An investigation into the filing of qualifying papers for Florida Supreme Court Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince has been closed, but the controversy about the trio’s place on this fall’s ballot is likely to continue.
Florida
Florida Law Barring Doctors From Asking Patients About Guns at Home Ruled Invalid
The law restricts doctors’ ability to provide truthful, non-misleading information to a patient, U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke ruled. The “docs-vs-glocks” law was backed by the NRA and signed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2011.
Gov. Scott’s Health Law in Florida: No Medicaid Expansion, No Insurance Exchange
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.
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.
Chamber of Commerce and Other Florida Business Groups Howl Over at Health Care Law
Florida business groups had led the charge against the federal Affordable Care Act, calling it a mandate that will fall on the shoulders of businesses still struggling to recover and facing more competition from the Internet, nearby states and foreign suppliers.
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.
In a Victory for Rick Scott, Federal Judge Clears Path to a Limited Voter Roll Purge
It is the first significant ruling in the legal battle over Gov. Scott’s effort to remove allegedly ineligible voters from the rolls. At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Florida.
Florida’s Hispanics Like Obama Over Romney By Big Margin, Dimming Rubio’s VP Appeal
Hispanic voters in Florida, traditionally Republican, prefer Obama over Romney by a 56-32 margin, buttressing the president’s advantage among Independents.
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.
Should Ronald Thompson Be Serving 20 Years for Firing a Gun to Protect an Elderly Neighbor?
Ronald Thompson, a 65-year-old disabled veteran, is serving 20 years for firing two shots in the ground to protect an elderly neighbor from her grandson and three of his friends. The mandatory sentence spotlights a recurring dilemma with Florida’s sentencing laws.
Stepping Up Obama Snubs, Scott Says He Won’t Implement Health Care Law in Florida
As the Supreme Court prepares to hand down its decision on Obama’s health care reform law, Gov. Rick Scott said on a conference call hosted by right-wing think tanks that Florida wouldn’t rush to implement the law.
Romney, in Orlando, Plays Catch-up On Immigration By Promising More Green Cards
Speaking to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials in Orlando, Romney spent most of his time talking about making it easier for legal immigrants to come to America.
The Live Poll: Obama-Romney
Take the poll: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are battling for Florida’s 29 electoral votes, which are more essential to Romney than they are to Obama: Romney can’t win without them, Obama can.
Poll Pots: Floridians Like Stand Your Ground, And Like Voter Roll Purges Even More
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Floridian voters support the Scott administration’s ineligible-voter purge by 60-35 percent, and approve the stand your ground law by a 56-37 margin.
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.
Charlie Crist’s Sexuality, and Ours
Rome burns. But the greatest issue before us is whether Charlie is gay. The rumors naturally reveal far more about those who spread them than Crist, argues Maty Jo Melone.
Michael Klubock, Ocean-Size Hero
Michael Klubock and his Malibu Foundation spent almost 20 years helping middle school kids understand the importance of protecting the oceans, especially against plastics. Frank Gromling showcases him.
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.
Florida and Flagler Back to Anemic Job Growth as Unemployment Stalls, Reflecting U.S. Trend
Florida added just 5,300 jobs in April, and the state unemployment rate would have risen back sharply had the labor department not revised its April figures to show a much higher unemployment rate than it announced last month.
Everglades Water Clean-Up: After Rejecting Scott’s Earlier Plan, EPA Approves Revisions
The EPA will allow the state and the South Florida Water Management District to move forward with a historic Everglades plan for the construction of stormwater treatment areas and huge new areas of water storage.
Zimmerman’s Wife Arrested for Lying as Stand Your Ground Panel Opens Near Crime Scene
The governor-appointed Stand Your Ground panel held its first session near where George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, 17, in February, and on the same day that Shellie Zimmerman was jailed for lying to a judge at a bond hearing about how much money the Zimmermans had.
Florida Prison Sentences Lengthen an Average Of 166% Since 1990, Most By Far in U.S.
Costing Florida taxpayers $1.4 billion a year, Florida’s prisons have some of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, too, even though the state still has the nation’s ninth highest violent crime rate, suggesting a poor return on investment.
Gov. Scott and Obama Administration in Dueling Lawsuits Over Illegal Voter Purge
The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday it will go to federal court to block Florida’s controversial effort to purge ineligible voters, ratcheting up a feud between the Obama administration and Gov. Rick Scott.
ACLU Lawsuit Challenging Florida’s Voter Purge
Two naturalized citizens and a Hispanic advocacy group filed suit in federal court Friday to block elections officials from purging the state voting rolls of individuals suspected of being non-citizens.
Beyond George Zimmerman: Five Stand Your Ground Cases You Should Know About
Although Florida was the first to enact a Stand Your Ground law, 24 other states enforce similar versions. Some of the most notable cases where a version of the Stand Your Ground law has led to freedom from criminal prosecution are highlighted.
