The Florida Department of Citrus is redirecting marketing dollars to help juice the industry’s sales as Florida orange juice production plummets 22 percent from a year ago, mostly because of an incurable disease called citrus greening.
Florida
Florida Supreme Court Upholds “Timely Justice” Law Fast-Tracking Executions
In a concurring opinion of the unanimous decision, Justice Barbara Pariente emphasized that the law would not affect the Supreme Court’s “solemn responsibility” to block executions if needed to ensure that defendants’ rights have been protected.
Scott and Crist Continue to Rake In Cash As Both Sides Step Up Nastier Ad War
The money will help fuel what is expected to be an expensive — and nasty — race filled with negative ads. As a sign of what’s to come, the Let’s Get to Work committee reported spending about $3.1 million on advertising in May, after spending about $5.1 million on ads in April.
Jitter Echo: Opponents of Amendment 2 Launch “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” Campaign
Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana launched the “Don’t Let Florida Go to Pot” campaign Tuesday, warning that passing the measure would lead to widespread abuse. Proponents of the measure are discrediting the campaign.
Bright Spot in Florida’s Budget:
A Forward-Looking Agenda on Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most costly disease to Medicare and Medicaid — and for a state like Florida with high ratios of older residents, this spells an impending crisis for state budgets. Gov. Rick Scott signed a record-sized state budget that included record-sized wins for the Alzheimer’s community.
Impasse Developing Between State and Counties Over Juvenile Detention Costs
A years-long dispute over how to split the costs of detaining youthful offenders appears no closer to being settled after the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice held a rule-making hearing Friday with representatives of more than three dozen Florida counties, including Flagler.
ACLU Sues Sarasota Police For Access To Records On Cell Phone “Stingray” Tracking Program
The ACLU of Florida has been seeking public records for several months now from about 30 police departments and sheriffs’ offices all over Florida in an effort to access whether or not police are not trampling on privacy rights.
Firefighters Hurt on the Job: Florida Justices Will Decide Legality of 2-Year Limit on Benefit
A firefighter who was severely injured on the job got two years of total disability, but was denied more when he applied. His attorneys argue that the two-year limit on temporary benefits is unconstitutional.
Florida Leads Nation in Inmates Who Serve 100% Of Their Sentence, Increasing Chance of Re-Offending When Released
A new study by the Pew Charitable Trusts finds Florida leading the nation in inmates who “max out” their sentences — serving 100 percent of their time and being released with no supervision beyond the prison gates, thus increasing the chance of re-offending. Almost a third do re-offend.
Lobbyists, Lawyers and Investors Line Up to Cash in on Florida’s Nascent Pot Industry
Lawmakers broadened eligibility for medical marijuana to include cancer patients as well as those suffering from severe muscle spasms or seizures, thereby opening up the market for potential sellers. The strain of marijuana is high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).