Daily Clips for November 10, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Atwater in no hurry on drilling
By Jim Ash
Tallahassee Democrat
Senate President Jeff Atwater hinted Monday that he might not consider opening up Florida waters to offshore drilling in the next legislative session, his last before term limits force him to step down.

Rubio picks up influential endorsement in Senate race
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
After picking up a key endorsement Monday that could pump big money into his campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio set to work on another win that would deliver a big, symbolic blow to Charlie Crist in the governor's home county.

Battle for Senate - And the GOP's Soul
By Brian Montopoli
CBS News
Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio is sitting in a hotel lobby in midtown Manhattan, arguing that his Republican Party has a decision to make.

Feds haul away lawyer Scott Rothstein's 'toys'
By Amy Sherman, Walter Michot and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Like repo men, the feds grabbed Scott Rothstein's fire-engine red Ferrari Spider convertible with tan interior -- right off a downtown Fort Lauderdale street.

After the House, Can Health Reform Survive the Senate?
By Jay Newton-Small
Time Magazine
On Saturday morning, about 12 hours before the House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation to expand health care coverage to almost all Americans, President Barack Obama did what he does best: he gave an inspirational speech meant to rally recalcitrant House Democrats.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Enough with these 'surprises' in Florida's state investment scandals
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
Call me kooky, but I do not want to learn about a formal investigation of the state of Florida's investments by the Securities and Exchange Commission -- 16 months late.

Has Crist lost his mojo?
By Mark Lane
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Tracking the reputation of Florida's governor can give a guy whiplash.

Sen. Bill Nelson: health reform imperative, oil drilling risky, commuter rail transformative
By Janet Zink and Tony Marrero
St. Petersburg Times
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Monday took the Florida Legislature to task over offshore oil drilling and commuter rail in Tampa, and told Brooksville voters the country must have health care reform.

Tea Party Express Tour pushes Orlando stop to Thursday
By Eloisa Ruano Gonzalez
Orlando Sentinel
The Tea Party Express Tour has pushed its Orlando stop back a day.

2010 RACES

In Crist's back yard, Rubio courts votes
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
After picking up a key endorsement Monday that could pump big money into his campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio set to work on another win that would give Charlie Crist a big, symbolic blow in his home county.

Crist still doing stimulus cash dance
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Charlie Crist is trying to have it so many ways regarding his on-again, off-again relationship with the $787 billion federal economic stimulus act.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Lawmakers, guns and babies -- a bad mix
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
The National Rifle Association has a long and undistinguished record of advocating for gun rights ahead of all other rights, including the right to life, safety and free expression.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Florida Waterways Under Scrutiny by EPA (includes audio)
By Concetta DeLuco
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
Related St. Petersburg Times column: Hold polluters accountable for what they do to Florida waters
In efforts to protect Florida's surface waterways, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Florida's Department of Environmental Protection have joined forces and are making efforts to adopt stricter state regulations.

Nelson says Gulf drilling could curb military training
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico could harm Florida's economy by interfering with military training and testing in the Gulf and cutting activity at Florida bases, Sen. Bill Nelson told the Tampa Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Senate president calls for study of "complicated" drilling issue
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Senate President Jeff Atwater today announced that Senate committee staff would conduct a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore drilling with no timeline for completion.

PSC to debate utilities' energy-saving goals
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Should Florida's electric companies be required to reward customers who install energy-efficient light bulbs, buy energy-saving appliances, replace inefficient windows or make other investments that save electricity?

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Not a good time to seek funds, Duval delegation warns
By Tia Mitchell
Florida Times-Union
The newly elected chairwoman of the Duval County Legislative Delegation warned dozens of government and nonprofit leaders Monday that this is not the year to ask for new funding for their agencies.

Boyd files bill to protect oyster industry
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald Writer
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd has filed legislation that, if passed, would hinder the ability of the Food and Drug Administration to implement a recently floated ban on Oysters during summer months.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Boyd's war chest brimming with health care cash
By Matt Dixon
Panama City News Herald
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd says that his decision to vote against the House of Representative's health care reform legislation Saturday was not swayed by industry contributions.

Buchanan explains his 'no' vote
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan told a Sarasota audience Monday that he voted against the health care reform bill because he thinks it will lead to rationed care and the government "pulling the plug" on grandmothers to save money.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Justices divided on tough juvenile sentences
By Lesley Clark
Miami Herald
Florida's tough prison sentences for juveniles came under scrutiny at the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, with justices appearing divided about whether locking up teenagers for life constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Crist lifts hold on Garner's judgeship
By David Saez
Tallahassee Democrat
Fresh from a Monday afternoon phone conversation from Gov. Charlie Crist, Kathy Garner restrained her excitement about Crist's call confirming he would honor her appointment to the Gadsden County judgeship.




Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 9, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Factions grapple for reins of GOP in Florida
By Gary Fineout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A year before one of the most wide-open elections in state history, Florida's Republican Party has splintered over everything from philosophy to questions over how the party is being run.

Suddenly, skies are cloudy for Charlie Crist
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
The press release from the Florida Democratic Party called Thursday ``Charlie Crist's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.''

Rubio record diverges from campaign rhetoric
By Adam C. Smith and Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is emerging as the champion of activists fed up with Republicans who don't stay true to conservative principles.

Rothstein saga puts Capitol on edge
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Related op-ed: Crist bundles his troubles
It wasn't just the nippy fall breeze that gave capital insiders the shivers last week.

House approves health care overhaul on 220-215 vote
McClatchy Newspapers
St. Petersburg Times
The House on Saturday passed, by a 220-215 vote, historic health care overhaul legislation that would require virtually all Americans to obtain health insurance and create a government-run health insurance plan to help them do so.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK


By Jeff Parker
Florida Today

FLORIDA POLITICS

Lawyer Scott Rothstein's quick rise to life of a high roller ends even faster
By Jay Weaver, Amy Sherman and Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times
If there was one thing Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein craved, it was attention.

