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Guest AuthorApril 8, 2015

Student privacy has been much in the news lately, given the revelations that Pearson, creator of the new PARCC tests and one time creator of the FCAT, is monitoring social media to look for breaches of test security. (PARCC is the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.) Not surprisingly, there’s a bill […]

Guest AuthorApril 8, 2015

The campus-security video is harrowing. In the early morning hours of June 23, 2013, four Vanderbilt University football players carry the limp, unconscious body of a 21-year-old female honors student from a car and into a campus dorm building after a night of drinking in downtown Nashville. The men dump her in a hallway and […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2015

The Florida Senate Wednesday passed an adoption bill that would provide financial assistance to public employees to encourage them to adopt foster and special needs children in the Sunshine State who need parents. Sponsored by Niceville Republican Don Gaetz, the bill survived serious opposition led by Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel, who seized on a bill provision passed in […]

Ryan RayApril 8, 2015

As debate over a bill to protect “religious conscience” — the upshot of which is to prevent gay couples from adopting children — raged for hours Wednesday afternoon on the floor of the House, another battle in the Capitol was just beginning: one that might cost staunch social conservative Rep. Eric Eisnaugle the 2021-22 House […]

Bruce RitchieApril 8, 2015

A pilot program is a small step — but it is a step forward nonetheless, critics of disposable plastic shopping bags said Wednesday. A Senate committee on Wednesday approved a bill that allows coastal communities to create a 2-1/2-year pilot program to regulate or ban plastic bags. Critics say plastic bags become litter that choke […]

Mitch PerryApril 8, 2015

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The Florida House of Representatives on Wednesday advanced a controversial bill that its sponsor says would protect the religious rights of private adoption agencies. However, Democrats, LGBT activists and others say it would give those agencies carte blanche to discriminate against same-sex couples. Sanford Republican Jason Brodeur‘s bill emerged in the past month, immediately after […]

Phil AmmannApril 8, 2015

After a grueling seven hours on the campaign trail, Annette Taddeo is already tired. Just hours after Charlie Crist’s former running mate announced she is running to unseat Carlos Curbelo in Florida’s 26th Congressional District, new audio from a local radio show shows Taddeo bailed on a scheduled interview — telling producers she was “too […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 8, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday said the state of Florida did not cut off negotiations with the federal government and put blame for the Medicaid meltdown on the federal government instead. Scott told a group of reporters Wednesday afternoon that negotiators with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told Medicaid Deputy Director Justin Senior […]

James CallApril 8, 2015

The state’s top elections chief got a dressing down Wednesday from Sen. Jack Latvala. Secretary of State Ken Detzner is opposing an on-line voter registration proposal moving in the House and Senate. “We’re all for it,” said Latvala after the meeting gesturing to include members of the Transportation, Economic Development Committee. And the House is […]

Bruce RitchieApril 8, 2015

A Senate comprehensive water bill was rewritten Wednesday with changes requested from business and environmental groups, but neither side is yet supporting the bill. SB 918 would establish springs protection zones, provide consistency in pollution regulations dealing with Lake Okeechobee, and incorporate Central Florida water supply planning in state law. The bill passed its second […]

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Catherine Martinez: Social media, data mining undermine test privacy

Rick Brunson: It's the duty of all of us to stop campus sexual assault

Senate defeats proposal to ban gay adoptions

Could Eric Eisnaugle’s speakership be casualty of House gay adoption fight?

Bill doesn’t lift prohibition on plastic bag bans but allows pilot programs

House moves adoption agency “conscience protection” bill forward

Email Insights: After 7 hours, candidate Annette Taddeo already “tired”

Rick Scott says feds told state, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” on LIP talks

Jack Latvala calls Ken Detzner opposition to online voter registration “bullshit!”

Industry, environmentalists say rewritten Senate water bill better, could be improved