"Marathon day is expected"

"Despite some progress Sunday, a marathon day is expected as legislators still need to grapple with education and other issues in order to agree on a $70 billion budget." "Florida legislators grapple with big budget decisions in final hours". See also "Budget Negotiations Coming Down to Higher Education Cuts". Related: "Scott Playing Bigger Role Behind the Scenes this Session, Lawmakers Say".




Imagine that

"Study: Counties that didn’t implement new elections law had greater early voting turnout".




South Florida Jewish vote key

"The decades-long allegiance of Jewish voters to the Democratic Party is under unprecedented stress, threatened by a combination of changing demographics and the concerted Republican effort to depict President Barack Obama as unfriendly to Israel. Nowhere are the stakes higher than South Florida, home to 490,000 Jews who make up a voting bloc powerful enough to influence national elections. Though a small percentage of the overall population, Jews vote at a higher rate than virtually every other slice of the electorate." "South Florida Jewish vote a key for Obama".




Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: On Budget, and On Time?".




"Frankel has big financial edge"

"In the first face-to-face meeting between Democratic congressional rivals Lois Frankel and Kristin Jacobs, Frankel reminded voters at a Palm Beach County Voters Coalition meeting last week that her campaign against 'tea party extremism' began nearly a year ago." "Lois Frankel has big financial edge in District 22 congressional race".




"Nelson, LeMieux rake in cash"

"Nelson, LeMieux rake in cash from pals in Congress".




"Scott moves about the state in his private jet"

"In Gov. Rick Scott's Florida, Cabinet members are a long way from the days when they hopped across the state in a Cessna jet. Scott made the state's two planes a symbol of government excess when he defeated a pair of rivals who used them."

But while taxpayers are saving because the planes have been sold and shipped out of state, real questions remain on whether the smaller travel bills are worth the costs — which are measured mainly in time. While Scott can move about the state in his personal private jet, Cabinet members are forced to drive or rely on Tallahassee's limited commercial air service.

"Grounded by Rick Scott, Cabinet members learn how to travel Florida without a state plane".




Anti-choice’ bill passes House

"‘Omnibus anti-choice’ bill with controversial ‘fetal pain’ language passes Florida House".




PolitiFact backs Mack on "Half Mack"

"Judging from his latest Web ad, George LeMieux thinks his rival for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate is a loser on par with Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen."

LeMieux's ad parodies "Two and a Half Men" — the show Sheen infamously quit in a snit — to target U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, whom the ad mockingly calls "Half Mack." It shows an animated "Half Mack" in a series of buffoonish outfits as the ad makes its stinging charges.

PolitiFact Florida decided to fact-check a claim from the ad that Mack "failed to pay his child support." The ad shows many notices sailing by, each stamped "urgent," "overdue," or "past due."

"LeMieux attack on Mack is unfair".




Capitol Buzz

"Capitol Buzz: 5 things to watch today in Tallahassee".




Charter madness

The Tampa Bay Times editorial board: "The actions of the Life Force Arts and Technology Academy in Dunedin raise serious questions about fiscal control and church-state separation. Pinellas County Schools Superintendent John Stewart is right to recommend that it be shut down as soon as possible." "Shut down troubled charter".