Pressing for anticorruption measures, senator cites investigation into state investments
By Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
State Sen. Dan Gelber, vying to be Florida's next attorney general, says the proposed anticorruption package he unveiled earlier this week is more vital than ever in light of confirmation this week that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating possible fraud by the board that oversees the state pension fund.

Capital Ideas: Twitter fraud gives conservative ammo in duel with GOP moderates
By Paul Flemming
Ft. Myers News-Press
Jason Steele, chairman of the Brevard County Republican Executive Committee, has been at odds all year with the Republican Party of Florida.

Dockery: No Reason for Dec. Session
By Shelley Rossetter
Lakeland Ledger
There's no reason to hold a special session to re-visit plans for a commuter rail system in Central Florida, Sen. Paula Dockery said Friday in Lakeland.

First Coast lawmakers warn federal government about states' rights
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
Northeast Florida lawmakers, alarmed at the increase in the size and power of the federal government, have joined a movement aimed at asserting states' rights based on the 10th Amendment.

2010 RACES

New York GOP rift may be Fla. omen
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Republicans say it's not a problem that they lost a New York special congressional election last week that was widely compared to Florida's U.S. Senate race.

The best politicians money can buy
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
Senate candidate Marco Rubio, once a distant underdog to a popular governor with a huge war chest, suddenly finds himself contemplating something he didn't have two months ago: A chance.
Rubio's immigration stance faces scrutiny
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
As an underdog U.S. Senate candidate courting the GOP's conservative wing, Marco Rubio takes a hard-line position against illegal immigration: no amnesty.

Crist seeks distance from Obama
By Lloyd Dunkelberger and Gary Fineout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Facing a challenge from the conservative wing of his party, Gov. Charlie Crist continued his retreat this week from his past associations with President Barack Obama.

Kendrick Meek is moving to the center
By Alex Isenstadt
Politico
The Meek family name has been synonymous with liberal politics for more than three decades, but you'd hardly know it from Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek's campaign for Florida's open Senate seat.

Elephants stampede RINOs
By Daniel Ruth
St. Petersburg Times
This was supposed to be a cakewalk for a hitherto popular governor.

Weird statements show Gov. Charlie Crist is suffering a case of Marco-itis
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
Just to be clear, Charlie Crist did not endorse the stimulus, okay?

McCollum and Crist are both Republicans, and that's about where similarities stop
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times
Bill McCollum is the anti-Crist. As in Charlie Crist.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

A drill, a spill, a tragedy
By Waldo Proffitt
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Earlier this week the Herald-Tribune published a letter from reader Rob West of Osprey who wrote, "If state-of-the-art leaking oil rigs burning off the coast of Australia do not become screaming headlines all over Florida, I just plain give up."

Everglades group closes office
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
A landmark environmental group founded by Everglades icon Marjory Stoneman Douglas is closing its Miami office, citing declining membership and donations.

Florida (gone?) Forever
Editorial
Miami Herald
Look out, Florida lawmakers, four former governors are conducting a full-court press to convince you to resume funding the state's farsighted land-conservation program, Florida Forever.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Stearns scoops up failed Florida banks
By John Hielscher
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
It took nearly 40 years, but Norm Skalicky finally got his Sarasota bank.

Firms critique state on reducing red tape
By Dave Hodges
Tallahassee Democrat
A panel of 22 company owners from around Florida offered their thoughts Thursday on the state's efforts to help its 1.9 million small businesses achieve success and boost Florida's economy.

Debt collection complaints on the rise
By Jim Stratton
Orlando Sentinel
The message was straight out of The Sopranos. Left on the machine of a Jacksonville man named Jeff Gordon, it was personal, menacing and delivered with an understated certainty.

EDUCATION

GED now not equal to regular diploma
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Until this past summer, Florida high school seniors who did not meet their graduation requirements were still able to graduate with a regular diploma if they passed the GED before the end of the school year.

Colleges' leader juggles demands
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
When former Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan became the state university system's chancellor three months ago, he faced an imposing list of financial and political problems.

Graduation rates must be improved
Editorial
Tallahassee Democrat
Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union did what may have been inevitable given Florida's poor national standing in terms of high-school graduation rates.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Obama Presses Senate to Act Quickly on Its Health Bill
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg
New York Times
Related: For Opponents of Abortion, a Victory in Health Care Vote
The White House, growing concerned that the Congressional timetable for passing a health care overhaul could slip into next year, is stepping up pressure on the Senate for quick action, with President Obama appearing Sunday in the Rose Garden to call on senators to "take up the baton and bring this effort to the finish line."

Boyd in minority as health bill passes
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, tugged for months by his national party leaders and conservative forces in his Big Bend district, decided Saturday to vote against the national health-care plan.

Kosmas draws protest for opposing health bill
By Anne Geggis
Daytona Beach News-Journal
They carried signs that said, "Kosmas is a traitor," and "We got rid of Feeney for this?"

Nursing students, schools face hurdles
By Mark Harper
Daytona Beach News-Journal
To single moms like Sharon Hesher and Chaundra Carroll, a nursing degree represents a certain type of American dream: A steady, respectable income in the name of doing good.

Chinese drywall no danger to health, experts say
By Mary Wozniak
Ft. Myers News-Press
Two critical answers to myriad questions surrounding the corrosive causes and effects of defective Chinese drywall were provided by experts at a two-day Tampa symposium that ended Friday.

Rip out Chinese drywall and start over, scientist advises
By Paul Owers
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Ripping out tainted Chinese drywall and rebuilding homes from the studs out -- as a few South Florida contractors are doing -- appears to be an effective repair, a scientist said Friday.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

High court reviews life term for youths
New York Times
Tampa Tribune
There are just over 100 people in the world serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as juveniles in which no one was killed.

Bank ordered to turn over documents for Rothstein case in Broward County
By Amy Sherman and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
A bank central to the federal fraud investigation into Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein was ordered by a Broward judge Friday to turn over records to the receiver for Rothstein's embattled law firm.

Eager to be judge, Garner in limbo
By David Saez
Tallahassee Democrat
Kathy Garner's future as a Gadsden County judge and her potentially historic appointment are in limbo.



Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 6, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Despite his recent claims, evidence shows Crist did support stimulus plan
By Aaron Sharockman
St. Petersburg Times
Facing a potentially bruising Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, Gov. Charlie Crist continues to run from any assertion that he is linked to President Barack Obama.

Crist, Rubio spar at local Republican fundraiser
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham was the keynote speaker Thursday at the Alachua County Republican Party's annual fundraiser, but Florida's U.S. Senate race was the main event.

Crist renews call for special session on SunRail project
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday renewed his call for a special legislative session next month to consider the SunRail commuter rail project in Central Florida, which he said would produce a lot of jobs.

Orlando-area House Democrat Kosmas opposes health bill
By Mark K. Matthews
Orlando Sentinel
Congressional Democrats lost a key vote in the health-care debate Thursday, when U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D- New Smyrna Beach, said she would go against her party and oppose its $1 trillion-or-more plan to cover more uninsured Americans.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

GOP Senate Primary in Florida: does anyone know what it means to be a Republican conservative?
By Gimleteye
Eye on Miami
The Wall Street Journal reports that the same Republican forces who attempted a putsch on a safe GOP seat in the NY 23 Congressional District against an incumbent deemed to be too moderate, Dede Scozzafava; are now planning to turn to the US Senate primary race in Florida, with a plan to similarly purge Gov. Charlie Crist who is running against Marco Rubio, a telegenic former House majority leader from Miami who is a stand-in for former Governor Jeb Bush.

Poll Shows Crist Going Down in Tea Bag Flames
By Trish Ponder
Pensito Review
How disgusted are Floridians with Gov. Charlie Crist? So disgusted they'd be willing to have Jeb Bush back in Tallahassee.

The Bell Has Rung For Florida Voters
By Daniel Tilson
Progress Florida
The next Big Election Day in Florida, as in most of America, is still a year away.

Jeff Miller: opposes House health care bill but hasn't read it
By Sinfonian
Blast Off!
I'm not sure whether it's because he won't read it or can't read it, but U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Land That Time Forgot) has managed yet again to make me wonder how he got elected to Congress in the first place.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Legislative panel votes against ending Sansom investigation
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
A special legislative panel refused to call off its investigation of former House Speaker Ray Sansom on Thursday but agreed to proceed carefully and protect his legal rights in court.

Tour of Scott Rothstein's office reveals gallery of who's who
By Amy Sherman and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein's office was a secured inner sanctum, complete with video cameras, second entrance and hidden private elevator.

So what counts as a Rothstein contribution?
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
It didn't take long for both parties and politicians of all stripes to start returning money that they had collected from Broward County attorney Scott Rothstein, who stands accused of defrauding investors.

Attorney: FBI has 415 recordings in case against suspended Broward Commissioner Eggelletion
By Paula McMahon
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Federal investigators made 415 DVD and audio recordings in their undercover investigation of suspended Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion and three co-defendants, the politician's defense attorney said Wednesday.

Thrasher takes office in state Senate
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
New Sen. John Thrasher promised Wednesday to follow the example of the late Sen. Jim King as Thrasher was officially sworn into office at a ceremony in the state Capitol.

Democrats ask Tampa to bid on 2012 national convention
By Steve Huettel
St. Petersburg Times
The Democratic National Committee has asked Tampa to submit a bid to host the party's national convention for 2012.

2010 RACES

Elections complaint filed against Crist campaign
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
A Republican activist from Tampa has filed a federal complaint against the Charlie Crist for Senate campaign, alleging that it was involved in the creation of an anti-Marco Rubio Web site.

Florida a battleground state . . . again
Editorial
Miami Herald
For Floridians, the most significant news to emerge from the off-year elections around the country is that the outcome of an obscure congressional race in upstate New York ensures that the Sunshine State will be a key battleground in the 2010 election cycle.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

League of Women Voters: Working for everyone
Editorial
Florida Times-Union
This month marks about 90 years since women voted for the first time.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Court ruling may try to define a family, but two boys already know what it means
By Sue Carlton
St. Petersburg Times
Martin Gill never meant to be here, waiting to hear from the courts any day now, at the edge of what may be a monumental decision on whether gays can adopt in Florida.

Just don't ask
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
A Broward County couple seeking to adopt a child took umbrage because the adoption form they were given to fill out asked if they kept guns or ammunition in their home.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Bob Graham, Jeb Bush join campaign to restore Florida land-buying funds
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
With shrinking revenues and widening deficits, state lawmakers will be sharpening their budget axes when the Legislature meets in March.

Push begins for tougher Public Service Commission rules
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Consensus is building in the Florida Legislature to make the Public Service Commission operate more like judges by banning commissioners and their staff from communicating directly with the utilities they regulate.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

250,000 Floridians to benefit from extension of unemployment benefits
By Jeff Harrington
St. Petersburg Times
A bill headed for President Barack Obama's signature today would expand a popular tax credit for home buyers -- and extend unemployment benefits.

Florida's gain
Editorial
Daytona Beach News-Journal
In April 29, the Republican-dominated Florida House voted 70-44 to reject an amendment that would have eased Floridians' eligibility for unemployment benefits and added $444 million in federal stimulus money to the state's unemployment fund. It was an inexplicable vote.

EDUCATION

ACLU lawsuit: Palm Beach County's woeful graduation rates show failure of Florida's education policies
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
Incited by poor graduation rates in Palm Beach County, a national civil rights group sued the state Thursday, alleging it failed to ensure that all students receive the high-quality education guaranteed under the Florida Constitution.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

FL's 352 plans: too many?
By Carol Gentry and Ruth Morris
Health News Florida
When Medicare shopping season begins Nov. 15, Florida beneficiaries who are interested in an HMO or other Medicare Advantage plan will have to drink from a fire hose to select one.

