Sink

"Sink tries to keep campaign focused on jobs".

Crist crashing

The Research 2000 poll of likely voters conducted for Daily Kos during the period (11/16-18/2009 results):

GOP Senate Primary

Charlie Crist (R) 30 (47)
Marco Rubio (R) 58 (37)

Senate General Election

Charlie Crist (R) 45 (50)
Kendrick Meek (D) 36 (33)

Marco Rubio (R) 41 (38)
Kendrick Meek (D) 40 (30)

They're baaaccckkk ...

"The Republican-dominated Florida House pushed through legislation Thursday that allows legislative leaders to raise unlimited dollars from special interests, rejecting a dozen Democratic amendments aimed at limiting the influence of money in politics." "Florida GOP House members revive once-outlawed 'leadership funds'". See also "House Approves 'Affiliated Party Committees'" and "House OKs bill changing campaign-contribution rules".

I am shocked, shocked!

"NRA has gotten most of what it wanted in Florida Legislature in 2010".

"Slow-walking"

The Orlando Sentinel editors: "Three weeks into this year's session of the Florida Legislature, clouds are building. Leaders are ignoring a bid to shine more sunlight on their lawmaking, including how they parcel out billions of taxpayer dollars each year. They're slow-walking another proposal to strengthen citizens' constitutional right of access to government records and meetings." "Lift veil on legislators".

It ain't over

"Florida plan to kill tax benefit for films that aren’t ‘family friendly’ sparks backlash".

PSC

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "House should back off proposed PSC changes".

Bristling

"A bill to curb spending by regional workforce boards -- spurred by allegations of excessive spending -- is drawing criticism." "Florida workforce boards bristle at bill to increase spending oversight".

Kosmas

"Kosmas, R-Fla., is one of 38 Democrats in the House who haven't committed whether to support the health care reform bill. That makes her, and her constituents, the target of massive advertising." "How will she vote?". See also "Kosmas faces pressure as health-care vote looms".

'Glades

"With the odds of borrowing a half-billion bucks growing dicey, water managers are exploring new ways to finance Gov. Charlie Crist's deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp. -- a controversial land buy the governor stood firmly behind Thursday during a South Florida visit. One possible alternative: Pay for a big chunk -- perhaps even all -- of the $536 million price tag in cash. But coming up with cash up front could require serious, and politically messy, surgery on the South Florida Water Management District's $1.5 billion budget." "Florida water managers weigh cuts, selloffs to finance U.S. Sugar deal". Related: "Crist's Everglades sugar deal bogs down in fiscal swamp".

Uppity teachers

"The state's teachers union and Florida Democratic Party have opened a broadside media attack on Republican lawmakers who are trying to end teacher tenure in favor of a merit-pay system in an effort to beef up school quality without spending more."

In the meantime, "Florida lawmakers change controversial parts of merit-pay plan as Florida Education Association launches ad campaign against measure". "Teachers-union ad blitz blasts plan for merit pay".

For sale

"Could school bus ads save school budgets?".

Don't "look a gift politician in the mouth"

Paul Flemming: "Ah, Sunshine Week in an election year, when candidates far and wide get to trumpet the fact that they are in favor of Florida law and agree with the state's constitution. Let us not, however, look a gift politician in the mouth. Access to government information is important, and support, under any guise, is welcome. So, this week, let's highlight a few new developments and useful tools available to keep an eye on Florida government." "Web sites put more in the sunshine".

"Jeb!" desperate for limelight

"Jeb Bush, Sharpton slated for MSNBC town hall in Tampa".

Forget it

The Tampa Tribune editorial board thinks we should "Give state Sen. Mike Fasano some credit."

At least he's trying to find ways to increase state revenues - and reduce the sting Floridians are feeling due to a hefty increase in driver's license and vehicle registration fees adopted by the Legislature last year.

But the New Port Richey Republican's idea to essentially sell advertising space on license plates and give discounts to motorists purchasing them should be parked.

Loaded poll

"No shock here: The Republican-led Senate passed Senate President Jeff Atwater's proposal (SB 2742) asking voters in November if the federal government should have a balanced budget amendment. Party-line vote: 26-13. But Democrats didn't like the idea of using the ballot to take 'nonbinding public opinion polls,' in the words of Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale." "Republican-backed budget question to Florida voters is a biased 'poll' Democrats complain".

Raising cash, the old fashioned way

"Seatbelt campaign yields nearly 37,000 motorist citations".

Lawson

"With a heavy hometown boost, state Sen. Al Lawson claimed a spot on the November ballot Wednesday in his bid to knock off U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd in the Democratic primary." "Lawson claims spot on November ballot".

Sorry, Bill

"Nelson's Medicare Advantage deal cut from health care reform".

Brilliant

"DMV customers pay more as state closes offices, freezes hiring".

Good questions

"A personal data company that came under fire for a major breach of Florida government workers' data six years ago had its contract renewed with the state in December, just three months before it was sold to a British-based firm." "Aronberg seeks answers about sale of data firm with Fla. contract to British company".

EPA delay

"Bowing to criticism of federal water pollution standards from state environmental officials, and business and farming industries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will delay implementing some of the most contentious aspects of the proposal and seek a third party review of the science behind it." "EPA Delays Component of Water Regs, Seeks Review".

