Daily News Clips for February 5, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

Emails show legislative staff talked with party over redistricting maps
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Florida’s legislative leaders appear to have authorized their staff to use private email accounts, personal “dropboxes” and to engage in “brainstorming meetings” with Republican Party of Florida consultants in attempting to draw favorable political districts, despite a constitutional ban on such coordination.

Feds Give OK; Medicaid's Frail Elderly to Enter HMOs
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Federal health officials have given Florida permission to enroll elderly, sick Medicaid patients into private managed-care plans, Gov. Rick Scott’s office announced on Monday.

Rubio Joins Seven Other Senators To Block Violence Against Women Act
By Annie-Rose Strasser
Think Progress
Eight Senators on Monday voted not to consider the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that protects victims of domestic violence.

Gov. Rick Scott's elections adviser urges voting reforms
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott's elections adviser urged legislators on Monday to return to 14 days of early voting in Florida and to add locations to avoid repeating the chaos that plagued voting in 2012.

Jim Greer trial raises hopes, fears among Republicans
By Lucy Morgan
Tampa Bay Times
Who wins if next week's criminal trial of former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer is a prolonged public affair airing all of the party's dirty laundry?

FLORIDA POLITICS

DEP chief is mum, and that speaks volumes
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
There aren't many jobs that employers are handing out in this economy without anyone asking for them.

Scott's Budget Shows He's Campaigning
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Voices
Gov. Rick Scott's announcement of a record $74.2 billion state budget plan had the unmistakeable air of a re-election campaign rally last week.

Waiting Times at Ballot Boxes Draw Scrutiny
By Jeremy W. Peters
New York Times
With studies suggesting that long lines at the polls cost Democrats hundreds of thousands of votes in November, party leaders are beginning a push to make voting and voter registration easier, setting up a likely new conflict with Republicans over a deeply polarizing issue.

Miami-Dade County Commission considers single-language-only ballots to shorten election lines
By Charles Rabin
Miami Herald
Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan C. Zapata is proposing a way to make it easier and quicker to vote: Printing ballots in only the single language chosen by a voter, instead of in English, Spanish and Creole.

Lawsuit filed for vote records in Allen West race
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
The St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections is being sued for access to public records related to Rep. Patrick Murphy's win.

Proving 'textgate' crime will be tough, expert says
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Jeff Ashton announced last week he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the "textgate" scandal involving a handful of county leaders, but proving that laws were broken might be tough, an open-government expert says.

Tampa accountant sentenced in campaign fraud case
Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
Timothy Hohl, a Tampa accountant, has been sentenced in federal court in Jacksonville to a year's probation and fined $15,000 for making illegal contributions to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's first two campaigns. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Public can review state's plans for 23 Fla species
Associated Press
Palm Beach Post
The public has been invited to review the state's conservation plans for roughly two dozen species of native wildlife.

Water district defends Wakulla Springs study delay, pointing finger at previous leadership
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
The new leadership at the Northwest Florida Water Management District now is saying that it had become "blatantly obvious" in 2012 that the district never intended to conduct required water flow studies before a leadership change was made.

Close Crystal River nuclear plant for good
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
It's time for Duke Energy to acknowledge that the broken Crystal River nuclear plant is not worth fixing and announce plans to permanently shut it down.

EDUCATION

Some private schools can give FCAT next year, but, so far, they’ve shown little interest in FL’s standardized tests
By Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Thanks to a new state law, private schools that take part in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program — a voucher program for low-income kids — can give their students the FCAT (or state end-of-course exams), if they want.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

More mismanagement issues arise at Citizens Insurance
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau
State regulators knocked Citizens Property Insurance Corp. this month for unnecessary travel costs, failing to negotiate on multimillion-dollar vendor contracts and spending more than $10,000 a month on vacant office space.

State gave tax break to company Bondi was investigating for foreclosure fraud
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald
While attorney general Pam Bondi was investigating Lender Processing Services for foreclosure abuses, the state of Florida was preparing a sweet tax break deal for the Jacksonville-based company.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Fla. lawmakers look for partners in state exchange
By Kelli Kennedy
Associated Press
Florida lawmakers heard Monday from two organizations that could serve as partners in running an insurance exchange under the federal health overhaul.

