The Florida Independent

Politics

Judge rules legislators do not have to testify on elections law

By | 02.03.12 | 5:01 pm

The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times is reporting that a judge has ruled that four legislators who have been fighting against testifying in a legal challenge to the state’s controversial elections law no longer have to.

State House passes redistricting maps along party lines

By | 02.03.12 | 4:10 pm

The Florida House today passed congressional, state House and state Senate maps that lay out how it wants voting districts to be drawn for the next decade.

Healthy Start spared cuts in House budget

By | 02.03.12 | 3:03 pm

The Healthy Start Coalitions of Florida, so far, are not poised to suffer budget cuts this year. Last year, the group saw millions taken from its budget.

Department of Labor, Mexican consulate announce workers’ rights education program

By | 02.03.12 | 11:08 am

The U.S. Department of Labor and the Mexican consulate in Orlando today announced an agreement to offer Mexican workers in Florida the resources to understand their rights.

Reports document how interest groups are playing vastly expanded role in 2012 election

By | 02.03.12 | 11:03 am

Broadcast media still dominates the world of political campaign ads, which are financed more than ever by interest groups that will play an increasing role in the 2012 presidential election, according to media reports issued this week.

Senator files amendment to repeal nuclear cost recovery statute

By | 02.03.12 | 10:30 am

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, has filed an amendment to a Senate committee’s energy bill in an effort to repeal a statute that allows energy companies to charge their customers for nuclear power plants that may never be built.

Numbers USA: Real winners in Florida GOP primary are ‘Latino Dignity & Self-Deportation’

By | 02.03.12 | 10:22 am

Numbers USA — an organization that agitates “For Lower Immigration Levels” — wrote this week that the “Vote Winners” in Florida’s recent GOP presidential primary “Are Latino Dignity & Self-Deportation.”

AFL-CIO urges Obama to postpone Colombia Free Trade Agreement after union leader murders

By | 02.03.12 | 10:01 am

The murder of four Colombian union leaders in January prompted Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, to urge President Obama to postpone indefinitely the implementation of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, approved by the U.S Congress in October.

Florida Democrats working to change budget conversation

By | 02.03.12 | 9:47 am

Flanked by nurses and educators, a group of Democratic state lawmakers held a press conference in the capital yesterday to denounce the GOP-led Legislature’s plans to cut health services in the state budget in order to save money for education.

VIDEO: The Daily Show goes after welfare drug testing law

By | 02.03.12 | 8:41 am

Last night, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart aired a segment highlighting Florida’s welfare drug testing law.

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