Gov. Rick Scott will opt Florida out of the insurance “exchanges” the new health law designs to help residents find health coverage, and he will opt out of expanding medicaid, even though the federal government pays all the costs for expansion the first 2 years, and 90 percent thereafter.
Florida Legislature
Student-Led School Prayers Are Now Legal, But Fear of Litigation Could Trump God
The new Florida school prayer law lets local school districts approve policies allowing students to deliver prayers at school events, but districts aren’t likely to approve such measures for fear of costly litigation.
Get to Work, Governor Scott, and Implement Health Care Reform Now
Now that the most conservative Supreme Court in the history of our nation has ruled that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, perhaps it is time to redirect a little of that negative energy used to obstruct reform toward implementing the law and solving Florida’s health care crisis, writes former Florida House Democratic Leader Dan Gelber.
Florida Professors Still Can’t Travel to Cuba On State’s Dime; Low IQ Execution Cleared
Three Florida cases are the many the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear, which means a ban on Florida university faculty’s travel to Cuba stands, as does Florida’s authority to execute a Daytona Beach murderer with an IQ of 70.
Guns in Flagler Parks? Sure. Public Buildings? Absolutely. The County Airport? No Problem.
Flagler County, like Palm Coast and other local governments across the state, are scrapping local gun regulations to comply with a state law that prohibits local governments from regulating guns or ammo in any way. The Flagler County Commission has no choice but to comply as it takes up the issue Monday evening.
Thrasher Won’t Be Florida Senate President as Clearwater’s Latvala Lines Up Votes
John Thrasher, the St. Augustine Republican, now represents all of Flagler County in a newly drawn senate district. Sen. Jack Latvala believes he has enough support to claim the 2016 Senate presidency.
Statewide, Democrats Fail to Run Candidates in 47 of 120 House Districts
Republicans failed to field a candidate in 23 House races, leaving either Democrats or no party or third party candidates to win those seats. But Democrats didn’t field a candidate in 47 of the 120 House districts.
Florida Is the Most Corrupt State in the Union, According to a Federal Tally of Convictions
Based on U.S. Department of Justice data, Florida led the nation in the number of convictions between 2000 and 2010, according to data compiled by Integrity Florida, a non-profit research group founded earlier this year by former Florida Chamber spokesman Dan Krasner and former Common Cause Florida executive director Ben Wilcox.
A Florida Senator’s Facebook Addiction
Florida Sen. Paula Dockery has had her adventures–and misadventures–on Facebook and Twitter. “For those of you who haven’t joined the world of social media,” she writes, “you are missing out on being connected in this less personal but oddly more personal world.”
Hi Governor Scott, It’s Me, an Early Tea Party Supporter. Not That Much Anymore.
Henry Kelley, a tea party activist, ran Rick Scott’s Okaloosa County campaign and was pretty much the only “No Party Affiliated” person, given his deep-seated mistrust of Florida Republicans. He now tells Scott of his disappointment with his tenure.
Milissa Holland Formally Launches Campaign for House as Hutson Welcomes the Challenge
Democrat Milissa Holland plans on making her experience at the Flagler County Commission and as liaison in legislative services a centerpiece of her campaign against Republican Travis Hutson, who is accumulating an enormous treasure chest.
Stand Your Ground Loophole Could Endanger Women, Democratic Senate Leader Warns
Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith Smith said the Stand Your Ground law could actually end up making domestic violence victims more vulnerable–unless they have an injunction for protection.
Gator Shame: Why I’m Relieved My Daughter Won’t Be Attending the University of Florida
Athletics aside, Florida doesn’t take its public universities and public schools seriously, making it difficult for top students to stay here–or for the state to depend on more than tourist ghettoes, sunbathing spreads and Medicare colonies.
School Chancellor, in Flagler, Touts Higher FCAT Standards as State Board Drops Them
Florida Public Schools Chancellor Pam Stewart’s 75-minute appearance before the Flagler County School Board, teachers and others Tuesday afternoon lent more PR than insights into the state’s latest FCAT fiasco, satisfying few locally.
She Stood Her Ground. She Got 20 Years. The Case of Jacksonville’s Marissa Alexander.
As Florida reviews its “stand your ground” law in the wake of the Trayvon Martin killing, Marissa Alexander on Friday received a 20-year sentence for firing a shot in what she claims was self-defense and her backers say was a case of her standing her ground.
Contending With a $300 Million Cut, Florida Universities Find Insufficient Funds in Reserves
State universities, including UCF and the University of Florida, are considering reductions beyond spending down reserves, the solution favored by the Legislature in debate over the plan this past winter.
