Daily Clips for April 5, 2011

FEATURED STORIES

Social issues such as abortion dominating early Legislature debate
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
Republican politicians from Gov. Rick Scott down swept into office last fall promising "jobs, jobs, jobs."

‘Uterus’ is a four-letter word? (video)
The Rachel Maddow Show
MSNBC
Interview with State Rep. Scott Randolph, (D) Florida, reprimanded for using the term "uterus" on the House floor to argue against "big government" proposed abortion restrictions.

Senate immigration measure passes amid cries of "let us speak" from opponents
By Kim MacQueen
Florida Tribune
Sitting in front of a crowd that included children of immigrant workers -- some clad in "Don't Deport My Dad" t-shirts -- a Senate panel on Monday swiftly pushed through a controversial immigration bill.

Gov. Scott declares that Solantic will not do business with the state
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post
Florida Gov. Rick Scott answered critics who accuse him of a conflict of interest, saying that Solantic, the urgent care clinic he co-founded in 2001, will not do business with the state.

Grass-roots Florida Republicans fear massive convention snub over primary dispute
By Adam C. Smith
St. Petersburg Times
Imagine hosting a big, ritzy party and being told to sit in the basement as it kicked off.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Hundreds sign online petition calling for Gov. Rick Scott's impeachment, but it's very unlikely
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Impeach Gov. Rick Scott?

In West Palm Beach address, Gov. Scott emphasizes employment
By Jeff Ostrowski
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday touted his low-tax, business-friendly approach to governing and said he's working toward his pledge to create 700,000 jobs in seven years.

Let’s get to work — in Scott’s office
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Times are tough in state government — with an almost $3.8 billion budget shortfall prompting wholesale spending reductions and job cuts.

Demonstrators slam Scott as part of union-led protests tied to MLK assassination anniversary
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
As of noon, about 80 demonstrators had gathered outside the Palm Beach County Convention Center to protest Gov. Rick Scott’s budget-cutting proposals as part of a national day of union-organized rallies tied to the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

Senate moves to broaden state's ethics laws
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A scathing grand jury report on public corruption in Florida is spurring the Senate to broaden the state's ethics laws.

Florida lawmakers given a script to defend 'leadership funds'
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
As I have mentioned, and plan to keep mentioning with vigor, it is now legal in Florida to pay the state Legislature directly.

Disability Rights group asks to join lawsuit against rulemaking freeze
Staff Report
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Another group has asked the Supreme Court to let it participate in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Gov. Rick Scott's rulemaking freeze.

Today in Tallahassee: Fraud, gambling and smokes
By Patricia Mazzei
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The battle over auto insurance fraud continues to brew today as a Senate committee takes up measures to tighten requirements for doctors and lawyers that handle the cases.

POLITICAL RACES

As Obama gears up for 2012, outlook's changed in key states
By Steven Thomma, Barbara Barrett and Lesley Clark
McClatchy Newspapers
Barack Obama changed the electoral map when he won the presidency in 2008.

Make way for Florida, small fry
By Daniel Ruth
St. Petersburg Times
There is an understandable reason why Florida Republicans are quite correct in insisting the state hold its 2012 presidential primary early in the election cycle, much to the pouting, whiny consternation of Iowa and South Carolina.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Conservation groups say ‘we are under assault’ by Scott, Florida lawmakers
By Eric Staats
Naples Daily News
Related: Environmental scorecard: business over nature?
Environmental issues are always part of the legislative give-and-take when Florida lawmakers convene in Tallahassee.

Historic Wakulla Springs State Park lodge could close under budget proposals
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Tribune
The historic lodge at Wakulla Springs State Park could eventually close under proposed House and Senate versions of the 2011-12 state budget.

Gov. Scott and Cabinet to consider DEP request
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet will discuss streamlining the environmental approval process.

EDUCATION

Bill would kill Florida school board salaries
By Patricia Mazzei, Ron Matus and Tom Marshall
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
School board members are not getting much love this year from state lawmakers.

Questions on next FCAT test will be harder
By Jackie Alexander
Gainesville Sun
When students sit down to face the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test next week, the questions will be tougher than in previous tests and in some cases will be asked and answered on a computer.

