"The Florida Legislature closed its 2014 regular session Friday approving discounted tuition for undocumented immigrants, medical marijuana for epileptic children, tax subsidies for sports-stadium builders and an election-year package of tax cuts for Gov. Rick Scott."

But Democrats and a few Republican lawmakers said they had let down Floridians by not voting to expand Medicaid to more than 800,000 uninsured or devoting more of a $1.3 billion surplus on social services.

The Tampa Trib editors: "No gambling expansion, but tax cuts and a shot at college for immigrants".

Challengers and cakewalks

Filing deadlines: "Castor, Bilirakis to face no opposition in re-election bids" and "Democrats in Congress all draw challengers".

Bacon

Aaron Deslatte: "In Florida budget politics, it pays to be a night owl. Long after House and Senate budget negotiators had clinched deals on the biggest brick-and-mortar components of their $77.1 billion spending plan last week, they huddled again close to midnight to roll out $167.8 million in projects for lawmakers to take home. The vast majority of the 90 or so items would go to colleges and universities; water projects; and hospital and social-service organizations. And many are tied to the current or future leaders of the Legislature. Most had never appeared before throughout the 60-day session." "Late-night huddle generates passel of hometown projects".

FlaGOP urinates on springs bill

"It was always a long-shot. But House and Senate lawmakers trying to impose new cleanup rules for Florida's pollution-battered springs will be back at the drawing board next year." "No Duh Alert: Springs bill is dead". See also "Crisafulli says springs bill died because it wasn't the right approach".

Flabaggers in a dither over Scott flip flop

"In September 2011, Scott said in a TV interview that he 'completely' opposed in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. This week, he supported it." "Gov. Rick Scott opposed in-state tuition for DREAMers before he embraced it". See also "In-state tuition bill passed, headed to Gov. Scott's desk".

Week in Review

Kevin Derby: "Political Bits and Pieces". See also "Arrivals and Departures, May 2, 2014" and "Week in Review for May 2, 2014".

Rubio whines about the unfairness of the minimum wage

Marco "Rubio took to the national airwaves on Wednesday night to slam Obama’s handling of the economy, including his call to raise the minimum wage."

Appearing on Greta Van Susteren’s show on Fox News, Rubio hit Obama for using the “same rhetoric of class warfare” which Obama and his allies “always rely on.”

“The problems is while his idea might poll well initially, it doesn’t actually help people trying to get ahead,” Rubio insisted. “If you own a business that can’t really raise prices and you have workers and now you have to pay them more, federally mandated, you’re going to have to find the money somehow.”

1 million Floridians sign up for Obamacare; FlaGOP calls for repeal

"Nearly 1 million Floridians sign up for health care plans".

Tally geniuses accuse MLB of human trafficking

"Major League Baseball, either knowingly or perhaps unknowingly, has been a part of what essentially has become a major human trafficking scheme," according to the FlaGOP. "Senate Adds Cuban Player Rules to Stadium Funding Plan". See generally "Florida lawmakers pave way for tax breaks for pro sports".

"The same lousy deal for women in the Florida House"

Nancy Smith: "It's the same lousy deal for a woman in the Florida House. "

Year after year the same. Doesn't matter their party, women representatives seated in the lower chamber invariably fight for a meaningful role, take abuse and ultimately get ignored.

Jeb! throws his weight around

"Jeb Bush Endorses Thom Tillis to Take on Kay Hagan in NC Senate Contest".

No word on whether Ana Alliegro will run the campaign

"Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera says he will run for Congress — again". See also "David Rivera Seeks Political Comeback Against Joe Garcia".

Jany against Jolly

"After winning a close special election over Democrat former state CFO Alex Sink, U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., won’t have a Democratic opponent in November. But Democrats at the national level are rallying behind a candidate running with no party affiliation. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced on Friday, the last day to qualify for a congressional race, that it is backing retired Army Col. Ed Jany against Jolly despite that he's running with no party affiliation." "Democrats Back Outside-the-Party Candidate to Challenge David Jolly".