Understated Slivers: The Unique Fragility and Vitality of Barrier Islands
Barrier islands such as the one that hosts Flagler Beach are fragile, diverse and play a vital, understated but often unappreciated role in coastal ecology and protection. Frank Gromling provides a tour.
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.
Hazing Fallout: Florida A&M President James Ammons Defies Vote of No Confidence
The university board’s vote raised doubts about James Ammons’s ability to weather a series of scandals that have shaken the school, including a hazing incident that has threatened one of FAMU’s most cherished institutions.
Florida’s Voter Purge: There Is a Better Way to Ensure Accurate Rolls
Voter rolls to be as accurate as possible, but shouldn’t this be initiated through the 67 locally elected supervisors of election, who are constitutional officers? And shouldn’t this be done in a non-election year and in a non-redistricting year?
Best Way to Keep Florida’s Manatees Wild: Do Not Disturb
Manatees are experts at finding food and fresh water – they don’t need our assistance. Quite the contrary, they will do far better if we can give them a wide berth and keep our distance, writes Katie Tripp.
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.
Lesbians’ Parental Rights Case Challenges Florida’s “Birth-Mother Only” Law
The lesbian couple’s case, now before the Florida Supreme Court, is unprecedented in Florida because the fertilized egg of one woman was implanted in her then-partner, who gave birth. The couple began raising the child together, but a legal battle began after a break-up that included the birth mother moving to Australia with the child.
Verdict on Jeb Bush’s Education Guru: “Nonsensical, Confusing and Disingenuous.”
Matthew Ladner got a 2011 Bunkum Award for the research he has published while working at Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit whose mission is to encourage Florida-style education reform in other states.
Dolphin Deaths and Seismic Shockwaves: A Theory
Dolphins have been washing ashore, dead, by the hundreds, in Peru. Scientists theorize that oil and gas exploration’s blasting underwater, which breaks dolphins’ bones around the ear, may be the cause.
As Justice Department Warns Florida Of Illegal Voter Purge, Election Supervisors Urge Pause
Florida appears willing to defy federal warnings that the ongoing voter purge may be illegal, although the state is leaving it up to local elections supervisors to make the call. Election officials said earlier this year as many as 180,000 names may be erroneously included on state voter rolls.
Five Questions for Wansley Walters, Head of Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice
Before becoming secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Wansley Walters directed the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department, considered a national model for saving money while reducing the juvenile arrest rate. She’s the first woman to lead DJJ.
Florida Supreme Court Is Asked To Decide What Constitutes a Life Sentence for a Juvenile
An appeals court today ruled that a 70-year prison sentence for Shimeek Gridine of Jacksonville, for an armed robbery and attempted murder committed when he was 14, doesn’t amount to lidfe in prison, but the 1st District Court of Appeal asked the Supreme Court to hear the case.
How Obama’s Support of Gay Marriage Could Lose Him Florida Come November
With debate and votes taking place around the state and polls showing a growing acceptance, the issue of same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights will likely be among a host of second tier issues that could determine which presidential candidate takes Florida.
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.”
Be Prepared: 9 to 15 Tropical Storms or Hurricanes Predicted Beginning June 1
NOAA predicts a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms, four to eight of them strengthening to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and of those one to three will become major hurricanes. Be prepared.
Florida Audubon Asks for Beachgoers’ Help This Memorial Day Weekend
This Memorial Day Weekend, Audubon is reminding Floridians to take care with Florida’s original “beach babies,” rare and declining species of waterbirds that nest on Florida’s beaches and mangrove islands.
FCAT Flack: Gov. Rick Scott Grades Up PR
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.
Existing and New Home Sales Up Nationally; Florida Looks to Other Improving Indicators
Home sales have yet to kick up in Florida, where sales fell slightly in April, but Realtors are quick to say that median price and pending sales rose dramatically as the inventory of homes available for sale keeps shrinking.
Romney Takes 6-Point Florida Lead Over Obama; Rubio’s Impact as VP Is Minor
In a big reversal from two months ago, when the Republican primary contest was damaging Mitt Romney’s brand, Barack Obama’s fortunes have dimmed considerably in Florida, while a Marco Rubio addition to Romney’s ticket appears to yield less than a bang.
As FPL’s Smart Meters Convert 50,000 Flagler Homes, County Takes Dim View of Opponents
Florida Power & Light will roll out 50,000 smart meters in Flagler homes and small businesses over six months beginning this summer. The Flagler County Commission supports an opt-out measure for customers, some of whom thing the smart meters are invasive and dangerous, but FPL already provides a temporary opt-out.
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.
Invasion of the Giant African Snail: Florida’s Latest Slimy Bane
The giant African snail is again invading South Florida and possibly spreading north, devouring numerous crops such as banana, potato, onion and cabbage, and also eating stucco plaster and concrete. Frank Gromling reports.