance status rule for exchanges
By David Morgan
Reuters
Days after delaying health insurance requirements for employers, the Obama administration has decided to roll back requirements for new state online insurance marketplaces to verify the income and health coverage status of people who apply for subsidized coverage.

Florida dental plan failing poor children
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Florida does the worst job in the nation of ensuring poor children get dental care.

Did Florida's prescription pill database really spring a leak?
By John Woodrow Cox
Tampa Bay Times
The governor tried to kill it. Lawmakers wouldn't fund it. Few used it.

Report: Florida youth facilities report staff sexual misconduct
By Katia Savchuk
Miami Herald
Nearly five percent of youth in Florida juvenile facilities reported sexual victimization by staff in 2012, according to estimates the U.S. Department of Justice released last month.

IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

As reform lingers, sides debate economic effects of immigrants on U.S.
By Victoria Macchi
Naples Daily News
Are immigrants an economic benefit to the U.S. Or are they a drain on the economy. Sides debate that issue as immigration reform moves ahead.

Top five falsehoods of the immigration debate
By Becky Bowers and Angie Drobnic Holan
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald PolitiFact
>From fence opt-out clauses to free phones for immigrants, PolitiFact has tracked the rhetoric of the immigration debate — and heard plenty of falsehoods.

Florida's Newest Gun Law: What Is Its Effect On Floridians?
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
A new Florida law blocking certain mentally ill individuals from buying a gun is pitting gun rights groups against each other.

Monuments to atheism and Christianity, now side-by-side at northern Florida courthouse
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Christians and nonbelievers alike are calling a monument erected recently outside the Bradford County Courthouse a victory.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

In Zimmerman trial, defense to continue its case
By Mike Schneider and Kyle Hightower
Associated Press
Jurors in the George Zimmerman murder trial now will hear the defense's presentation after listening for two weeks as prosecutors made their case.