Voucher games - "voucher expansion tacked on to unrelated bill"

"A surprise procedural maneuver Friday helped Florida lawmakers pass one of the most controversial bills of the session."

Both the House and Senate gave final approval to a bill that would expand the school voucher program and create new scholarships for special-needs children.

The proposal will now head to Gov. Rick Scott, who is expected to sign it.

School choice advocates celebrated bill’s passage — an unexpected end to a roller-coaster session.

“The House has made school choice a priority this year for Florida families,” said House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, who championed the bill. “With this bill, more kids will have the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

Joanne McCall, vice president of the Florida Education Association, the statewide teachers’ union, said she was disappointed. “The members of FEA are chagrined by the continued march to expand voucher schools that are largely unregulated, don’t have to follow the state’s academic standards, don’t have to hire qualified teachers and don’t have to prove to the state that they are using public money wisely,” she said.

McCall said it was “especially galling that the voucher expansion was tacked on to an unrelated bill on the final day of the session.”

The state PTA, teachers union and school districts had come together to fight the bill, saying state dollars should stay with traditional public schools. . . .

The policy almost didn’t make it through the process. But lawmakers were able to keep it in play through a series of procedural maneuvers.

Arrest somebody

Fabiola Santiago: "Criminal probe of DCF is in order after new revelations". Meanwhile, "Reform of Florida child-welfare system one of several bills sent to Scott on last day".

Gov. Bush leads the Florida Republican primary with 27 percent, followed by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky with 14 percent, Sen. Rubio at 11 percent, New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie at 7 percent, with 6 percent each for Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan. No other candidate tops 4 percent and 16 percent are undecided. . . .

Clinton tops several possible Republican candidates in Florida:

49 - 41 percent over Bush;

52 - 40 percent over Rubio;

55 - 37 percent over Paul;

52 - 34 percent over Christie;

56 - 36 percent over Ryan;

57 - 31 percent over Cruz;

53 - 35 percent over Huckabee.

In-state tuition for immigrants in Senate

"Bill giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition in Florida poised for Senate vote".

Public employee haters flop

"Pension Legislation Dead, Senate Sponsor Says". See also "Effort to overhaul Florida public employee pension system looks dead for year; other legislative news".

School grades

"Bill changing way Florida grades its public schools on the way to Gov. Scott".

"Scott's 'television barrage' hasn't helped"

"Strong support from women and independents is helping Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist maintain a hefty lead over incumbent Republican Rick Scott, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday."

Crist, who was elected governor in 2006 as a Republican but later left the party and the governor's mansion, leads Scott by a margin of 48 percent to 38 percent, the poll showed. That is similar to a Quinnipiac poll in January that gave Crist a lead of 46 percent to 38 percent. . . .

Crist particularly does well with women voters, leading Scott by a margin of 51 percent to 33 percent, according to the poll. Independents also back Crist by a margin of 48 percent to 34 percent.

Crist beat Scott on a variety of issues, including compassion, honesty and trustworthiness, and voters also viewed Crist as a better leader. And Crist received a better grade as governor, with an approval rate of 52-38 percent, compared to Scott's negative 42-50 percent job-approval rating.

The latest figures come after Scott's campaign has unleashed six television ads, most of them bashing Crist.

[Peter Brown, assistant director of the independent Quinnipiac University Poll,] said that the latest numbers show that Scott's "television barrage" hasn't helped the incumbent.

"Scott has used millions of dollars of television ads to try to convince voters that Charlie Crist isn't their kind of guy and, so far, it hasn't worked. That tells you something," Brown said Wednesday.

a new poll with a conservative sponsor, from Winter Springs-based Gravis Marketing, [which] shows Scott up 1 point.

The Gravis poll . . . gives Scott a 44-43 lead, well within the 3 point margin of error. It also says that Attorney General Pam Bondi comfortably leads either of the two Democrats vying to take her on, ahead of George Sheldon 45-36 and ahead of Perry Thurston 45-38.

