The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would shift the “burden of proof” for Stand Your Ground cases, and give defendants more protection from prosecution by requiring prosecutors to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” whether a defendant is entitled to immunity at a pretrial hearing in order to disprove a claim of self-defense immunity.

The bill’s swift death in the House committee drew fire from the NRA, which slammed several Republican state representatives for voting against the bill.

In an email sent to members, longtime lobbyist and former NRA president Marion Hammer singled out House Criminal Justice Committee chair Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, for orchestrating a betrayal to gun owners, Rep. Baxley, and the legislative process itself. - See more at: http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/nra-republican-reps-killing-bill-betrayal-florida-gun-owners#sthash.8t5ekmBO.dpuf

"Gun-rights advocates are targeting the chairman of a House committee and some of its Republican members after a bill intended to broaden the state’s controversial 'stand your ground' law was scuttled."

The National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida sent an email to their members on Thursday calling the actions by House Criminal Justice Chairman Carlos Trujillo an “orchestrated” betrayal of “law-abiding gun owners,” as the measure (HB 169) failed to pass in a 6-6 vote two days earlier.

"What's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State"

Marc Caputo: "Jeb hits Marco, Ted for Syria inaction – Grover bashes Rubio’s sweet tooth – Trump coming to FL – Rick Scott ‘transparency’ – Cop fired for death metal singalong, monkey hit, cobra owner fined." "Florida Playbook."

Trump crushing his Florida competition

"Florida Atlantic University's poll of Florida voters shows Donald Trump crushing the competition, with 36 percent favoring the loquacious businessman and 18 percent for Marco Rubio. That's also a significant change for Rubio, who has bypassed Ben Carson for the number two spot in this and many other polls in the last two days. The Sun Sentinel's man in Washington, William E. Gibson, has analysis of the poll, which also looked at the Democratic presidential race in Florida and the matchups of Democratic and Republican candidates for the state's U.S. Senate race." "Trump triumphant in latest poll."

"Bush calls out Rubio"

"Jeb Bush, continuing to press his case as a strong commander in chief in the wake of last week’s ISIL attack in Paris, singled out Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz for opposing the authorization of force against Syria in 2013." "Bush calls out Rubio, Cruz for opposing authorizing force in Syria."

More: "We Asked Marco Rubio to Lay Out His ISIL Strategy. Here It Is."

Some FlaGOPers say say Scott not telling taxpayers the whole truth

"When Gov. Rick Scott rolls out his budget proposal Monday, he’ll talk about spending more money on schools, but some fellow Republicans say he’s not telling taxpayers the whole truth." "Lawmakers want to advertise ‘truth’ about rising property taxes paying for higher education spending."

Scott strides world stage

"Scott, GOP governors ask Obama to ‘suspend’ Syrian refugee plans." See also "Rick Scott, GOP govs ask for no more Syrian refugees in letter to Obama."

Meanwhile, a "Cuban migrant surge"

"Miami congressman presses Obama on Cuban migrant surge."

"You may wonder: Who is this stooge?"

Carl Hiaasen writes that "Gov. Rick Scott is one boot-step closer to denaturizing Florida’s state parks."

A Senate committee last week voted 7-1 to confirm Jon Steverson as Scott’s hand-picked choice to lead the shriveled and demoralized Department of Environmental Protection.

One of Steverson’s missions is to fulfill the governor’s dream of opening state parks to hunting, cattle grazing and commercial timber harvesting. The second part of Steverson’s job is to take the heat for this obscene idea, and he’s getting plenty.

Environmental leaders and citizen groups have blasted the scheme, ostensibly designed to make parks pay for themselves. The full Senate refused to confirm Steverson’s nomination last spring, so he remains “interim” head of DEP for now.

The move was vintage Scott, who’s been trying to weaken the water agencies and seize more control. He prefers to wage his war on the environment from behind the curtain, letting others get the blame for his extreme agenda. He won’t admit it’s his idea to rape the parks, just as he never admits his role in other blunders, like Attorney General Pam Bondi’s embarrassing intervention on behalf of polluters to block the faraway cleanup of Chesapeake Bay.

Despite opposition from even some Republican legislators, Steverson hasn’t backed away from the governor’s plan to open our parks to activities that have been banned since 1935. . . .

Maybe he’s not a terrible person, but he’s got a terrible boss. Send them both a message.

Prosecutors yet to decide whether to charge Rubio's pal

"Federal prosecutors in Miami have yet to decide whether to charge ex-U.S. Rep. David Rivera in a criminal campaign-finance scheme." "David Rivera investigation remains stalled."

FlaDems hope to "retake a toehold" in Tally

"A coalition of voting-rights groups has unveiled six possible maps for the Florida Senate’s 40 districts, setting up a court battle that could boost Democrats’ hopes of retaking a toehold in state government now dominated by Republicans." "Voting-rights groups file maps friendly to Democrats."

See also: "Changes to ‘Stand Your Ground’ halted in Florida House."

"It all going wrong for Jeb"

"Why is it all going wrong for Jeb Bush?"

Wingers say "no" to refugees

"Dennis Ross Brings Out Bill Stopping Federal Funds to Bring in Syrian Refugees." See also "Florida Liberal Compares Rick Scott's Opposition to Syrian Immigrants to Turning Back on Jews Fleeing Nazi Germany."

The Tampa Trib editors: "Be cautious but help refugees."

The best they can do?

"State Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, endorsed Tallahassee attorney Mary Thomas on Tuesday as she looks to unseat U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., in 2016. " "Charles Van Zant Backs Mary Thomas to Challenge Gwen Graham."

