A bill that would put regulations for operating abortion centers on par with hospitals and other surgical centers is a solution in search of a problem. Lawmakers' real motivation is to make it more difficult for women to exercise their right to seek an abortion.

Weekly Roundup

"The biggest or most significant stories of the week --- including the decision of Senate leaders not to push forward with a redistricting appeal and the move by state economists to slash almost $400 million from revenue projections --- involve legislative reactions. Senate leaders were reacting to court rulings, while lawmakers will have to react in the coming weeks to the economists' forecast." "Weekly Roundup: Fallout Zone."

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

Marc Caputo: "#RubioCrimeSpree restarts on Twitter – Economists dis Gov. Scott’s job-creation math – DeSantis scores big-money donors – Campus-carry gun bill looks dead (again)." "Florida Playbook."

"There are ominous signals"

Steve Otto: "We’re not Detroit."

At least for the most part, rats and bullet holes in the walls aren’t prevalent on our public school grounds. Teachers so far haven’t stormed out of classrooms, briefly shutting down schools across the city. But what happened in Detroit this week isn’t just something we should shake our heads at, confident we never could plunge so far down the ladder. Around here there is real anger among the teachers, especially the veterans. There are too many issues in our public schools, too many indicators that we might not want to get overly comfortable with ourselves. . . . [T]here are ominous signals that stretch from Tallahassee to the school board building downtown, and none of them are pointing in the right direction.

Jolly's Campaign Finance Proposal

Kevin Derby: "Two Congressmen Climb Aboard David Jolly's Campaign Finance Proposal."

"Low-bid contractors"

"Orange garbage collectors still working out woes."

"Scott’s incentive plan not best way"

"Scott’s push to secure $250 million in economic incentive money this year was doused with cold water Thursday, as one of the state’s top economists said alternative plans would create more jobs and come with a higher return on investment." "Economist: Scott’s incentive plan not best way to spur job creation."

Republican Liberty Caucus

"The Florida chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) came to Tallahassee this week to highlight its legislative priorities and encourage legislators to get behind it." "Campaign Reform, Congressional Term Limits on Florida Republican Liberty Caucus Agenda."

Editors Like Lyft

Tampa Trib editors think Uber is fine and argue that "lawmakers shouldn’t let a business model developed decades ago determine today’s rules. The public has chosen the newcomers, and the government should respond by enabling their success." "Tread lightly on Uber, Lyft."

"Incentives pay off slowly if at all"

"Raymond James Financial Inc. has asked Florida officials for a two-year delay in its deal with the state to create 750 new jobs for $6.25 million in state taxpayer money, raising questions about the company’s commitment to build a new headquarters in Pasco County." "Pasco project shows state incentives pay off slowly if at all."

Leave it to the judge

"With the backing of local governments, a Florida House panel Wednesday approved a bill that would give judges discretion in deciding whether to award attorney fees in public-records lawsuits." "Florida bill would leave open-records legal fees up to judge."

Scott Pushes Hard

"In Southwest Florida, at an event at Hertz’s new corporate headquarters, Gov. Rick Scott announced the state unemployment rate remained at 5 percent in December even as there were 21,000 jobs created." "Rick Scott Pushes Tax Cuts, Enterprise Florida Funds as Unemployment Rate Remains 5 Percent."

Judicial Term Limits?

"A key House committee Thursday approved a measure that would limit Florida Supreme Court justices and appellate-court judges to two full terms in office, putting a proposed constitutional amendment one step shy of the House floor." "Judicial Term Limits Moving Through House."

Nursing homes want more Medicaid

"Florida’s nursing homes want higher payments from Medicaid, a request for more state money that comes as lawmakers consider big tax cuts for businesses, a bigger economic development fund and other state expenses." "Nursing homes seek Medicaid pay hike"

For decades, Cubans were not allowed to travel outside the country without government permission; today, most can leave and return. Until a few years ago, those who left had to leave all of their belongings, give up their homes, cars and anything else of value to the government. That’s not the case now.

Under Mr. Curbelo’s proposal, Cubans would be treated like immigrants from most other countries, who are required to file a refugee or asylum claim — and wait years for it to be approved — before qualifying for special benefits.

Indeed, it is time to engage this issue to bring long-term clarity to current policy. In the short term, however, Miami-Dade is about to see an abundance of migrants from Cuba. The U.S. government must ensure that Miami-Dade residents aren’t footing the bill alone.