The Gravis poll [was] done in conjunction with the very conservative organization Human Events . . .

Human Events features "writers" like Ann Coulter, Pat Buchanan, Sean Hannity, and Newt Gingrich.

Local bucks

"State lawmakers from Miami-Dade County secured billions of dollars for local schools, universities, social services programs and development projects." "Miami-Dade lawmakers bring home big dollars from Tallahassee".

Obama Upside Down

"Obama Remains Upside Down in Florida".

Grayson asks for annulment

"Alan Grayson asks for annulment, accuses wife of bigamy in new court documents".

Rubio talks tuff, is anybody listening?

"Marco Rubio Joins Senate GOP in Calling for Tougher Sanctions Against Russia".

Scott throws wild card

Marc Caputo: "Gov. Rick Scott just threw down a wild card."

With less than a week before the session ends on Friday, Scott’s team is provoking talk about a special legislative session, perhaps starting May 18, to consider a new gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The potential deal, called a “compact,” could give the state as much as $500 million annually, about double what it gets now. But it could hurt the states 31 pari-mutuel facilities, many of which see the Seminoles and Miccosukee tribes as threats.

Big of 'em

"For the first time in three years, state lawmakers will give traditional school districts money for maintenance and construction." "State budget plan has $100 million for public schools upkeep".

A report released Monday at the Building a GradNation Summit in Washington found Florida's 75 percent graduation rate is about five percentage points lower than the nationwide average. . . .

Florida is tied with four others states for having the fifth lowest graduation rate.

"Polishing off the details"

"Florida lawmakers buttoned up a $75 billion budget Monday that boosts spending on classrooms, charter-school construction and has $10 million for projects expanding the University of Central Florida. With $1.3 billion in tax revenue to spare, Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford still have to polish off the details of $500 million in tax cuts before the session adjourns Friday." "Lawmakers wrap up $75B state budget".

See also "Fla. legislators reach deal on most spending items", "House, Senate reach deal on budget" and "Florida legislators reach deal on most spending items".

Hosing state workers

"Major parts of budget finalized without state worker pay raises".

"Prominent Democrats are starting to wade into the Florida waters"

"Prominent national Democrats are starting to wade into the Florida waters as the gubernatorial race starts to take center stage."

On Monday, the state Democrats announced that former President Bill Clinton will be heading to Florida in June. Clinton, who carried Florida over Bob Dole in 1996 after losing it to George H.W. Bush in 1992, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Leadership Blue -- formerly the Jefferson-Jackson -- dinner in Hollywood on June 28.

"Rothstein operated in a wallow of complicity"

Fred Grimm: "Two more of Scott Rothstein’s enablers surrendered at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Monday. Two out of so many. Rothstein operated in a wallow of complicity."

Broward Sheriff’s Lt. David Benjamin and detective Jeff Poole provided law enforcement gravitas for the convicted mastermind of a $1.4 billion Ponzi scheme. Of course, cops from all over town had been happy to provide “security” for the flamboyant crook. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department provided around-the-clock guard details for Rothstein’s gaudy waterfront mansion. He of the gold-plated toilet seats paid out some $400,000 a year for his personal police force. Of course, like everything else purchased by the fabulous Rothstein, he paid his protectors with stolen loot. He paid them with money any police officer in his vicinity should have suspected was dirty.

Benjamin is accused of helping Rothstein load $500,000 and heaps of jewelry onto a private jet in 2009, when the fraudster was absconding to Morocco just ahead of the FBI. He and Poole are accused of employing “force and threats of force” to protect Rothstein's former law partner, Stuart Rosenfeldt, from a hired escort who was intimating she might reveal her relationship with the lawyer.

They are charged also with engineering the false arrest of Rothstein buddy Douglas Bates’ ex-wife. Rothstein wanted his pet cops to help Bates out with his child custody dispute. Because when your co-conspirator owns the local police, child custody disputes can be settled with trumped-up drug charges. Bates pleaded guilty to wire fraud in February, the 14th of Rothstein’s cronies convicted.

