Miami Democrat Joe Garcia said he had asked Jeffrey Garcia, no relation, for his resignation after the man took responsibility for the plot. Several hours earlier, law enforcement investigators raided the homes of Giancarlo Sopo, 30, the congressman's communications director, and John Estes, 26, his 2012 campaign manager

"The Miami Herald found that the ballot requests were clustered and targeted Democratic voters in Garcia’s congressional district and Republican voters in two Florida House of Representatives districts, indicating a concerted effort by a mystery computer hacker or hackers."

Only voters, their immediate family members or their legal guardians can submit requests for absentee ballots under state election laws. Violations may be considered third-degree felony fraud. Using someone’s personal information — as required in online ballot-request forms — may also be considered a more serious, first-degree felony.

None of the identified requests were filled because the elections department’s software flagged them as suspicious. But had they slid by, campaigns would have been able to direct phone calls, fliers and home visits to the voters to try to win their support — if not attempt to steal the ballots from unsuspecting voters’ mailboxes.

Scott strides world stage

"Fla. Gov. heading to Japan for fall trade mission".

"GOP consultants in contempt"

"A circuit judge Friday held three prominent Republican consultants in contempt for not handing over thousands of pages of private records detailing their work in last year's contentious redistricting fight." "Judge holds GOP consultants in contempt for not producing records". See also "Legal battle continues over redistricting communications".

Oh . . . what a relief it is

"When Sugar was sued, it turned to Legislature for relief".

Never mind the pension promises

"Officers honored for bravery in St. Petersburg gunbattle".

Weekly Roundup

"Weekly Roundup: Scott Signs Bills as Summer Doldrums Near".

"Scott’s relentless quest for urine testing"

"Attorney Alma Gonzalez, special counsel for AFSCME Council 79, didn't mince her words."

“Governor Scott’s relentless quest for urine testing has once again been rejected by a federal court,” she said in a statement. “No matter how much Governor Scott wants people to believe otherwise, the fact remains that people don’t have to give up their privacy, dignity, and constitutional protections in order to serve our communities. Public employees should not be subject to arbitrary testing without probable cause or consent.”

Scott, for his part, declared himself the primary victor in the case.

"Tax increase" blather

"Gov. Rick Scott calls tuition hikes a tax increase, but signed on to them in past".

Scott tosses environmental rule enforcers

Aaron Deslatte: "Florida's environmental cops are undergoing a quiet, behind-the-scenes restructuring that Gov. Rick Scotts administration attributes to fewer businesses running afoul of regulatory roadblocks."

But it could also be a product of fewer rules for the road.

Sen. Darren Soto is asking questions about the recent departures of four Department of Environmental Protection lawyers, one of whom suggested the firings and resignations were made to the detriment of conservation goals.

The Orlando Democrat sent a public-records request to DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard last week asking for documents related to attorneys Christopher T. Byrd, Kelly L. Russel, Teresa Mussetto and Christopher McGuire.

Byrd and Russel were fired last month by DEP General Counsel Matthew Leopold in identical letters notifying them the office's goals would be "accomplished more effectively by removing you from your positions." The other two lawyers resigned, and one suggested it wasn't by choice.

DEP has said the dismissals were part of a streamlining necessitated by the decreased volume of permits flowing through the agency since the Great Recession.

Good luck with that

"A homeowner-advocacy group is pressuring Florida Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that would expedite foreclosures in the state starting July 1. The new state law would allow banks to complete foreclosures without court hearings, unless a homeowner requests to have a specific case heard by a judge. In the past, all foreclosure cases have had to pass through the court system, even though a large proportion of the actions have been uncontested by the owners." "Group asks Scott to veto speedier-foreclosure bill".

Scott signs "unconscionable" bill

"Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed a bill that removes the ability of state regulators to challenge health insurance rates for a two-year period. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson had called for the bill to be vetoed, saying the legislation was 'unconscionable.'" "Scott rebuffs Nelson on health insurance rate bill".

Scott hands developers another gift

"Gov. Rick Scott has signed HB 999, a bill so detested by a host of environmental groups that they brought in former Sen. Bob Graham to try in vain to stop it."