Senator's plan to suspend Florida Prepaid College program stalls
By Jodie Tillman
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Her proposal to suspend Florida's popular prepaid tuition program is dead for now.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

State to expand help for foreclosed homeowners
By Mark Puente
Miami Herald
A $1 billion federal program now stretching statewide could keep 40,000 Floridians from losing homes to foreclosure.

Senate bill could mean $28.80-a-year rate hike for average FPL customer
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Despite vows to shun new taxes or fees, a Senate panel Monday approved giving Florida Power & Light and other investor-owned utilities authority to increase customer rates $377 million over the next five years.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Thousands could lose health care in Florida's $1 billion budget cuts
By Bob LaMendola
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Tens of thousands of uninsured, chronically ill, disabled and mentally challenged people would be directly touched by about $1 billion in cuts proposed for many health and social programs.

‘Gut-wrenching’ decisions, turf battles
By Jim Saunders
Health News Florida
The Senate Health Regulation Committee replayed an abortion debate Monday and dealt with turf wars on medical malpractice and drug prescribing by optometrists and nurse practitioners.

State workers’ coverage in play
By Jim Saunders
Health News Florida
Senate leaders have scrapped a proposal that rank-and-file state employees feared would force them to pay thousands of dollars a year more for family health insurance.

Advocates for those with disabilities to hold rally
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
Organizations serving Florida's most severely handicapped citizens fear the 15-percent cut in state payments that Gov. Rick Scott ordered for care of the developmentally disabled will really add up to double that amount and force some providers out of business.

Amended ‘Choose Life’ bill passes Community Affairs Committee
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
State Sen. Mike Fasano’s recently altered “Choose Life” bill passed the Community Affairs Committee today in a 7-2 vote.

Senator accuses FMA of being a greedy organization that puts money over patients
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Florida Tribune
Sen. Mike Bennett on Monday lashed out at the Florida Medical Association, calling it a "greedy" group whose political agenda was about ensuring doctors salaries, not improving access to health care.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

After minutes of debate, Senate panel clears modified immigration-enforcement measure
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve a controversial immigration-enforcement measure after just minutes of debate on the tail end of a packed agenda, but not without making some changes called for by immigrant advocates.

Jonesing For A Fight
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Radical Florida pastor Terry Jones sparked controversy last year when he announced his "Dove World Church" would host an "International Burn The Quran Day" -- a much-publicized effort to burn Islam's sacred text and encourage others around the world to do the same.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Debate begins on judicial reform
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday began debating a series of controversial court reforms, including a proposal that would dramatically increase the power of the governor to appoint new judges.

Chief Justice Canady turns up heat on Florida House
By Jim Ash
Florida Capital News
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady carefully turned up the heat this afternoon on House leaders who are proposing a $66.5 billion austerity budget for next year that would save $1.1 million by slashing the number of law clerks at the high court by nearly half.

Privatized probation’s failed past
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
The ban on privatized probation, written into Florida law 21 years ago, didn’t just drop out of the ozone.

Pre-trial release bill "maybe" dead for 2011 session
By Brent Henzi
Florida Tribune
A bill that would limit those who can enter pre-trial release programs was again postponed on Monday, as the bill's sponsor suggested the measure might be dead for the 2011 session.

Daily Clips for April 4, 2011

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Epilogue, media-coverage round-up to ‘Boo Rick Scott on Opening Day’
St. Petersblog 2.0
Excerpt: Thank you to the more than 1,200 people who signed up on the original Facebook page “Boo Rick Scott on Opening Day (even if you’re not going to the game). Thank you to Mark Ferrulo of Progress Florida for being my partner in crime on this project.

Legislators taking pro-business stance in this session
By Jonathan Mattise
TC Palm
Excerpt: "They've really demonized government in all aspects of our lives," said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of progressive group Progress Florida. "Gov. Scott, Senate President (Mike) Haridopolos and Speaker (Dean) Cannon, they just want this sort of completely wild, wild west of business in Florida."