But there were so many more who knew, who should have known, that they were associating with a billion dollar fraudster.

Textbook politics

"Fla. House passes rival school textbook bill". More: "Florida House bill give school districts choice of texts reviewed by state or their own process; other state news". See also "School textbook bill passes House but retains provisions for concerned parents".

"Government schools"

As Lloyd Brown, a former editorial page editor of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville and speech writer for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush shows, you are not going to get a lot of deep thinking from people who use the term, "government schools": "Another Outbreak of Animal Cruelty".

Weatherford ducks criticism from environmentalists

"SB 1576 dealing with springs is on the Senate special order calendar for Wednesday. Some environmentalists have criticized the House for not acting on the companion bill, HB 1313." "Weatherford deflects criticism of House inaction on springs while movement underway on other bills". See also "Budget deal disappoints groups seeking money for conservation lands and springs".

Rand Paul Cultivates Florida

"Ron Paul Shuns Florida, Rand Paul Cultivates It".

House OKs gun-toting teachers

"The Florida House passed a bill that would allow designated teachers to carry concealed weapons on campus." "Florida House OKs bill allowing gun-toting teachers". See also "House Passes Bill to Allow Guns in Schools" and "Florida House passes bill to allow guns in schools".

Courageous legislators fight Shariah law

"Florida is moving one step closer to becoming the eighth state to enact a bill prohibiting the use of foreign law by the state's court. The measure (SB 386) passed the Senate on Monday with a 24 to 14 vote. Some opponents of the bill feel the action is aimed at preventing the applicability of Shariah law, which is used to govern in courts of Muslim countries, although the measure's language does not single out any individual form of foreign law." "Bill would prohibit foreign law in courts".

Gay marriage lawsuit

"The ACLU of Florida has asked a federal judge to force Florida to recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere." "ACLU: Order Florida to recognize gay marriages".

While Crist enthusiastically admitted he changed his view on gay marriage and now supports it, he argued with interviewer Michael Williams of WPTV about whether he changed his views on abortion.

Even before he switched parties, Crist voted both for and against abortion restrictions: In the 1990s, he opposed a waiting period for adults but also backed restrictions that included a waiting period for minors and a ban on partial birth abortion. In 2010, he vetoed a bill to require women to undergo ultrasounds before they have an abortion.

He's also called himself both "pro-life" and "pro-choice," and he seems comfortable offering up his own personal definitions of the terms.

If he's shown a kernel of consistency, it's that he often — but not always — talked about being personally "pro-life" but wanting to respect the right of women to make decisions with their doctors and without government interference.

Interestingly, this is not a case of a politician changing his stance after switching parties. Crist has always been all over the map on abortion. On balance, we rate his claim Mostly False.

Nancy Smith agrees: "Charlie Crist can't stop telling his audience what they want to hear, even when it's so full of baloney he should pass out napkins first." "Charlie Crist's Hyperbolicious Solar Flair".

Midnight madness

"Florida legislators have a reached a deal over most of the spending that will be included in a new $75 billion state budget. House and Senate budget chiefs met shortly before midnight Sunday. Part of the deal includes a 2.6 percent boost in spending on public school students." "Fla. legislators reach deal on most spending items".

"Lawmakers haggling over next year’s $75 billion budget on Sunday moved closer to significant deals on state worker’s salaries, a controversial plan to build another engineering school, and environmental projects." "State Senate, House move closer on Florida budget priorities".

More: "House, Senate agree on Lake Okeechobee, Indian River Lagoon funds; FAMU-FSU split still in question". See also "Session's end in sight, bills still in motion".

Pension haters "stymied again"

"House and Senate leaders hoping to accomplish what they couldn’t last year — a major overhaul of the Florida Retirement System — have been stymied again this year."

