A federal appeals court in Atlanta has set June 8 for oral arguments in the the federal health care lawsuit but denied Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s request for a full court hearing.

The fast-tracked lawsuit by 26 states, including Florida, and the National Federal of Independent Businesses is ultimately headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We are pleased that the 11th Circuit scheduled oral argument this June, so we can resolve this case and protect Americans’ individual liberties,” Bondi said in a statement. “This case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, and a case of such national importance should have no delay.”

Pensacola U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in January ruled the health overhaul unconstitutional, saying the U.S. Commerce Clause did not allow the federal government to require every citizen to buy insurance or pay a penalty. Doing so would give the federal government such sweeping powers that it could force its citizens to eat broccoli, he contended.

Vinson, who is based in Pensacola, declared the entire health act invalid.

Earlier this month Vinson put a stay on his ruling while the appeals proceed – meaning the health act could continue to be implemented – but gave the White House a week to appeal. President Obama’s administration filed the appeal on March 9.

The Legislature would gain a powerful new grip on the South Florida Water Management District and the state’s four other water boards under legislation that sailed unanimously Thursday through the Senate Budget Committee.

The bill (CS/SB 7154) would impose caps on how much districts could raise in property taxes beginning in October — reducing SFWMD’s levies by as much as $123 million.

 Districts also would have to submit their spending plans to the Legislature for approval, and the way they spend their dollars could be subject to a governor’s veto, under the bill.

Budget Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, was among several senators railing about districts’ freewheeling spending, budget reserves totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, and the impact on property-taxpayers.

“It’s pretty hard to say what exactly are they spending the money on,” Alexander said.

Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, agreed, saying the legislative takeover would undoubtedly prove controversial — but worth it.

 ”I think there will be bumps along the road,” Hays said. “But this is a journey we should take.”

GOP leaders in South Carolina and Iowa are pushing national Republican leaders to yank next year’s convention from the Sunshine State unless lawmakers change the presidential preference primary date.

South Carolina GOP Chairwoman Karen Floyd sent a letter to members of the Republican National Committee this morning saying Florida is “thumbing its nose” at the committee’s rules, Politico http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/52303.html today.

“Simply put, if Florida does not respect the process by which our primary calendar was set, the RNC should not be bound to the process by which the convention site was selected,” Floyd wrote.

Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn sent out a statement backing up Floyd.

Florida’s 2012 primary is currently set for Jan. 31, a violation of both parties’ rules requiring the primary to be held no earlier than in March.

Florida GOP leaders aren’t backing down. They say they’re doing what they can to ensure that Florida plays an integral role in the selection of the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.

Get over it, Senate President Mike Haridopolos suggested in a statement. The Merritt Island Republican and U.S. Senate candidate wants the Sunshine State to be fifth in the primary lineup, after New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada.

Read Haridopolos’ and House Speaker Dean Cannon’s reactions after the jump.
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The Senate budget committee approved a tough new rewrite Thursday of the Florida Retirement System that pours $1.1 billion into a proposed $69.8 billion state budget.

But the 13-8 vote doesn’t look like the last word from the Senate.

Even budget chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, hinted that Thursday’s action was not, “where I hope we wind up.”

After weeks of the Senate offering a softer version of a pension overhaul than either of those promoted by the House or Gov. Rick Scott, version unveiled by Alexander imposes a 3 percent contribution rate for 655,000 government employees, puts most new employees into 401(k)-style investment plans, and close the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Program to new participants July 1.

The Republican-ruled committee was blasted for more than an hour by more than two-dozen teachers, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and other union representatives.

“They keep telling us ’we’ve got to suck it up,’” said Sharian Keys, a Port Orange teacher. “But who else is `sucking it up’ in this budget?”

Monday is the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO plans to mark the occasion by picketing a speech by Gov. Rick Scott at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, then protesting a few hours later outside the Kravis Center, which has been the site of a long-running labor dispute.

“Because Dr. King fought for the rights of all, we honor him by carrying on his fight against injustice right in Palm Beach County,” says a flyer promoting the demonstrations.

It’s no secret House Speaker Dean Cannon is no fan of the Florida Supreme Court. He’s pushing a proposal that would split the court into two and require Senate confirmation of justices, appointed by the governor.

Now, Cannon, R-Winter Park, is going after the seven judges’ staff attorneys.