AARP targets Medicaid expansion, texting while driving and nuclear charges as legislative priorities
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
AARP Florida said Monday that their survey of residents over age 50 showed strong support for a ban on texting while driving, for improved long-term health care and for reconsidering a law allowing utilities to charge for nuclear projects.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Sheriffs edge closer to law interpreting than law enforcing with gun ownership proclamation
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
I know it’s illegal to impersonate a law-enforcement officer.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Prison system sees sharp decline in recidivism
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
The recidivism rate in Florida prisons -- so costly in tax money and wasted lives -- has fallen a record low in recent years, as state correctional officials and community organizations do a better job of preparing inmates to rejoin society, the Department of Corrections announced Monday.

Florida Bar pursues discipline against foreclosure mill boss David J. Stern
By Kimberly Miller
Palm Beach Post
The Florida Bar is seeking disciplinary action against Florida foreclosure baron David J. Stern, whose massive law firm collapsed in 2011 amid allegations that it mishandled the cases of the nation’s largest mortgage holders by filing forged and fraudulent court documents.

Daily News Clips for February 4, 2013

PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS

Extend Medicaid for Economic and Humanitarian Benefits
By Mark Ferrulo
Florida Voices
Excerpt: "...if the governor and his allies could take off their ideological blinders long enough to look at the facts, they would have to embrace an extension of Medicaid as good for Florida families – and for the state’s economy."

FEATURED STORIES

GOP's challenges in Florida
By Adam C. Smith
Tampa Bay Times
Every two years, campaign professionals, political scientists and journalists gather in Gainesville for a valuable conference by the University of Florida's graduate program in political campaigning.

Scott’s plan raises hopes for health law changes
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Rick Scott’s first step into politics came when the former hospital executive battled President Barack Obama’s proposed health care overhaul – long before it ever passed Congress.

Governor's Proposed Budget: Act of Self-Preservation
Editorial
Lakeland Ledger
Gov. Rick Scott laid out his proposed state budget Thursday in Tallahassee.

State, local government pension systems may face changes this year
Staff Report
Palm Beach Post
Local governments with underfunded pension plans would not be able to look to the state for a bail out, under a bill filed this week that is expected to become a template for legislation in the months ahead.

Jim Greer witness list a who's who of state politics: Crist, McCollum, Cannon, etc.
By Rene Stutzman
Orlando Sentinel
Former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer, set for trial in less than two weeks, has filed a witness list that includes a great many political heavyweights: former Gov. Charlie Crist, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, former Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon and former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

DEP's part-time $83-an-hour employee helped oversee layoffs and agency shakeup
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
To hear him tell it, Brandon business executive Randall F. "Randy" Greene never wanted the job he has with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that pays $83 an hour.

EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE WEEK

By Andy Marlette
Pensacola News Journal

FLORIDA POLITICS

Legislative leaders draw up ambitious agenda
By Tim Nickens
Tampa Bay Times
Two Sundays ago, Will Weatherford was teaching his 4-year-old daughter how to ride a bicycle in their Wesley Chapel neighborhood when it started getting dark.

Scott's Budget 3.0 has something for everyone
By Aaron Deslatte
Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott didn't become a titan in the health-care industry by staying on the wrong slope of the learning curve.

Scott’s budget draws mixed reviews from child advocates
By Margie Menzel
News Service of Florida
Governor Rick Scott’s “Florida Families First” budget recommendations are drawing a mixed reaction from children’s advocates – high praise from some, but frustration from others.

Fla. Legislature puts salaries online
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
Floridians will finally get a chance on their own to find out how much people are getting paid to work for the Florida Legislature.

GOP slams Murphy for thanking PACs after criticizing them
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Campaigning as a fresh-faced outsider in 2012, Democratic congressional hopeful Patrick Murphy often slammed super PACs and the influence of big money in politics.

