Despite past statements to the contrary, some “fetal personhood” supporters are now admitting that, if enacted, their legislation would likely not only outlaw abortion, but some forms of birth control, as well.
Paper giant Georgia-Pacific and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection traded heated letters last week, as the two sides debated the details of the construction of a controversial pipeline that will reroute much of Georgia-Pacific’s effluent from Rice Creek into the much larger St. Johns River.
The Florida Supreme Court has ordered a public reprimand and a $5,000 fine for Yvonne Colodny, a Miami judge who admitted to election law and financial disclosure violations, reports the Associated Press.
Every Friday here at The Florida Independent, we pick out the best comments we received during the previous week, whether they came from commenters here on our site, or via Facebook and Twitter. Want to be included next week? Assail us with your rapier wit!
In response to “National papers defend Feinberg’s handling of oil spill claims”:
Reported hate crimes dropped to the lowest levels in Florida since 1990 last year, according to a report released by the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
The 2009 Florida Hate Crimes report released this week shows 148 hate crimes were reported in Florida last year; the yearly average has been 262 since reporting of such crimes began in 1990, according to the report.
As local and national pro-immigrant groups held actions to demand Congress pass the DREAM Act, the U.S. House of Representatives delayed the vote on the legislative act until next week.
The UPI reported today:
A law passed during the Florida legislature’s special session in November over Gov. Charlie Crist’s veto that was intended to give lawmakers veto power over new state regulations has claimed its first victims.
House Bill 1565 has stalled the state’s crackdown on “pill mills,” under-regulated pain clinics charged with drawing drug tourists to Florida from other states, and also prompted the Department of Community Affairs to withdraw two controversial rule changes intended to place a check on out-of-control growth.
Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott named controversial former Washington, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee to his education transition team Thursday.
The press release from the Scott transition says the education transition team will “help him find innovative ways to create a new education system for a new economy.” The release adds, “The transition team will assist Scott in identifying innovative ideas from the private sector, success stories from other states, cost-saving opportunities and legislative priorities that will help reduce the size of government, improve the education system in Florida and meet the workforce needs necessary to create 700,000 jobs over the next seven years.”
Despite losing his seat on Nov. 2, Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, isn’t biting his tongue in his final days as a congressman, yesterday attacking Republican legislators and conservative pundits fighting to extend the Bush tax cuts for America’s top earners.
“They want a tax cut for the rich because they want a tax cut for themselves,” he said on the House floor, calling right-wing commentators Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich and former President George W. Bush “the people who are really in charge, the ones who actually run the Republican party” and showing how much they (multimillionaires all) stand to gain from extending the Bush tax cuts. (Video after the jump.)
Florida is one of several states to join in a settlement against a major U.S. homebuilder authorities say violated the Clean Water Act.
Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA, Inc. Thursday agreed to a $925,000 civil penalty for violations at its construction…
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