Daily Clips for August 8, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum to speak at GOP convention
By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
Related: Pam Bondi among RNC speakers in GOP leaders' latest announcement
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be among the headliners speaking at the Republican National Convention, GOP chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday.

Gov. Scott will do balancing act describing Florida economy to GOP faithful
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
Related: Gov. Scott’s view on Florida jobs and taxes contrasts with Romney’s
News item: Gov. Rick Scott will deliver a speech at this summer’s Republican National Convention. Scott is expected to say how (wonderful / horrible) the economy has been in Florida under (his / President Obama’s) administration.

Scott’s Agency Head Exodus
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There is an exodus at the state capitol. Two of Governor Rick Scott’s agency heads quit last week. Seven have bolted since Scott took office.

Scott keeps distance from latest HCA probe
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott kept his distance Tuesday from allegations that his former hospital chain is being investigated by federal officials over billing for unnecessary medical treatments, mostly at its Florida hospitals.

Coalition of environmental groups launches petition drive for constitutional amendment
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald
Related editorial: A way to protect Florida’s treasures
A coalition of the state's top environmental organizations on Tuesday launched a petition drive to put an amendment on the November 2014 ballot that would guarantee a stable source of money for environmental protection.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Republican convention protesters have questions for Tampa officials during ACLU rights forum
By Liz McKibbon
WMNF Tampa
The Republican National Convention begins in Tampa in less than three weeks; areas of the city designated as the Event Zone and Designated Protest Area will bear additional restrictions.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, lawmakers disagree over foreclosure settlement funds
By Tia Mitchell and Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Attorney General Pam Bondi clarified Tuesday that she was not feuding with the Legislature over how to spend $300 million in cash earmarked for Florida as part of a $25 billion national foreclosure settlement.

Gov. Scott on embattled Lt. Gov. Carroll: 'She's done a great job'
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times
It has been a rough few weeks for Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.

Rev. Al Sharpton urges ‘action’ to get South Florida’s black voters to vote
By Veit Medick and Anna Edgerton
Miami Herald
The Rev. Al Sharpton came to South Florida Tuesday to encourage black voters to register, get the proper ID and cast their ballots.

Consultant ends up in tough spot: the limelight
By Patricia Mazzei, Charles Rabin and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Fired from one campaign and chastised by another, veteran Miami political consultant Al Lorenzo finds himself in a position where no political operative wants to be: in the news.

POLITICAL RACES

Romney to appear at $50,000 per couple fundraising dinner in Fort Lauderdale
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Mitt Romney will pop into a $50,000 per person/couple fundraiser in Fort Lauderdale on Monday as he swings through Florida for campaign events.

Armed fleet of boats to patrol Tampa's waters during RNC
By Ray Reyes
Tampa Tribune
Fully automatic machine guns are attached to the sides of a Hillsborough sheriff's office boat whenever cargo ships require an escort into the Port of Tampa.

In Florida primary, Reps. John Mica and Sandy Adams represent GOP mainstream vs. tea party
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Two years ago, veteran U.S. Rep John Mica helped Sandy Adams get elected to Congress.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Jacobs: Sick leave measure can still make ballot
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Related: Study: Paid sick-time would help employers, too
Worker advocates trying to get a mandatory sick-time measure to voters this fall got some good news from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs when she said Tuesday the initiative still could clear a number of hurdles in time to make it on the Nov. 6 ballot.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Scott avoids wading into FPL rate hike request
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
As the Public Service Commission on Tuesday resumed public hearings in a $690-million rate request by Florida Power & Light Co., Gov. Rick Scott avoided taking a stand on the issue despite concerns about cost of living increases for energy.

Top Billboard Company Won’t Be Charged in Tree-Poisoning Case
By Myron Levin
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
No criminal charges will be filed against billboard giant Lamar Advertising Co. despite evidence that company workers in Tallahassee, Fla., over at least seven years secretly chopped down or poisoned trees to provide clearer views of its roadside signs. 

EDUCATION

Thanks, but no thanks: Big names not interested in Florida commissioner job
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Strike the name of Tom Luna, Idaho's superintendent of public instruction, from the list of possibilities to replace outgoing Florida education commissioner Gerard Robinson.

Jeb Bush urges Miss. to follow Florida on schools
By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is urging Mississippi leaders to follow his state's example on education changes, and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is signaling his support for many of Florida's approaches.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Report: Low-Wage Jobs Are Flooding Florida
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
A recent Georgetown University study claims that Florida is poised to become a state of mostly low-wage and/or low-skilled jobs.

Atwater to auto insurers: Quit whining
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
CFO Jeff Atwater thinks auto insurers should get on board with rate reductions and “quit whining.”

Investigation finds 741 tax returns filed from single Belle Glade home
By Donna Gehrke-White
South Florida Sun Sentinel
A small South Florida city has attracted the attention of federal investigators looking into tax refund fraud and identity theft, according to an independent watchdog agency that oversees the Internal Revenue Service.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Sarasota schools get $800,000 insurance rebate
By Christopher O'Donnell
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
About 2,700 Sarasota County school employees may see cheaper health insurance premiums for their families next year after the school district received a rebate of more than $800,000 from its health insurance provider.

