The Florida Independent

Justice/Civil Liberties

Activists launch campaign against bill that would reduce tipped workers’ minimum wage

By | 02.22.12 | 1:02 pm

Fight for Florida has launched a new initiative to involve waiters and waitresses in a campaign to oppose a state Senate bill that would allow employers to pay tipped workers a lower minimum wage than what is currently authorized.

Metz’s bill passes, despite dearth of evidence that ‘foreign law’ is entering Florida courts

By | 02.22.12 | 12:35 pm

A Florida House judiciary committee passed a bill today that would outlaw the use of “foreign law” in family court cases. The measure, and past incarnations of it, have been touted by right-wing activists as an attempt to “stop the spread of Sharia in Florida.”

School prayer bill passes another Florida House committee

By | 02.22.12 | 11:09 am

A bill that would allow K-12 students to deliver “inspirational messages,” including prayers, during mandatory and non-mandatory school events was approved by a Florida House judiciary committee today.

Scott, Rubio, West invited to attend Values Voters Summit

By | 02.22.12 | 9:46 am

Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Allen West have been invited to attend this year’s Values Voters Summit — one of the biggest conservative and religious right summits in the country.

Planned Parenthood rallies as anti-abortion measures move through Legislature

By | 02.22.12 | 9:38 am

With the final days of 2012′s legislative session drawing near, Planned Parenthood held a rally at the capitol yesterday to denounce a slew of anti-reproductive rights bills that have already made their way through committees in the Legislature this session.

FEC settles lawsuit against congressman’s former business partner (Updated)

By | 02.22.12 | 8:52 am

A stipulated order and consent judgment in an FEC investigation into a former business partner of Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, was filed yesterday, a sign that the case may be nearing its end. According to the filing, Buchanan’s one-time business partner, Sam Kazran, must pay $5,000 for “a non-knowing and non-willful violation of” an ethics rule against knowingly helping or assisting any person in making a campaign contribution in the name of another.

House budget committee passes resurrected state employee drug testing bill

By | 02.21.12 | 5:18 pm

After debate over Fourth Amendment infringements, tight budgets and collective bargaining rights, a House budget committee today passed a bill allowing state agencies to randomly drug test their employees.

GOP wage theft bill to be debated in the House Wednesday

By | 02.21.12 | 3:05 pm

The House version of a GOP-sponsored bill that would prohibit Florida cities and counties from passing ordinances that crack down on wage theft, the practice of stiffing workers out of money they are owed, will appear Wednesday in a Judiciary committee session.

Scott backing renewed attempt to drug test state employees

By | 02.21.12 | 2:56 pm

A bill allowing state agencies to randomly drug test their employees, which was unexpectedly resurrected in the Florida House last week, has the support of Gov. Rick Scott.

CAIR speaks out against ‘foreign law’ bill up in House committee tomorrow

By | 02.21.12 | 1:14 pm

The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is denouncing a bill that would regulate the “application of foreign law in certain cases,” set to be heard in a House committee meeting tomorrow. The group says the bill is anti-religion, and specifically anti-Islam.

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