Daily Clips for May 24, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

How Governor Rick Scott Is Preventing Eligible U.S. Citizens From Voting In Florida
By Judd Legum
Think Progress
The Miami Herald reports that “Florida’s quest to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls was started at the direct urging of Gov. Rick Scott." 


A Florida voter on Gov. Rick Scott's "Non-U.S. Citizen Voter Purge List" shows his U.S. passport to Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Mike Ertel. Photo tweeted by Supervisor Ertel.

Millions of dollars fuel onslaught of campaign TV ads in Florida
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Millions of dollars in political ads are flooding Florida TV, including two new spots Wednesday by President Barack Obama's campaign and an anti-Obama ad from a super PAC, the new breed of political action committee powered by unrestricted donations.

State education chief gets an earful about FCAT and testing scores
By Cara Fitzpatrick
Tampa Bay Times
Related: For-profit standardized testing industry can't be trusted
Related: Department of Education does "full-court press" to explain FCAT changes to parents
Florida's education chief said he wanted to have a spirited discussion about the state's testing system — and he got it Wednesday night.

Mack opens big lead in Florida GOP Senate contest
By Brent Kallestad
Associated Press
Related: Mack campaign retracts endorsement news release
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV of Fort Myers has become the frontrunner in a three-way contest for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, a Quinnipiac University poll released today shows.

FAMU program to funnel funds not a secret to Senate president, budget chief
By Matt Dixon
Florida Times-Union
A "pass through" program used to help send millions of dollars to nonprofits with close ties to two state senators has at least been on the radar of two of the Senate's most powerful members: Senate President Mike Haridopolos and budget chief JD Alexander.

FLORIDA POLITICS

Romney, Obama, Rubio, Nelson, (Jeb) Bush all will address Hispanics in Orlando
By Bob Shaw
Orlando Sentinel
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) convention on back-to-back days in June at the group’s convention in Orlando.

Did Rick Scott make a royal oops with the king of Spain?
By Brian J. Crowley
Crowley Political Report
El gobernador de Florida - that would be Rick Scott - met with King Juan Carlos of Spain this week and his first words to the king was about elephant hunting.

Scott will make call if hurricane menaces GOP convention
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
If a hurricane threatens the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August, Gov. Rick Scott will have the final say on whether or not to postpone the festivities, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll said Wednesday during emergency management drills for the upcoming hurricane season.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet
By Paula Dockery
Florida Voices
I admit it, I’m a social media junkie.

POLITICAL RACES

Why Mitt Romney’s Time At Bain Capital Matters
The Progress Report
Think Progress
As we discussed yesterday, Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital is once again back in the news — big time.

Search for Romney running mate in audition phase
By Kasie Hunt
Associated Press
Mitt Romney's vice presidential search has entered a new phase: auditions.

Obama, Democrats redoubling money efforts to keep edge
By Ken Thomas
Associated Press
His cash advantage threatened, President Barack Obama and his party are redoubling their fundraising efforts after robust hauls by Republican rival Mitt Romney and a slew of GOP-leaning super PACs that are raking in cash from the party faithful highly motivated to topple the Democrat.

Statewide ads by Republicans in Florida target U.S. debt
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
The new television ad now running in Florida opens with a woman looking out the window, watching her children play basketball, imagining the promise of their future.

U.S. House whip stumps for Rep. C.W. Bill Young challenger Democrat Jessica Ehrlich
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Tampa Bay Times
Jessica Ehrlich is the latest Democrat to attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores.

Legg decides to challenge Norman for state Senate seat
By Laura Kinsler
Tampa Tribune
A well-known Pasco lawmaker is jumping districts to run against incumbent Sen. Jim Norman.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

All talk no action on water
By Annette Long
Gainesville Sun
In Sunday's Gainesville Sun, Drew Bartlett, from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, wrote that his department is working to "get the water right" here in Florida.

Florida panther-on-panther deaths take toll
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
The death of three rare Florida panthers in six days brings the endangered cat's death toll this year to 12 - a pace that has wildlife officials concerned about the fewer than 160 remaining in the wild.