Texting — and 'textgate' — for dummies
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
By now, you're probably familiar with "textgate."

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Call this a sign of our sleazy times
By Carl Hiaasen
Miami Herald
Even in a state of perpetual sleaze, some dirty deals stink more than others.

House Speaker Will Weatherford and legislation target nuclear cost recovery
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
House Speaker Will Weatherford this week expressed support for possible legislation addressing nuclear cost recovery as a consultant's report and a House memorial took aim at nuclear power.

Bills intended to encourage construction of natural gas refueling stations are filed
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Bills that are intended to encourage the development of natural gas refueling stations were filed Thursday in the House and Senate.

Florida's twisted waterways policy
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
It is senseless to give the major polluters a green light to foul the very waterways that taxpayers are spending dearly to fix.

Don't drill in the Blackwater State Forest
Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
We strongly oppose any attempt to drill for oil – or even search for it – in the Blackwater River State Forest. 

LGBT

President Barack Obama tells CBS News that Boy Scouts should be open to gay members
By Nedra Pickler
Associated Press
President Barack Obama said Sunday that gays should be allowed in the Boy Scouts and women should be allowed in military combat roles, weighing in on two storied American institutions facing proposals to end long-held exclusions.

EDUCATION

Gov. Rick Scott pushes “Finish in Four” tuition plan to save college students money
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
Gov. Rick Scott’s push to keep tuition low includes a new twist submitted with his budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Rick Scott circa 2013: It's about teachers, not tea party
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
For Gov. Rick Scott, it's now about teachers, not the tea party.

FCAT soon to be history but new testing taking its place
By Kelly Tyko
TC Palm
The FCAT soon will be history. But another round of standardized testing is taking its place, despite growing numbers of people criticizing high-stakes testing.

Construction fund for USF, other Florida universities hits a wall
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
The seventh floor of the University of South Florida's Interdisciplinary Sciences building was supposed to be bustling with students and researchers by now.

How should Florida measure student achievement for teacher evaluations
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay TimesThe Florida Department of Education is seeking input on its proposed rules regarding how to incorporate student academic performance into teacher evalautions.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Universal Orlando claims millions in tax breaks via program meant to help struggling neighborhoods
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
For Universal Orlando, the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the summer of 2010 was like winning the lottery.

Boondoggle sinks $20M in Florida funds
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
The animation company behind Titanic, Digital Domain Media Group, has gone belly-up.

Regulators critical of procurement, travel policies in Citizens review
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A review of state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s operations and finances was released Friday, criticizing its policies for vendor contracts and travel spending.

State workers' last raise for all 6 years ago
By Katie Sanders
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald PolitiFact
Unlike recent years, Florida leaders aren't talking about layoffs and pay cuts. This year, they're talking raises.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Simmons says 'strong arguments' exist to expand Medicaid
By James Call
Florida Current
The budget recommendation Gov. Rick Scott sent to the Legislature earmarks $23.7 billion for Medicaid but no money for expanding the program as called for in the federal Affordable Care Act.

More people going to work ill because of no sick leave, experts say
By Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Naples Daily News
While conventional wisdom may tell people to stay home if they're ill, more people are heading to work when they're sick.

U.S. proposes health care rule to ease religious groups’ concern on birth control coverage
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
The Obama administration on Friday proposed another compromise that would exempt religious groups and universities from having to include contraception coverage while allowing workers and students to get birth control for free.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Florida should restore ex-felons’ rights when they complete their sentence
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
In trying to remake his image for re-election, Gov. Rick Scott has reversed himself on almost everything but his wardrobe.

Memory of immigration reform under Ronald Reagan haunts current debate
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
As the national debate over immigration reform began last week, a GOP-leaning advocacy group circulated talking points for Republicans.

Plenty of opinions on fixing the nation’s broken immigration system
By Sergio R. Bustos and Stefania Ferro
Miami Herald
Most agree that the nation’s immigration system is broken, but there’s no agreement on fixing it.