Scott’s action Thursday disappointed environmental advocates, but did not surprise them, said Estus Whitfield of the Florida Conservation Coalition. He predicted it might hurt Scott at the ballot box when he seeks re-election in 2014.

“I don’t think it’s any feather in his cap,” said Whitfield, who worked as an aide to four governors, both Democrat and Republican. “I think the general public is getting tired of seeing the environment sold down the river.”

Asked why he signed a bill that drew more than 350 letters or emails urging him to veto it, Scott gave a vague response.

“I care a lot about the environment,” the governor said. “We’ve worked very hard to make sure this is the state where you can get a job, make sure your child’s getting an education, it’s safe, and it’s also a place where we can keep our community clean. One of the things I’m most proud of is the fact that we’ve worked very diligently to get the Everglades, get the water flow increased, get the quality of water increased, so everything we’re doing, whether it’s the Everglades, whether it’s our spring, ... we’re doing everything we can to make this a clean environment where we all want to live.”

The bill that Scott signed into law contains more than a dozen provisions, including:

• Blocking the Florida Wildlife Federation from suing to overturn a controversial decision by Scott and the Cabinet to grant 30-year leases to 31,000 acres of the state’s Everglades property to two major sugar companies.

• Preventing water management districts from cutting back groundwater pumping by any entity that builds a desalination plant to increase its potential water supply. “I don’t think we should be tying the hands of the water management districts to better promote conservation of water,” Graham said.

• Speeding up the permitting for natural gas pipelines that originate in other states, such as the new 700-mile one from Alabama that’s being planned by Florida Power & Light.

• Forbidding cities from asking an applicant more than three times for additional information before approving development permits.

"Republican vs. Republican"

"It's Republican vs. Republican in the latest round of political battles over health care."

Conservative Republican legislators in major states are trying to block efforts by more pragmatic governors of their own party to accept health insurance for more low-income residents under President Barack Obama's health care law.

Unlike their congressional counterparts, who've misfired in repeated attempts to torpedo the law, state Republicans may well sink the expansion of Medicaid in populous states such as Florida and Michigan.

That would mean leaving billions of dollars in federal matching funds on the table and hundreds of thousands of the poor uninsured. Expansion

No takers?

"GOP insiders say the governor's pick for the role will likely be his running mate next year and that it will be a critical re-election choice." "Scott searching for a lieutenant governor".

Connie who?

"Connie Mack Struggles to Stay Politically Relevant".

Will backlash provide even more momentum for the elimination of pensions?

"A bill passed in the waning moments of the 2013 legislative session with little discussion and signed two weeks later by Gov. Rick Scott will cost state and local governments nearly $900 million in additional expenses next year, hitting county governments especially hard as they struggle to emerge from a prolonged economic slump."

"The sharp spike in pension payments has some local officials questioning what's really going on. Two years ago, the Legislature moved to have government employees to ostensibly pay 3 percent of their pension costs. This past session, state House members approved a measure to stop offering pensions to new hires and move them into 401(k)-style retirement plans. That was rejected by the Senate."

Recently elected Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, a Democrat and former state House member, said he was skeptical that lawmakers were trying to improve the pension. He wondered whether its motivated to create a backlash and provide momentum for the elimination of government pensions in Florida.

"We all know this is one of the more solid pension programs in the country," Henriquez said. "Is that money going to FRS to actually shore it up? Or is it a long-term strategy to pressure those of us at the local level to say we can't sustain these increases?"

Well, it ain't the Batista regime

"Don't Tell Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Cuba Isn't a Terrorist State".

Remember me?

"Jennifer Carroll: GOP Needs Outreach to Black Communities".

Raw political courage

"Gov. Rick Scott signs bill to help human trafficking victims".

Leaders in the Florida Legislature have been patting themselves on the back lately for including $10 million to protect and restore springs in the $74 billion state budget that lawmakers passed this month. But the money for springs represents less than 10 percent of the $122 million that the five water districts estimated would be needed for a comprehensive springs plan.

Two Orlando Democrats, Rep. Linda Stewart and Sen. Darren Soto, sponsored a bill this year to require the districts to develop five-year restoration plans for springs in their regions. Neither version even got a hearing before dying in committee.