Republicans' analysis distorts health bill
By Angie Drobnic Holan
St. Petersburg Times
Related editorial: Edge to House plan
A few months ago, a chain e-mail purporting to be a line-by-line analysis of the House health care reform bill reached inboxes all over the country, warning people of the dire consequences of the Democratic plans for reform.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Civil rights group wants Taser ban, calls abuse "electrocution without prosecution"
By Lisa Marzilli
WMNF Community Radio Tampa
In the wake of the two most recent Taser-related deaths in Florida, a prominent civil rights group has called on Governor Charlie Crist to 'stop the madness'.




Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 5, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Fight for heart of GOP may move to Florida
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
After Tuesday's elections, Florida looms as the next front in a war between moderates and conservatives that's dividing a Republican Party trying to surge toward the 2010 election.

Fla. Gov. Crist denies endorsing stimulus bill
The Associated Press
Miami Herald
Gov. Charlie Crist is saying he did not endorse the $787 billion federal stimulus bill, a statement that might confuse some voters.

Fake Twitter account used to attack GOP critic
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
A fake Twitter account aimed at discrediting a prominent critic of state GOP leaders has been linked back to a senior official at the Republican Party of Florida.

FL House to Senators: Vote ''no'
By Gary Fineout and Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
Republicans in the Florida House, citing concerns that Medicaid costs are "unsustainable," will ask the state's two U.S senators to vote against health reform legislation pending in Congress.

Young voters who helped elect Obama stayed home
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Last year, 23-year-old Rashida Hill watched the presidential debates, visited the college political party meetings and put a Barack Obama bumper sticker on her townhouse door.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Attorney general candidate calls for new rules to fight corruption
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
State Sen. Dan Gelber, a candidate for attorney general, called on Florida's elected state attorneys Wednesday to help him pass a series of anticorruption measures in the 2010 legislative session.

Gov. Charlie Crist says accusations against major Fort Lauderale fund-raiser won't affect him
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
Republican Gov. Charlie Crist attempted Wednesday to distance himself from a Fort Lauderdale attorney accused of raiding and swindling his way to what could be a $500 million payday.

Crist calls for tougher anti-corruption laws
By Josh Hafenbrack
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Gov. Charlie Crist called for the Legislature to stiffen anti-corruption laws Wednesday at a gathering of state prosecutors, even as the governor sought to distance himself from disgraced Broward lawyer and fundraiser Scott Rothstein.

Legislators consider how to revamp PSC rules
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Consensus is building in the Florida Legislature to make the Public Service Commission operate more like judges by banning commissioners and their staffers from communicating directly with the utilities they regulate.

Fate of Ray Sansom probe on agenda
By Alex Leary
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related AP story: Fla. House panel asked to delay Sansom ethics case
On Nov. 5, 2008, Ray Sansom pulled up a chair before a swarm of reporters and effectively began his term as speaker of the Florida House, exulting in Republican success at the polls the night before and staring down a $2 billion budget deficit.

How the St. Petersburg mayor's race was won
By Cristina Silva
St. Petersburg Times
Poll after poll showed Bill Foster losing to Kathleen Ford.

Competition good for Republicans
Editorial
Tampa Tribune
State Sen. Paula Dockery's decision to challenge Attorney General Bill McCollum for the GOP gubernatorial nomination may upset the party's elders, but the competition will be good for the Republican rank and file.

2010 RACES

Dockery run for governor highlights rift in the GOP
By Bill Rufty
Lakeland Ledger
State Sen. Paula Dockery's entrance into the race for governor this week -- starting late and without the blessing of the Republican Party leadership -- further reflects a split in the state party.

Senate Republican committee: No campaign money for Crist
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who recruited Gov. Charlie Crist to run for Florida's open Senate seat next year, said today that the National Senatorial Campaign Committee will not put money into the primary Republican battle with former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Crist, Rubio expected for local Republicans' big night
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
Alachua County Republicans will have a front-row seat Thursday night at the fight for the future of their party.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

For gay voters, a national disappointment (Maine), local triumphs (Steve Kornell)
By David Warner
Creative Loafing Tampa
The vote to preserve marriage equality came up short in Maine, but great strides were made in local elections -- including St. Petersburg's City Council race.

NRA: Don't let adoption agencies ask about guns in homes
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Nation Rifle Association is pushing legislation to ban adoption agencies from asking potential parents if they have guns and ammunition in the home.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

House members vent against EPA water standards
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Members of a Florida House panel complained today about the potential cost of water quality standards that could be proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January, agreeing with industry representatives who said businesses and households will be affected.

Statewide python hunt yields only 39 snakes
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
The python posses, ordered into the Everglades on a mission to kill the giant, invasive constrictors, have finished hunting - for now.

Ten weeks, and counting
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
There was more bad news for proponents of offshore drilling near the Florida coast this weekend.

LeMieux's time to act
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Warnings about how climate change could threaten the security of the U.S. and nations throughout the world will be sounded today at a conference at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Federal prosecutors announce mortgage fraud surge
By Amy L. Edwards
Orlando Sentinel
In response to an "epidemic" amount of mortgage fraud in Florida, federal agents and prosecutors have spent the last nine months building cases against realtors, brokers and other industry professionals.

Alexander Pushes for Sunrail Amid Opposition
By Keith Laing and John Kennedy
Lakeland Ledger
Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander breathed life Wednesday into prospects of a December special session that could get commuter rail on track in Central Florida, but discussion in his committee showed opposition likely continues.

State managers: I could swear those 17,900 state-owned buildings were here somewhere
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Nearly 10 months after they were ordered to create an inventory of all state-owned properties, state officials are unable to identify how many buildings the state owns and where they are.

EDUCATION

Consortium seeks answers to Florida's education needs
By Elizabeth M. Mack
Tallahassee Democrat
During the summer the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations conducted a survey on what county school board members felt were problems areas in Florida education.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Budget Monitor Says G.O.P. Bill Leaves Many Uninsured
By David M. Herszenhorn
New York Times
Related: Abortion Deal in Health Bill Sets Off Haggling in Congress
The Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday that an alternative health care bill put forward by House Republicans would have little impact in extending health benefits to the roughly 30 million uninsured Americans, but would reduce average insurance premium costs for people who have coverage.