For Sen. Thrasher, FPC Visit Turns Into 3-Hour Education on “Unintended Consequences”
Sen. John Thrasher, at Flagler Palm Coast High School Tuesday morning, heard how legislation on testing and teacher evaluations is at odds with reality, vowed to study alternatives, and welcomed Flagler officials’ request to make public schools part of the reform game.
“Non-Profit” Internet Cafe’s New Stand: Hands Off Our Financial Records
Affiliates of the non-profit Allied Veterans of the World contend in a lawsuit they are not covered by state charity laws that would require them to register with the department and provide financial information.
GOP National Convention in Tampa: There Will Be Guns
All sorts of weapons that can cause harm are banned in Downtown Tampa for the GOP National Convention in August, except for guns, by order of Gov. Rick Scott and in compliance with a new Florida law forbidding cities from enacting stricter gun regulations than the state.
Rick Scott’s Obsession With Other People’s Urine
Anyone other than my doctor who’d ask me to pee in a cup isn’t just out of line. He’d be out of his mind. Yet an entire industry thrives on such cup-holders, Gov. Rick Scott among them, and millions of Americans are not only complying with the docility of circus animals. They’re encouraging the indignity and asking for more.
Progress Energy’s Nukes Plant Costs and Delays Escalate, But Customers Must Still Pay Ahead
A controversial Progress Energy Florida project to build two nuclear reactors in Levy County will not start producing electricity until 2024 — and likely will cost between $19 billion and $24 billion, the company now says, but customers will still have to pay for them now.
In a Victory for State GOP, U.S. Justice Department and Florida Judge Approves Redistricting
The approval from the federal government adds to the Florida Supreme Court’s approval of a Senate map on Friday, while a Leon County judge declined to set aside the state’s new congressional maps, saying opponents of the plans had not proven that the Legislature violated new anti-gerrymandering standards in the once-a-decade redistricting process.
Gov. Scott Vetoes Bill Calling For Unlimited Tuition Increases at UF and Florida State
Gov. Rick Scott’s tuition bill veto rejects pleas of higher education and business officials who said steeper tuition would make the schools more competitive. The veto underscores Scott’s emphasis on holding down the cost of living in the state.
A $300 Million Cut for Florida’s Higher Ed, a $350,000 State Grant for Flagler College
The Legislature cut $300 million from the state’s higher education budget this year, but found a $350,000 gift to help renovate a historic property at Flagler College, whose chancellor is retiring Republican legislator Bill proctor, who also represents Flagler County.
A Quarter of Gov. Scott’s Vetoes Slash Health Spending, Research and Education
A sampling of vetoes included money for such things as meningitis immunizations for children, the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Broward County, a fetal-alcohol clinic in Sarasota and a mobile-health unit in rural Gadsden County.
Scott, in St. Johns, Signs $70 Billion Budget, Vetoing Only One-Fifth Last Year’s Amount
The vetoes were a sharp decrease from the $615 million in spending Scott killed last year, though he struck dozens of transportation and cultural programs and asked state universities to limit tuition increases to 5 percent.
His Veto Pen Spilling No Hints, Gov. Rick Scott Readies to Sign Budget in St. Johns Tuesday
Only one thing is clear about what will happen Tuesday when Gov. Rick Scott signs the $70 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1: An increase in state funding for education will stand.
$250,000 for Flagler Jail Planning Lands On List of 84 Florida Tax Watch “Turkeys”
Lawmakers doled out the largest number of budget “turkeys” since 2007 in the spending plan for the coming fiscal year, Florida TaxWatch said, even as the amount of money dedicated to the pet projects declined slightly from the current budget.
Flagler Mulls Joining Lawsuit Against
Florida Over Reduction in Medicaid Payments
Flagler County commissioners will decide Monday whether to join a Florida Association of Counties lawsuit challenging the state’s decision to try to tap counties for tens of millions of dollars in disputed Medicaid money.
Caylee’s Law Now In Effect, Making Lying About a Missing Child a Felony
Prompted by the death of Orlando two-year-old Caylee Anthony in 2008, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a measure to bolster penalties for lying to police when a child goes missing.
Post-Trayvon, Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law Won’t Be Repealed But May Be Revised
As the 2005 Stand Your Ground law has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the shooting of the unarmed Trayvon Martin, veteran lawmakers haven’t been able to agree even on what the measure allows but point to a need for clarification.
Scott Signs a Series of Tax Cut Bills, Including Expansion of Corporate Tax Exemption
While supporters insisted that the legislation signed Wednesday will help provide a better business climate, they were quick to say that a variety of factors were at work in the economy, and it would be difficult to accurately figure out how many jobs the measures might create.