FEATURED STORIES

Gov. Rick Scott, Solantic and conflict of interest: What's the deal?
By Kris Hundley
St. Petersburg Times
If you have a $62 million investment, representing the biggest single chunk of your $218 million wealth, and you put it in a trust under your wife's name, does that mean you're no longer involved in the company?

Gov. Rick Scott hears chorus of boos at Rays opener (includes video)
By Luis Perez
St. Petersburg Times
The line of protesters leading to the Trop was about 125 strong Friday, and they had one sentiment for Gov. Rick Scott.

Florida budget cuts will affect every town and tax bracket
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Claiming a voter mandate to curtail a growing appetite for government services without raising taxes, Florida's Republican-run Legislature is steaming toward passing one of the most austere and conservative budgets in modern times.

Major Florida House elections bill emerges before committee vote
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A sweeping rewrite of election laws, crafted in part by House Speaker Dean Cannon's office, surfaced Friday and drew strong opposition from election supervisors, unions, grass-roots advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers.

Fla. Legislature likely to curtail abortion rights
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
With economic issues dominating Florida's political rhetoric, little was heard about abortion during the November election, but the results may profoundly affect abortion rights in the state.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Jeff Parker
Florida Today

FLORIDA POLITICS

The best Legislature money can buy
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
I once referred to a past Legislature as a festival of whores, which in retrospect was a vile insult to the world’s oldest profession.

Florida — the sad state of our state
By Bob Graham
St. Petersburg Times
As the Legislature enters its second half, there has emerged a disturbing pattern of ignoring many of Florida's core values.

Halfway through session, some issues still unsettled
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
Everyone knew the cuts were coming. With the state in a $3.6 billion hole – later revised to $3.8 billion– drawing up a state budget was bound to be a hatchet job.

Let the budget battle begin
By Marc Caputo
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In the chess match of Florida's budget, the pieces are in place.

Republicans in Legislature hold all the political cards
By Mary Ellen Klas
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In the next 30 days, Florida lawmakers are poised to make it easier for insurance companies to raise rates, make it more difficult for women to receive an abortion and hand over control of prisons to private companies.

Draw fair districts for all Floridians, as citizens mandated
By Deirdre Macnab, Jorge Mursuli and Adora Obi Nweze
Daytona Beach News-Journal
In last Sunday's News-Journal, U.S. Rep. Corinne Brown, D-Jacksonville, reiterated her idea that the Fair Districts amendments "will silence the voice of minorities in our congressional delegation." Nothing could be further from the truth.

Senate panel diverts low-cost housing funds
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A proposal that would permanently divert at least $194 million annually in real estate-related taxes from Florida's affordable housing program to general state spending won approval Friday from the Senate Budget Committee.

Veterans are the focus of about 50 bills this session in Florida
By Katie Sanders
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As a retired Army Reserve brigadier general, Judge T. Patt Maney looks out for veterans who show up in his courtroom convicted of crimes at home after a tour of war.

Gov. Scott courts controversy during session
By Zac Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Federal courts have been clear: Blanket drug testing of government workers violates their privacy.

Gov. Rick Scott is also Defendant Scott
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Cynics might say Gov. Rick Scott is pushing tort reform because he's getting dragged to the courthouse so often.

When does all this 'deregulation' go too far?
By Howard Troxler
St. Petersburg Times
In 1995, the operator of a Pasco County dance studio was sentenced to prison after scamming more than $1 million from lonely, confused elderly customers.

Unions and supporters plan protests
By Anthony Man
Orlando Sentinel
Organized labor is staging protests in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and across the nation, on Monday.

Tallahassee's power grab
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
At the end of 2010 we cautioned that the Republican Party, more powerful now than ever in Florida's history, would have to combat the urge to abuse its power.

POLITICAL RACES

Florida Dem chair pins party’s hopes on redistricting, won’t rule out gov run
By Joy-Ann Reid
Reid Report
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith believes Florida’s misshapen districts have hampered Democrats’ ability to win elections, almost more than any other factor.

As Rubio steps aside, state lacks candidates
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Floridian with the best chance to get on a presidential ticket in 2012 is already taking himself out of the running.