RPOFers "acting against the best interests of their constituents"

The Saint Petersburg Times editorial board:

As the House heads toward a historic vote on health care reform as early as Sunday, all Florida Republicans remain opposed and all but two Democrats are firmly in support. But a new analysis by the House Energy and Commerce Committee suggests Florida lawmakers who vote against the reforms are acting against the best interests of their constituents.

No drugs

"Mental-health drugs for foster children would be limitted under a legislative proposal being considered in Tallahassee." "Florida lawmakers push to curb medicating foster children".

"One of the most wicked bills ever filed"

Howard Troxler yesterday: " In the way that a detective admires a master criminal, I whistle in amazement at our state House and its new bill that 'reforms' the Florida Public Service Commission. Bluntly put, this is one of the most wicked bills ever filed. The Legislature's past favors for Florida's electric companies (advance billing for nuclear plants, etc.) pale in comparison." "Bill would gut PSC, give power to Legislature".

911 bill bites the dust

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Good riddance to a bad bill". Related: "New rules assure public can see court records".

Tally Update

The Tallahassee Democrat's "2010 Legislature summary".

"After raising $2.2 billion in new taxes and fees last year, Florida legislators want to erase that memory this election year with proposals to roll back auto registration fees and steer up to $100 million to businesses in tax incentives."

The problem: how to pay for it. The House plans to budget about $88 million in tax incentives, the Senate plan includes $135 million in tax cuts, and both chambers plan to push a $44 million sales tax holiday for back-to-school supplies. All of it must come out of a budget that already has a shortfall of $3.2 billion.

Critics of the tax and fee cuts say competition already is fierce among programs that have been slashed in recent years. Republican legislators argue that tax breaks will spur economic development, and that many of the tax incentives would not take effect until future budget years.

DMS going down

"A plan to break up the Department of Management Services cleared a key Senate committee Wednesday with its sponsor saying he's not punishing employees for saving the state money." "DMS break-up plan clears hurdle".

Online booking

"A bill (HB 335) to clarify that online rooms should result in the same amount of taxes going to state coffers as rooms booked directly stalled in a House committee Wednesday, while a competing bill (HB 1241) that would do just the opposite — clarifying the law to say that the higher tax isn't due — moved forward. Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole sponsored HB 335 and Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, sponsored HB 1241." "Bill to boost Fla., local tax haul for rooms booked online stalls".

Prayer

The school prayer "battle has come to the Florida Legislature, where the House PreK-12 Policy Committee approved a measure Wednesday that would allow teachers to pray with public school students.The s" "School prayer restrictions provoke new legislation in Florida". See also "Fla. House panel passes school prayer bill; opponents call it unconstitutional".

Crist opposes HCR

"The pitched wrangling over health care legislation broke into the U.S. Senate campaign Wednesday as Gov. Charlie Crist pressed his potential Democratic rival Rep. Kendrick Meek to oppose the bill. Meek, who said he believes the bill could help hospitals avoid the pinch of uncompensated care, dismissed Crist's letter, noting that the 'crisis of the uninsured is acute in Florida.'" "Meek supports health care bill, dismisses criticism from Crist".

Deregulation

"Property insurers would be able to raise premiums without regulatory approval, but only by up to 15 percent a year, under a wide-ranging insurance approved in a House committee Wednesday." "Bill would let property insurers raise premiums up to 15% without state approval". See also "Committee OKs bill that would allow unapproved property-insurance hikes".

Medicaid

Sunshine News: "Medicaid is sick, and it's giving Florida a case of budget consumption. Gobbling up nearly a third of the state's revenues, the medical program for the indigent and disabled is projected to cost Floridians $19 billion this year -- a billion more than last year." "Sick Call".

Entrepreneurs in action

"Florida's drug problem: 49 of top 50 oxycodone prescribers are from state".

Balanced budget

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "Thank goodness the Florida Constitution requires that lawmakers pass a balanced budget every year. It has undoubtedly restrained them from being as fiscally irresponsible as Congress, whose members don't have to worry about making sure spending lines up with revenues."

But a change in how the budgetary impact of tax breaks is estimated could erode the discipline imposed by the state's balanced-budget mandate. Some leaders in the Legislature, including several from Central Florida, want to switch to a speculative approach known as dynamic modeling. It purports to account for the effect of tax breaks on the broader economy in figuring their cost or benefit to the treasury.

The political appeal of this approach is obvious, especially when state government is so cash-strapped. A tax cut has a better shot at passing if it is forecast to stimulate the economy and generate more tax revenue.

But it might not be possible to do the costly and sophisticated analysis needed for this approach in the limited time legislators meet each year. California tried, but it was too expensive and time consuming.

Promoters of tax cuts as the tonic for whatever ails the economy have been pushing this approach in Washington for years, with only limited success. Some dynamic studies by the Congressional Budget Office have projected more economic benefit from government spending than tax cuts. Few government studies have shown tax cuts completely paying for themselves.

Even some advocates of the dynamic approach acknowledge it can be abused.

'Glades

The New York Times: "The effort to restore Florida’s Everglades has been revived thanks to the efforts of President Obama and Florida’s Republican governor, Charlie Crist. The Obama administration has committed more than $300 million in new money, and construction on important projects — including lifting a section of the Tamiami Trail to bring freshwater to the Everglades — is under way." "A Good Deal for the Everglades".

"Jeb!"

Mike Thomas thinks "Jeb!" is the cat's meow. "Education reform: Let’s agree to agree".