Anti-nuke activists in Iowa and Missouri thank Florida ratepayers for raising concerns about nuclear advance cost recovery
By Sean Kinane
WMNF Tampa
Many Floridians aren’t happy they’re paying now for new nuclear plants that may never be built.

LGBT

Republicans urged to get on board as attitudes about gay rights are shifting rapidly
By Wayne Ezell
Florida Times-Union
The consideration by Jacksonville politicians about whether to adopt a gay anti-discrimination ordinance is playing out against a backdrop that shows the rest of the country has already embraced a much bigger social change -- same-sex marriage.

Battling banners will fly over Disney for Gay Days
By Sara K. Clarke
Orlando Sentinel
Tourists in town next week could see two very different messages if they look skyward once Gay Days rolls into town: One will warn them away from an annual gay-and-lesbian celebration at Walt Disney World, while the other will welcome LGBT travelers and the dollars they spend in Orlando.

EDUCATION

Board hears litany of hurdles Florida's newest university faces
By Kim Wilmath
Tampa Bay Times
Related editorial: Details make Florida Polytech look even worse
Florida's newest university is already millions over budget for the construction of its new campus, has no faculty to attract students, few people volunteering to govern it and no money for technology labs.

When FCAT going gets tough, Florida gets out the erasers
By Michael Mayo
South Florida Sun Sentinel
For those of you who missed it – or are lucky enough to not be involved with Florida's standardized-test crazed schools – Florida education officials had to do some serious backpedaling last week after the writing results for this year's FCATs crashed.

Florida education commissioner Robinson responds to concerns over testing of English-language learners
By Jeff Solochek
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Board of Education's recent decisions to change the state's school grading system continue to draw criticism from Hispanic leaders who remain dissatisfied with the way students still learning English are to be treated in the model.

ACLU: Half State's School Systems Fail to Comply with SS Number Enrollment Explanation
By Regan McCarthy
WFSU Tallahassee
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida released a report card grading how well school systems in the state comply with a law requiring them to make it clear that social security numbers aren’t required for enrollment.

Push continues to get UF to tap into reserves to avoid cutbacks
By Nathan Crabbe
Gainesville Sun
One speaker at a rally Wednesday compared the University of Florida's reserves to money stuffed in a mattress that can be removed to deal with a budget shortfall.

Are We Facing a Student Loan Bubble?
By Dennis Maley
Bradenton Times
In Sunday's column, I asked whether a college education was in danger of being priced out of its value, as tuition continues to soar while more and more recent grads remain unemployed or are forced to take low-paying jobs that don't require their degree.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

State projects $1.1 billion cushion in general fund
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
Florida lawmakers narrowly hit their target of keeping an extra $1 billion in reserve for the state's general fund, according to a draft fiscal outlook released Wednesday.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Consumer index hints of lower COLA in 2013 for seniors
By Donna Gehrke-White
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Seniors be warned: Your Social Security cost of living adjustment for next year may be less than half of this year's 3.6 percent increase.

FL says no to PSA guidelines
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Leading urologists in Florida say they’re disappointed with a government panel’s advice against routine prostate-cancer screening.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

'Stand Your Ground' issue drawing public interest
News Service of Florida
Ft. Myers News-Press
As policymakers study the controversy surrounding the "stand your ground" self defense law, the issue is drawing interest from a broad swath of the general public.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Rick Scott Vetoes Early Prison Release Bill
By Troy Kinsey
WCTV Tallahassee
Florida now has the nation's third-largest prison system...with more than one-hundred-thousand inmates.

Several George Zimmerman witnesses change their accounts
By Rene Stutzman and Jeff Weiner
Orlando Sentinel
Evidence released last week in the second-degree-murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford.

Files from FAMU Hazing Death Released
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
There is new insight tonight into the hazing incident that killed a drum major at Florida A&M University last November.