Boyd to host Tallahassee community forum on health care
Staff Report
Tallahassee Democrat
On Thursday, Nov. 12, U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd of Monticello will hold a community forum at the Christian Heritage Church in Tallahassee, 2820 Sharer Road, to discuss with the public the most recent developments in the national health-care debate and other issues being debated in Congress.

Republicans rush to the ER
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
With debate set to start as early as Friday, House Republicans on Tuesday finally released a draft of what they call a health care reform bill. In fact, it's more a list of ideas.

Preserving abortion coverage
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
The debate over health care reform has hit a predictable bump in the road: abortion.




Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 4, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Dockery enters governor's race, vows to change Florida politics
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
Taking on the Florida Republican Party establishment, state Sen. Paula Dockery formalized her candidacy for governor Tuesday with a promise to "change the culture" of Florida politics.

Bill Foster elected as St. Petersburg's next mayor
By Cristina Silva
St. Petersburg Times
Bill Foster pulled away to win St. Petersburg's mayoral race Tuesday, defeating Kathleen Ford with the backing of the city's political establishment in an election that tested voters' hunger for change.

Tomas Regalado elected Miami's new mayor
By Charles Rabin, Michael Vasquez and Luisa Yanez
Miami Herald
Miami voters demanded a breather from eight years of fast-paced development Tuesday, ushering in Tomás Regalado as mayor on a wave of support from residents who said they were tired of uncontrolled growth and unchecked spending.

Crist isn't taking action, but who is?
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
After nearly three years of wooing Floridians with doe-eyed gazes and pretty words, residents seem to have finally woken up to the fact that their charmer-in-chief has about as much substance as a bowl of Jell-O.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Politically connected lawyer returns to face fraud questions
By Amy Sherman and Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
A flashy Fort Lauderdale lawyer who investors say fleeced them for hundreds of millions of dollars flew back from Morocco on Tuesday to face federal prosecutors considering criminal charges, the Miami Herald reported.

Rothstein stripped of power over law firm he is alleged to have stolen up to $500 million from
By Michael C. Bender, Alexandra Clough and George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
A Fort Lauderdale attorney who surrounded himself with beach-front mansions and a fleet of Lamborghinis and Ferraris was stripped Tuesday of all power he had over the law firm he created and amid accusations he put it at the center of a Ponzi scheme that funded his lavish lifestyle.

Thrasher attends first committee meetings
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
While his swearing-in ceremony isn't until tomorrow, Sen.-elect John Thrasher took part in his first committee meetings Tuesday, asking a couple of questions in his debut as a senator.

2010 RACES

Dockery forces McCollum into GOP primary race for Florida governor
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The Lakeland Republican's entrée into the race presents a moderate alternative to Attorney General Bill McCollum, a conservative Republican and until now the presumptive GOP candidate for governor, in a primary.

Jeb Bush endorses Bill McCollum
By Bill Cotterell
Pensacola News Journal
With state Sen. Paula Dockery set to jump into the race for governor today, Attorney General Bill McCollum was endorsed by former Gov. Jeb Bush -- the most influential voice in the Florida Republican Party.

Rubio fundraising follows Obama's small-donor model
By Adam C. Smith and Constance Humburg
St. Petersburg Times
Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio may bemoan Barack Obama, but not in every area.

Crist Faces Test From Right in Bid for Senate
By Peter Wallsten
Wall Street Journal
Conservatives, energized by their role in shaping Tuesday's New York congressional election, have set Florida in their sights as the big battleground for 2010.

Sink, McCollum go after abusive debt collectors
By John Frank
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Responding to criticism over inactivity on 4,400 state complaints against debt collectors, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum proposed separate measures Tuesday to reign in abusive tactics.

A Year After Dousing, Republicans' Hope Rekindled
By Adam Nagourney
New York Times
The Republican victories in the races for New Jersey and Virginia governors put the party in a stronger position to turn back the political wave President Obama unleashed last year, setting the stage for Republicans to raise money, recruit candidates and ride the excitement of an energized base as the party heads into next year's midterm elections.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Hometown democracy: Controls will help the economy
By Robert M. Weintraub
Florida Times-Union
Florida has one of the worst economies in the nation. It leads in home foreclosures; its unemployment is among the worst.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Gay-marriage foes claim victory in Maine
By Glenn Adams and David Crary
The Associated Press
Gay-marriage opponents are claiming victory in a closely watched referendum in Maine on a new state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed.

Ryan Skipper case: 2nd man convicted in slaying of gay man
By Jeff Kunerth
Orlando Sentnel
A Polk County jury Tuesday convicted William Brown Jr. of first-degree murder in the killing of a 25-year-old gay man in 2007.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

South Florida hunt for Burmese pythons ends
The Associated Press
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A pilot program aimed at helping eradicate giant, nonnative Burmese pythons from South Florida has ended with 37 of the invasive constrictors being killed, wildlife officials said today.

Florida land-buying program absorbs more revenue
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
With the downturn in the state's economy, Florida's conservation land-buying program is sucking up an increasingly larger share of tax revenue from real estate transactions, a state finance official told House members today.

PSC must set meaningful efficiency standards
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Public Service Commission can show its "new management" mettle by establishing new energy efficiency standards.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Internet travel companies are being sued by Fla.
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The state of Florida is after millions of dollars it claims some Internet travel companies are taking out of the state.

Toxic drywall might have insurance repercussions
By Lloyd Dunkelber
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Floridians dealing with the mess of Chinese drywall could be facing a double-whammy, the state's insurance commissioner said Tuesday.

Film, Entertainment, and Television Caucus Launched in Tallahassee (audio story)
By Gina Jordan
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
Florida continues to lose film and TV productions to other states where producers are offered better financial incentives.

EDUCATION

Broward School Board, state disagree on definition of `empty seats'
By Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Counting the number of empty seats in the Broward school district could be as difficult as sitting through an Advanced Placement calculus class.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Health care overhaul could cost Florida $1 billion a year
By Josh Hafenbrack
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Federal health care overhaul proposals in Congress would cost Florida taxpayers between $600 million and $1 billion a year starting in 2015, as uninsured residents are added to the Medicaid program, state officials said Tuesday.