Burnishing his green bona fides

"Virtually every important aspect of water in Florida, from tap to toilet and from storm runoff to bubbling spring, has a place in sweeping legislation unveiled Wednesday by state Sen. Lee Constantine." "Bill would overhaul Florida water laws".

What's wrong with Hillsborough?

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "'All talk and no backbone' is how Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham summarized Wednesday's rambling board meeting, which ended with no action on a proposal to fire the county administrator, county attorney and the independent performance auditor." "County chaos remains unresolved". The Saint Petersburg Times editors: "Hillsborough County's comedy of errors".

Never mind the 50 cal.

"A bill backed by the National Rifle Association that would prohibit adoption agencies from asking prospective parents if they have guns or ammunition in the home appears to be sailing through the Legislature. The House and Senate are scheduled to vote Thursday on the bill (SB 530, HB 315). Though sponsored primarily by Republicans, it earned Democratic support in committee tests, an unusual circumstance for an NRA-backed proposal. A spokesman said Gov. Charlie Crist strongly endorses the measure." "NRA backs adoption bill scheduled for final vote". See also "NRA-backed bill yanks gun questions from adoption process".

"Florida leads the nation in sending children to prison"

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors: "In a national study of children 14 or younger sent to adult prison for nonhomicidal crimes, three-quarters of the cases were in Florida."

In the 2007-08 fiscal year, nearly 3,600 juvenile cases were transferred to adult court, and 443 people under the age of 17 were sent to adult prisons. And the U.S. Supreme Court is using two Florida cases to determine whether sentencing children to spend the rest of their lives in prison is unconstitutionally cruel and unusual.

Florida's practice of trying young teens as adults is being brandished as a national (shameful) example of overzealous, pointless prosecution. The trend has continued, despite a 10-year-old study by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice that unequivocally concluded "transferring youth to the adult criminal system is more likely to aggravate recidivism than to stop it."

"Taking money from special interests"

Bill Cotterell: "Members of the Florida Legislature are, once again, discussing ways to make us feel better about their taking money from special interests that have business pending before the House and Senate." "Money and reform keep flowing".

Good luck with that

"Is the shift in focus to biotech jobs right for Tampa?".

GOPers in a dither over Kosmas

The The Daytona Beach News Journal editorial board writes:

To the Honorable U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach:

Dear Suzanne:

Understanding that you are one of the few Democratic members of the U.S. House yet undecided about whether to vote for the pending health care reform bill, we have thought much about what could be said to persuade you to support this historic legislation -- critical to the future well being of Americans and American business. We have long known and admired you for your integrity and principled service on the public's behalf, evident during your time in the Florida Legislature and now representing our community in Congress. It is why this newspaper recommended your most recent election. Here are our thoughts about this deeply debated legislation. ...

As one of a few dozen U.S. House Democrats still undecided on the upcoming health care reform vote, Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, is being wooed and scorned.

She was wooed by President Barack Obama in a one-on-one meeting last week.

The scorn started after reports surfaced that she objected to Obama's plan to cut funding for NASA programs that employ 9,000 Central Florida residents.

Republicans accused Kosmas of trading support for health care reform for an Obama commitment to rescind planned NASA cuts.

Andy Sere, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Kosmas was engineering a "Sunshine Sellout" similar to deals brokered last fall that bought support from Louisiana and Nebraska senators.

Census

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Census could help Florida gain more congressional seats and more federal dollarsGov. Crist pleads for Floridians to fill out the census form".

"How to do it fairly"?

According to critics, the "proposed merit-pay plan for teachers and school administrators would keep educators from sharing effective practices, and a built-in penalty for school boards that refuse to go along with that plan undercuts local control."

School boards that fail to adopt the merit-pay plan would forfeit state funding equal to 5 percent of what they pay teachers and school-based administrators. They would have to make up the difference by hiking property taxes.

"I think that's probably one of the worst pieces of legislation for education I've ever seen," Volusia School Board Chairwoman Candace Lankford said. "At the end of the day, they say they want to do what's best for students, so they're going to take more money out of our funding for students... What kind of collaborative tone does that set for our communities?"

"That's a terrible bill," said Margie Patchett, executive director of Volusia Tax Reform. "To raise property taxes if they opt out of it; that's the last thing we need."

Thrasher said the penalty is needed to make sure merit pay -- strongly opposed by teachers' unions for many years -- gets accomplished this time around. Only eight of Florida's 67 school districts participate in the state's current merit-pay program.

"Personally, I'm not totally against merit pay, but the problem we have in education is how to do it fairly," said Flagler School Board Chairwoman Evie Shellenberger, who's a former teacher and principal. "How do you fairly evaluate what this teacher is doing compared to the other one?"

Stat of limitations

"Florida House poised to end wrongful death statute of limitations".

The Amistad

"Days from now, a stately black schooner will sail through a narrow channel into Havana's protected harbor, its two masts bearing the rarest of sights - the U.S. Stars and Stripes, with the Cuban flag fluttering nearby. The ship is the Amistad, a U.S.-flagged vessel headed for largely forbidden Cuban waters as a symbol of both a dark 19th century past and modern public diplomacy." "A symbol of the slave trade joins US and Cuba".

