Is the ocean Florida's untapped energy source?

By Azadeh Ansari
CNN
July 27, 2009

The answer to easing the energy crunch in one of the nation's most populous states could lie underwater...

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Money pouring in to finance redistricting reform ~ Florida

By Aaron Deslatte
July 22, 2009
Orlando Sentinel

Money is pouring into an effort to address one of the thorniest issues in modern politics: how to curb politicians' power to gerrymander their own political districts.

FairDistrictsFlorida.org wants to place two constitutional amendments on the 2010 ballot that would ban legislators from drawing sprawling, jagged congressional and legislative districts that resemble abstract art and divide communities in order to help or hurt incumbents or political parties...

No more soup: Florida’s turtle fishermen out of a job come Monday

Posted July 18, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. , updated July 20, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.
Naples Daily News

...The ban will prohibit the taking of any freshwater turtles for commercial purposes but will allow one turtle per person, per day, for non-commercial purposes.

Exceptions will be made for licensed turtle farms to take restricted numbers of turtles per day for breeding purposes. Turtle farmers will have to file for a permit, which will be available by Aug. 31.

Turtles on the imperiled species list or that look similar to those on the imperiled species list, including cooters and common snapping turtles may not be taken for any purposes.

Better reasoning needed to defeat controversial Amendment 4

Jane Healy | Feet to the Fire
Orlando Sentinel
June 28, 2009

It's no wonder that opponents of Florida Hometown Democracy have suddenly gotten very nervous. The proposed constitutional amendment passed muster with the Florida Supreme Court, and the secretary of state last week placed it on the 2010 ballot, naming it Amendment 4. The battle will be fierce, but if opponents really want to defeat this proposal, they had better come up with some new arguments against it rather than the hysterical ones they are spouting now...

New growth law and proposed amendment pose problems and hold promise for Florida

by Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
June 26, 2009

A state law enacted this month does away with some requirements in urban areas for developers to improve roads when their projects would boost the number of cars. And earlier this week, the controversial Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment was certified for a 2010 statewide ballot; if passed, voters could have potent say over growth...

Tell Congress to Choose Real Health Care Reform

Florida PIRG

Insurance executives testified in Washington, D.C., last week. They refused to stop dropping coverage on individuals -- once they get sick -- because of minor, honest mistakes on their application forms. Watch this video to see them defend this practice.

We need health care reform that tackles exploding health care costs and ensures real choices for families and businesses.

Please sign our petition to your members of Congress...click on Title above!

Court to the rescue on voter initiatives

St. Petersburg Times Editorial
June 19, 2009

The Florida Supreme Court came to the rescue of the state's voter initiative process, protecting it from undue legislative meddling in a welcome ruling Wednesday. With a full written decision to come, the justices issued a brief 4-2 ruling to strike down a law that had let voters revoke their signatures on initiative petitions to put constitutional amendments on statewide ballots...

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