Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the killing of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder. Zimmerman, who had briefly vanished, is in police custody.
Florida
Term Limits for County Commissioners? Florida Supreme Court Will Decide
The cases, brought by voters in Broward and Sarasota counties, presented the court with the question of how much power charter counties have to impose qualifications and disqualifications on candidates for county commission.
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.
Protecting the Oceans to Protect Life
The oceans are not an inexhaustible source of good things, argues Frank Gromling. It is past time for every earth-dweller to make a pivotal change in direction to allow the oceans to recover to their former health and productivity.
In Flagler County, a Reflection of Democrats’ Lost Promise as GOP Regains Registration Lead
Democrats’ voter-registration advantage vanished in Flagler County after a three-and-a-half-years, reflecting surging Republican activity and diminished Democratic excitement, but also the consequences of onerous voter-registration laws that disproportionately affect Democrats.
Fear Factor: Concealed Weapons Approaching 1 Million in Florida as NRA Gains Ground
The number of concealed weapons permits has risen dramatically in recent years as new laws making it easier to obtain them have been placed on the books by lawmakers, spurred on by the National Rifle Association, one of the most effective lobbying forces in the capital city.
Hopes of Returning Passenger Line to Florida East Coast Railway Awaiting Amtrak Decision
Pushing to get an east-coast rail line that would cross Flagler County back on track, proponents say their venture would complement plans for privately operated high-speed passenger service between Miami and Orlando.
A Hoodie Over Florida’s Image as More National Voices Denounce Trayvon Killing
The nation’s only black governor, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois are the latest national politicians to voice outrage over the Trayvon Martin Killing and its aftermath in Florida.
Between a Tortoise and a Turtle
Living on the Atlantic Coast, we often hear about sea turtles while gopher tortoises get second billing, though they’ve inhabited Florida and a few other southern states for millions of years. A primer.
“We Are Trayvon Martin”: Two Moms Mobilize 125 Protesters in Spirited Palm Coast March
Saying the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford could have happened to themselves or their own children, protesters in hoodies, brandishing skittles, iced tea and signs marched and chanted for more than an hour along Belle Terre Parkway Thursday evening.
From Depression to Mere Recession Flagler Unemployment Falls to 12.7%
Flagler’s improving numbers also show a net increase of nearly 800 people with jobs, reversing previous months’ declines in both the labor force and actual employment. Florida’s unemployment rate also fell, to 9.4 percent.
Flagler Clerk Gail Wadsworth Tries a Hail Mary As Courts Take Yet Another Budget Hit
The $31 million statewide budget cut in clerks of court’s budgets translates to a loss of $90,000 to Flagler County’s court system, and up to three jobs, adding to successive cuts going back to 2008 that Clerk Gail Wadsworth calls unsustainable.
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.
Obama Surges Ahead of Romney and Santorum in Florida and Ohio in Latest Polls
In head-to-head contests, Obama is beating Romney and Santorum in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, three swing states that the GOP cannot lose if it hopes to win back the White House in November.
What Does a Black Father Say to His Son?
In the wake of the killing of Trayvon Martin, everyone has been talking about mothers having the talk with their sons. But I haven’t heard enough about us — fathers, black men — having that conversation with our sons, writes Andrew Skerritt.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Loses as U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Take Appeals of Florida Cases
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. was forced to pay tens of millions of dollars to the families of dead smokers, part of a flood of tobacco litigation moving through Florida’s courts, and the first of their kind to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
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.
Murder as Self-Defense: Florida’s Gun Zealots on a Rampage
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law was touted as protection for the innocent. It has instead led to killings during heated arguments and cases of mistaken identity, argues Susan Clary, with George Zimmerman’s shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin the latest example.
Before You Next Feast on Seafood
Does it really matter what fish we eat? Yes, says Frank Gromling, if health and overfishing are concerns. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch programs helps consumers and restaurants figure out how to do their part in preserving fishing stocks.
“If I had a Son, He’d Look Like Trayvon”: Obama Speaks Out, FPC Students Protest
President Obama called the killing of Trayvon Miller a tragedy and addressed it in personal terms Friday as Gov. Rick Scott appointed an outside prosecutor Thursday night to investigate the shooting.
Amid Fury Over Trayvon Martin’s Killing and Stand Your Ground Law, Police Chief Resigns
Unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s killing in Sanford by a crime watch volunteer who hasn’t been charged led to the “temporary” resignation of Sanford police chief Bill Lee Jr. today and calls to Gov. Rick Scott to appoint an independent prosecutor.
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 Residents Would See $84-a-Year Jump in FPL’s Base Rate Despite Solid Profits
Despite higher profits than most industries, Florida Power & Light (FPL) is requesting the $690.4 million rate increase in 2013. FPL says the increase would be offset by fuel cost decreases, at least in 2013, reducing the net bill increase to $2.48 a month.
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.
Turtle Saving Time: Nesting Season Begins on Flagler and Florida Beaches, Lasting Through October
That age-old ritual of turtle-nesting is in full swing on Flagler County’s beaches, where beach-goers will recognize the trademark wooden stakes and thin square-forming ribbons around nests–and steer clear of the sandy nurseries.
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.
Flagler Unemployment Improves to 13.5%, Florida’s to 9.6% as Trend Solidifies
Flagler County’s January unemployment rate of 13.5 percent,. released Tuesday, is the best in three years, going back to December 2008, when it was 11.8 percent.
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.
The North Atlantic Garbage Patch: A Plastic Soup Ladled from Consumption
A floating garbage dump consists of billions of small plastic man-made items stretches in the Atlantic from Cuba to Maryland by way of Florida. Here’s what you can do to keep plastics and other litter out of the oceans.
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.
Charter School Giveaway Bill Veiled as Parental Control Drawing Frantic Opposition
Democrats are looking to the Senate and a rogue set of lawmakers to help them defeat an education bill they think is a giveaway to the charter school industry at the expense of public schools.
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 Highway Patrol’s Move-Over Enforcement Nets 1,200 Citations in 29 Days
Troopers also issued more than 69,000 traffic citations and made 620 arrests for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs. They also cited nearly 24,000 drivers for speeding in the 29-day campaign.
Excluding Themselves, Florida Lawmakers Pass Drug-Testing Program for State Workers
The House voted largely along party lines to allow state agencies to set up drug testing programs for their workers over the objection of Democrats who said it wasn’t just unconstitutional, but a bully tactic.
What It’s Like to Be The Whale Guy: The True Story of Getting A Life
In his debut column for FlaglerLive, Frank Gromling relates his long association with the Marineland Right Whale Project and the Atlantic right whales’ 1,400-mile annual migrations along Flagler and Florida shores.
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.
Public Mostly Rejects State Proposal for 2.7 Miles of Manatee Speed Zones in Flagler Waters
Three-quarters of the people who addressed a Florida Fish and Wildlife delegation on the proposed speed zones on the Intracoastal Waterway rejected the argument that manatees are endangered, or that further regulation is needed.
Florida Moves Past No Child Left Behind, But Not Past High-Stakes Testing
Breaking from from federal No Child Left Behind strictures, Florida can now use its own school accountability system, its A-through-F school grades, to rate the state’s public education system. But the waiver comes with strings attached.
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.
Florida Senate Says No to No Fast-Tracking Oil and Gas Drilling on State Lands
A bill making it easier to drill for oil and gas on state lands hit the skids Tuesday as it failed to advance from a key Senate Committee that does not intend to meet again.
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.