Raw political courage

"Legislation that would tighten screening and criminal background checks for people who work with children, seniors and disable people has cleared the Florida House." "Fla. House acting on background check bill". See also "State lawmakers seeking criminal background checks for caregivers of most vulnerable".

"Marco Rubio, R-Little Lord Fauntleroy-Lite"

Daniel Ruth: "Here's a lesson for all you aspiring officeholders. If you want to glad-hand, baby-buss and back-slap your way to the top of the hustings ladder, you need to portray yourself as a fighter, always fighting for you and you and, of course, you."

You want to fight special interests. You want to fight for freedom. You want to fight for justice. You want to fight for the American way. That's because you are a fighter. You're tough. You're steadfast. You're a brawler for democracy is what you are. Ooooooh, so scary.

Why you're the Sean Penn of the Bill of Rights, that is until things begin to go a little south for you and you suddenly find yourself cowering in a corner like the slapped, shell-shocked soldier in Patton.

You're Marco Rubio, R-Little Lord Fauntleroy-Lite.

Until very recently things had been going fairly swimmingly for Rubio in his quest to wrest the Republican U.S. Senate nomination from Gov. Charlie Crist and his perennial running mate — Mr. Bluebird On My Shoulder.

Rubio has been rising in the polls while raising gobs of cash. And he's been anointed the beefcake boy of the Tea Party cultists, the Scientologists of American politics. Good times, good times.

But as disclosures have mounted in recent days that during his tenure as the speaker of the Florida House Rubio treated his office — and the Republican credit card that came with it — as his own personal ATM machine after running through some $600,000 in political funds while seeking the job, the Senate candidate has mysteriously become less visible (and accountable) than the last time Dick Cheney dined alone.

Instead, Rubio, R-The Man Who Came To Dinner, and Breakfast and Lunch, opted to respond to questions about his spending, including at least $34,000 in unexplained expenses, by way of video press releases and sycophantic flacks in an effort to tut-tut and harrumph-harrumph away the perception that in the former speaker's hands, political committees and a Republican Party credit card were weapons of mass self-indulgence.

To be sure, when your entire raison d'etre for your candidacy is that you are a tight-fisted, penurious nickel-squeezer, it probably doesn't help to be exposed as a free-spending Imelda Marcos Rubio, who also dropped nearly $20,000 in political funds on family members.

Tally update

"Hospitals, nursing homes and programs that help disabled people are facing cuts, nearly 250,000 more Medicaid patients would be moved into managed care programs and state money for libraries would be eliminated in budget bills approved by Senate committees Friday." "Senate cuts hospital, library spending; may spare schools".

"Teacher pay would be based on how well students do on standardized tests under a bill set for a final fight in the Senate. " "http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/senate-committee-passes-teacher-merit-pay-bill-with-402735.html".

"Hillsborough County would be the only school district in the state exempted from a proposed law that ties teacher pay to student performance on end-of-year assessment tests." "Local schools may get pass on teacher pay law".

"Senate lawmakers are proposing to spend more than the state House on K-12 public schools - but they also assume that 24 counties, including Hillsborough, will levy additional property taxes." "Senate budget would raise education spending".

In the end, they're Dems

"U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, who voted against national health care last November, said Friday he will vote for the new bill when it comes to the House floor." "Boyd to vote yes on federal health-care legislation".

"U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas says she will support Democrats' health care reform plans. The New Smyrna Beach congresswoman ended days of speculation Friday with a statement saying she will support the bill in a planned House vote Sunday." "Kosmas to support health bill". See also "Kosmas: I will vote for health-care bill" and "Kosmas swayed to vote for bill".

In the meantime, Scott Maxwell believes the "GOP offers up strong foes in Kosmas race" (the link is temporarily disabled).

'Glades

"With financing plans for the U.S. Sugar deal in doubt, water managers are exploring cutting projects and selling land as options to raise cash for Everglades restoration." "Florida water managers weigh cuts, selloffs to finance U.S. Sugar deal".

From the "values" crowd

"Despite growing enrollment, cuts would pack more kids into pre-K classes".

"Payback chicanery"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Though it doesn't look like it on the surface, a piece of legislation requiring a college degree of anyone appointed to the Public Service Commission is a bit of payback chicanery aimed at getting the PSC's tenacious Nancy Argenziano off the independent regulatory board."

Chairwoman Argenziano is the only one of the five commissioners without an undergraduate college degree, though she was an accomplished state representative and senator for 10 years before her appointment to the utilities regulatory agency by Gov. Charlie Crist. She is the ultimate self-made, self-educated woman, and rather fearless.

That is no doubt threatening enough to inspire a 72-page House committee bill that would do far more — and, objectively, far worse — than get rid of one member who is often pesky to Big Utilities. The proposal would put the entire PSC regulatory staff under political control of the Legislature and strip away the PSC's power to open cases on its own, gather information from utilities, reduce rates, even go to court to be sure its own rulings are enforced.

It would also limit future PSC appointees to those with utility experience or other professional backgrounds (read, "lots of lawyers") though not "public policy experience."

In other words, the PSC would be set up as a political arm of the Legislature instead of having the autonomy it now has to evaluate utilities issues with some modicum of objectivity. The PSC commissioners became appointed offices (gubernatorial appointment; Senate confirmation) rather than elected years ago precisely because the need to raise money to win election provided an almost inherent conflict with utilities that supplied the campaign money.

is supported by Sen. Mike Haridopolos, who is in line to be the next Senate president [and according to one RPOFer Senator] "reeks of the utility companies' participation" and puts lawmakers back in the politics of regulation.