Panel finishes its work on new regulations for ALFs
By James Call
Florida Current
A 15-member committee addressing assisted living facility regulations will issue a report recommending new regulations on Aug.15.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Gun Control Advocate Says Neither Obama Nor Romney Have Taken Strong Stand Against Gun Violence
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
Coming up today- in the wake of the tragic killings in Wisconsin of people in a Sikh temple by a white supremacist we'll talk with Ladd Everitt who is communications director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

Lake City FL to be ground zero in war against official use of Confederate Flag in Florida
By Stew Lilker
Columbia County Observer
Last Monday's NAACP Lake City chapter town hall meeting was mostly an informational meeting, which reminded all the attendees what the NAACP stood for and how it got to where it is today.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Suit to kick Florida justices off ballot gets hearing
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A trial judge is hearing argument in a lawsuit aimed at throwing three of his seven bosses — Florida Supreme Court justices — off the Nov. 6 ballot.

Judge voids Fla. limit on minors' campaign giving
Associated Press
Ocala Star-Banner
A two-decade-old Florida law limiting the contributions minors may make to state and local political campaigns is an unconstitutional infringement on free speech rights, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Fla. Bar: Nothing disqualifies illegal immigrant
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
An illegal immigrant born in Mexico appears to qualify for a law license, though the Florida Board of Bar Examiners says it still wants an advisory opinion from the state Supreme Court before making a final decision.

Daily Clips for August 7, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Dems Elated About Scott's RNC Role
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Governor Rick Scott is getting a speaking role at the Republican National Convention in Tampa later this month.

RNC chairman announces Jeb Bush, other new convention speakers
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Tmes
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be among speakers scheduled to address the Republican National Convention, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday.

Fla. AG battling with Legislature over settlement
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is quietly feuding with the GOP-controlled Legislature over who should have a say over more than $300 million intended to help homeowners.

Florida: A Bellwether For Medicaid Expansion
By Erin N. Marcus
The Atlantic
He was a "frequent flyer" -- a patient with multiple health problems who gets admitted to the hospital repeatedly.

GOP steers clear of gay marriage issue
By Maggie Haberman and Emily Schultheis
Politico
When Democrats announced that their 2012 platform would include a historic first — gay marriage written in as a plank — the reaction from mainstream Republicans was near silence.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Obama backs Rubio bill to stop taxing Olympians' medals
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
The White House says President Barack Obama supports a measure that would exempt U.S. Olympians from taxes on their prizes.

Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom's legal tab could be taxpayers'
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
Ray Sansom's career as speaker of the House was one of the shortest in Florida history.

Ethics Reform: Let Us See How Our Leaders Make Money
By Tom O'Hara
Florida Voices
Kudos to Rep. Larry Metz for this gem on his 2012 financial disclosure form under the gifts category: “My neighbor mowed my grass.” Estimated value: $200.

POLITICAL RACES

Romney trounces Obama in fundraising for 3rd month
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Can President Barack Obama raise the money he needs to hold onto the White House?

Even In Florida Swing County, Minds Seem Made Up
By Steve Inskeep
NPR
We begin in the swing state of Florida, in hotly contested Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa.

Deadline to request absentee ballot for Florida’s Aug. 14 election is Wednesday
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Florida Voters who want to cast their vote in the Aug. 14 election by mail have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to request an absentee ballot from their local supervisor of elections.

Final Florida primary voter registration numbers released
News Service of Florida
Ft. Myers News-Press
Just under 4.6 million Democrats and about 4.1 million Republicans are registered to vote in Florida's Aug. 14 primary, according to final registration figures from the Division of Elections.

Miami-Dade mayor severs ties with campaign consultant
By Melissa Sánchez and Patricia Mazzei
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez abruptly fired a key campaign consultant on Monday after the consultant failed to disclose that one of his contractors is a convicted felon.

State Senate race becomes a rematch between the Bullards and Saunders
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The race for the Democratic nominee for Senate District 39 has come down to a contest between legacies.

Behind the scenes, Jack Latvala guides a string of Pinellas candidates
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The name Jack Latvala will appear only once on a ballot this fall, but the veteran state senator is again a formidable backstage presence in many other races.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Activists press officials to put sick-leave proposal to voters
By Mark Schlueb and David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Workers' advocates pushing for mandatory sick time failed to gather enough signatures to bring their measure to the Orange County Commission today, but they're hoping it's not too late to earn a spot on the November ballot.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

DEP pushes consistency in water-use permitting statewide
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Florida's five water management districts have different names for some of their water-use permits, and they apply to different quantities of water use.

Ratepayers stuck with nuclear plant charges
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Imagine adding a garage to a house that is about to collapse. 

EDUCATION

Florida's education commissioner: Another view on who's next
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times         
Who should Florida's next education commissioner be?

New national learning standards raise the bar for students, teachers
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
By 2015 almost all of the nation’s public school students will be learning the same things when it comes to math and language arts.

Classes resume this week for seven Florida school districts
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Thinking that school is approaching too fast here in the Tampa Bay area?

Brogan to FAMU: Cut number of low-performing students
By Denise-Marie Ordway
Orlando Sentinel
State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan said he is pressing Florida A&M University to make bigger cuts to the number of low-performing students allowed to attend the school.

FSCJ: Nearly 1,300 students could be required to repay Pell Grants
By Adam Kealoha Causey and Kate Howard Perry         
Florida Times-Union
At least 500 more students at Florida State College at Jacksonville could be required to repay Pell Grants, which brings the number of affected students to nearly 1,300.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Good jobs are hard to find, studies say
By Marcia Heroux Pounds
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida is poised to become a state of mostly low-wage, low-skilled jobs, some experts say.