WellCare reinstated; fraud reported
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Federal sanctions imposed on WellCare Health Plans in March were lifted Tuesday, so the Tampa company will be able to sell its Medicare drug and health plans for 2010.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

McCollum: Make licensing for felons in Florida tougher
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
Attorney General Bill McCollum urged Florida lawmakers Tuesday to make it tougher for former felons to get occupational licenses for jobs involving children, seniors and disabled people.

Analyst: Florida's sex-offender restrictions may be flawed
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida's restrictions on where sex offenders can live might be both ineffective and endangering the public, a legislative analyst said Tuesday.




Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 3, 2009

FEATURED STORIES

Inquiry into Lauderdale law firm rocks political campaigns
By Amy Sherman, Jay Weaver and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
The politically influential Fort Lauderdale law firm that Scott Rothstein created just a few years ago has attempted to oust him amid a criminal investigation into his business dealings, sending shock waves through political campaigns that took fat checks.

Paula Dockery Says She Will Run for Governor
Staff Report
Lakeland Ledger
State Sen. Paula Dockery says she will run for governor, challenging Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination.

Independent voters in Florida shifting toward GOP, poll finds
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Independent voters are more likely to side with Republicans than with Democrats on issues facing Floridians, according to a poll conducted for the St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald and Bay News 9.

Off-shore drilling pros, cons explored
By Catherine Dolinski
Tampa Tribune
Only one in a hundred offshore drilling leases may produce oil, and there's no guarantee that near-shore drilling will bring big bucks to Florida.

FLORIDA POLITICS

St. Pete voters to pick mayor today
Staff Report
Tampa Tribune
Related: Black vote pivotal in mayoral race
Bill Foster and Kathleen Ford are battling to replace Mayor Rick Baker, who is finishing his second term.

2 candidates, 2 visions for Miami's future
By Charles Rabin
Miami Herald
As Miami chooses its next mayor Tuesday, the differences in candidates could not be more stark.

So who is responsible for Rothstein $200,000 check? Alex Sink or the Democrats?
By Gary Fineout
The Fine Print
The fallout from the Scott Rothstein case is moving fast and furiously.

Politicians Still Cashing in on Free Trips
By Amy Keller
Florida Trend
In 2007, after a scandal involving Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff revealed how lobbyists were using lavish trips to curry favor and buy face time with lawmakers, Congress enacted stricter rules governing privately funded travel.

Alan Grayson, the Liberals' Problem Child
By David M. Herszenhorn
New York Times
On paper, Representative Alan Grayson, a freshman Democrat from Florida, seems a bit stiff: degrees from Harvard and Harvard Law; a résumé that includes clerking for the United States Court of Appeals under Judges Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Robert Bork; an advocate for the aging.

Palin to speak at chamber function
By Bob Koslow
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be the featured speaker for the Daytona Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's 90th annual meeting Feb. 15, executive committee chairman Ted Doran said Monday.

2010 RACES

Marco Rubio: Conservatives' New Man in Florida? (includes audio)
All Things Considered
NPR
When a political party is out of the White House and in the minority on Capitol Hill, it's time for licking wounds.

Florida police union chooses Charlie Crist in Senate primary
By David Hunt
Florida Times-Union
Florida's Fraternal Order of Police union is backing Gov. Charlie Crist in his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

FPL ordered to speed up $365 million refund for customers
By Julie Patel
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
State regulators Monday directed Florida Power & Light to give utility customers a one-time refund of about $44 on their household electric bills in January for lower-than-expected fuel costs in 2009.

Progress Energy tells regulators it will wait to raise rates
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Progress Energy told state utility regulators Monday that it is willing to wait until the Public Service Commission decides on the company's rate increase rather than take the temporary boost in rates it is allowed under state law.

To drill or not to drill. . . is that really the question?
By Paul Flemming
Ft. Myers News-Press
It's a passionate debate, one that's been going on in Florida for decades with an environmentalist ebb and an oil flow.

Effects of "Dead Zone" on Gulf shrimping studied
By Florida State University and FloridaEnvironments.com
FloridaEnvironments.com
A team of researchers from Florida State University, Duke University and the National Marine Fisheries Service will study the environmental and economic impacts of the vast "dead zone" in the northern Gulf of Mexico on shrimping in the region.

Miami-Dade commissioners consider cashing in on old Glades jetport
By Curtis Morgan
Miami Herald
Related editorial: Don't go drill crazy in the Everglades
Faced with a looming half-billion-dollar deficit from the expansion of Miami International Airport, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department wants to cash in on an Everglades jetport it was forced to abandon decades ago.

Another species of python is raising concern in region
By Kate Spinner
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
If thousands of Burmese pythons slithering through the Everglades are not worrisome enough, wildlife experts are now warning of another invasive reptile found as close as east Sarasota.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Legislators consider allowing gambling to compete with Seminole casinos
By Josh Hafenbrack
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Top Republicans all but pronounced the Seminole gambling deal dead Monday and said they are considering asking voters if they want to allow gambling such as blackjack and baccarat that would compete with the tribe's casinos.

Florida drivers' gas tax flows far
By Dale White
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
For every dollar they pay in federal gas taxes, drivers in Florida see roughly 14 cents spent on transportation projects in other states.

EDUCATION

Local School Board Member Blasts Governor's Education Funding Claims
By Tiffany Griffith
WOKV News Jacksonville
While in town last week, Governor Charlie Crist was asked about education funding, in which he declared, "We haven't cut education."

Applying for college? Don't wait
By Richard Danielson
St. Petersburg Times
There's a saying in college admissions. "If you smell the turkey in the oven, your college applications ought to be in before you sit down at the table," says Robert Spatig, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of South Florida.

Big interest in small schools: Broward, Palm Beach County students flock to Florida's smaller state universities
By Scott Travis
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A steady stream of South Florida high school seniors walked into a college recruiting event last week at the Deerfield Beach Hilton, eager to get accepted into what many considered their first choice of schools.