A proposal to close the pension plan to new hires except firefighters and police didn’t go anywhere. Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, scaled back the proposed legislation, offering instead a more modest bill that would place by default new hires into the 401(k)-like investment plan if they don’t choose a specific plan within nine months of beginning their public employment.

An amendment filed last week made more changes to the bill, including closing the pension plan to newly elected officials except for judges. A bill that would make many of the same changes passed out of the House on Friday. That bill, however, was combined earlier this month with another bill making changes to how tax proceeds can be used to fund firefigher and police ptension benefits.

500,000 people in Tampa region on food stamps

"The number of Tampa-area residents relying on food stamps has fallen to a level not seen since November 2011. Since food stamp numbers peaked last August, more than 19,000 people have left the food stamp rolls in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, according to the Department of Children and Families. But that still leaves nearly 500,000 people in the region depending on the federal government for help with their groceries." "Rule changes part of decline in food stamp recipients".

We wish you luck

"Fla. Gov. Scott names new DCF secretary".

"Crowd of Foes"

"Daphne Campbell is now facing political peril as she takes on three new foes and still has an extremely unimpressive fundraising operation. The Miami Democrat has been running for 2014 since October 2012 and has done next to nothing in terms of building up a war chest. In the last year and a half, Campbell brought in only $22,370 and spent less than $625." "Daphne Campbell Now Faces Crowd of Foes in Miami-Dade House Race".

"Water differences at night"

Aaron Deslatte writes that "hammering out the finer points on a raft of other issues from higher education spending, springs and Everglades restoration, services for the disabled, school construction, and road projects have been dragging out behind closed doors all weekend." "Lawmakers hammer out water differences at night".

"Pounding away at Eric Holder and Obamacare"

"Running for his second term in Congress, conservative rising star Ron DeSantis should easily be able to keep his seat this year."

DeSantis has clearly discarded the old congressional rule demanding freshman members should be seen and not heard. Almost every week, DeSantis can be seen on the national cable talk shows, pounding away at Lois Lerner, Eric Holder and Obamacare.

Gaetz, who at age 66 is nearly twice as old as Weatherford, seeded his talk with quips about the “communists” in the Democratic Party and the untrustworthy ways of the “liberal media.” Weatherford, 34, was a 10-year-old when the Berlin Wall fell and grew up long after the communist threat. He spoke of his hope for the Republican Party, and urged the crowd to be bolder and more compassionate.

The political backdrop to all of this is that Republican strategists believe they must improve the governor’s support among Hispanic voters. President Barack Obama easily carried Hispanic voters in Florida in the last two presidential cycles and a February poll showed Gov. Rick Scott trailed Democrat Charlie Crist among Hispanic voters by a two to one margin.

To that end, Scott has named former Miami state Rep. Carlos Lopez Cantera as his running mate and launched an aggressive Hispanic outreach campaign. In the last week, Scott has weighed into the immigration debate, urging the Senate to accept the House proposal. His late entry, supporters of the bill say, is a reflection of his desire to improve his poll numbers among Hispanics more than a reflection of his commitment to the issue. (Both he and Crist have reversed themselves on the issue.)

How Gaetz and Weatherford resolve the issue in the final week of the 60-day session will not only shed light on their leadership, it will mirror the challenges that face the party as it tries to find a unified message to bridge deep divisions.

“The Senate president and the speaker are a proxy for the conversation that is being had in the Republican Party right now,’’ said Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, a former Senate president who opposes the in-state tuition bill.

Gaetz represents “the very large contingent within the party that believes that the path to success is to stand on its core principles and the rule of law and the traditions of our nation,’’ he explained. . . .

Voters in the two off-cycle congressional elections, in Tampa and Southwest Florida, chose Republicans candidates Curt Clawson and David Jolly, respectively, who took hard-line stands against immigration amnesty.

Recent polls have shown that a majority of voters, even in GOP-held state Senate districts, support in-state tuition for children of noncitizens.

