Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

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Gary Fineout - page 5

Gary Fineout has 257 articles published.

Bill would protect religious expression in schools

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Students, their parents and school employees would be guaranteed wider rights to publicly pray and express their religious beliefs in public schools under a far-reaching bill approved Thursday by the Florida Senate. Backers of the legislation, including Senate President Joe Negron, contend that the measure is needed because schools have unnecessarily clamped down on free speech rights, including prohibiting students from wearing crosses as jewelry, or chiding students who want to include religious figures in their academic work. The school…

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Under radar, State of Florida spent $240M on lawyers

in Statewide by

Gov. Rick Scott and other top Florida Republicans frequently complain about government spending, but they have quietly spent more than $237 million on private lawyers to advance and defend their agendas, an Associated Press investigation has found. Florida taxpayers have also been forced to reimburse nearly $16 million for their opponents’ private attorney fees. That means an overall $253 million has been spent on legal fights, including a water war with Georgia and losing battles to test welfare recipients for…

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The Grove, a witness to slavery, war and civil rights opens

in Apolitical by

Calling it a reflection of the “larger American experience,” a home that has been witness to slavery, the Civil War and the civil rights era has been opened to the public in Tallahassee. State officials on Saturday swung open the doors to The Grove, a state-owned mansion that was once the residence to Gov. LeRoy Collins. Secretary of State Ken Detzner was joined at a ribbon-cutting by members of the extended Collins family. The grand opening, which came after extensive renovations that cost…

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Can Florida universities and colleges rival rest of nation?

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Setting up a debate over the future of Florida’s colleges and universities, the state Senate passed an ambitious proposal Thursday intended to lift schools in the Sunshine State into the ranks of elite counterparts nationwide. For college students, the legislation means more financial aid and incentives designed to help them graduate faster. For universities, it includes more help to recruit and retain high-ranking faculty as they seek to join the ranks of more prominent universities elsewhere. “We’re the number one…

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Court: Hold back 3rd graders who do poorly on reading test

in 2017/Top Headlines by

In a blow to parents seeking to have their children “opt out” of Florida’s high-stakes tests, an appeals court Tuesday ruled that school districts have a right to hold third-graders back when they score badly on a state reading test. The 1st District Court of Appeal threw out a ruling by a lower court judge who said a handful of school districts must consider options other than students’ performances on the Florida Standards Assessment test when deciding whether to promote…

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Guns, gambling and taxes: Legislators return to work

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Once the Florida Legislature kicks off its 60-day Session March 7, legislators are expected to pass, or kill, dozens of measures dealing with everything from abortion to gambling and the environment. So far, more than 2,000 bills have been filed, but in the end, legislators usually pass fewer than 300 pieces of legislation each year. Here’s a look at some of the top issues this Session: DEATH PENALTY: Florida legislators are expected to quickly pass a measure that would require…

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Combative House Speaker vows contentious Session

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The outcome of this year’s Florida Legislature session may depend largely on a 51-year-old firebrand attorney with a deep conservative streak and a love for cigars and the band U2. New House Speaker Richard Corcoran has taken on rapper Pitbull, gotten in a knock-down fight with fellow Republican Gov. Rick Scott and vowed to keep legislators in session for months if he doesn’t get his way on property taxes. He has an ambitious agenda for the 60-day session that starts…

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