More private-college presidents surpass $1 million in total compensation
By Luis Zaragoza
Orlando Sentinel
The number of private college and university presidents across the U.S. making more than $1 million in total compensation nearly tripled during the 2007-08 academic year, according to an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education published Monday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Democrats' concerns over abortion may imperil health bill
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post
While House leaders are moving toward a vote on health-care legislation by the end of the week, enough Democrats are threatening to oppose the measure over the issue of abortion to create a question about its passage.

Aronberg introduces bill to keep convicted felons from owning pain clinics
By Michael LaForgia
Palm Beach Post
A Democratic state lawmaker today filed a bill that would bar convicted felons from "any affiliation" with pain clinics - mushrooming businesses that authorities say are fueling an illicit drug trade that stretches from South Florida to the Appalachian mountains.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Freed inmate wants $1.35M from state for serving 27 years for murder conviction
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Nearly three decades after he was convicted of murder - thanks to a lying jailhouse witness, a discredited dog-handler and a bloody shirt he never wore - William Dillon is still fighting to be compensated for the 27 years he spent in prison.

Travesties of justice
Editorial
Florida Today
Twitter William Dillon testified before lawmakers in Tallahassee on Monday, asking for compensation for 27 years of wrongful imprisonment.




Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”

Daily Clips for November 2, 2009

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

















Grim Reaper Turns Political In Florida
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Note: Health Care for America Now, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Florida AFL-CIO and Progress Florida collaborated on this event.
In the spirit of Halloween, the grim reaper made a visit to the state GOP headquarters to press the Republicans to support health care reform. The group Health Care for America Now sent the reaper who was wearing a sign that read "GOP Health Plan." The reaper wasn't invited into the building.

Trick or Treatment!
By Brittany Benner
Tampa Bays 10 CBS News
Republican leaders got a surprise visit from a spooky Trick or Treater Friday. The Grim Reaper paid a visit to the Republican Party of Florida. He also wore a sign around his neck that said "GOP Health Plan."

State rep aims to keep GOP strong
By Jeff Schweers
Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Today
Excerpt: "He's been the champion of a multitude of terrible policy ideas for Florida," said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida. Ferrulo and other progressives fear that Haridopolos will be "just a proxy for Florida's special interests."

FEATURED STORIES

Biggest threat to Charlie Crist's run for Senate: Jeb Bush
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Related: Gov. Charlie Crist's popularity slides
The single biggest threat to Charlie Crist's political future probably isn't his U.S. Senate primary rival, Marco Rubio.

Political operative linked to Crist, Fla. GOP admits helping create anonymous anti-Rubio site
By Michael C. Bender
Palm Beach Post
An anonymous Web site aimed at embarrassing Republican Gov. Charlie Crist's political rival appears to have backfired after one of Crist's top political advisers admitted that he helped develop the site.

Crist says he and LeMieux discussed drilling
By Lloyd Dunkelberger and Gary Fineout
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
While U.S. Sen. George LeMieux isn't talking about his recent stint in the private sector, his former boss talked a little bit about it last week.

Dockery to Announce Run for Governor
By Bill Rufty
Lakeland Ledger
State Sen. Paula Dockery will announce next week that she is running for governor, multiple Republican sources have told The Ledger.

Miami, St. Petersburg set to elect new mayors
By Sarah Larimer and Mitch Stacy
The Associated Press
Miami and St. Petersburg will select new mayors Tuesday with the candidates disagreeing over economic plans for their respective cities and the construction of stadiums for baseball's Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

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

FLORIDA POLITICS

Poll: Economy colors Florida voters' top concerns
By Shannon Colavecchio and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida voters want offshore oil drilling, oppose a so-called "public option'' for health insurance and overwhelmingly support a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe, according to a new St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 poll.

In Florida's grim economic landscape, politicians court business groups
By Robert Trigaux
St. Petersburg Times
Capture our state economy in a TV series and November 2006 was Florida: Heroes. November 2009 is Florida: Lost.

Alan Grayson has grabbed fame, infamy
By Bill Thompson
Ocala Star-Banner
Few Florida politicians have grabbed national attention as quickly and dramatically as freshman U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

Advertising firm suing Alan Grayson
By Tim Alberta
Politico
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) has been served with a lawsuit alleging he failed to pay a $20,000 "win bonus" to a Minnesota advertising firm that worked for his campaign last year, POLITICO has learned.

Prominent Fort Lauderdale law firm investigates founding partner
By Jon Burstein and Sally Kestin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A high-profile Fort Lauderdale law firm has hired a former top prosecutor to investigate allegations involving founding partner Scott Rothstein, a prominent philanthropist and one of Broward County's biggest political contributors, the Sun Sentinel confirmed Sunday night.

Wexler resignation could leave area without Washington voice for four months
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler's looming resignation could leave his Palm Beach-Broward district without a voice in Washington for as long as four months.

House committee deciding on Sansom case
By Tom McLaughlin
Northwest Florida Daily News
The House Select Committee on Standards of Official Conduct should decide next week on how it will proceed with its investigation of state Rep. Ray Sansom.

Florida Republican Party Rotting From Top Down
By Daniel Tilson
OpEd News
Wondering just how callous and self-serving political ambition can get?

2010 RACES

N.Y. race could foreshadow Fla. primary
By William March
Tampa Tribune
In what looks like a victory for the same conservative forces backing Marco Rubio in Florida, the Republican Party nominee dropped out of a special election to fill a vacant House seat in New York on Saturday.

Conservatives take aim at leaders, Charlie Crist, other races
By Jim Vandehei and Alex Isenstadt
Politico
The conservative coup in upstate New York did much more than lay bare the power of conservative activists: It exposed how little control GOP officials hold over this surging and formidable political movement.

Conservative discontent fuels Rubio
By Brandon Larrabee
Florida Times-Union
It was supposed to be easier than this when Gov. Charlie Crist announced in the spring that he would run for the U.S. Senate.