Marco Rubio carefully reclaims spotlight
By Alex Leary
St. Petersburg Times
The frenzy over Marco Rubio had escalated into what an adviser called a "smoking, overheated machine," which was apparent in the 200 reporters surrounding him at Miami's Biltmore Hotel on election night.

Republican George LeMieux ready for U.S. Senate race
Staff Report
St. Petersburg Times
George LeMieux is set to enter the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, a possibly contentious contest in which the winner will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

Presidential candidates quietly court support in South Florida
By Anthony Man
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Look twice. The man in the gray suit on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale or at the upscale Shoppes at Village Pointe in Boca Raton might be the next president of the United States.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Audubon Society wants to weigh in on suit against Rick Scott
By Janet Zink
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Florida Audubon Society filed a motion in the Florida Supreme Court on Friday asking to enter a brief supporting a suit challenging the constitutionality of Gov. Rick Scott's executive order freezing rule-making.

Wasserman Schultz, Deutch, other House Democrats send letter to Boehner urging reconsideration of EPA cuts
By Virginia Chamlee
Florida Independent
In a letter sent to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, House Democrats expressed their concerns with anti-environmental policy “riders” in the forthcoming continuing resolution that would fund the government for the remainder of 2011.

Author says "water ethic" needed in Florida's future
By Bruce Ritchie
FloridaEnvironments.com
Florida doesn't need another white paper offering water policy recommendations to protect future water supplies. What the state finally needs is a "water ethic."

The enemies of Florida's environment
Editorial
St. Petersburg Times
Republican Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-led Legislature appear bent on destroying Florida's environment and overturning decades of efforts to protect it by governors and lawmakers from both political parties.

LGBT

Pentagon defends lifting military gay ban; U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Deerfield Beach, criticizes repeal
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Senior Pentagon leaders are defending repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military to House Republicans who labeled it as political correctness and social engineering.

EDUCATION

Many classrooms in Florida could be getting more crowded again
By Dave Weber
Orlando Sentinel
Class sizes in Florida public schools may be getting much larger again next fall despite voter-mandated restrictions that went into effect just this year.

High school students face changes in FCAT this year
By Colleen Wixon
TC Palm
Because of changes to the FCAT, there are going to be some differences in how high school students take the test this year.

More pocketbook pain for Florida college students
By Denise-Marie Balona
Orlando Sentinel
Florida university students can expect to pay at least 15 percent more for tuition next school year — a financial burden that comes at the same time state lawmakers are considering slashing all Bright Futures scholarships by about $1,000 a year.

Senate drops plan to suspend prepaid college program
By Denise-Marie Balona
Orlando Sentinel
State Sen. Evelyn Lynn has abandoned her plan to suspend the popular Florida Prepaid College program.

Are Bright Future scholarships going to the right students?
By Michael Vasquez
Miami Herald
Florida’s Bright Futures program began as a way to keep the state’s smartest students from attending college out-of-state — driven by fears they might never return.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

House panel clears plan to give governor $400 million for economic development
By Travis Pillow
Florida Independent
A Florida House panel approved a pair of measures that would consolidate six state trust funds dedicated to areas ranging from affordable housing to Visit Florida into a giant pot of money worth $400 million-plus, to be used by Gov. Rick Scott for “economic development incentives.”

Lawmakers hope to save money by privatizing jobs
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Thousands of state jobs for key services — ranging from caring for state mental health hospital patients to keeping some of Florida's most dangerous criminals behind bars — are set to be turned over to private companies this year.

Senate panel diverts low-cost housing funds
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
A proposal that would permanently divert at least $194 million annually in real estate-related taxes from Florida's affordable housing program to general state spending won approval Friday from the Senate Budget Committee.

Union Payroll Deduction Not Costly
By Glenn Marston
Lakeland Ledger
State Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, would like her constituents in Polk County to believe that she was doing nothing to push down teacher unions by voting to ban payroll deduction of union dues in government offices.

Why I won't vote to raise the debt limit
By Sen. Marco Rubio
St. Petersburg Times
Our generation's greatest challenge is an economy that isn't growing, alongside a national debt that is.