Economic forecast predicts tepid growth in coming years
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Florida’s economy will continue to grow in the next three years, but at a pace that will not reach the heights of the previous decade for some time, according to a new economic forecast from the University of Central Florida.

Florida fourth in nation for expensive closing costs
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
Home sale prices may be cheaper in Florida today than during the boom years, but loan origination and title fees ranked the state fourth in the nation for pricey closing costs.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Pelosi targets GOP Medicare plan at Frankel event near Boca
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
After senior voters helped boot Nancy Pelosi from her House speakership two years ago, Pelosi tried to win them back during a Palm Beach County visit on Monday by accusing Republicans of trying to dismantle Medicare.

Medicaid plan to challenge state
By Christine Jordan Sexton
Health News Florida
Florida’s effort to steer elderly Medicaid patients into managed care is running into its first significant hurdle.

Study: Nearly A Third Of Doctors Won't See New Medicaid Patients
By Phil Galewitz
Kaiser Health News
If you're on Medicaid and looking for a new doctor, your chances are excellent of finding one … in Wyoming.

How did $14 million in drugs vanish from a UM pharmacy?
By John Dorschner
Miami Herald
Olga Hutnik, a pharmacy buyer at the University of Miami, noticed something odd in May 2011 when she looked at the results of a new program to track drugs in the UM medical system: Hundreds of syringes of an expensive cancer drug were apparently missing.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Obama’s ‘Dream’ immigration policy starts next week, costs $465 to apply
By John Lantigua
Palm Beach Post
Young illegal immigrants nationwide, including tens of thousands in Florida, can begin to file Aug. 15 for permission to stay in the United States legally for two years and avoid deportation.

Group accuses some districts of discrimination
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A national civil rights group says some Florida school districts discriminate against black students in their disciplinary policies.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Empty Miami courthouse called emblem of US problem
By Curt Anderson
Associated Press
The historic but empty federal courthouse in downtown Miami is a costly symbol of the government's sluggishness at selling or finding new purposes for some 14,000 vacant or underused properties nationwide, Republican lawmakers said at a House panel hearing Monday.

Appeals of manslaughter convictions surge after Florida high court’s ruling
By Daphne Duret
Palm Beach Post
No sentence Gillion Graham received would have ever brought Katherine Reich’s son, Michael, back through her doors for Thanksgiving dinner.

Daily Clips for August 6, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

RNC speakers include Rick Scott, John McCain, Condoleezza Rice, Nikki Haley, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich and Susana Martinez
By Richard Danielson
Tampa Bay Times
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are among seven headline speakers announced today for the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Romney's tax plan crunches middle class
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Lower taxes on the rich and higher taxes on the middle class is how a nonpartisan analysis summed up Mitt Romney's tax plan.

Obama embraces health care law after court ruling
By Julie Pace
Associated Press
President Barack Obama, emboldened by the Supreme Court's affirmation of his health care overhaul, is now embracing the law while campaigning for re-election, just as Republican rival Mitt Romney steps back from it.

Adam Hollingsworth: Gov. Rick Scott’s new right-hand man
By Mary Ellen Klas and Steve Bousquet
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
For the third time since taking office, Gov. Rick Scott has a new chief of staff to help shape his agenda, steer him through political minefields and bolster his shaky standing with Floridians.

An uncensored peek at Gov. Scott’s e-mail
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
An absolutely true news item: To erase the perception that it was censoring public records, the office of Gov. Rick Scott has announced it will no longer delete unflattering correspondence from the governor’s official email account.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Jeff Parker
Florida Today
Artist's commentary: Politically explosive rodeo

FLORIDA POLITICS

Florida Gov. Scott a hit at conservative gathering
By Brendan Farrington
Associated Press
Gov. Rick Scott shot back Saturday at opponents who have sued and criticized his conservative agenda and was cheered by an audience who supports his efforts to drug test welfare recipients, strip teachers of tenure and make Florida more business friendly.

Allen West's Rise From the Florida Fever Swamps
By Tim Murphy
Mother Jones
The bike is immaculately polished and gleaming in the late afternoon South Florida sun.

Florida Democrat wants party to reach out to independents
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Florida's election schedule has never made much sense.

Would Democrats Welcome Crist?
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Lakeland Ledger
Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist endorsed Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson last week, attending a fundraiser for the senator in Orlando.

Fla. Legislative Leaders Ready To Take Up Gambling Again Next Session
By Jessica Palombo    
WFSU Tallahassee
Gambling in Florida takes many forms, whether it’s the state lottery, dog tracks with poker rooms or full-scale resort-casinos.

Internet cafés join other gambling interests in pouring cash into Florida lawmakers’ campaigns
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
From humble roots in strip shopping centers, Internet cafés are emerging as a major Florida political player this election season, with the controversial storefront casinos looking to cement their place on the gambling landscape.

POLITICAL RACES

Special interests sharply step up political giving
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
They are some of the biggest brand names in Florida politics, and this summer they're pumping millions of dollars into a myriad of stealthy political funds — all with the aim of influencing the outcome of a few key legislative races.

Mack, Weldon lead pack for GOP Senate nod
By William March
Tampa Tribune
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, boasting the famous name he inherited from his father, is the frontrunner in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate while former Rep. Dave Weldon mounts a conservative insurgency against him.

Nelson faces quiet primary challenge
By William March
Tampa Tribune
When they go to the polls Aug. 14, many Democrats may be surprised to find they have to decide a primary contest in the U.S. Senate race.

Elections to test Tea Party's sway
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Tea Party wing of the Republican Party propelled Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and many other conservatives into office in 2010.