Lawyering up in Hillsborough

"County's auditor asks for legal representation".

Not even a "pretense of regulation"

"Officially, Florida's property-insurance industry is regulated by the Office of Insurance Regulation."

Insurers have to justify their property-insurance premium rate increases to gain approval from regulators. In reality, regulation is superficial, often resembling the shell game insurers play to hide profits, deny coverage then complain that they need to charge higher rates to stay in business. Legislators, led by Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, are attempting to do away even with the pretense of regulation.

Thank you, Mr. Obama

"State lawmakers are piecing together a budget for next year that makes more cuts to programs and relies on billions more in federal stimulus money to stave off even deeper reductions." "Lawmakers piece together state budget".

Go local

"Most agency heads and other top state workers would be required to live near the state capital and compile reports every three months of how much they spend on job-related travel under a budget proposal released Friday by the Florida House." "Florida House wants agency chiefs to move to Tallahassee area".

Always on the campaign trail

A Saint Petersburg Times puff piece: "State Sen. Mike Fasano crusades against arrogance".

Bright futures

"Florida Senate panel okays tougher Bright Futures standards". See also "Gloomy economy threatens Bright Futures grants".

A bit of a reach

"Crist, who trails GOP Senate primary rival Marco Rubio in polls, reminded a Republican audience at a $500-a-head fund-raiser for his Senate campaign in Vero Beach on Thursday, that party patriarch Abraham Lincoln's 1864 reelection wasn't always a sure thing." "Crist compares struggle to Lincoln, style to Reagan during Vero Beach speech".

DMV

"Florida last year taxed motorists' wallets. Now, it's taxing their patience." "DMV customers pay more as state closes offices, freezes hiring".

The Wal-Martization of Florida continues

"Motorists would get a $6 reduction in their annual license plate fees and a chance to save much more by opting for tags emblazoned with corporate logos under legislation that cleared a state Senate committee Friday." "Florida Senate panel proposes drivers pay less for license plates bearing corporate logos".

Oily RPOFers

"The Florida House will roll out an oil-drilling bill in two weeks, Speaker-designate and chief proponent Dean Cannon said Friday." "House will float oil-drilling bill".

'Ya reckon?

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board: "Census could help Florida gain more congressional seats and more federal dollars".

"Crushing blow to political career"

"A Miami-Dade judge dealt a crushing blow to the political career of ousted Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones Friday, siding with the governor on his right to suspend Spence-Jones from office as she fights a pair of felony charges. " "Judge: Crist has authority to suspend Miami commissioner".

"McCollum showed he is tone deaf to the reality we have nearly four million uninsured Floridians, 800,000 of whom are children," said Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. "His decision to challenge the constitutionality of the federal health care reform bill that is working its way through the Congress is shortsighted and nothing more than rank demagoguery."

RPOFers in action

"More expectant mothers could go without prenatal health care; more children could wind up abused. More seniors could wind up in nursing homes instead of aging peacefully at home."

Those are just some of the bleak prospects that appear in proposals that state Senate and House committees finalized today, in response to the state's $3.2 billion budget hole next fiscal year.

Most of those cuts appear in the Senate's budget proposal which, so far, contains about $1 billion less for health care and human services.

• Eliminating prenatal care through Medicaid for pregnant women living between 150 percent and 185 percent of the federal poverty line.

• Halving a home-care program for seniors and eliminating other local services for seniors seeking to avoid institutionalization.

• Completely eliminating Healthy Families.

From the "values" crowd

"Republican legislation that would decouple adoptions from gun ownership gave Democrats a forum Tuesday to lambast the state ban on adoption by gay and lesbian couples."

Republican bills advancing in both houses would prohibit child welfare workers from asking couples who want to adopt children whether they own guns. Sen.Thad Altman of Melbourne, one of the sponsors, said asking people about gun ownership violated their Second Amendment rights.

"That's a private matter," Altman said. "A person has a lawful right to own a weapon." ...

Florida is the only state that expressly bans gay men and lesbians from adopting.

What's wrong with Hillsborough?

Steve Otto "Hillsborough County mired in Snoopergate".

"20,000 legal Florida voters were barred from casting ballots in 2000"

"A Florida elections supervisor raised the state's botched 2000 election Tuesday to argue for a controversial bill that would let convicted felons vote in federal elections after their release from prison -- regardless of state law. Ion Sancho, the supervisor of elections in Leon County, told members of a U.S. House judiciary panel that because of a flawed list that sought to identify felons, about 20,000 legal Florida voters were barred from casting ballots in 2000 -- 'a contest decided by a mere 537 votes.'" "Florida joins House debate on voting rights for felons".

Good ole boys

"Boys' club? Parties with free cigars, liquor for movers and shakers draw fire from women leaders". See also "" and "".

"More difficult to graduate"

"A key Senate committee gave its OK Tuesday to a bill that would make it more difficult to graduate high school in Florida, putting more emphasis on high level science and math classes." "Fla. Senate committee approves Race-to-Top increase in graduation standards".

Trial lawyers' "diminished political clout"

"The lobbying arm of the Florida trial lawyers limped into this legislative session, and the group's pain is only getting worse. A handful of measures to change litigation law are making swift progress in the first weeks of session, as advocates capitalize on the Florida Justice Association's diminished political clout." "Trial lawyers find themselves overruled in this legislative session".