Daily Clips for May 23, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Fla. Gov. started push to remove voters from rolls
By Gary Fineout
Associated Press
Florida's quest to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls was started at the direct urging of Gov. Rick Scott, the state's former top elections official said.

Of 7,000 felons purged from voting rolls, many are Democrats, blacks
By Steve Bousquet and Carolyn Edds
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
As Florida scours its voter rolls in search of non-U.S. citizens, another form of purging continues: stripping felons of the ability to vote, including high numbers of Democrats and African-Americans.

Florida's education chief holds forum in Tampa on FCAT
By Cara Fitzpatrick
Tampa Bay Times
Florida's education chief will be in Tampa today to host the first in a series of public forums, part of a blitz to quell frustrations about the state's testing system.

Q Poll: Romney tops Obama 47-41. Rubio barely helps Republican ticket.
By Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Mitt Romney has crept to a 6-percentage point lead over President Barack Obama in Florida, where a new poll shows a majority of registered voters don’t think the incumbent deserves a second term.

Top Democrats break with Obama over Castro visa issue
By Erika Bolstad and Marc Caputo
Miami Herald
Florida’s top Congressional Democrats broke with President Barack Obama on Tuesday over his administration’s decision to issue Fidel Castro’s niece a visa to attend a conference this week in San Francisco.

FLORIDA POLITICS

George LeMieux's aggressive campaign for 2009 Senate seat a window into his ambition, savvy
By Adam C. Smith and Marc Caputo
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Staff Writers
George LeMieux is an old hand running political campaigns, but he wound up in the U.S. Senate by ferociously campaigning for just one vote: Gov. Charlie Crist's.

Rubio proposes help for business startups, immigrants
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
In a rare show of bipartisanship, Sen. Marco Rubio teamed up with a couple of Democratic colleagues to propose a bill on Tuesday to help startup businesses and immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs.

Is Connie Mack the dumbest speaker in Congress? It's complicated
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Is Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, a candidate for U.S. Senate, the dumbest speaker in Congress?

Ethics Commission begins annual check of officials' finances
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Current
>From Gov. Rick Scott to members of obscure local boards, thousands of elected officers and appointed government managers across Florida are receiving their annual financial-disclosure reporting forms.

POLITICAL RACES

The Top 10 GOP Attacks on Bain Capital
The Progress Report
Think Progress
Just as it did earlier this year during the Republican primary, Mitt Romney’s record of amassing a quarter-billion dollar fortune by bankrupting companies, shipping jobs overseas, and laying off thousands of American workers is dominating the headlines.

President Obama to speak at Latino leadership conference at Disney in June
By Susan Jacobson
Orlando Sentinel
President Barack Obama will be among of the speakers at a Latino leadership conference scheduled for next month at Walt Disney World.

Sachs-Bogdanoff state Senate race is No. 1 race for Florida Dems, party chief says
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
In their quest to regain relevance in the Florida legislature, Democrats are zeroing in on a newly drawn Palm Beach-Broward Senate district where a pair of incumbent Senators -- Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff and Democrat Maria Sachs -- appear headed for an expensive clash.

Future House Speaker Dorworth draws local GOP official in primary contest
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post
Future House Speaker Chris Dorworth is facing a primary run-off against John Moffitt, the treasurer of the Republican Party of Seminole County.

Critics question plan to close dozens of polling places
By Carrie Wells
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Local civil rights and civic leaders say plans to eliminate dozens of precincts in Sarasota County will amount to voter suppression and wreak havoc in a crucial election year.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Land crucial to future of Florida panthers to be preserved from development
By Craig Pittman
Tampa Bay Times
The Nature Conservancy announced Tuesday that it has preserved a key piece of property that allows Florida panthers to flee their shrinking habitat in the state's southern tip.

Mecca Farms proposed for Everglades restoration
By Christine Stapleton
Palm Beach Post
The South Florida Water Management District wants to swap some of its land for Mecca Farms -- the former orange grove that has been sitting idle since Palm Beach County bought it for $60 million as a potential site for The Scripps Research Institute in 2004.