Florida Early Voting Times Out Of Sync
By Regan McCarthy      
WFSU Tallahassee
Early voting kicked off for five Florida Counties on Monday. It starts for the rest of the state Saturday.

Absentee ballot fraud made easy in Miami-Dade
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Psst! Wanna commit absentee-ballot fraud?

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Big Business Tries To Stop Florida Paid Sick Days Initiative Before It Even Reaches Ballot
By Annie-Rose Strasser
Think Progress
Residents of Orange County, Florida, are trying to get an initiative on the November ballot that would require all businesses with more than 15 employees to provide paid sick days to their workers.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Dolphin die-off tied to Gulf oil spill, other factors, study suggests
By Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
Bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico washed up dead along the shores of four states early last year in one of the worst die-offs on record in the region.

Controversial Florida wetlands project hired lobbyist with DEP connection to push permit
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
To get a wetlands permit from a state water agency, the owners of the Highlands Ranch Mitigation Bank hired engineers and a law firm.

More than half of required counties have opted out of septic tank inspections
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Ten of 19 counties that must act by Jan. 1 under a new septic tank inspection law have voted to opt out of having an inspection program, according to the Florida Department of Health.

LGBT

|Supporters of gay rights rally in front of Pompano Chick-fil-A
By Melissa Montoya
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A 30-foot rainbow flag graced the sights of drivers on North Federal Highway as they passed the Chick-fil-Ain Pompano Beach on Friday, where more than 50 people gathered on the sidewalk to send a message: Your consumer dollars fund anti-gay groups.

Lakeland Commission Votes Against Extending Benefits for Same-Sex Partners
By Kyle Kennedy
Lakeland Ledger
The city of Lakeland won't be extending benefits to same-sex partners of city employees.

EDUCATION

A weekend interview with Florida education commissioner Gerard Robinson
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
After only a year on the job, Florida education commissioner Gerard Robinson announced this past week that he'd be stepping down at the end of August.

Another ‘F’ for those overseeing Florida’s public schools
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Fortunately, Florida public schools work better than the Florida Board of Education.

Florida report shows fewer dropouts and delinquents; more 4-year-olds in pre-K
By Ana M. Valdes
Palm Beach Post
Although a national study released last week ranked Florida 44th in the nation for the economic well-being of its children, state child welfare officials have released a new progress report showing it’s not all bad news for the state’s youngest residents.

New classroom standards focus on why, how
By Mackenzie Ryan
Florida Today
As new academic expectations are rolled out this year, students will not only be required to know the right answer — they’ll also need to explain how they got it and why it’s correct.

For-profit colleges: raw deal for taxpayers
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The for-profit college industry would barely exist without federal tuition aid, but a new report by U.S. Senate Democrats says that taxpayers are getting a raw deal.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

PIP changes might not lower insurance bills for drivers, report says
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
No-fault auto insurance premiums could indeed dip as Gov. Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers promised, a company hired to evaluate Florida's latest round of auto insurance reforms says.

Attention, shoppers: Sales-tax holiday won't save you as much as you think
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
When they hear gripes about the perceived high levels of taxation in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers have a go-to pressure-relief valve: this weekend's sales-tax holiday.

Time to cut defense spending
By Gene Jones
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
As the slow growth economy grinds on for most Americans, one economic segment is unlikely to feel the pain -- the Department of Defense and defense contractors.

Florida construction industry on verge of a comeback, seers say, thanks to influx of newcomers
By Jeff Harrington
Tampa Bay Times
The next big thing driving Florida's job growth could be the same as the last big thing: construction.

Lt. Gov. Carroll heads to native Trinidad on trade mission
Staff Report
Florida Current
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll will return to Trinidad and Tobago, where she was born, on Saturday as part of a five-day trade mission to the island nation off the coast of Venezuela.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

|Next Phase of Health Care Reform Kicks In
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
For women, the Affordable Care Act may be the greatest advance in health care in a generation.

Numbers on health act debunk GOP claims
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
One of the chief Republican objections to health care reform is that it will add too much to the deficit and the nation can't afford it.

Medicare indispensible for many after 47 years
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
Forty-seven years ago, Congress authorized a safety net to ensure seniors could pay for hospital care without going broke.

Did hospital try to block probe?
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
When a sponge gets left in a patient’s body in an operation, the Department of Health files charges against the surgeon, and sometimes the nurse.

Belated tuberculosis plan comes with questions
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
The state has a new program for treating tuberculosis patients. If only the state had announced that new program five months ago, before the Legislature voted to close Florida’s only tuberculosis hospital.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

13,000 Florida felons whose rights restored in 2007 still may not know they can vote
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
As Gov. Rick Scott defends his administration’s effort to remove potentially ineligible voters from the voting rolls, more than 13,000 Floridians who had their voting rights restored may not know that they can cast ballots in November.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

The Trayvon Martin truth squad: a Web phenomenon
By Frances Robles
Miami Herald
While other people watch reality shows, a marketing specialist in Michigan who goes by the name “Bcclist” spends time in his yard, calculating Trayvon Martin’s last steps with a tape measure and smartphone stop watch.

Questions Being Raised in Crotzer Case
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
After spending 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Alan Crotzer remains in a Tallahassee Jail tonight without bond on a charge of attempted murder.

Daily Clips for August 3, 2012

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

The BluVu: Week of July 30^th
By Gayle Andrews
The BluVu
Corrine Brown challenges voter suppression in federal court, Lt Governor Jennifer Carroll apoligizes to the Lesbian community and Progress Florida’s Damien Filer has the scoop on Amendment 8. All this and more as political reality comes your way!