Facing uncertainty with dedication
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital News
The top administrator of Florida State Hospital sent a memo to employees last week that sums up what a lot of state employees are worrying about.

‘Just say no’ to state employee drug testing
Editorial
Miami Herald
Anyone who puts their child on a public school bus, or dials 911 for emergency help, or flags a state trooper down the road, surely wants the government employees entrusted with their safety to be clear-minded and not under the influence of drugs.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Government appeals judge's health care ruling
By Greg Bluestein
Associated Press
The federal health care overhaul's core requirement to make virtually all citizens buy health insurance or face tax penalties is constitutional because Congress has the authority to regulate interstate business, the Justice Department said in its appeal of a ruling that struck down the Obama administration's signature legislation.

Caregivers for disabled call Scott's emergency 15 percent cuts of their payments 'draconian'
By John Kennedy and Ana M. Valdes
Palm Beach Post
A day after Gov. Rick Scott ordered deep cuts to community organizations caring for developmentally disabled Floridians, the state Senate moved Friday to impose tight controls on future spending.

State could lose money dropping drug database
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
If Gov. Rick Scott and many lawmakers succeed in doing away with a drug monitoring system that 34 other states are using to track prescription drug abuse, Florida stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked to help the state crack down on pill mills.

Program that helps employers pay medical bills for retirees too young for Medicare could go away
By Richard Martin
St. Petersburg Times
Not so long ago, most American employers kept offering health insurance to their younger retirees until they were old enough for Medicare.

Scott draws more fire on APD cuts
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott’s office is describing his order cutting payments to community care providers for Floridians with Down Syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities as a step needed to keep an overspending state agency from going off a cliff.

We must keep nursing-home watchdogs
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Lynn Dos Santos remembers the time she walked into a nursing home in Sarasota and spotted a forlorn woman slouched in a wheelchair, her hair a tangled mess.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

FL Observes Anniversary of MLK Death Today
By Eric Mack
Public News Service Florida
>From public employees to child care workers, many Florida residents are pausing today to honor the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Florida House GOP's 'uterus' ban: A free-speech battle is born
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Have you heard about the uterus rebellion?

Pastor Who Burned Koran Demands Retribution
By Lizette Alvarez and Don Van Natta Jr.
New York Times
Before a Koran was burned at his modest church here on March 20, the pastor Terry Jones held a self-styled mock trial of the holy book in which he presided from the pulpit as judge.

Do the right thing on immigration
Editorial
Ft. Myers News-Press
It's true that only Congress can fix immigration comprehensively.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Florida prison privatization proposals open door for politically connected GEO Group
By Steve Bousquet
St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The Legislature's push to privatize many more prisons, its most far-reaching cost-cutting plan in years, opens a lucrative door to politically connected vendors who stand to profit.

Foreclosure crisis: Fed-up judges crack down on disorder in the courts
By Christine Stapleton and Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Angry and exasperated by faulty foreclosure documents, judges throughout Florida are hitting back by increasingly dismissing cases and boldly accusing lawyers of "fraud upon the court."

Legislation would weaken, undermine Florida's judicial branch
Editorial
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
There's a coup brewing in Tallahassee. Some lawmakers — still stinging after the state Supreme Court struck three of the Legislature's flawed constitutional amendments from last year's ballot — have offered an array of proposals that would take authority and independence from the judiciary.

Crushing the courts
Editorial
Florida Today
Attempted power grabs are everyday events from Florida lawmakers in Tallahassee, but this one is a stunner