Lower interest proposed for Fla. utility deposits
Associated Press
Tampa Tribune
A Public Service Commission proposal would lower interest rates that state-regulated Florida utilities pay on customer deposits.

Line in the sand
Editorial
Gainesville Sun
In neighboring Marion County, Frank Stronach is asking for a state permit to pump some 13 million gallons of water a day from the aquifer for his massive Adena Springs Ranch cattle operation in the midst of a historic drought.

LGBT

Orange leaders approve domestic-partner registry
By David Damron
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County leaders voted 6-1 on Tuesday to approve a domestic-partner registry, ending a hard-fought battle that had entangled Mayor Teresa Jacobs and gay activists for months.

Jacksonville council hears from public on gay rights bill
By Steve Patterson
Florida Times-Union
Those who filled Jacksonville's City Council chambers to overflowing asked lawmakers Tuesday night to support legislation banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Business Case for Same-Sex Marriage
By Susan Clary
Florida Voices
If you don’t agree with President Obama’s views on same-sex marriage, at least consider the business case for supporting it.

EDUCATION

Scott sought to limit fallout from low FCAT scores
By Brandon Larrabee
News Service of Florida
As the Florida Department of Education tries to handle the fallout of the collapse in FCAT writing scores, the office of Gov. Rick Scott has been intimately involved in efforts to roll out the test scores, according to staff emails.

Not the Schooling You Had in Mind, Perhaps?
By Mary Jo Melone
Florida Voices
Students always teach the teacher.

Adding Up The Cost Of Florida’s Absenteeism
By John O'Connor
StateImpact
Yesterday we told you about a new study tabulating the often hidden cost of absenteeism.

Colleges, universities asked to hold back some funding for construction projects
By Travis Pillow
Florida Current
Florida colleges, universities and other institutions are being asked to hold back a portion of their money for construction projects to avoid a deficit in the trust fund that helps finance them.

Volusia schools cutting college-prep program
By Mark Harper
Daytona Beach News Journal
Graduating Taylor Middle-High School senior Janet Lopez says she doesn't know where she would be headed without the AVID program.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

The $1.45 Trillion Fighter Jet—and the Florida Deficit Hawks Who Love It
By Adam Weinstein
Mother Jones
The F-35 fighter jet's first missile floated wide.

Florida sends $33.4 million in foreclosure settlement money to general revenue
By Toluse Olurrunipa
Miami Herald
Out of $334 million in cash payments sent to Florida in a multi-billion dollar mortgage settlement with major banks, about $33.4 million will go to help bolster the state’s budget.

Florida home sales falter, but prices rise in April
Staff Report
Florida Current
According to a report released Tuesday by the Florida Association of Realtors, the number of existing single-family home sales dipped 0.7 percent in April, compared with the same month last year, but the median sales price jumped 10.2 percent to $144,350.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

FL says no to PSA guidelines
By Carol Gentry
Health News Florida
Leading urologists in Florida say they’re disappointed with a government panel’s advice against routine prostate-cancer screening.

Ag Commissioner Putnam launches free summer nutrition program
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced the start of a summer nutrition program Tuesday.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Despite Stand Your Ground Law, Woman’s ‘Warning Shot’ Brings 20-Year Sentence
By Howard Goodman
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Just weeks after the Trayvon Martin shooting touched off a nationwide outrage, Florida is again the subject of a controversy involving a heated confrontation, a fired gun and an outcome for the shooter that seems beyond all common sense.

Hialeah case could be beginning, not end of slots battles
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
A recent Florida Supreme Court decision surrounding slot machines is being interpreted differently by state officials and the pari-mutuel owners who say the machines are vital to the future of their industry, meaning more lawsuits could be on the horizon.

Courts side with voters, not campaign secrecy
Editorial
Orlando Sentinel
Federal courts struck two blows last week for more transparency in election campaigns. Voters should be pleased.

Daily Clips for May 22, 2012

FEATURED STORIES

Florida: A 21st century state with a 20th century tax system
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
Amid a fourth straight year of budget shortfalls, signs of fraying in Florida's tax system abound.