Docs challenge gun lobby to raise safety concerns
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
Florida doctors, backed by the White House but opposed by state lawmakers and the powerful gun-owners' lobby, are fighting for the right to talk to patients and their families about the hazards of keeping guns in the home.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Judge sides with Corrine Brown, tosses state's attempt to delay early voting trial
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
A judge has swatted Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner’s attempt to delay an early voting trial until after this spring’s legislative session, according to documents filed in Jacksonville federal court.

Fla. prison officials say repeat offenders decline
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Florida prison officials say taxpayers are saving millions of dollars because the number of repeat offenders is declining.

Lawmakers Like Idea Behind "Smart Justice" Reforms, But Not The Name
By Sascha Cordner      
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida lawmakers are looking into a proposed initiative to rehabilitate non-violent inmates before they have a chance to reoffend.

Daily News Clips for February 1, 2013

FEATURED STORIES

In turnaround, Scott proposes record spending; increases sought for schools, state workers
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott proposed a $74.2 billion state budget Thursday that would prove the largest in Florida history, a dramatic departure for a one-time political outsider who pledged to slash spending and shrink government.

Scott Eliminating 3,647 State Jobs In New Budget
By Tim Kephart
CBS Miami
Governor Rick Scott unveiled his spending priorities for the coming year Thursday with the release of his annual budget recommendations.

Gov. Rick Scott promotes Florida through branding campaign
By Toluse Olorunnipa
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott joined top business leaders Thursday to unveil a new “business branding” campaign, the latest initiative in a multipronged effort to cast the state of Florida as an attractive place for commerce.

Numbers on Medicaid add up to savings for Florida
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
Gov. Rick Scott claims to be about crunching the numbers and doing what is right for Florida taxpayers.

Obama Says He’ll Introduce Immigration Plans If Congress Doesn’t Act Quickly
By Ashley Lopez
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he will release and pursue his own immigration reform plans if Congress doesn’t act quickly on its own.

BEST OF THE BLOGS

Marco Rubio Votes "No" On Sandy Relief, Again
By Martha Jackovics
Beach Peanuts
Once again Sen. Marco Rubio is playing politics at the expense of disaster victims.

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax The Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor
By Travis Waldron
Think Progress
The poorest Americans are subject to a tax rate at the state and local level that is twice as high as the tax rate paid by the wealthiest earners thanks to “fundamentally unfair” state tax laws, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

Senate filibuster deal should have been filibustered
By Daniel Tilson
West Palm Beach Liberal Examiner
So you hate Congress. And of course, you're not alone.

The Flawed Assumptions and Intentions of Florida’s Education Accountability System
By Bob Sikes
Scathing Purple Musings
It’s not certain where the most recent work of the Shanker Institute’s Matt DiCarlo will take the debate on Florida’ education accountability system.

A very important change to SaintPetersBlog’s advertising policies
By Peter Schorsch
Saint Petersblog
During the 2012 election cycle, more than seventy political candidates, from presidential candidates to city councilman, advertised on SaintPetersBlog.

FLORIDA POLITICS

House Goes After Political Slush Funds
By Whitney Ray
Capitol News Service
There is new hope tonight, that political mudslinging in Florida will be toned down by the next election.

In Florida Legislature, inexperience rules
By Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
If you've ever thought that Florida's Legislature looked more like a fraternity than a collection of serious statesmen, there's a reason for that…besides just the immaturity of their ideas.

After 25 years, Collins Center closes amid financial woes
By Mary Ellen Klas
Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau
The Collins Center for Public Policy, one of the state’s most respected think tanks, announced Thursday it is closing its doors after 25 years as a non-partisan Miami-based policy center.

FEC rescinds letter rebuking Buchanan
Staff Report
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The Federal Election Commission has rescinded a letter admonishing U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan for not fully disclosing more than $80,000 in impermissible campaign donation refunds.

Weatherford named to Republican Legislative Campaign Committee executive panel
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was named to the 19-member Republican Legislative Campaign Committee executive committee, a release from the Republican State Leadership Committee announced Thursday. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Budget: Governor requests more money for conservation land-buying, Everglades restoration
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
Gov. Rick Scott's fiscal year 2013-14 budget request includes $75 million for conservation land-buying, $60 million for Everglades restoration and $135 million for petroleum tank cleanups.