Trayvon Martin Ripples: Attorneys Take On Profiling As NRA Defends Stand Your Ground
A group of Tallahassee criminal defense lawyers called Roundtable for Justice is moving to shed more light on racial profiling in Florida while the NRA’s lead lobbyist on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law defends the measure.
No Zebras Here: Florida Audubon Wants Gov. Scott to Veto Exotic Breeding-Ground Bill
Citing limited land for existing species, Audubon Florida is urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto a measure that would allow zoos and aquariums to lease state land to create breeding and research facilities for exotic birds or hooved animals like zebras, rhinos and giraffes.
Gov. Scott, Veto the School Prayer Bill
Today, several Florida and national leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, including Palm Coast’s Merrill Shapiro, sent the following letter to Gov. Rick Scott, urging him to veto a school-prayer bill that cleared the Legislature.
Flagler’s and Florida’s Economic Development Hoax
Florida lawmakers and their local replicas seem hypnotized by the buzz of economic development, nattering about it with great stamina. But it’s a hoax, and a costly one. The assault on public and higher education of the last few years proves it.
Senate’s New Redistricting Map: Flagler District Whole Again, With St. Johns and Putnam
The chairman of the Senate Reapportionment Committee unveiled a new proposal for legislative districts Saturday to answer criticisms from the Florida Supreme Court. The plan creates a much more cohesive district for Flagler.
For Environmental Issues at the Legislature, a Less Than Devastating 2012
Despite being overshadowed by insurance, redistricting and higher education issues, to name a few, environmental groups say they had better session than last, with both legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott both being more amendable to their input.
Florida’s Latest Stab at Sharia Law Fails, Barely, But May Not Be the Last
A bill to ban Islamic or Sharia law’s application in state courts cleared the House and two Florida Senate committees easily, and would have gotten Gov. Rick Scott’s signature. It mirrors a concerted anti-Islamic campaign in at least 20 other states.
The 2012 Florida Legislature: Winners and Losers
The 2012 Florida legislative session is over. Here’s a recap list of some of the bills that passed and some that failed, from abortion to charter schools to Sharia law.
Better Assisted Living Oversight Fails as Legislature Drops Several Health Care Bills
Florida lawmakers ended the 2012 session without passing major health-care bills dealing with assisted-living facilities, malpractice lawsuits and physicians dispensing drugs to workers-compensation patients.
Special Session of the Legislature Begins Wednesday to Fix Senate’s Gerrymandering
Citing gerrymandering, the Florida Supreme Court threw out eight of the 40 Senate districts, including Flagler County’s District 6, along with the numbering system, which means that most districts have to be redrawn as a special session begins Wednesday.
Parent Trigger Bill: Florida Senate’s Rebel Republicans Help Defeat Charter School Ploy
The Senate on a tie vote defeated a bill that would have let parents turn failing schools into charters, the latest and perhaps final victory for a dissident faction of the GOP caucus as the curtain came down on the 2012 legislative session.
In a Major Victory for State Workers, Judge Rules 3% Contribution Unconstitutional
The ruling is major victory for 560,000 state workers, including, cops, firefighters, teachers and other school employees, but it again digs a $2 billion hole for the state budget.
Florida Legislators Cut Higher Ed $300 Million Even as They Create a 12th University
House and Senate lawmakers agreed to create Florida Polytechnic University, a pet project of Sen. J.D. Alexander’s, and slash university spending by $300 million, paving the way for an on-time ending to the legislative session.
Florida House Passes Sweeping Abortion Restrictions, Including 24-Hour Waiting Period
The bill requires all abortion clinics to be owned and operated by a doctor (only one of Florida’s 68 clinics fits the bill) and presumes, with little scientific evidence, that pain for the fetus begins at 20 weeks.
Florida’s Misguided Lunge for Internet Sales Taxes
Nancy Nally, a Flagler County-based web publisher, argues that Florida’s proposed law to compel internet merchants to pay sales taxes won’t level the playing field or increase revenue, but hurt local businesses like her own.
Silencing Maneuvers: When the Florida Legislature Resembles the Politbureau
Stopping debate at three minutes, Republicans in the House Education Committee passed a bill overhauling standards and finances for charter schools and another limiting the power of the Florida High School Athletics Association.
Florida Lawmaker Richard Steinberg Resigns After Admitting to Harassing, Anonymous Texts
Rep. Richard Steinberg, the Miami Beach Democrat, quit the House effective immediately on Friday after admitting earlier in the week that he sent inappropriate, unwanted texts to a federal prosecutor in Miami.
Foreclosure Fast-Tracking Bill Has Homeowners Worried About Being Shoved Out
A controversial bill backers say would speed up the foreclosure process and help jumpstart the economy made its Florida Senate debut Monday amid concerns that the measure could leave some homeowners unjustly out in the cold.