Mack calls for investigation of LeMieux's appointment to Senate
By William March
Tampa Tribune
Connie Mack IV's U.S. Senate campaign has sent letters seeking a federal investigation of the 2009 appointment of his Republican primary opponent, George LeMieux, to the Senate by former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Rubio's ridiculous red-meat, red-state rhetoric
By Daniel Ruth
Tampa Bay Times
When your cable company keeps you on hold, you get angry.

State FCAT call center swamped on first day of business
By Allison Ross-Ferrelli
Palm Beach Post
An FCAT call center the state opened today in the wake of last week's surprise announcement of dismal writing scores proved instantly popular, with its staff taking 100 calls by 8:30 a.m. and hundreds more people dialing in throughout the day.

Purge partisan advantage
Editorial
Palm Beach Post
Gov. Scott, his appointed secretary of state and the Legislature care more about creating election problems than solving election problems.

FLORIDA POLITICS

'Sunburst' email system a step in the right direction for Gov. Scott
By Steve Bousquet
Tampa Bay Times
When Gov. Rick Scott addressed an elite group of Florida business leaders at the Willard Hotel in Washington a few nights ago, the doors were shut tight, ensuring that whatever Scott said would not be reported.

New PIP law could have big loophole, St. Petersburg lawmaker says
By Tia Mitchell
Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau
A glitch in a new state law reforming no-fault car insurance could allow companies to deny claims, a lawmaker is alleging.

Broward purges 5,000 dead people from voter rolls
By Brittany Wallman
South Florida Sun Sentinel
About 5,000 dead people have been purged from the voter rolls in Broward County, and Broward Republicans are pointing to hundreds more dead people still listed as active voters.

The method behind the madness of governments hiring lobbyists
By Fred Grimm
Miami Herald
Along the halls of local government, I’m sure elected leaders have a good explanation for why a public entity must spend great gobs of public money hiring private lobbyists to lobby a public entity.

Study: Congressional speech is dumber – or maybe more plain-spoken – than it was 7 years ago
By Bob Shaw
Orlando Sentinel
The folks at the Sunlight Foundation — best known for its work on campaign finance and lobbying issues in Congress — has done a fascinating new study of the language used by members of Congress.

Senate Prez designate Gaetz prepares for new role with top staff changes
By Sascha Cordner
WFSU Tallahassee
Incoming Florida Senate President Don Gaetz is building his leadership team.

Political consultant Doug Guetzloe gets prison in tax case
Staff Report
Florida Current
A federal judge sentenced political consultant Doug Guetzloe to 15 months in prison on Monday for not filing income tax returns, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

POLITICAL RACES

Obama stands by hits on Romney's Bain Capital days
By Julie Pace
Associated Press
President Barack Obama sought to undermine Mitt Romney's key rationale for his presidential candidacy Monday, sharply attacking his Republican challenger's background as a venture capitalist and arguing that profit-making alone is not a qualification for the White House.

Former Human Resource Director at Bain Capital-Owned Firm in Miami Says Company Was Not a Job-Creator
By Robert Lorei
WMNF Tampa
Coming up we'll talk with a former human resources at a Bain Capital-owned company in Miami. She'll talk about Mitt Romney's record when it comes to job creation.

Ugly Ads: Make Candidates Own Them
By Bill Cotterell
Florida Voices
Former Gov. Jeb Bush recently predicted the 2012 presidential campaign will be the nastiest ever.

'Hardball' host willing to predict health-care law outcome but not 2012 presidential race
By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post
Florida and the 2012 presidential race are too close for MSNBC's Chris Matthews to predict, but the Hardball host was willing on Monday to venture a guess that the Supreme Court will uphold the federal health care law by a 6-3 vote.

Candidates, including Slough, use petitions to get on ballot, demonstrate support
By Jim Saunders
News Service of Florida
With every legislative and congressional seat up for election this year, more than 220 candidates have already reserved spots on the ballot by collecting petition signatures.