FEATURED STORIES

Jim Greer: Republican Party tried to pay me hush money
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
The Republican Party of Florida has not attempted to settle a civil suit filed against them by former GOP chairman Jim Greer, according to a lawyer for the party.

At Rollins, Obama calls Romney's 'trickle-down' tax plan 'fairy dust'
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama, speaking to 2,400 screaming supporters at Rollins College on Thursday, said the 2012 election offers "two fundamentally different visions for America," between what he called Mitt Romney's tax cuts for the rich versus his own defense of the middle class.

In Orlando area, President Barack Obama and Sen. Marco Rubio hold a debate of sorts
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
For as much as they disagree on policy, Barack Obama and Marco Rubio have an awful lot in common.

8-day early-voting period for primary election starts Saturday
By Anika Myers Palm
Orlando Sentinel
Starting Saturday, Central Floridians who want to vote early and avoid lines during the Aug. 14 primary election can head to the polls at times and places they might find more convenient.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Youth activists infiltrate Florida immigrant detention center, find people wrongly held
By Sue Sturgis
Facing South
Activists with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance intentionally placed themselves in deportation proceedings in order to enter the Broward Transitional Center, an immigration detention facility in Florida -- and they say they found scores of detainees who shouldn't be there under the Obama administration's revised deportation policies.

Gov. Rick Scott Kept Official State Email Account Off Public Records Site
By Inkberries
Beach Peanuts
Because Florida Gov. Rick Scott began his term by deleting his transition emails due to "an error," his announcement last May that he was making his emails public on a website called "Project Sunburst" all in the name of "transparency," the news was met with a certain amount of skepticism.

Georgia Lawyer Thinks She Knows Better Than Florida Law Enforcement
By Brughart
Hrrumph
Florida Supreme Court Justices standing for merit retention never draw much attention…until 2010 when groups actively campaigned against two of the four justices who were then standing for merit retention at that time.

Dr. Knight shines the light of truth brightly on the Adena Springs Ranch application for a water use permit
By Sandspur
SWFWMD Matters
Make statements of fact that aren’t and then publish them as if they are.

Former FL GOP chair calls party officials liars, "whack-a-do, right-wing crazies''
By DavidKC
Daily Kos
Lost amid the Olympics and Romney's gaffe-a-thon is some stunning Republican Party in-fighting here in Florida - just in time for the RNC Convention in Tampa!

FLORIDA POLITICS

Gov. Scott to blog for left-leaning Huffington Post
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott is adding a stint as blogster for a liberal online news site to his resume.

POLITICAL RACES

Sen. Nelson ad slams likely GOP opponent Mack
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is attacking Rep. Connie Mack IV's character in his second campaign ad, pointing out in the spot that began airing today that his likely Republican opponent used to do Hooter's promotions and has a history of getting in trouble at bars.

GOP hopes to stay out of trouble in Tampa
By Aaron Sharockman
Tampa Bay Times
House Republicans are officially worried that lawmakers and staffers will stray off the straight-and-narrow path at the GOP convention in Tampa this month.

Hialeah absentee-ballot broker Cabrera arrested; state attorney recuses herself from ongoing case
By Patricia Mazzei, Daniel Chang, Charles Rabin and Christina Veiga
Miami Herald
A Hialeah boletera at the center of a weeklong absentee-ballot investigation that muddied the Miami-Dade mayor’s race was arrested Thursday after police say she fraudulently obtained an absentee ballot from a terminally ill woman in a nursing home.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

|Florida Amendment Could Remove Restrictions On Funding Religious Schools
By Casey Michel
TPM
Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) has not shied from introducing religion into the public sphere, most recently implementing a state law that would allow students to offer “inspirational messages” during all nonmandatory school events.

A closer look at secret plan to beat sick-leave measure
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Orlando-area business groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block voters from weighing in on a ballot measure aimed at securing stronger sick-leave policies for Orange County workers.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

DEP says springs funding has doubled but some scientists are skeptical
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A year after the Legislature eliminated funding for its 10-year-old springs initiative, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is saying that springs restoration funding has doubled in the past two years under Gov. Rick Scott.

PSC, DEP come out against federal regulations, saying they could discourage new coal-fired power plants
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Five years after plans for new coal-fired power plants were scrapped amid opposition from then-Gov. Charlie Crist, two state agencies are raising concerns that a proposed federal rule could make it more difficult for utilities to build such plants.

Repair costs rise at Crystal River nuclear plant
By Ivan Penn
Tampa Bay Times
The cost to fix the broken Crystal River nuclear plant appears to be on the rise.

LGBT

|Chick-fil-A sets 1-day sales record amid gay flap
Associated Press
Miami Herald
Chick-fil-A set a one-day sales record on Wednesday amid an ongoing controversy over a company executive's public stance against same-sex marriage, company officials said Thursday.

Chick Fil A: Gay kiss protest planned for Friday
By Theresa Collington
WTSP Tampa
In response to Wednesday's Chick-fil-A appreciation day, gay rights supporters are now planning a "National Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A" to take place this Friday (August 3).

EDUCATION

Board selects interim education commissioner
By James Call
Florida Current
The Florida Board of Education Thursday selected K-12 Chancellor Pam Stewart to be interim education commission when Gerard Robinson leaves on Aug. 31.