When Lee was Senate president and Jeb Bush was governor in 2006, the Senate voted down a similar immigrant tuition bill, sponsored by then-Rep. Juan Zapata, R-Miami.

Aaron Deslatte on how a desperate "Scott pushes for tuition bill in final days of session".

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Times editorial board writes that, "In voting to allow Jose Godinez-Samperio to qualify as a lawyer, the Florida Senate has taken a stand against the nation's irrational and shortsighted immigration policies. Now the House needs to agree this week, and Gov. Rick Scott needs to sign this fix into law." "A fair way to right immigration wrong".

Budget talks stall

"State lawmakers stalled in their negotiations Saturday to agree on Florida's proposed $75 billion budget, which includes an all-time high of $11 billion for K-12 education and $500 million in tax and fee cuts." "Florida lawmakers' $75 billion spending plan stalls". See also "Budget talks continue; House, Senate remain $285 million apart on PECO".

Rubio in a tizzy

"Miami woman to receive letter from Obama on Venezuela".

"The spring of playing it safe"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "For the Florida Legislature, this is the spring of playing it safe. When lawmakers adjourn the annual legislative session Friday, they will brag about tax cuts, new projects and other short-term accomplishments. But they will leave Tallahassee having ignored the biggest challenges facing the Sunshine State or providing token solutions that lack vision and ambition. Floridians deserve leaders who look further ahead than the next election." "Legislature fails to tackle Florida's biggest issues". More: "Beer, bud and budgets: Florida Legislature taking most of its thorny issues into the final innings" and "Session's end in sight, bills still in motion".

The Tampa Trib and Gainesville Sun editors: "Unfinished business for the Legislature" and "Sticky issues confront legislators in final week".

Scott gets chance to display his anti-choice stripes

"Fla. Legislature sends abortion bill to governor".

"Team Askew"

Robert W. McKnight: "'Team Askew' featured top lobbyists".

The best they could do

"The two leading candidates in the Florida gubernatorial contest -- Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist -- relied on surrogates this week to reinforce their campaign messages. Scott got some help from a longtime ally as Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, took a break from his efforts to lure jobs to the Lone Star State. He went to bat for his fellow Republican governor." "Rick and Crist Rely on Perry and Carole in Governor's Race".

"Like a turtle on Ambien"

Carl Hiaasen: "Just when there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the Everglades, along comes the lumbering U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to muck up the works."

Last week, a review board of the Corps stunned everybody by delaying the approval of the Central Everglades Planning Project, an essential and widely hailed step in saving what remains of the Everglades.

"Because of the board’s surprising decision not to act (which, naturally, happened on Earth Day), CEPP could be left out of the public water bill pending in Congress. New federal funding wouldn’t be available for years, a potentially crippling setback for cleanup efforts from the Kissimmee River to the Keys."

Every rainy season the Corps opens the floodgates from Lake Okeechobee uncorking millions of gallons of water heavily polluted by farms and ranches. The choking torrent eventually reaches both coasts.

The Atlantic side is stricken by massive algae blooms that suffocate oyster beds and sea grass flats, and turn the water slimy hues of green. On the Gulf, the polluted outflow has been linked to toxic red tides that foul the beaches with dead fish and kill manatees.

While the environmental damage is terrible, the economic impact is also grave. Tourism, the recreational marine industry and real-estate sales suffer during the months of heavy discharges from Lake Okeechobee.

CEPP is actually a collection of engineering projects designed to cleanse the polluted water from mid-Florida agricultural areas and send it south to the Everglades, instead of pumping it out toward the estuaries, inland waterways and oceans.

The concept isn’t hotly disputed. Environmentalists support it, and so does Gov. Rick Scott. That’s because Big Sugar is on board, too.

Last year, President Obama put CEPP on his “We Can’t Wait” list of urgent public works, but evidently the Army Corps has one, too. It’s called the “We Can’t Get Our Act Together” list.

From one administration to the next, the Corps never changes. One of the most turgid and impenetrable bureaucracies in Washington, on a good day it moves like a turtle on Ambien.

