St. Petersburg Times – Legislature fails to do its duty:

In substance and style, the Florida Legislature scored few points in the session that mercifully ended Friday. Lawmakers failed to meet virtually any of the state’s challenges as Republican leaders focused on polishing conservative credentials and settling political scores. Fortunately, their power plays and insistence on ideological purity worked only some of the time.

Miami Herald – It just takes one disaster:

A disaster bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico after the April 20 oil rig explosion, where a shutoff valve failed to close a test well. It is gushing 210,000 gallons of crude a day, and the U.S. Coast Guard, other federal agencies and British Petroleum, which owns the rig, are trying every trick to cap the flow.

This disaster offers many lessons, starting with the need for an energy policy that reduces our thirst for oil.

Orlando Sentinel – Reduce risks of drilling:

Five thousand barrels of oil — more than 200,000 gallons — continue to escape each day from a breached pipeline off the coast of Louisiana, along with this dose of reality:

Drilling is not safe.

Despite earlier assurances from the oil industry.

And despite what their enablers in government would have us believe.

Tampa Tribune – Remembering the dispossessed:

The collapse of housing prices has had no visible impact on most Tampa neighborhoods. And the inevitable economic recovery will soon begin to restore home values.

But when a rising economic tide does lift all residential boats, thousands of buyers who mistimed the market will be left behind with their life savings lost and their credit ruined.

Tallahassee Democrat – Session aftermath

Some observers think it could come to pass that Mr. Crist, during the next 30 days he has for reviewing the budget, will exert his line-item veto authority over some spending projects (aka turkeys or earmarks) that benefit a few legislative leaders’ districts and yet quite obviously are out of place in this ruthless economy coupled with zero political willingness to raise any taxes or even properly collect some existing ones.