Daily Clips for April 1, 2011

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS Boo-birds, supporters plan to greet Scott at Rays opener By David DeCamp St. Petersburg Times Excerpt: Spurred by the boos Gov. Rick Scott received at recent Yankees spring training game, St. Petersburg blogger Peter Schorsch has organized an effort for fans to boo Scott when he tosses the first pitch at the Rays opener on Friday. Mark Ferrulo, who is leader of the Progress Florida progressive activist group, is helping, too. FEATURED STORIES Democrat chastised for saying 'uterus' on House floor By Aaron Sharockman St. Petersburg Times During last week's discussion about a bill that would prohibit governments from deducting union dues from a worker's paycheck, state Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, used his time during floor debate to argue that Republicans are against regulations -- except when it comes to the little guys, or serves their specific interests. Senate budget full of deep cuts, 'tough choices' By Marc Caputo St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Big cuts for hospitals. State worker layoffs. Privatizing prisons in 18 counties. House: Yes to Medicaid overhaul By Jim Saunders Health News Florida Five years after a controversial pilot program began in Broward and Duval counties, the Florida House on Thursday approved a statewide proposal to shift Medicaid beneficiaries into managed-care plans. The Jobless See a Lifeline at Risk By Lizette Alvarez New York Times With his worn black canvas briefcase at his feet, Richard Dudenhoeffer, a cabinet maker, stood at a computer at the one-stop employment center and scrolled through Florida’s employment listings before settling on three applications Iowa, South Carolina go to war over Florida primary By Alex Leary St. Petersburg Times Florida's insistence on an early presidential primary kicked up a storm Thursday from Republican officials in Iowa and South Carolina who are demanding the national party force the Sunshine State to pull back. BEST OF THE BLOGS Florida House Proposes Giving Rick Scott Sole Power To Appoint Judges By Inkberries Beach Peanuts Republicans in the Florida House Civil Justice Committee recently passed three bills that would give Gov. Rick Scott the sole power to appoint appeals court and Supreme Court justices by restructuring the Florida court system, in the name of "accountability." First Look at 2010 Florida Census Data By Steve Schale Steve Schale The 2010 redistricting process will be unlike any before it. With the introduction of the redistricting standards approved by the voters in November 2010, this cycle’s version is sure to take on a very different look. Beware! Property Insurance Deregulation Puts You at Risk By Bruce Seaman Daily Marion Insurance is boring, riddled with fine print, a cryptic lexicon, and swirling numbers. Just When You Think Florida Republicans Can’t Get Any Dumber By Kenneth Quinnell Florida Progressive Coalition I’ll give it to Katie Betta for doing a amazing job of making her boss’s idiocy almost sound like a legitimate thing, but the simple fact is that this is just plain stupid. Fla. Gov. Rick Scott’s Big Government Program to Drug Test State Workers Could Cost Taxpayers $23.5 Mil Per Year By Jon Ponder Pensito Review Last week, Florida’s already wildly unpopular new Republican governor, Rick Scott, issued an executive order requiring state employees to submit to drug tests at least four times a year. FLORIDA POLITICS Politics will top Census numbers in carving out legislative representation By William March and Kevin Wiatrowski Tampa Tribune For politicians, numbers spell victory or defeat, and a big batch of numbers just arrived in Tallahassee that could change politics in Florida. Protests planned when Scott throws Rays' first pitch By Sherri Ackerman Tampa Tribune They're as American as apple pie: baseball and political protest. Floridians Are Maybe Starting To Understand Their Governor Is A Grifter By Jason Linkins Huffington Post Despite his being best known as a cartoon villain fraudster who bilked Medicare and incurred a record-setting fine from authorities, Florida Governor Rick Scott outspent and outgunned his primary opponent Bill McCollum and then slipped past Democratic challenger Alex Sink in the 2010 GOP wave. Cover the Children's Ears! By Amy Sullivan Time Republican members of the Florida House of Representatives chastised a Democratic colleague today for uttering the word 'uterus' on the House floor during debate. Gov. Rick Scott replaces transition director Enu Mainigi By Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Gov. Rick Scott has replaced his transition director, despite several holes that remain in his administration. After resigning appointment to head agency, Carl Littlefield gets newly created DCF job By Michael C. Bender St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau In a year when Florida lawmakers expect to slash thousands of state jobs and cut benefits for workers who remain, Gov. Rick Scott's office helped create a position for the man whose role overseeing a controversial Tampa group home cost him an agency head position. The Fanjuls: The Koch brothers of South Florida? By Kyle Daly Florida Independent Following revelations of their involvement in the war on public unions in Wisconsin, the once-anonymous Koch Industries Executive Vice President David and his brother Charles have in a short time become boogeymen of the left, the liberal answer to the man behind many conservative conspiracies: George Soros — something David groused about in a recent, fawning Weekly Standard profile. Fla. Senate plans Saturday meetings for committees By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News The Florida Senate will probably start holding committee meetings on Saturdays in the second half of the legislative session, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said Thursday. Today in Tallahassee: Petition-gatherer crackdown, budget bills By Mary Ellen Klas St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Florida legislators take up changes to Florida election law and debate their final package of budget bills on Friday. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY Water districts cut, grabbed by Senate By John Kennedy Palm Beach Post The Legislature would gain a powerful new grip on the South Florida Water Management District and the state’s four other water boards under legislation that sailed unanimously Thursday through the Senate Budget Committee. LGBT Report: Study of gay, transgender health needed By Lauran Neergaard Associated Press Scientists only recently learned how certain diseases affect women differently than men, and blacks differently than whites. EDUCATION Does teacher merit pay bill rely on flawed model? By Kim MacQueen Florida Tribune With Florida’s groundbreaking new teacher merit pay bill, the state has proclaimed its intention to hold fast to former Gov. Jeb Bush’s education reform legacy. Lawmakers seek ways around class-size rules By Patricia Mazzei St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Florida voters in November rejected relaxing constitutionally mandated limits on class sizes. Florida lawmakers push forward with plan to shift school lunches to Agriculture Department By Katie Sanders St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's hopes for wresting control of school nutrition programs got two thumbs-up from the Legislature this week, a sign his priority will reach the governor's desk. Miami-Dade teachers stage school “walk-ins” By Kathleen McGrory Miami Herald Miami-Dade teachers wanted to send a message to Tallahassee. Senate budget plan would lower chancellor's pay By Jim Ash Florida Capital News Senate Appropriations Chairman JD Alexander has quietly slipped language into his chamber's $68.9-billion budget proposal that would slash state university Chancellor Frank Brogan's $357,000 salary by more than one third. Another brand of Bush school reform: Jeb’s By Nick Anderson Washington Post The president who turned No Child Left Behind from slogan into statute is gone from Washington, and the influence of his signature education law is fading. JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY Fla. House panel advances bill making welfare applicants undergo and pay for drug tests By Dara Kam Palm Beach Post State welfare recipients would have to undergo -- and pay for -- drug tests to be eligible to receive benefits under proposals advancing in the state legislature. House to create $400 million development fund controlled by Gov. Scott By Jason Garcia Orlando Sentinel The Florida House will unveil a plan today that would eliminate dedicated funding sources for affordable housing, tourism advertising and some transportation projects, and funnel the money instead into a single, super-sized economic-development fund. Real knock-down, drag-out fight in Florida is over commercial interior design By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau The young woman stepped to the podium, eager for a chance to address Florida lawmakers. HEALTH AND SENIORS Florida's health care reform lawsuit heats up June 8 By Janet Zink St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Florida's lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of federal health care reform legislation is one step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court. Scott says new federal health care act eliminated inexpensive child-only insurance policies: False By Laura Figueroa St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald PolitiFact To mark the one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010, Republican leaders have been rallying their voices and calling for a repeal of the health care measure. Scott praises athletes, then cuts programs By Bill Cotterell Florida Capital News The state Thursday slashed payments for group homes and case workers who help people with severe mental and physical disabilities to address a ballooning agency deficit, a move advocates said will be devastating for care. House plan cuts Moffitt's cancer research money By Jodie Tillman St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau A House plan headed for a floor vote would take $50 million from cancer research programs — including $10 million for H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute — and use it to help cover the state's Medicaid bill. CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES Gun law bill would make local officials personally liable By Zac Anderson Sarasota Herald-Tribune Few issues stoke more passion among Florida lawmakers than guns and property rights, but this year some critics worry the Legislature is going too far in its zeal to protect individual freedoms. Federal judge rules in favor of Sons of Confederate Veterans in license plate dispute By Anthony Colarossi Orlando Sentinel A federal district judge in Orlando has sided with the Sons of Confederate Veterans in a legal fight over specialty car-license plates showing the Confederate flag.