"Drilling is really about a much bigger decision"

"Florida's debate over whether to open its narrow strip of waters in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling is really about a much bigger decision, according to a report done for the state Legislature."

Lifting the Florida ban on drilling "might weaken the state's position when protesting oil and gas activities in submerged lands under federal jurisdiction," concludes the study, conducted by the Collins Center for Public Policy at the request of Senate President Jeff Atwater.

Children in prison

The Daytona Beach News Journal editors: "Florida leads the nation in sending children to prison. In a national study of children 14 or younger sent to adult prison for nonhomicidal crimes, three-quarters of the cases were in Florida. In the 2007-08 fiscal year, nearly 3,600 juvenile cases were transferred to adult court, and 443 people under the age of 17 were sent to adult prisons."

In the meantime, "the U.S. Supreme Court is using two Florida cases to determine whether sentencing children to spend the rest of their lives in prison is unconstitutionally cruel and unusual." "Wise to offer juveniles in prison a second chance".

Related: "More than half the states in the nation lowered their prison populations last year — but not Florida, where it continued to rise". "Florida prison population rises as most states show declines, study finds". See also "Florida's inmate population rises".

Fees up

"Fees are up, but Fla. motor vehicle agency still strapped".

"Just a coincidence"

"If Jeff Atwater's Senate has its way, the higher office he seeks will have unprecedented power over privatized prisons, billions of dollars in purchasing authority and the power to investigate Medicaid and food-stamp fraud."

The bills to expand the post of Florida chief financial officer all come from Senate President Atwater's chamber — but that's just a coincidence, say Atwater and the senators sponsoring the legislation.

When you elect RPOFers ...

"Republican leaders in both House and Senate set the table for conservative legislation due to come to a vote when both convene Thursday." "Conservative Agenda on Deck".

'Glades Judge's patience "nearing an end"

"Eighteen months ago, the federal judge overseeing Everglades cleanup progress tentatively endorsed a state bid to buy sugar fields for restoration projects, calling the opportunity to 'buy out the polluters' a logical solution to long-standing problems. Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno made it clear Tuesday that his patience was nearing an end -- both with delays in the controversial land deal and the glacial pace of the cleanup." "Judge shows impatience with Everglades cleanup".

Nelson

"Sen. Bill Nelson brings The Acreage cancer cluster to federal committee Wednesday".

Public school prayer

"Advocates are stirring for a fight on a long-contentious social issue that suddenly surfaced on the Florida Legislature's agenda: school prayer." "Florida legislators set Wednesday for debate on school prayer".

As Congressman Posey...

... does his Birther thing, his district is getting hammered: "Space program cuts hit Central Florida".

Sink

"Alex Sink sets economic goals if elected Florida governor".

PSC

"The House wants to overhaul the PSC to make commissioners act like judges and clarify the Legislature's control over policy." "House proposes to overhaul PSC's structure".

This is why "entrepreneurs" love high unemployment

Economics 101 - "Unemployed workers are facing a new reality:"

Their next job likely won't pay as much as their last one.

Experts say the longer you're unemployed, the more likely you are to accept a pay cut.

911 bill

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "Speaker sets a thoughtful example on 911 bill".

"Three basic options"

Sunshine News: "Staring down a $3 billion deficit, Florida lawmakers have three basic options:"

* Adopt Gov. Charlie Crist's budget, which contains $2.7 billion in additional spending.

* Raid trust funds and make across-the-board cuts.

* Wring out more efficiencies with targeted spending reductions to build a $1 billion reserve.

Since there is absolutely no appetite for tax increases in this election year, the Crist plan may seem the least onerous option. But, Republican leaders in the Legislature doubt that Crist's numbers will add up.

Saint TaxWatch

The Miami Herald editorial board joins the editors bowing down to Saint TaxWatch: "Making ends meet in Tallahassee".

Bright Futures standards

"A Senate budget proposal might lead to more strict standards for the Bright Futures scholarship, which is millions short on funds." "Tougher standards proposed for Bright Futures Scholarship".

As the young state lawmaker lined up support in 2003 and 2004 to become Florida House speaker, he blew through more than $600,000 stashed in a pair of political committees and never detailed how at least 20 percent of the money was spent. The expenses the Miami Republican did disclose suggest the money frequently went to subsidize his lifestyle or to employ relatives — not to support other House candidates as his donors would have expected.

With each new revelation about the self-indulgent spending by Rubio and other Republican leaders in recent years, the message could not be clearer.

"The latest humdinger"

The Tallahassee Democrat editorial board: "No one has been around the Legislature longer than this district's Sen. Al Lawson, so when he says he's never seen anything like it, 'it' must be a humdinger of an idea — one that needs a whale of a lot more thought to deserve serious regard in the Legislature."

The latest humdinger comes from a senator who succeeded in private business, now calls himself simply an "entrepreneur" and has been in the Legislature, well, not quite four years.

So, naturally, Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, has an infallible sense of how to run the state of Florida with precision.

By osmosis apparently. Just hanging around Tallahassee for a few months a year, Mr. Ring perceives that it is time to dismantle the Department of Management Services, further cut its employee numbers (about 1,000 in all), spread its duties around to other agencies like seeds cast into the wind and hope for what?