If environmental treasures like Florida's springs and rivers are to be saved, Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers will need to embrace actions like those called for in the Stewart-Soto bill.

Orlando population growing

"Orlando population growth 2nd in state".

Subpoenas quashed

"Nine state legislators who were subpoenaed to testify in the case of a fired Florida Highway Patrol trooper cannot be forced to testify, a hearing officer has ordered." "Subpoenas quashed for legislators in firing".

Class act

"Florida's highest-ranking judge ended a long-standing practice of sending letters of congratulation to Eagle Scouts earlier this year as the Boy Scouts of America agonized publicly over whether to admit gay members. . . . A court spokeswoman said his action was prompted by the possibility that Scout-related litigation could come before the court, not by his personal views on whether the Scouts should admit gay members." "New Eagle Scouts won't get letters from chief justice".

The Week Ahead

"The Week Ahead for May 28 to May 31".

Raw political courage

"Trey Radel Launching His Plan for Lowering Gas and Grocery Bills".

"Here Comes Allen West"

"Tea party favorite former Congressman Allen West floated a trial balloon at the end of last week, making believers out of many that he will set his sights on a political comeback in 2016 -- possibly looking toward the White House this time."

Appearing on the Tammy Bruce radio show Friday, the Florida Republican made it clear that he was open to running for office again despite losing to Democrat Patrick Murphy in November.

Harrison can't give it up

"The last time Shawn Harrison and state Rep. Mark Danish ran against each other was nearly seven months ago."

Harrison, a Republican, was the incumbent, with good name recognition and strong fundraising. But Danish, a middle school science teacher, rode a big Democratic wave and won by 1 percentage point.

Now Harrison has filed papers to run again in state House District 63. If he gets his rematch, the election would take place 17 months from now, and both men would expect the contest to be different. . . .

Last November, Harrison out-raised Danish 15-to-1: $299,000 to $19,500.

As George Bennett points out, all we got is this: "fifteen months before Democrats choose a nominee to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican Party of Florida has launched attacks on undeclared Democratic frontrunner Charlie Crist."

The “This Date In CRIST-ory” campaign features a Twitter account, Tumblr page and YouTube videos that focus on “failures and flip flops” from Crist’s not-too-distant Republican past.

[t]he tax and fee hikes — which included $1 billion from higher driver license and other motor vehicle fees and another $1 billion from a cigarette tax increase — were approved by the Republican-controlled legislature that year.

"McBurney, R-Benedict Arnold"

"Rep. Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, certainly is a heavy favorite to win a fourth and final full term in 2014 -- but he faces an uncertain future after that." "Charles McBurney Quiet, Solid Player in the House, but What About Later?".

Daniel Ruth thinks you "might remember the case of Jacksonville state Rep. Charles McBurney, R-The Valachi Papers, who started singing like a bird after [FHP trooper] Swindle stopped him flying down I-10 in November at 87 in a 70 mph zone."

When Swindle realized he had stopped a member of the Florida Legislature he decided to do McBurney a favor and, after checking with his supervisor, issued the lead-footed public official a $10 ticket for not having proof of insurance and a warning to slow down.

Unless you are more naive than Bullwinkle J. Moose, you probably aren't scandalized at the notion that a FHP trooper cut some slack to a member of a legislative body that votes on the FHP budget. Duh-squared.

And that should have been that. But McBurney suddenly discovered his inner Judas in going to Swindle's boss, FHP Col. David Brierton, to whine about the special treatment he had received.

Of course McBurney, R-Benedict Arnold, penned his indigent letter after driving off with just his $10 no proof of insurance fine rather than standing firm and insisting the trooper ticket him for the full extent of his speeding violation.

In short order, Swindle's FHP career came to an end with his firing. On Wednesday, [Swindle's lawyer, Sidney] Matthew will appeal the ex-trooper's dismissal before the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission. And the lawyer is more fired up than Mike Tyson finding himself in the ring opposite Pee Wee Herman.

"'Tone-deaf' in earning public confidence"

The Orlando Sentinel editors: "Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance will be paid $52 million to take 60,000 policies off Citizens' books. The deal will reduce its possible losses from a once-in-a-century storm by $439 million. Still, Citizens' board passed the deal by just one vote; opponents faulted its rushed timing and lucrative terms."

