Tallahassee

FAU President Resigns After 'Significant Controversies'

Gina Jordan — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:06:14 +0000

The president of Florida Atlantic University says bad publicity splashed across national headlines was too much.

It's All About 'Mary' The Auto Reader In Tallahassee

Gina Jordan — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Speaker Will Weatherford introduced a new member of the Florida House this week.

“Members, we have an auto-reader. We had it in the closet just in case we ever had to actually read the bills,” Weatherford said amid laughs from the chamber. “It may be a little bit faster than normal.”

Lawmakers Urge Better Reporting On Treatment Of ESE Students

Gina Jordan — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:03:09 +0000

With just a few days left of the legislative session, we're working to get as many answers as possible to questions posed during our last WLRN-Miami Herald Town Hall meeting in February.

Are You A Dirty Politican? Play Our Ethics Game

Elaine Chen — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:00:42 +0000

Everyone loves to complain about political corruption. But would you do any better? Play our interactive game, Tallanasty, and find out if you would be a cleaner Florida politician.

Miami Sex Abuse Victim Finishes Fourth Walk Across Florida

Gina Jordan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Around this time of year, a lot of people walk to achieve the highly coveted yellow-polka-dot-bikini body.

Lauren Book walks to help mend lives.

WLRN Town Hall: How Can We Increase Parent Participation In Schools?

Gina Jordan — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:05:06 +0000

Education was a hot topic at the WLRN-Miami Herald Town Hall meeting in February.

Only a small portion of the questions that came in were asked during the panel discussion. But we're working to get as many answered as possible.

Lawmaker Warns Parent Trigger Bill Confuses Empowerment With Involvement

Gina Jordan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:50:27 +0000

Who Should Define A Living Wage In Florida: Your State Or County?

Gina Jordan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The Florida House has passed a bill that would preempt local living wage ordinances and a similar version is making its way through the Senate.

Hey, Everybody! Florida Is Looking At A Budget Surplus Next Year

Gina Jordan — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Florida lawmakers are doing something they haven't done in years: adding money to state programs.

The recession sent the state into multi-billion-dollar budget shortfalls that led to big cuts in education and state government payrolls.

Springtime Makes Grand Entrance In Tallahassee

Gina Jordan — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Saturday morning temperatures in the low 40's gave way to an afternoon in the low 80's as 100,000 people packed downtown Tallahassee for the Springtime Tallahassee parade and festival.

Chewing Gum, Sweat-Free Suits, And More: 5 Observations From The Capitol

Gina Jordan — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

We're nearly halfway through the legislative session, and your roving Capitol bureau reporters are ready for a nap.

We'll need one, since the busiest days are still weeks away.

It was quiet at the Capitol in the days before Easter. So this seemed like a good time to share some observations made while covering the Florida Legislature.

Everybody chews gum. Lawmakers and lobbyists in particular can, in fact, walk and chew gum at the same time.

Senior Arcades Targeted In Internet Cafe Ban

Gina Jordan — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The Florida House last week voted to ban Internet cafes and similar businesses. The Senate is expected to do the same.

This is happening very quickly after Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll’s resignation. A client of her former public relations firm is facing criminal charges relating to Internet cafes.

How To Create A Specialty License Plate In Florida

Gina Jordan — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Have an idea for a specialty license plate in Florida?

You can create one by jumping through a few hoops, forking out some cash, and convincing the Legislature to approve it.

Just as lawmakers pass bills that Gov. Rick Scott signs into law, both the House and Senate have to vote for proposed specialty plates.

Take the proposed Sun, Sea, and Smiles specialty plate. For an additional $25 above the cost of a standard plate, drivers may soon be able to get a specialty plate that raises money for a half-dozen Caribbean-related charities.

Gov. Scott Takes Left Turn As Approval Ratings Flounder

Gina Jordan — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott seems to be trying to appeal to a broader base. He’s done some things lately that suggest he’s willing to turn left a little bit.

Scott thrilled Democrats and irked his fellow Republicans when he suddenly changed his position on the Medicaid expansion in Florida.

Capitol Visitors Get Up Close With Humvee And Military Chopper

Gina Jordan — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Tuesday was Military Appreciation Day at the Capitol.

National Guard equipment from around the state was parked in the courtyard – the space between the old and new Capitol buildings.

“We have over 12,000 airmen and soldiers in the state of Florida,” said Major Blake Heidelberg, logistics officer with the Florida Army National Guard’s 83^rd Troop Command.

Ethics Reform In Florida Called 'A Mixed Bag'

Gina Jordan — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:05:00 +0000

At the WLRN Miami Herald Town Hall meeting last month, Barbara Ricano from Sunrise wanted to know:

“After so many ethics violations and repeated ethical issues involving campaigns and elected officials, why are the consequences so minor? Why is there no real teeth to any of the penalties?”

Rep. Fasano: Medicaid Expansion 'Would Save Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars'

Gina Jordan — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:37:22 +0000

Now that legislative committees have voted not to expand Medicaid, House and Senate leaders want to look at alternatives that might still utilize federal funds.