StudentsFirst Organizer Defends Giving Gift Cards To Online Commenters
By John O'Connor
StateImpact
Betrayed. That’s how regional StudentsFirst organizer Catherine Robinson felt when an email she sent to a small group of supporters wound up published on education blogs.

Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday comes early this year
By Patricia Potestades
Palm Beach Post
Florida’s annual sales tax holiday arrived early this year, more than two weeks before Palm Beach County schools open.

Lightning rod
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is headed for the exit.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Scott joins chorus of GOP governors demanding gridlocked Congress avert defense cuts
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott joined a chorus of fellow GOP governors in a contentious partisan squabble over federal lawmakers’ failure to avert $110 billion in mandatory spending cuts to defense and domestic programs set to kick in in January.

Scott: $5 million, 100 jobs on the way at Cape Canaveral
By Patrick Peterson
Florida Today
A $5 million state contribution announced Thursday by Gov. Rick Scott will help create 100 federal jobs and, more importantly, secure a key component of Brevard County’s military economy for decades to come as the U.S. Navy upgrades and refurbishes its missile testing facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Universal asks for 22 percent hike in homeowner insurance rates
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Citing large losses from sinkhole claims and uncertain results of legislation aimed at curbing them, officials from the Universal Insurance Co. of North America asked state regulators Thursday for a 22 percent statewide average increase in homeowner policy rates.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Medicaid bill for counties cut in half, though objections remain
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The amount of money the state says counties owe for unpaid Medicaid bills has been cut nearly in half.

Florida's infant mortality rate hits historic low
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
The infant mortality rate in Florida has fallen to a historic low of 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, state health officials said Tuesday.

FL Doctors Asked to Screen for Domestic Violence
By Stephanie Carroll Carson
Public News Service Florida
Florida doctors can now screen patients for indications of domestic violence, as one of the eight preventive care tests available at no additional cost under a section of health care reform that just became effective this week.

Government report: Tax cheats getting paid by Medicaid
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Thousands of Medicaid health care service providers still got paid by the government even though they owed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal taxes, congressional investigators say. 

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

A 28-year first: Florida's prison population shrinks
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Ocala Star-Banner
The surest sign of Florida's plummeting crime rate: For the first time in 28 years, the Sunshine State will have a smaller prison population than the previous year.

Daily Clips for August 2, 2012

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

ALEC Under Fire
NBC-WFLA Tampa Bay
By Mike Vasilinda

FEATURED STORIES

President Barack Obama headed to Florida with study showing Mitt Romney's tax plan hurts middle class
By Toluse Olorunnipa and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Poll shows President Obama ahead in swing states
President Obama travels Thursday to Orlando where he’ll challenge Mitt Romney on what’s normally considered Republican ideological turf: debt and taxes.

Feds seek voter-purge records
By Jerome R. Stockfisch and William March
Tampa Tribune
The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding that Hillsborough turn over voter-purge records, pulling the county into a growing legal fracas over Gov. Rick Scott's push to clean out the state's voter registry.

ACLU: More Than 13,000 Floridians Are Eligible to Vote and May Not Know It
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
More than 13,000 felons in Florida may not know their voting rights have been restored. That’s because the state hasn’t notified them.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist backs Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Former Gov. Charlie Crist has taken one more step away from the Republican Party and toward Democrats, confirming he'll support Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson's re-election bid against Republican Rep. Connie Mack IV.

School Officials Say Fla. Education Chief's Resignation Triggered by Year-Long FCAT Drama
By Lynn Hatter 
WFSU Tallahassee
Gerard Robinson’s decision to step down at the end of August comes after a series of changes to the state FCAT test which led to a drop in scores, school grades and a public outcry.

Governor’s openness is all illusion
By Fabiola Santiago
Miami Herald
The Huffington Post wants Gov. Rick Scott to share his ideas on what’s working in Florida as a guest blogger. (Good luck with that).

FLORIDA POLITICS

Scott’s popularity sags in new Q-poll
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
It’s no wonder that Mitt Romney is keeping his distance from Gov. Rick Scott.

Emergency managers rip Gov. Rick Scott’s rankings of counties
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott’s office has finalized the grading of county emergency management offices, giving all but two of the state’s 67 counties “exemplary” scores.

Democrats 'serve' Eric Cantor with 'wanted' poster for Rep. Vern Buchanan
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Democrats today had a gift for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: A wanted sign for Rep. Vern Buchanan.

19 relief bills filed as first Senate bills for 2013 session
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The first Senate bill filed in the 2013 session would approve the city of Tallahassee's payment of $900,000 to Mark Sawicki, a Florida State University engineer who was struck while on his bicycle by a city trash collection truck in 2009.

POLITICAL RACES

Marco Rubio says number of tax returns Mitt Romney releases not 'relevant issue'
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
A number of Republicans (and, of course, Democrats) are calling on Mitt Romney to release more tax returns than the two years he has agreed to, but U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio says it's a non-issue.

Romney Florida campaign reacts aggressively to Obama’s visit, improving poll numbers
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
On the eve of his fourth campaign trip to Florida in the last six weeks, President Obama on Wednesday said Mitt Romney would increase taxes on the middle class while Romney’s campaign reminded Orlando-area voters of Obama’s recent “you didn’t build that” remark about businesses.

Celebrity lawyer John Morgan will host Bill Clinton and raise big bucks
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Celebrity lawyer John Morgan's Heathrow neighbors include some of the most understanding -- or annoyed -- residents in Central Florida for putting up with Secret Service visits, traffic jams and parking crunches associated with his multiple campaign fundraisers every year.

