The use of tax money at religious schools has mushroomed in the past year while an appeals court considers a ruling that giving tax dollars to religious schools violates the state's Constitution.
Two-thirds of all private schools are religious, but about three-quarters of all schools using vouchers in Florida are religious. The Palm Beach Post reported Sunday that 869 of the 1,158 private schools that accept vouchers are religious schools.
They are operated by 48 denominations, 97 percent of which are Christian, including 160 Catholic schools and 138 Baptist. Thirteen of the state's 38 Jewish schools, nine of the 11 Muslim schools and both Hare Krishna schools get voucher money.
Circuit Judge Kevin Davey in Tallahassee ruled last year that tax-supported vouchers for religious schools violate the Florida Constitution. But the schools were allowed to continue receiving voucher money during the appeal process.
IS BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER? Congressional negotiations on a new Medicare prescription drug benefit have become so contentious in recent weeks that even President Bush and his younger brother, Jeb, find themselves on opposite sides. "Medicare revamp pits Bush vs. Bush".
HIGH IQ, NO COMMON SENSE -University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft ordered the dean of the medical school to resign Monday, days after she admonished him for asking his staff to contribute to the U.S. Senate campaign of state House Speaker Johnnie Byrd. "USF chief orders dean to step down".
STATE DEM STRAW POLL?Florida Democrats are pushing for another straw poll to ensure that Florida has at least some say in selecting the Democratic nominee. While strongly opposed by the national Democratic Party, support for a nonbinding presidential preference vote at the state convention in December is picking up steam now that Florida Sen. Bob Graham is out the presidential race. "Party seeks status in straw poll".
PERHAPS ITS THE LACK OF A NEWSPAPER - In a laugh out loud editorial, the Florida Times Union wonders why the Scripps folks - based in La Jolla California - didn't want to move to Jax. "What about us?".
SPEAKING OF LEADERSHIP - Here's a brief excerpt from an article in the Orland Sentinel today that explores several concerns with "Jeb!"'s biotech subsidy:
Senate President Jim King, R-Jacksonville, said he wants next week's special legislative session to begin with a rare joint session of the House and Senate, at which lawmakers would quiz representatives of the governor and the Scripps Research Institute about the giveaway of state dollars.
"I don't want it to look like the Senate is against this idea," King said. "But we are going to have to get some good answers to a lot of questions."
The Florida Constitution prohibits using the state's taxing authority to aid private enterprises. King said ongoing incentive programs already have "skated close to this constitutional line," and senators want assurances from Bush that his proposal is legal. "Lawmakers, critics scrutinize Bush plan to lure new business".
WHENEVER THE GOP CALLS SOMETHING "ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE", RUN -[T]wo committees ["Jeb Bush's task force on Access to Affordable Health Insurance" and the "House Select Committee on Affordable Health Care for Floridians"] are studying why health insurance premiums are rising faster than health care costs and looking for ways to make insurance more affordable. The issue is expected to be one of the most hotly contested legislative debates next year. . . .
In 2002, Farkas sponsored a bill that would have cut a number of the benefits that state law requires health insurance companies in Florida to cover, such as cleft palate surgery. He also drew criticism for refusing to let the public speak at one committee hearing. . . .
So far, the experts Farkas has picked to testify before the House committee appear to be leaning toward finding cheaper ways for businesses, especially small businesses, to buy health insurance plans that cover only the basics and have significant deductibles for costs such as hospital stays.
Rhonda Medows, a member of Bush's task force and secretary for the Agency for Health Care Administration, has toured chambers of commerce, promoting a plan to let insurers in some parts of the state offer the flexible policies. "Insurance review worries observers".
As the Governor's Task Force on Access to Affordable Health Insurance met Monday in Tallahassee to debate ideas, the immediate need to insure thousands of low-income children pulled key members into different camps. It was an illustration of how competing priorities may make it tough to help solve the issue of providing health insurance to Florida's 2.8 million uninsured people. "Health of kids sparks debate".
BOYD BULLISH ON GRAHAM - U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd said Monday he hopes Sen. Bob Graham decides to run for re-election - even though it would end his own bid for statewide office. "Would-be candidate favors Graham in Senate".
SUNSHINE ACT SURVEY - In November, Floridians reaffirmed their right of access to public records by approving a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for exemptions to the state's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law. So why is a government-financed research group asking state educators whether the public-access law is beneficial?
The Council for Education Policy, Research and Improvement, whose members are appointed by the governor, the speaker of the House and president of the Senate, is not "anti-Sunshine," says Bill Proctor, the group's executive director. Yet his group, which has researched education-related laws in Florida since 1980, has surveyed educators by e-mail asking whether the state's open-government law had a positive, negative or neutral effect on their work.
"The tone of that e-mail is, 'Isn't this annoying?' " said Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, which has been flagging a herd of proposed new exemptions. "It's always a worry when we have a government agency asking other government agencies to spout off about the Sunshine Law." "'Public' means public".
OLIPHANT -Broward County Supervisor of Elections Miriam Oliphant is democracy's worst nightmare. And Gov. Jeb Bush is partly to blame.
Since badly bungling the 2002 gubernatorial primary, Ms. Oliphant has proven hugely incapable of staging a glitch-free election absent massive amounts of help from others. She has engaged in open warfare with county commissioners. She has squandered millions of taxpayer dollars. She has hired inept staff. She has fired worthwhile administrators. She even has been the subject of a criminal investigation that, if nothing else, validated claims of her staggering incompetence.
And yet she still seems to be the governor's gal.
Mr. Bush has the authority to remove her from office for neglect of duty and incompetence. Yet he refuses to act, apparently fearing the potential political backlash that could result from removing a black Democrat from elective office. Surely, there are others from similar backgrounds in Broward County who could do the job. "A disaster already happening".
WATER WARS -A powerful business group's proposal to tap into North Florida water to fuel southern growth has alarmed environmentalists and some lawmakers. "Water plan splits state in two".
ISN'T THAT NICE - Florida politicians have come up with another way to get more money through Committees of Continuous Existence. "Cynical cash loophole".
ARTS FUNDING -Among the hardest-hit targets when the Florida Legislature and Gov. Jeb Bush struggled earlier this year to balance the state budget was funding for the arts. Lawmakers and the governor took a red pen to nearly $22 million in line items and trust funds relating to culture and the arts, slashing or eliminating spending in nearly every category from statewide grants programs to building projects to education programs. "Restore Arts Funding In Florida". 5:51 AM
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