As for appearances, the deal couldn't get much uglier. In recent months, Heritage gave $110,000 to Gov. Rick Scott's political committee and $30,000 to the state Republican Party. The company also spent at least $50,000 on lobbyists, including former state Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher, who once supervised some of the regulators who signed off on the deal with Heritage.

Scott's office indignantly denied playing any part in the deal. But his chief of staff also called Citizens "tone-deaf in earning public confidence." No kidding.

"Culture of conscientious ignorance"

Nancy Smith writes that, "with its swamps and deep woods and regions of profound isolation, Florida has always been a place where bad things can happen without anybody finding out for years. But there is no excuse for the culture of conscientious ignorance surrounding atrocities at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys over more than 100 years." "For Shame: Judge Heaps More Pain on Dozier Families".

Bush wrote an editorial for the Washington Times praising Snyder for signing controversial right-to-work legislation into law. While critics say the measure, which prohibits union dues or fees as a condition of employment, will drive down employee wages and weaken bargaining power, Bush said it will make Michigan more competitive with other states, such as Florida, that already enacted similar policies.

Friend-of-Marco

Republican Rubio, who "holds himself up as a devout free marketer who thunders against government 'picking winners and losers'" nevertheless "voted to preserve the federal sugar quota program that ensures consumers pay higher prices for cereals, candies and a host of other sugar products." "Winner and loser of the week in Fla politics".

"Prayer at government meetings"

"High court case may affect prayer at government meetings".

Count Florida Senate President Don Gaetz among those worried about Scott's prospects.

Brownfields

"In 2012, the Orlando Sentinel reported that companies received brownfield tax breaks without having to show there was contamination. HB 7007 and SB 4006 require that brownfield sites have cleanup agreements in place with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or be next to such contamination areas. Some say that is too restrictive. " "Bills clamp down on 'brownfields' designations after reports".

"Business as usual"

"Sweet deals are business as usual in Florida government".

Nothing to be proud of

"Rick Scott says budget sets record low for state workers per capita this century".

Rubio vs. Cruz

"GOP senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have arrived at the contentious issue of immigration from very similar places."

Both came from immigrant families. Both have Cuban roots. Both rose to the Senate with help from the Tea Party and still speak in glowing terms about how the United States remains the greatest nation for downtrodden immigrants to lift themselves up.

But as Congress arrives at a key moment in its work to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws, the two stand at opposite ends of the debate on whether to allow the nation’s 11 million unauthorized immigrants to become citizens. That divide mirrors the argument within the Republican Party over how to handle the immigration bill — and could end up propelling, or sinking, the two senators as they mull possible presidential runs in 2016.

"Don't count Sink out"

"Don't dismiss the possibility that former chief financial officer Alex Sink will run for governor again. She made it sound unlikely after the death of her husband, Bill McBride, but we hear the Democrat has been talking to a lot of influential politicos lately." "Don't count Sink out".

Shameless

"Something we thought we'd never hear again:"

Bob Graham enthusiastically belting out his wonderfully horrible 1977 campaign song urging everybody to "be a Graham Cracker Backer." But there he was last week in Stacy Frank's South Tampa living room, daughter and congressional candidate Gwen Graham at his side along with Charlie Crist, singing away: "We've Got a Friend In Bob Graham! That's What Everybody's Sayin'!"

Nelson urges veto

"Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson urged Florida Gov. Rick Scott to veto legislation his fellow Republicans advanced that suspends for two years the state’s authority to set health insurance rates." "Nelson urges veto of Florida bill suspending state power to set health insurance rates".

Publicity stunt

Florida's Governor fights to ensure that Florida's Wawa jobs go local: "In his quest to connect talented, ambitious college graduates in Florida with a widening state job market, Gov. Rick Scott has launched a new initiative -- a campaign he calls Hiring Florida Graduates, and a website, HireFloridaGrads.com." "Campaign Seeks to Give Jobs to Florida Grads".

About Detert

"State Sen. Nancy Detert is a hard-charging, 68-year-old Sarasota grandmother who championed three key bills." "Sarasota lawmaker carves out legacy in Legislature".