'Manufacturing Competitiveness Act' raises concerns among environmental groups
By Bruce Ritchie
Florida Current
A House bill that would reduce the time for state agencies to review permit applications for manufacturing plants in some cities and counties is raising concerns and opposition among some environmental groups.

LGBT

Furor from both left and right over proposed shift in Boy Scouts no-gays policy
By David Crary
Associated Press
The Boy Scouts of America faces intensifying criticism from the left and right over a proposal to move away from a mandatory no-gays membership policy and allow troop sponsors to decide the matter for themselves.

EDUCATION

House, Senate leaders cautious about Scott’s $1.2 billion promise for schools
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Rick Scott’s pitch Wednesday for $1.2 billion more for public schools didn’t draw resounding support from his fellow Republican leaders in the Legislature.

Fla. back on track with Race to the Top
By Christine Armario
Associated Press
A year after Florida was put on warning for falling behind on its $700 million Race to the Top grant projects, U.S. Department of Education officials say the state has regained its momentum.

Florida Supreme Court rules tuition power resides with Legislature
Associated Press
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Legislature, not the Board of Governors, has the power to set tuition rates and fees at public universities, but lawmakers cannot tell the panel how to manage those institutions, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Florida PTA recognized for parent trigger opposition
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
The national PTA has given its Florida affiliate an Outstanding Advocacy Award for its fight to halt the Parent Empowerment Act, commonly referred to as the parent trigger, during the 2012 legislative session.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Gov. Rick Scott proposes largest budget in Florida history at $74.2 billion
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Gov. Rick Scott, who ran as a cost-cutting critic of "bloated" government, opened the state's checkbook Thursday and urged the Legislature to pass a $74.2 billion budget, an increase of $4 billion.

Thanks but no thanks on bonus, PBA tells governor
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Even before Gov. Rick Scott publicly touts a new bonus plan for some state employees, a union representing some of those workers has in effect told the governor, "Thanks but no thanks."

Budget: Transportation gets boost in Scott's recommendations
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Included in Gov. Rick Scott’s $74.2 billion budget recommendations unveiled Thursday is a $917 million increase in the Department of Transportation budget, an 11.22 percent increase over the current fiscal year, bringing the total transportation budget to $9.1 billion.

Atwater calls for pre-auditing of state contracts
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced Thursday he will push for pre-auditing of state contracts to crack down on poorly written contracts.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Florida needs health care takeover by the federal government
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart believes that the state made the right choice not to implement the Affordable Care Act until the 11th hour, even though delaying means that Florida has abdicated control of its health care marketplace to the federal government.

For elderly in South Florida nursing homes, this flu season could be dangerous
By Sonja Isger
Palm Beach Post
The flu has charged through 17 Florida nursing homes and long-term care facilities this season, including two in Palm Beach County last month.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Sen. Marco Rubio's role in immigration debate draws tea party criticism
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was lifted to national prominence with help from the tea party, but his leadership on immigration reform has elicited strong reaction from members of the conservative movement, from outrage to acceptance.

Genshaft, other Fla. university chiefs back immigration reform
By Jerome R. Stockfisch
Tampa Tribune
University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft and the heads of several other state universities and colleges are urging Congress to pass the immigration reform legislation presented this week in Washington, framing it as an issue of fairness and economics.

Gun control: Officials set sights on ammunition background checks
By Peter Jamison
Tampa Bay Times
Without bullets, slugs or shot, a gun is no deadlier than a steel club. But the question of how to keep firearms' lethal projectiles out of the wrong hands has historically been a low priority for regulators more concerned about the guns themselves.

Under the gun
Editorial
Miami Herald
Even after the stunning tragedy in Newtown, Conn., it’s nearly impossible for Congress to hold a constructive conversation over gun control, thanks to efforts by diehard opponents led by the National Rifle Association and its supporters.