Election year bragging rights, perhaps?

Begging for federal dollars

Don't you love those low tax, states' rights nuts begging the rest of the nation to subsidize Florida's incompetence: "Florida's education team, led by Gov. Charlie Crist, will make its pitch Tuesday in Washington for why the state should get a whopping $1 billion piece of a $4 billion federal grant intended to reward states for pursuing aggressive school reform." "Crist leads lobbying trek to Washington to seek $1 billion for Florida schools".

Scaredy pants

"One subject that roiled last year's legislative session is largely absent from lawmakers' vocabulary this year: growth management. The reason, according to Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham, is that everyone is scared of the subject." "Florida lawmakers avoid debates on growth management".

Boyd

"The House Budget Committee approved legislation Monday aimed at tweaking the Senate version of the health-care overhaul, despite opposition from Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd." "Boyd opposes student-loan legislation".

Lie down with dogs ...

"DeMint toured South Carolina with a beneficiary of his newfound influence. Florida U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio and DeMint had joint fundraisers in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville. Reporters were not allowed into the events. DeMint talked to reporters outside. Rubio was not made available." "DeMint and Fla. Senate candidate raise money in SC".

Promises, promises

Nancy Smith: "learned nine years ago, when he was education commissioner, when he stood in front of a roomful of teachers and promised them they would be making 'six-figure salaries' by the end of the decade, that the man will say or do anything to win the moment."

Well, this time Crist may have used the death of a Lee County commissioner to reel in the last extend-the-sugar-deal vote.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two sources close to the South Florida Water Management District said the Florida governor promised to appoint district Governing Board Member Charles Dauray to the Lee County Commission seat left vacant when Bob Janes died.

All Dauray had to do was vote to extend the Crist sugar deal.

Which is excactly what the Estero resident did. And, which is a little odd.
Charles Dauray

Dauray, Southwest Florida's representative on the water management board, hasn't always been a proponent of the governor's expensive plan to buy out sugar land in the name of Everglades restoration. He has even been quoted in newspaper articles as complaining the buyout is the wrong way to go in today's bad economy. He voted against the deal first time around.

But, before last Thursday's vote, Dauray is quoted in The Naples Daily News: "(The land-deal extension) is absolutely critical to the economy of the West Coast of Florida and the health and safety of the million people who live there."

Will the governor reward this once-contentious-opponent-turned-SFMWD-teammate with a seat on the Lee County Commission? After all, his vote did make the extension unanimous, 9-0.

Hard to say what the governor will do.

Reached during his visit to Jacksonville last week, Crist denied he had made Dauray any such offer.

Jobs

"Florida Senate leaders on Monday began unveiling their long-awaited legislation to create jobs for some of the state's one million unemployed workers, proposing to spend as much as $165 million to boost jobs in aerospace and the film industry." "Senate: $165 million for Jobs".

Ethics laws

The Miami Herald editorial board: "Toughen Miami-Dade's ethics laws".

"It's gotten to the point ..."

The Sun-Sentinel editors: "You can tell voter apathy is a problem when a 12.6 percent turnout is the high-water mark for the region."

But that was the turnout in Palm Beach County for last week's municipal elections — an embarrassingly low number, true, but considerably better than Broward County's pathetic 9 percent turnout.

Municipal elections historically have poor turnout. It used to be that one good-sized condo could decide the winner in a local election. But now, it's gotten to the point where one floor in a condo can truly decide who the next city commissioner will be.

Yes, it's sad that voters don't turn out for the elections that affect their day-to-day lives more than many other higher-profile posts. The question is, what to do about it?

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board has long supported moving municipal elections to the November ballot along with statewide and national races. We still believe that's the smartest way to go.

'Glades

Mike Thomas: "It's hard to imagine a more disastrous finale to Gov. Charlie Crist's reign as governor than the implosion of a decades-long effort to put the Everglades back together again." "Crist’s big promises, no cash sour Everglades deal".

Daily Rothstein

"Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein helped feds hook reputed mobster". See also "Rothstein went undercover for feds, helped nail reputed Miami Beach mobster".

"Obama's overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law"

"President Obama's overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law will focus more on raising the bar for students and teachers -- and less on punishing failing schools. That's something the heads of Florida's two largest school districts said they can get behind. ... But South Florida teachers unions, like their counterparts nationally, criticized the bill for not going far enough to promote reform." "South Florida school officials like Obama's education plan".

More cuts

"Tax-cut plans could benefit green builders, rural homeowners and others but could cost local governments." "Florida Legislature seeks property tax cuts, incentives".

What's wrong with Hillsborough?

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Dismiss Bean and Lee".

"Who says bipartisanship is dead"?

The Orlando Sentinel editorial board: "As if he didn't have enough political battles to fight, President Obama blasted off into another one this year when he proposed grounding NASA's shuttle program on schedule later this year and aborting its successor, Constellation. Members of Congress from both parties in Florida and other states tied to the space program hate the idea. Who says bipartisanship is dead in Washington?" "Ramp up space effort".

"Sweeping changes"

"Florida's Department of Community Affairs made sweeping changes as the state continues pushing to spend federal housing money." "Florida alters housing program, aims to spend grant funds".

Drill baby, drill?

"Florida's debate over whether to open its narrow strip of waters in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling is really about a much bigger decision, according to a report done for the state Legislature." "Study: Drilling debate over state’s Gulf waters has wider implications". See also "Drilling report's conclusions disappoint both sides". Related: "Offshore Drilling Adrift".