New Port Richey Republican Rep. Mike Fasano is not towing the party line.

Listen: Youth Activists Go To Tally To Talk Immigration Reform, Voting Rights, Juvenile Justice

Gina Jordan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

College students from Miami and elsewhere around the state are trying to keep the dream alive.

They came by bus to Tallahassee during the opening week of the legislative session. The group is known as the Dream Defenders.

Phillip Agnew, Executive Director of Dream Defenders, led a news conference inside the Capitol then spoke with us about the group’s legislative agenda.

On Last Day For Fundraising, Lawmakers Wine And Dine In Tallahassee

Gina Jordan — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:00:07 +0000

Let the last ditch fundraisers commence.

They’ve been going on for weeks now, but they're in high gear today.

This is the last day lawmakers can raise money before the Florida Legislature convenes for the regular session.

Session typically begins on the first Tuesday in March, and it means a 60-day moratorium on legislative fundraising.

Stand Your Ground Panel Recommends Keeping Law Mostly As Is

Margie Menzel — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

for News Service of Florida

The panel charged by Gov. Rick Scott with reviewing the state's 'stand your ground' self-defense law did not recommend any major changes to the statute, although it did make suggestions for tweaks by the Legislature in the upcoming session. The basic premise of the law isn't challenged in the final report released Friday. Scott's Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection included lawmakers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, representatives of minority communities and law enforcement.

Tallahassee Lawmakers Hear How Rising Seas Threaten South Florida

Gina Jordan — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:10:35 +0000

The rising sea level threat facing South Florida communities is on the radar of the region's lawmakers.

They recently met at the Capitol to hear from a panel of experts.

Monroe County administrator Roman Gastesi says the waters off Key West have gone up 9 inches in the last hundred years, and the rise is accelerating.

“What we’re looking at now is 9 to 24 inches in the next 50 years,” Gastesi says. “Three to seven (inches) in 20 years.”

Veteran Tallahassee Lobbyist Says His Profession Gets A Bad Rap

Elaine Chen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:00:58 +0000

The job of lobbyists is to improve the image of their clients. But lobbyists themselves could use some PR.

Carl Adams, who was a Tallahassee lobbyist for 35 years and founded the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, thinks that the system - campaign finance laws and the prohibition on private deliberation - is flawed, not the people.

We asked Adams why his profession is so maligned.

State Launches Public Awareness Campaign For Child Abuse Reporting Law

Gina Jordan — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

The toughest child abuse reporting law in the nation went into effect in Florida last October, and the state has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the legal obligation to report suspected abuse.

The new law was introduced in response to the scandal at Penn State University. Former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of molesting children years after the abuse was discovered by staffers.

Floridians Get More Money For Mortgage Assistance

Gina Jordan — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

An additional $60 million in assistance from a national mortgage settlement is now available to Floridians who lost their homes due to unfair foreclosure practices.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced how the money will be used.

Online Chat On Jan. 22, 4pm: Who Runs Tallahassee?

Elaine Chen — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:17:32 +0000

To kickstart our Town Hall project, we start with the question: Who runs Tallahassee?

Our guests are: The Miami Herald's Tallahassee bureau chief Mary Ellen Klas and Dan Krassner, executive director of Integrity Florida, an ethics watchdog group, which proposes the unconventional idea we can make the government more accountable if we get rid of limits on state campaign donations.

Join us on this site on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 4pm or tweet us at #FL2013. To read more about the Town Hall project, click here.

The Takeaway: Florida's Role In Gun Control

WLRN Staff — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Our partners at The Takeaway have been following responses across the country to last year's string of mass shootings.

Republican Party Spokesman: ‘More Than One Way To Fix' Voting Problems

Gina Jordan — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The elections supervisor in the state capital says the Legislature will have to make changes to avoid what happened during the last election.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have filed bills in Tallahassee to increase the number of early voting hours.

Proposals by the Democrats call for a return to 14 days of early voting.

Appeals Court: Union Leader Can Take Gun To Work

Gina Jordan — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:00:00 +0000

An appeals court says a South Florida union leader can have a gun at work, even without a concealed-weapons permit.

This case revolves around whether a union is considered a “place of business.”

State law allows people to have guns at work even if they don’t have a permit.

But Torrence Little was arrested anyway.

In June of 2011, someone reported a man with a gun in a union hall parking lot in Ft. Lauderdale.

Little had a gun in his waistband under his shirt. Police took him into custody on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

Happening Tonight: Help Us Make Tallahassee Accountable At Session 2013 Town Hall

Elaine Chen — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:42:53 +0000

Tallahassee may be hundreds of miles away, but WLRN a

A New Look For The Florida Lottery

Gina Jordan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

The Florida Lottery is getting an image makeover to coincide with its 25^th anniversary.

An audience of Bright Futures scholarship winners applauded as the new logo was unveiled at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.

Lottery leaders showcased the new logo, which prominently features a pink flamingo.

Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell says the redesigned brand should help lure new players.