Rubio's dilemma: Moving too far right can be dangerous
By Kingsley Guy
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Marco Rubio has been running to the right of Gov. Charlie Crist in his effort to capture the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Rubio warming up Panhandle voters
By Beth Reinhard
Miami Herald
U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is an unlikely contender in northwest Florida, a strip of the Bible Belt closer to Alabama than his hometown of Miami.

Bill McCollum and Alex Sink should fight for us, not each other
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
My kids like puzzles. They don't, however, like to clean them up.

Mr. Rubio has a lot to learn
Editorial
Northwest Florida Daily News
Marco Rubio, a conservative Republican, hopes the voters of Northwest Florida, who are mostly conservative and mostly Republican, will help him become his party's nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Florida's battleground issue
By Sally Swartz
Palm Beach Post
More than 200 people from both sides of Martin County's development war crowded into Stuart's Blake Library auditorium last week to learn about Amendment 4.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE, AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida groups applaud hate crimes law expansion
By Deirdre Conner
Florida Times-Union
Advocates for people with disabilities and in the GLBT community are cheering a new federal hate crimes law.

Don't look for state to change on 'domestic partners'
By Bill Cotterell
Tallahassee Democrat
When the Florida Legislature rushed to enact its "Defense of Marriage Act" a dozen years ago, former state Sen. Daryl Jones stood up and told the Senate there was no sense getting in the way of a bill that was so obviously going to pass, but the state should start thinking about all the different formats a family can take.

Honoring adoption: 1,900 children in Broward County still need parents
By Gregory Lewis
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Monique Gray giggles when one of her soon-to-be-adopted sons, Eric, puts a toy bug on her arm and calls her "Mommy."

Orange County falls short on school desegregation
By Erika Hobbs
Orlando Sentinel
In 1996, Orange County school leaders struck a bargain with a federal judge that allowed them to stop busing white students into some predominantly black schools.

Don't leave diversity out of redistricting
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Separate but equal was inherently unequal and harmful to black students.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Endangered status sought for loggerhead sea turtles
By Paul Quinlan
Palm Beach Post
Loggerhead sea turtles are in a ``dire state,'' with a 40 percent decline in the number of nests counted over the past decade, experts say.

Next Halloween without Bats in FL?
By Gina Presson
Public News Service Florida
Halloween with its jack-o'-lanterns, black cats and bats has come and gone, but experts warn many bats may be gone for good.

USF program to track oil spills falters
By Catherine Dolinski
Tampa Tribune
For years, Texas has relied on scientists and technology at Texas A&M University to track oil spills, forecast where they are headed and minimize the damage they cause.

FSU acts as 'broker' for drilling symposium
By David Cartes
Tallahassee Democrat
The energy needs of the United States and the financial condition of the state of Florida have prompted a renewed consideration of oil and gas activity off the Florida coast.

Regional summit highlighted problems associated with climate change
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The session had all the jargon that you'd expect at a "green" convention.

Sunshine amid the clouds
Editorial
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
As the days grow shorter, Florida's prospects for producing clean, renewable energy grow brighter.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Report: Stimulus created 29,322 jobs in Florida
The Associated Press
Gainesville Sun
The federal economic recovery program so far officially has created or saved 29,322 jobs in Florida, but the state's "stimulus czar" Friday said number of people it has employed is much bigger.

Citizens wins right to charge 5.4 percent more on lower risk homes
By Bill Kaczor
The Associated Press
State-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has won approval to raise rates by an average of 5.4 percent for homeowner coverage that includes hurricane damage, except in high-risk coastal areas where premiums will be revised later.

Washington's ultimatum on commuter rail puts plans on track
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Central Florida's two-year fight to roll its commuter-rail plans through Tallahassee may be almost over.

Effort under way to promote film industry in Florida
By Dave Hodges
Tallahassee Democrat
State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda will launch the Film, Entertainment and Television Caucus on Tuesday morning at a media event at the Capitol.

DBPR to crack down on unlicensed practices
By Jenn Meale
Tallahassee Democrat
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation is planning statewide sweeps and stings this week to combat unlicensed business activity.

For tax fairness
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Every day, many of Florida's homeowners are paying much more in property taxes than their neighbors because of the state's discriminatory tax policy.

EDUCATION

UCF student leaders urge students to find ideas to save Bright Futures
By Luis Zaragoza
Orlando Sentinel
Student-government leaders at the University of Central Florida, worried about future cuts and alterations to the state's Bright Futures merit scholarships, are working on proposals they hope will help preserve the program for future generations.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Would House bill help FL?
By Carol Gentry and Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
Florida lawmakers have been wary of federal health reform in part because it uses Medicaid to cover many of the uninsured.

State law worsens medical staff shortage
The Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A new state law designed mainly to crack down on Medicaid fraud is having unexpected consequences by keeping some health care professionals from getting or keeping their licenses at a time when the state is suffering a shortage.

Reports: State child abuse deaths climb
By Deborah Circelli
Daytona Beach News Journal
Two national reports show Florida rates poorly when it comes to child abuse deaths and representing abused children in court.

Public option
Editorial
Miami Herald
Sen. Bill Nelson should play key role in healthcare reform
The public option in the proposed overhaul of the nation's healthcare system was considered a poison pill that would kill serious reform.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Grand jury indicts UF professor, wife in fraud case
By Shannon Colavecchio
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A University of Florida professor and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering that stem from $3.7 million in contracts the couple entered into with NASA, the Air Force and the Navy.

Victim of wrongful incarceration refuses reparations because his legal costs aren't fully covered
By Jon Burstein
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A Fort Lauderdale man only needs to sign a few legal papers to start receiving $179,000 from the state and become the first wrongfully convicted person compensated under a new Florida law.

Dillon takes financial plea to Fla. House today
By John A. Torres
Florida Today
Twitter William Dillon will make his case today in Tallahassee that he should be compensated for 27 years of wrongful incarceration.

Progress Florida promotes progressive values through online organizing, media outreach, networking with Florida's leading progressive organizations, and empowering citizens (that's you) to push for progressive change throughout the Sunshine State. To learn more and take action visit www.ProgressFlorida.org.





”Progressive Solutions for Florida!”