Alan Grayson kicking of CD9 congressional campaign in Kissimmee
By Scott Powers
Orlando Sentinel
Former Congressman and current congressional candidate Alan Graysonwill officially launch his re-election bid Tuesday evening in downtown Kissimmee. 

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Can consumers count on regulators to check FPL's math?
By Randy Schultz
Palm Beach Post
Maybe the executives at Florida Power & Light got their training at JPMorgan Chase.

Florida emergency officials practice for big hurricane
By Kathleen Haughney
Orlando Sentinel
It's a nightmare scenario. Tens of thousands of people throng Tampa for the Republican National Convention — politicians, journalists, tourists, protesters.

LGBT

'Flashpoint' discusses gay marriage
By Lauren Rowe
WKMG Orlando
A panel discussion led by Local 6 News anchor Lauren Rowe is held on the topic of gay marriage and how it will affect upcoming elections.

Orange must affirm domestic partners
By Mary Meeks
Orlando Sentinel
Today the Orange County Board of Commissioners likely will approve a countywide domestic-partnership registry.

EDUCATION

Education officials unveil website, blogs for parents in wake of low FCAT scores
By Gray Rohrer
Florida Current
The Department of Education rolled out a communications outreach program Monday to teach parents about its role in state education. It includes a new website, hotline, and online forums and blogs for parents.

ACLU: "Many" same-sex classrooms in Florida may be illegal
By Lauren Roth
Orlando Sentinel
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida is targeting schools in Orange, Polk and Palm Beach counties, among others, for what it says are illegally discriminatory single-sex classrooms.

Florida universities rank high in presidential pay
By Scott Travis
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Florida's universities trail the nation when it comes to state funding and academic rankings, but they do score high in one area: pay for their top leaders.

If FAMU loses hazing suit, law may limit damages awarded
By Stephen Hudak
Orlando Sentinel
With every troubling new revelation about Florida A&M University's Marching 100, the pending civil case against FAMU seems to grow stronger for the parents of Robert Champion, the drum major who died from being hazed on a charter bus in Orlando.

Education Officials Meeting in Daytona To Discuss New School Florida Polytechnic
By Mary Toothman
Lakeland Ledger
With the changeover deadline looming, education officials will meet in Daytona Beach on Wednesday to address the intricacies of moving ownership of funding and buildings from the University of South Florida to Florida Polytechnic University.

JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY

Romney, Scott see economic recovery differently
Associated Press
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Republican Gov. Rick Scott's sunny view of Florida's economy stands in stark contrast to a darker message his party's presumptive presidential nominee has been sending.

Private 'SpaceX' ship rockets to space station
By Marcia Dunn
Associated Press
A first-of-its-kind commercial supply ship rocketed toward the International Space Station following a successful liftoff early Tuesday, opening a new era of dollar-driven spaceflight.

Workforce panel recommends new CEO
By Dan Tracy
Orlando Sentinel
As expected, a Connecticut executive is about to offered the top job at Workforce Central Florida.

HEALTH AND SENIORS

Ave Maria University ditches student health insurance plans
By Mary Wozniak
Ft. Myers News-Press
Money and morality are the twin reasons Ave Maria University will no longer offer group health insurance plans to students as of Aug. 15.

CIVIL RIGHTS, PEACE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

A new Emancipation Day for Florida's farmworkers?
By Paul Ortiz
Facing South
On May 20, 1865 United States General Edward M. McCook gave the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in the state of Florida. It was a moment that African Americans had fought for.

JUSTICE AND THE COURTS

Experts: Florida's '10-20-Life' empowers prosecutors but handcuffs judges, juries, defense attorneys
By Charles Broward
Florida Times-Union
"The decision on an appropriate sentence where the state has provided competent and substantial evidence to support a jury's verdict of aggravated assault, which they have in this case with the discharge of a firearm, has been entirely taken out of my hands."

Bold change needed to reduce wrongful convictions
Editorial
Tampa Bay Times
No one wants to see an innocent person wrongfully convicted of a crime, but it happens all too frequently.