First Days of Session

Kevin Derby "One prominent theme out of Tallahassee in the first week of the 2016 legislative session was an insistence that things would be different from last year." "First Days of Session a Far Cry From Last Year's Tensions."

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

Marc Caputo: "Wasserman Schultz’s new worry – Marco’s narrow path – angry Jeb donor vents – Cost of business in FL Capitol: $28.5m – python hunt starts, but are armadillos worse?" "Florida Playbook."

Enforcement of clean-water rules is basically being replaced by the honor system. Big Agriculture couldn’t be happier. . . .

The Senate passed it with nary a single dissenting vote, reluctant Democrats saying this year’s version was better than last year’s awful bill, which didn’t pass. Even some environmental groups went along with the rewrite, asserting that it was the best they could hope for.

Another cynical move by GOP lawmakers was placing the Department of Environmental Protection in charge of periodically reviewing the water management practices, to see if pollution is actually being reduced.

It’s no secret that Gov. Rick Scott has made a priority of castrating the DEP. Only a sucker would believe the agency will be re-staffed and re-empowered to take on the task of monitoring corporate polluters.

There’s no denying the water bill is ambitious and far-reaching, and Big Agriculture isn’t the only winner. Developers seeking to tap into rivers and waterways, particularly in Central Florida, should send thank-you notes along with their campaign checks to Tallahassee.

A water plan with pollution rules set by the polluters is exactly what you’d expect from the same gang that betrayed the 4 million Floridians who voted for Amendment One.

Meanwhile the crap being pumped from Lake Okeechobee and surrounding farms continues to imperil the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers, the Indian River Lagoon, Gulf Coast beaches and, most critically, the Everglades.

Under the new rules, some farmers and landowners will honestly try to improve the water they flush into our wetlands and our drinking supply. Others won’t, because it’s cheaper and easier to dump unfiltered waste.

If voluntary compliance really worked, we wouldn’t need any pollution laws. Corporations would care as much about clean, safe water as ordinary families do. Unfortunately, that’s not the real world. It’s just a fantasy promoted by industry lobbyists and bought politicians.

And now, in Florida, it’s going to be the law.

Legislators argue anti-corruption bill unfair to business

"A major ethics and anti-corruption bill that advocates say is long overdue faces a rocky path in the Florida Legislature."

The legislation is now moving through the committee process in both the House and Senate and seeks to end what a 2010 grand jury called a "corruption tax" on Florida citizens. The panel said that amounts to millions a year in extra taxes, government fees and even highway tolls because of the cost of waste, fraud and misconduct by public officials.

Most legislators praise parts that redefine corruption in criminal law to make it easier to prosecute, but some also say the bill amounts to excessive government regulation on companies that contract with the state.

Pafford or Joyner?

Kevin Derby argues that "Mark Pafford Gives Democrats a Far Better Way Out of Political Limbo than Arthenia Joyner."

"Simpson vs. Legg could have been epic"

Tom Jackson: "So, it turns out the race for the redrawn state Senate District 10 seat will not come down to the Egg Man vs. the Legg Man after all. It’s not hard to figure out the politics of it, but let me say, nonetheless, rats. Wilton Simpson vs. John Legg could have been epic." "We’ll miss Legg Man vs. Egg Man."

The "death rattle" of Florida's death penalty

Scott Maxwell points out that, in the wake of Hurst v. Florida, the Supreme Court's ruling that "Florida's capital-sentencing scheme violates the Sixth Amendment," Florida "politicians are already scurrying to try to get around this 8-1 ruling, trying to one-up each other to prove their zeal for executions. Let's get back to killing! The sooner, the better! It is the desperate death rattle of the death penalty. For state-sanctioned murder is in its last throes. This ruling was just another tightening of the noose." "Supreme Court takes Florida's death penalty closer to end."

At least $28.5 million has been funneled into legislative PCs

"As Florida legislators begin their annual session in an election year, at least $28.5 million has been funneled into legislative political committees in the last six months, fueling progress on priority legislation for many industries, and blocking other ideas from advancing, according to a Herald/Times analysis." "Special interests flood Florida legislative campaigns with $28 million in 6 months."

Rick Scott's "State of Denial"

The Miami Herald editors write that "Gov. Rick Scott’s State of the State speech last week should have been called the State of Denial." "Gov. Scott’s state of denial speech."