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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Court, lawmakers must overhaul death penalty The U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month invalidating Florida’s death penalty sentencing system gives the state an opportunity to end this outdated, arbitrary and ineffective punishment. But this is Florida, and lawmakers are tinkering with the death penalty instead of abolishing it. They at least have an obligation to ensure that any fix for death penalty sentencing clears the minimum constitutional…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — The sheriffs’ smart answer to open carry bills The Florida Sheriffs Association has offered a reasonable answer to one of the National Rifle Association’s main arguments for terrible legislation that would allow gun owners with concealed weapons permits to openly carry their guns. The sheriffs have come up with a fair way to address the concern that those gun owners could be prosecuted for inadvertently showing their…

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A roundup of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Call time out on Florida executions, capital cases This week’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion that struck down Florida’s sentencing system for death penalty cases has created wholesale uncertainty for judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers and those convicted and accused of capital crimes. With no clear direction and as state legislators fumble to find a fix, the only responsible course is to suspend executions and capital trials until the…

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A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Time to move forward on Rays deal A new and improved agreement negotiated by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and the Tampa Bay Rays to let the franchise look at stadium sites in both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties focuses on the right priorities. It would enable the city to move forward with redeveloping the Tropicana Field site with or without a new stadium. It would free the…

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A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Consider electing state education commissioner No issue is more important to Florida and its future than public education. Yet voters are two steps removed from directly influencing the state education commissioner, who is appointed by the Board of Education, and whose members are picked by the governor. The move from an elected education commissioner to an appointed one has resulted in less public accountability rather than more…

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A round-up of Sunday editorials from Florida’s leading newspapers: Tampa Bay Times — Taxpayers assume risk, little gain for charter schools Florida has invested heavily in privately run charter schools for years, and the payoff for taxpayers has been uneven at best. While some successful charter schools fill particular needs in local communities, too many have failed and research shows they have not outperformed traditional public schools in the state. Taxpayers also have lost millions in construction costs and other…

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