The Tampa Tribune editorial board: "Bureaucratic delay threatens Everglades, coastal waters".

Public employee haters look to the Senate

Bill Cotterell: "The plan would try to steer public employees in Florida away from a traditional pension plan It automatically places newly hired workers in an investment plan rather than a traditional defined-benefit pension. However, the Senate views the proposal with skepticism. 'It'll be a struggle to get 21 votes,' said Sen. Jeremy Ring." "House passes pension overhaul".

And then there's those stubborn things, which the FlaBagger crowd always manages to overlook:

“We have the lowest-paid state employees, and the lowest number [of state employees]per-capita, of any state,” Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, told the House. “We have a well-invested plan. To erode the basis of that plan and take members out of it is not good for the plan, not good for the state of Florida.”

"Seersucker and Shadows"

Kevin Derby's "Political Bits and Pieces". See also "Week in Review for April 25, 2014", "Arrivals and Departures, April 25, 2014" and "Weekly Roundup: Rick Scott, Seersucker and Shadows".

Gambling man

"Lawmakers: Gov. Rick Scott close to deal with Seminole Tribe".

"Districts are out of control"

"There are more than 1,635 such special districts in Florida, and they include hospital districts, mosquito control districts, draining districts and community development districts. SB 1632, which requires special districts to have web sites and amends reporting and ethics requirements, prompted criticism from senators who said the districts are out of control and need to be reviewed." "Bill passes amid calls for review of special districts".

Scott spending up-and-down I-4 corridor

"If you live Florida’s Tampa media market, you’re used to seeing a barrage of political advertisements. So far, during the 2014 election cycle, it’s business as usual."

Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign has spent heavily in the market, which touches 12 counties. By the end of April, Let’s Get to Work, a committee aligned with Scott, will have poured $1.9 million into the Tampa market, according to publicly available media-buy data.

The numbers also underscore the importance of Central Florida more generally. Second on the list is Orlando, where Scott’s campaign has made $1.3 million. Those are the only two markets where Scott has spent more than $1 million.

There is good reason.

The two markets have larger populations than the more densely populated Miami and West Palm Beach media markets. In 2012 presidential race, 3.6 million people voted in the Tampa and Orlando markets, a number that was 2.5 million in the south Florida markets.

In addition, the Central Florida markets have more persuadable voters than Democrat-heavy South Florida. In 2012, President Barack Obama beat GOP challenger Mitt Romney by a total of roughly 7,000 votes in the Orlando media market.

Florida's entrepreneurs in action

"Of Medicare’s list of banned providers, nearly 1,500 list Miami addresses. Los Angeles is in second place with 522 names." "Miami, by far, tops list of banned Medicare providers".

"Floridians caught in the coverage gap"

"Now that the period to enroll in health insurance through Obamacare has ended, the focus is turning to the 800,000 uninsured Floridians who make too much money to get Medicaid but not enough to qualify for subsidies through the Affordable Care Act."

These Floridians — 20 percent of the uninsured — fall in the "coverage gap" created when the state — along with 23 others — opted not to expand Medicaid. In doing so, Florida turned down $51 billion in federal money.

With only a week left in the session, the Florida Legislature is unlikely to reconsider the issue, but plans are on the table that eventually may help break the partisan stalemate.

Meanwhile, Floridians caught in the coverage gap are left hanging. . . .

The best hope for a solution lies in the Legislature, which is divided: Democrats want to reach everyone in the gap. Republicans, concerned about the long-term costs to the state and providing care to people who do not deserve it, want a bigger safety net but more selective of whom it would catch and also less expensive.

Target on his back

Adam C. Smith: "There are few Democratic state representatives in Florida with a bigger target on their back this year than state Rep. Carl Zimmermann, D-Palm Harbor. He beat Republican incumbent Peter Nehr in 2012, and Republicans are determined to win back that seat and confident they will." "Palm Harbor House Democrat has target on his back Palm Harbor House Democrat has target on his back".