Will changes to voting laws in Florida have major impact on election?
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Florida Legislature passed a sweeping elections law in 2011 that Democrats and other critics say could hinder voter turnout this year.

Early voting: It's not just rides to the polls any more
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
Generating voter turnout used to be a labor-intensive chore of setting up telephone banks and finding enough volunteers with big cars or vans to ferry people to the polls on Election Day.

BALLOT INITIATIVES

Business groups sue to stop Orange sick-time ballot initiative
By Mark Schlueb and David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Several Orange County business groups late Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging a sick-time ballot initiative, and — according to a confidential email obtained by the Orlando Sentinel — the region's main business organization could spend as much as $2.2 million on an opposition campaign. 

LGBT

Crowds support Chick-fil-A in gay-marriage dispute
By Sandra Pedicini
Orlando Sentinel
Scores of Central Floridians and other Americans flocked to Chick-fil-A restaurants Wednesday in a show of support for the chain and its president's stance against gay marriage.

Couples take the plunge as St. Pete opens its domestic partnership registry
By Samuel Johnson
WMNF Tampa
Today St. Pete residents were able to register as domestic partners for the first time. A narrow foyer in City Hall was teeming with excited couples this morning.

EDUCATION

Florida Education Commissioner Robinson says he wasn't forced out
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Turning point for public eduction in Florida
Despite his rocky tenure, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson insisted Wednesday that leaving was his choice.

Florida will search nation for next school chief
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Florida will again search nationally for a new education commissioner, using a search firm to help it find a pool of candidates, the State Board of Education decided this morning.

Parent group urges Scott to find new school leader not wed to testing
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
With Florida’s top education job open, an advocacy organization is urging Gov. Rick Scott to move in a new direction.

Fla.'s Newest University Elects Board Chair, Vice Chair
Staff Report
WFSU Tallahassee
The formation of Florida’s 12th and newest public university, Florida Polytechnic, comes after protests from several lawmakers and many at the University of South Florida, whose polytech program is being phased out with the creation of the new university.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Infographic: Florida's consumer confidence jumps in July
Staff Report
Florida Current
Floridians are feeling better about their pocketbook, according to the consumer confidence index tracked by the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

McCarty's travel defended as bridge-building
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Though Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty’s travel has taken him out of the state at least one out of every four days for the past 19 months, his frequent flyer miles were defended Wednesday as necessary to develop connections in the global insurance marketplace.

Fla. Retirement System narrowly tops benchmark
Associated Press
Miami Herald
State officials say the Florida Retirement System narrowly beat its investment benchmark during the budget year that ended June 30.

IRS steps up probe of Miccosukee Tribe’s payouts of gambling profits to members
By Jay Weaver
Miami Herald
The Internal Revenue Service has escalated its investigation into the Miccosukee Indians’ finances, demanding that the West Miami-Dade tribe hand over a mountain of internal records showing millions in allegedly unreported payments from its gambling profits to tribal members.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Scott promises funding for nursing homes
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
Gov. Rick Scott promised adequate funding for nursing homes at a conference for providers of elderly care, but protesters criticized his opposition to President Obama's health care overhaul and his refusal to enforce some of its provisions.

Rep. Deutch: GOP turning a constitutional right into a crime
By Eric W. Dolan
The Raw Story
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) on Tuesday blasted Republicans over legislation that would ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Red-Light Cameras Challenged on Several Fronts
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
Red-light cameras are under attack on several fronts. Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the devices in one of four red-light camera challenges it will hear.

Daily Clips for August 1, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

U.S. Justice Department says Florida's voter purge violates federal law
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
The U.S. government wants to block Florida from resuming its purge of suspected noncitizens from the voter rolls, saying it would violate federal law.

Voter suppression: 'I'm a better citizen than any of them. I'm not going to quit'
By Ed Pilkington
Guardian UK
Florida is at the centre of a concerted bid to restrict citizens' right to vote.

Embattled education commissioner Gerard Robinson resigns
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson resigned late Tuesday amid a months-long controversy over the state's testing regimen and errors on school grades that forced the department to change the marks for dozens of schools.

Medicaid: life & death politics?
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
A Harvard study that found a longer life expectancy in states where Medicaid was expanded years ago could have significant implications for Florida, with thousands of lives each year riding on a decision that until now rested only on money and politics.

Promising openness, delivering propaganda
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
In Tallahassee's politicized culture of cynicism, even an initiative touted by Gov. Rick Scott as an effort to provide unprecedented transparency has turned out to be just another betrayal of the public trust.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Insurance Commissioner McCarty travels often for nonstate business
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
In the past 19 months, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has been out of the state nearly one out of every four days – including holidays and weekends – often on trips to industry conferences that are not directly related to the Florida insurance market.

The business of being Marco Rubio is booming
By Scott wong
Politico
Marco Rubio may be slipping down the shortlist of potential Mitt Romney running mates. But Rubio Inc. has been booming.

Former Florida Speaker Ray Sansom sues state for legal costs
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
Former House Speaker Ray Sansom is suing the state, saying he should be reimbursed for the costs of defending himself against corruption charges that were eventually dropped.

In the Name of All Floridians?
By Mary Jo Melone
Florida Voices
How much could $888,000 buy for people in need?

POLITICAL RACES

PPP: Obama has razor-thin lead in Florida
By William March
Tampa Tribune
A new Public Policy Polling survey shows President Barack Obama ahead of Mitt Romney by a single point in Florida—well under the error margin—and finds that putting Marco Rubio or Condoleeza Rice on Romney’s ticket as running mate boosts him ahead of Obama.