911 bill dead

"With opposition building, House Speaker Larry Cretul is apparently abandoning his effort to make 911 calls confidential. The Ocala Republican said the intent of the legislation became distorted and it distracted from a separate measure that would implement statewide training standards for 911 dispatchers." "Effort to ban release of 911 calls likely dead".

But Obama sparked a scathing backlash in Florida. The entire congressional delegation is fighting to preserve an iconic industry with a major presence in the state.

The battle reached such a pitch last week — with politicians stoking fears about thousands of lost jobs and the Russians and Chinese overtaking our cosmic might — that Obama said he will travel to Florida on April 15 to explain himself.

"I'm not sure he's got a vision at this point," said Sen. Bill Nelson, who has chastised the White House for "huge mistakes" in rolling out the plan. "They would not listen."

Unless Obama makes some changes, Nelson said, "he's got a hostile Florida."

a recent assessment [of the Chicago experience] found that many students were shuffled into classrooms and schools that performed just as poorly under the high-stakes testing regimen.

DMS on way out?

"Searching for money to patch holes in the state budget, Florida legislators have squeezed everything the Department of Management Services does. This week, a Senate committee will go after the department itself." "Senate panel eyes DMS for dismantling".

Another editorial board ...

... jumps on the TaxWatch bandwagon: "Florida TaxWatch ideas provide an opportunity for Gov. Crist, too".

As the unemployment lines grow ...

... RPOFers work to appease their base voters, and it ain't pretty: "Creating jobs and cutting spending may be lawmakers' declared priorities this spring, but that has not dissuaded some conservatives from filing a raft of proposals relating to abortion and the unborn."

About half of the bills come from legislators running for re-election, in a year when Tea Party activists and other GOP malcontents are challenging candidates to prove their conservative credentials. At least one bill was scheduled for a hearing early in the session, by a Republican committee chairwoman who is running for governor.

John Stemberger, of the Florida Family Policy Council, said he's delighted to see this year's show of anti-abortion initiatives. Lawmakers' votes and sponsorship of at least some of the bills, he said, will factor prominently in the guide to political candidates his organization compiles each year for socially conservative voters.

Backward on education

Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee are proposing

legislation to revamp how teachers are evaluated, paid and fired -- in what could be Florida's biggest education overhaul in a decade.

The plan would eliminate "professional services'' contracts -- what some people informally call tenure -- and tie half of teachers' pay to student performance on the FCAT and end-of-course exams.

Florida would be the first in the nation to hinge so much of an educator's salary on student performance, and one of just a handful of states that do not award multiple-year contracts to teachers with classroom experience.

It starts with trusting local people to make the right decisions for their schools. I strongly believe in local control of schools.

But that principle has collided with hard times in Florida. Legislators warped the practice of education by mandating high-stakes testing as the chief measure of student achievement, and piled on mandates ranging from flags in classrooms to publicly funded vouchers for many parents who want their children in private schools.

The micro-management may hit a peak, however, with legislation being rushed through the Senate. Under SB 6, filed by state Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville, school districts will lose part of their state funding and be forced to raise local property taxes if they don't adopt the state's test-intensive philosophy toward evaluating teachers (and firing those who don't perform inside those narrow standards.)

If Thrasher's legislation becomes law, local school officials would be forced to use rigid criteria to evaluate teachers -- even if the principals and superintendents who directly supervise those teachers think they're doing a good job.

Florida legislators aren't the only ones who find teacher-bashing fashionable: President Barack Obama made a similar proposal as part of his education plan -- based on the mass firings and school closures Education Secretary Arne Duncan oversaw when Duncan was in charge of Chicago public schools.

Tax incentive insanity

"State lawmakers have floated more than $160 million in tax breaks this session to entice everything from the film industry to commercial space ventures, biotechnology firms and a host of other companies to spend more money, buy more equipment or hire more workers. They even want to help Orlando land an NBA All-Star Game by making the tickets tax-free." Read the rest of it here: "GOP: Let computer justify tax incentives".

"Strange political season"

"'They voted for somebody they'd never heard of in Barack Obama because he ran on the platform of a very devoted centrist.' That's the answer from Marco Rubio when asked about his stunning rise to national prominence as a Republican challenger to a popular Republican officeholder in the key electoral state of Florida. Underlying this strange political season, says Mr. Rubio, is the president's rapid uncloaking in office as anything but the postpartisan that voters thought they had elected." "Why Marco Rubio Is Running for Senate in Florida".

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

"There's been a lot of speculation about when Jeb Bush will finally make his preference official and endorse Marco Rubio for the Senate. But it strikes us that Rubio is better served for now with the popular ex-governor continuing with his current role: ostensibly neutral and taking increasingly tough shots at Charlie Crist from the sidelines." "Bush keeps Crist in his gun sights".

From the "values" crowd

"About 100 Holocaust survivors living in Palm Beach County are among the elderly who could wind up in nursing homes if state lawmakers approve proposed budget cuts to senior services this week." "Proposed budget cuts threaten in-home services for seniors".

Information filters

Bill Cotterell: "State employees are still afraid for their jobs if they talk about what goes on in their offices. Most state agencies have rules that everything — everything — goes through their public-information offices." "Open government doesn't need a filter".