Gary Fineout - page 30

A Florida judge is once again considering what to do in the next round of a lengthy and partisan-tinged battle over Florida’s congressional districts. Circuit Judge Terry Lewis held a three-hour hearing Wednesday over whether to approve a new map swiftly passed earlier this month by the Florida Legislature. Legislators approved the map after Lewis in July ruled that the state’s current congressional map was illegally drawn to benefit Republicans in elections. Lewis gave no indication when he would rule,…

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A California billionaire environmentalist is pouring millions of dollars into the Florida governor’s race to buy television ads attacking Gov. Rick Scott as a friend of polluters and utility companies, giving the campaign of Democratic front-runner Charlie Crist a boost as polls show a tightening race. Former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer has put Scott and the Florida Republican Party on the defensive, prompting them to hit back with their own ads attacking Steyer as a hypocrite. They have also…

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The same groups that successfully challenged Florida’s congressional map are now asking a judge to throw out a new one drawn up by the Legislature. In a sharply worded motion Monday, the coalition that sued legislators asserted the map adopted last week remained “brazenly partisan” and would not fix the problems that prompted a judge to declare it unconstitutional. The groups, which include the League of Women Voters of Florida, called on Judge Terry Lewis to reject the new map…

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Former Gov. Charlie Crist is getting some help for his challenge to incumbent Gov. Rick Scott. And it’s coming from Florida taxpayers. Crist on Friday received more than $474,000 when he received his second check of public matching funds. He has now received slightly more than $1 million in state money to assist his campaign. Crist is not the only politician getting taxpayer matching help during the 2014 election. Former state senator Nan Rich has received slightly less than $200,000.…

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Florida’s top election official is recommending that the state hold special elections for Congress next year, even though that may violate federal law. Secretary of State Ken Detzner on Friday filed a proposed special election schedule. Circuit Judge Terry Lewis asked for the schedule at the same time that he ordered state legislators to draw up a new congressional map. The Legislature adopted a new map earlier this week. Detzner’s court filing said if Lewis orders a special election, the…

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A Florida judge on Wednesday ruled against Gov. Rick Scott in an ongoing lawsuit over whether his administration flouted the state’s public records law. Chief Circuit Judge Charles Francis granted a request from a frequent critic of the Republican governor to subpoena records from Google and Yahoo. Tallahassee attorney Steven Andrews wants information on private email accounts that he says were used by the Scott administration to sidestep the state’s public records law. Florida has some of the most robust…

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Florida legislators are returning to the state Capitol with a simple goal: Redraw the state’s 27 congressional districts with as few changes as possible. The nine-day special session that kicks off Thursday is being sparked by a judge’s ruling that found two districts were drawn illegally to benefit Republicans. Circuit Judge Terry Lewis last week gave legislators until Aug. 15 to draw up a new map. But instead of fighting either ruling GOP legislative leaders have decided to adopt a…

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