Florida 101: 10 Things to Know About Florida for the 2012 Election
By Robert Watson
Huffington Post
The Sunshine State is important in presidential elections for several reasons, but one of them is simply that Florida is the land of butterfly ballots, hanging chads, and Katherine Harris (and her makeup).

Mitt Romney's bus tour headed to Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
CNN's Peter Hamby reports that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans a multi-state and city bus tour annd blitz that includes multiple stops in Florida before the Republican National Convention in Tampa at month's end.

Dave Weldon strives to make a race of it against Connie Mack in GOP Senate primary
By Brittany Alana Davis
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Yes, there still is a Florida Republican U.S. Senate primary.

Both sides of Tampa Bay preparing for Republican convention's economic impact
By Jamal Thalji
Tampa Bay Times
Bob Rohrlack Jr. remembers when Tampa Bay wasn't a region. It was a body of water.

Most downtown Tampa businesses will brave the RNC
By Ted Jackovics
Tampa Tribune
Nearly 4 in 5 downtown food and retail businesses plan to remain open during the 2012 Republican National Convention, early results of a Tampa Downtown Partnership survey show. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

State pledges funds, regulations to clean up Silver Springs
By Fred Hiers
Gainesville Sun
The question for many members of the public after a Tuesday meeting about pollution levels in Silver Springs and the Silver River was one of trust.

Another three months passes without action in possible conflict-of-interest case for DEP's Vinyard
By Bill Prescott
Florida Current
Three months have passed since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requested more information about Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr.'s employment prior to joining the department in 2011, but there has been no response from DEP.

Study: Dispersants may have hurt Gulf food chain
By Janet McConnaughey
Associated Press
A study on possible effects of the 2010 BP oil spill indicates dispersants may have killed plankton - some of the ocean's tiniest plants and creatures - and disrupted the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the nation's richest seafood grounds.

Short list of Florida Public Service Commission candidates released
By Michael Peltier
News Service of Florida
Eight candidates have made the cut and will be interviewed to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Florida Public Service Commission, according to a short list released Tuesday by a state PSC nominating council.

LGBT

Pew poll: 65 percent of Democrats support gay marriage, compared to 24 percent of Republicans
By David Crary
Associated Press
The partisan gap over same-sex marriage continues to widen, with 65 percent of Democrats now supporting it compared to 24 percent of Republicans, according to poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center.

Traditional, same-sex marriage advocates to support, protest in Brevard this week
By J. D. Gallop
Florida Today
The cultural war over same-sex marriage will advance to the fast-food counter this week as activists on both sides of the issue turn one of the nation’s most popular southern-fried chicken sandwiches into a civil rights cause.

St. Petersburg's domestic partnership registry starts Wednesday
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
The city's domestic partnership registry opens today and will give unmarried couples some of the same legal rights as their married counterparts.

EDUCATION

Hillsborough School Board takes a stand on testing
By Marlene Sokol
Tampa Bay Times
It took discussions all morning at a workshop session, then a bit of a power struggle toward the evening.

Cost of college: Facing the hard truth
Staff Report
Florida Times-Union
It’s not exactly news that college loans could be the next bubble, passing the $1 billion mark.

New Board for Florida Poly Will Meet Today
By Mary Toothman
Lakeland Ledger
Florida Polytechnic University's new board of trustees will have its first meeting this morning.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

U.S., Fla. consumers upbeat, surveys show
By Ted Jackoics
Tampa Tribune
Consumers in the state and in the nation are feeling more confident about the economy, according to separate surveys released Tuesday.

Stores prep for 'second Christmas' sales tax holiday
By Joey Flechas
Gainesville Sun
Lonnie Phillips doesn't do back-to-school crowds.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Gov. Scott in Orlando today to speak at health care conference
Staff Report
Central Florida News 13
Gov. Rick Scott is making his way to Central Florida to talk health care Wednesday.

Medicaid expansion is a good business decision for Florida
By Laura Brennaman
Ft. Myers News-Press
Promoting life and preventing premature death should be paramount when our Legislature decides whether to implement the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion in Florida.

Retirees rally in support of health benefits
By Mitra Malek
Palm Beach Post
A small group of seniors crammed into a tiny office Monday waving small white laminated signs that read “Healthcare, Medicare, Retirees Care, I Care!” at each other, a couple of cameras and several onlookers.

How The Republicans Might Reshape Medicaid If They Win The White House And Congress
Staff Report
Kaiser Health News
The Los Angeles Times reports on how the GOP is readying a push to scale back the health insurance program for the poor if it takes control of the White House and Congress next year.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

I Have a Solution That Will Allow Florida to Ban Doctors From Asking About Guns
By Kevin Drum
Mother Jones
Via Ed Kilgore, I see that Florida recently passed a law making it illegal for doctors to ask their patients about gun ownership.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

A Battle for Florida’s Courts
Editorial
New York Times
Under Florida’s system of choosing Supreme Court justices, the governor makes the initial appointments, then voters get to decide every six years whether to keep them.

Can State Pay For Courthouse Photos? Fla. CFO Seeks Answer At Hearing
By Jessica Palombo    
WFSU Tallahassee
When Florida built a courthouse for the First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee two years ago, the architect’s plan for the $50 million building included miles of African Mahogany paneling, high-end light fixtures, and hundreds of framed historic photographs to hang on the walls.