"What's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State"

"NRA’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ stopped (for now) – Rubio v. Cruz continues – FLORIDA MAN: John Boehner – Rep. Moskowitz for FL Senate or US House? – Florida Man bites shark." "Florida Playbook."

Who’s who on Hill's list

Marc Caputo: "One number shows why Florida is Hillary Clinton country in the Democratic race for president: 152."

That’s how many top Florida Democrats — from current and former members of Congress to mayors to state and local party leaders and fundraisers — were announced Tuesday as members of Clinton’s Florida Leadership Council. The list is so big it took her campaign weeks to assemble it.

Her campaign said late Monday it has launched a “Florida Leadership Council” to organize events and volunteers ahead of the March 15 state primary. The group includes U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the only Democrat elected statewide, and Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, a longtime Clinton friend.

So are eight state senators and 28 state representatives, and the mayors of Tampa and Orlando and, in South Florida, of North Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Hallandale Beach, Weston and Wilton Manors. Clinton’s team also includes county commissioners, school board members, city council members, former elected officials, activists and fundraisers.

Crime dropping in Florida

"Mid-year stats show crime continuing to drop in Florida."

FlaGOP Stand Against Obama

"After Paris Terrorist Attacks, Florida GOP Leaders Stand Against Obama Letting Syrian Refugees In."

Scott finds an ally

"Facing criticism from some fellow Republicans over his plan to spend $250 million to attract more companies to the state, Gov. Rick Scott found a new ally Monday in Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn[, a Democrat]." "Buckhorn backs Scott plan for millions more to lure businesses."

He never served

"On Sunday’s edition of “Meet the Press,” Jeb Bush said that it was time for the United States to go to war with ISIS, and to put together an international coalition to rout the jihadis from their strongholds in Syria and Iraq." "Jeb Bush’s Call for War." See also "Jeb Bush Says U.S. ‘Should Declare War’ in Fight Against Islamic State."

The editors contine, writing that, now "the governor wants to set aside $250 million in corporate giveaways in case his out-of-state photo opportunities produce the jobs he brags about. This is trickle-down economics at its worst, and Florida cannot afford to keep giving away tax dollars when it desperately needs to invest in itself after years of neglect."

By all appearances, Florida is broken. It cannot afford to build new highway lanes unless it slaps tolls on them. It is looking to allow hunting in state parks, which have been told they have to pay for themselves. Public schools struggle to pay for basic maintenance, and the University of Florida president's highest hope is for a new boiler.

The Justice Department is investigating the dangerous state prison system, and it also should investigate the shameful abuse and neglect exposed by the Tampa Bay Times and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in state mental hospitals.

The overburdened courts scrimp by on less than 1 percent of the state budget, and children continue to die from neglect and abuse even after they are on the state's radar. Look in any direction, and the state's basic infrastructure is crumbling as Scott travels in his private jet to Kentucky and New York to bribe companies with taxpayer handouts to bring jobs here.

Environmentalists are suing the state because it has failed to invest in preserving land as voters demanded by approving Amendment 1.

Forestry firefighters travel to western states to fight blazes because they cannot make ends meet on their state salaries. The state crime lab is backed up for weeks because it can't pay its analysts enough to keep them. Aging computers are issuing thousands of drivers licenses with the wrong addresses.

And Florida spent more than $400 million this year to help hospitals cover the cost of treating the uninsured because Scott and Republican lawmakers refused to accept federal Medicaid expansion dollars that would have covered many of the same people. This failure to invest has real consequences for millions of Floridians, from public school students to crime victims to the uninsured.

Yet Scott pretends the state has so few needs and so much cash it should give money away. His $1 billion tax cut primarily would benefit corporations, with more than 75 percent of it tied to eliminating the corporate income tax. . . .

Florida cannot afford this corporate giveaway. Government on the cheap is one thing. Government that starves itself to the point of systemic dysfunction and criminal neglect is another.

Shameless

"Several Republican candidates for president today accused President Barack Obama and his former secretary of state, Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, of failing in the fight against Islamic State militants as the terrorist attacks in Paris became a focal point of the nomination race."

Carly Fiorina, the former tech CEO, criticized the Obama administration for the “murder, the mayhem, the danger, the tragedy that we see unfolding in Paris, in the Middle East, around the world and too often in our own homeland.”

“[Fiorina is] angry that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton declared victory in Iraq in 2011, abandoned all of our hard-won gains for political expediency and contrary to the advice of every general that spoke with them, thus leaving vast swaths of territory and too much weaponry to be gobbled up by ISIS,” Fiorina told those at the Sunshine Summit, a political gathering of Florida Republicans.

Rubio the "Rehab Addict"

"U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio railed against taxes during his career in Florida politics, but his presidential campaign has been facing accusations that he has a long history of being a spendthrift with other people's money."

The Florida Democratic Party posted a message Nov. 5 on Facebook about Rubio's financial habits as incoming speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

"Remember that time Marco Rubio spent $400K of your tax dollars remodeling offices, and building a members-only lounge? We do," the post read. It included a link to a 2010 Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald story about Rubio's use of a Republican Party of Florida credit card.

It's common for incoming speakers to spruce up the chambers as they see fit, so we wondered if Rubio really spent $400,000 for renovations and a new lounge. . . .

We rate the statement True.

"Bondi made the right call"

The Tampa Bay Times editors: "Attorney General Pam Bondi made the right call by deciding not to fight a revised constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana."

The Florida Supreme Court is reviewing the new and improved wording of the amendment, and there is no reason the justices should prevent it from appearing on the 2016 ballot. Bondi, who has a bad habit of misusing the courts to score political points, set her personal opinion aside this time and took the more pragmatic approach.