The House budget cuts the number of attorneys by nearly half – from 30 to 14, a savings of about $1.1 million.

Supreme Court staff say the proposed cuts will slow down the court’s ability to hear cases.

The House also doesn’t include any money for the Innocence Commission, a priority of Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island. The commission is investigating wrongful convictions in Florida. The Senate’s allocated just under $250,000 for the project.

And the House’s spending plan is also missing the $3.6 million the Senate spends to reduce court caseloads statewide.

Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has sent a letter to Senate leaders that calls for authorizing the use of force in Libya — not just for the limited humanitarian mission described by President Obama on Monday night, but to remove Moammar Gadhafi from power.

Rubio’s stance was first reported by the conservative Weekly Standard.

Here’s a copy of Rubio’s letter. The letter doesn’t address whether ground troops should be authorized to take out the Libyan strongman.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson has underwhelming approval numbers and a “remarkably low profile” for someone who’s nearing the end of his second term, a new survey by Democrat-oriented Public Policy Polling shows.

But the poll shows Nelson holds a double-digit lead over any of his announced or potential 2012 Republican challengers, all of whom are unknown by a majority of voters.

Nelson’s job performance is viewed approvingly by 38 percent of Florida voters, with 34 percent disapproving and 28 percent having no opinion.

According to PPP, he’d beat state Senate President Mike Haridopolos 50-34, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner of Boca Raton 48-32 and former appointed Sen. George LeMieux 48-33.

Pollster Tom Jensen says, overall, Nelson is in “decent shape.”

When House Democrats grilled Republican Rep. Ritch Workman about his reliance on Cato Institute findings in proposing a sweeping overhaul of the state’s pension fund, the Melbourne lawmaker tried to defend himself.

“As far as I can tell, the Cato Institute is both fair and balanced,” said Workman, channeling his inner Fox News in describing the libertarian think tank.

Almost 2 1/2 hours later, the House Appropriations Committee approved Workman’s pension bill (CS/HB 1405), on a 15-8 party-line vote, with police, firefighters and other public employees calling for lawmakers to kill the proposal.

Democrats opposed the measure, which would make 655,000 government workers contribute 3 percent of their pay to their pension plan.

PALM BEACH — While a “Who’s Afraid of Islamic Law?” conference was going on about 75 miles south at the University of Miami today, potential Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain defended his recent statement in Iowa that he wouldn’t appoint Muslims to cabinet posts because of his concerns about Islamic sharia law.

“I have this bad habit of telling the truth and speaking my mind. Political correctness isn’t exactly on my agenda,” said Cain. The conservative businessman and former radio host, who has opened a presidential exploratory committee, spoke to a luncheon audience of about 50 at the Beach Club.

“I want people in my administration that are 100 percent dedicated to the constitution of the United States of America, not sharia law,” Cain said of his Iowa remark, which he said came in response to a reporter’s question.

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Both the House and Senate have so far rejected Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed tax cuts for businesses and homeowners.

Budget chiefs in both chambers, who released their initial spending plans this week, said they just can’t find a way to cut tax collections while they’ve got $3.8 billion less to spend than last year.

“We don’t have it in the budget,” said House budget chair Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, moments after her appropriations committee approved a stark, $66.5 billion on a party-line vote. “We’d like to do them (tax cuts). But we just don’t have the money right now.”

The Senate plan doesn’t have them either, at least “at this point,” Senate President Mike Haridopolos said.

Haridopolos indicated it would be hard to justify tax cuts at a time when lawmakers are handing pink slips to state workers.

“At this point we’re focused on cutting spending first,” Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said. “I think sometimes people look at this very conservative legislature like we enjoy cutting. I mean, these are tough calls. These are tough decisions. There’s a lot of people that are going to lose their jobs. Anybody who says this is with glee or we’re enjoying these cuts, far from it.”

The House’s latest proposal that would give retailers like Walgreens and CVS exclusive rights to dispense highly addictive pain medications is a no-go in the Senate, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said Wednesday afternoon.

The House Judiciary Committee approved the measure (HB 7095) this morning by a 12-6 vote, deepening the divide between the two chambers’ leaders over how best to crack down on pill mills.

Haridopolos insists on getting the state’s prescription drug database up and running despite his House counterpart Speaker Dean Cannon’s push to have it repealed.

The House’s latest plan to limit distribution of the narcotics by prohibiting doctors from being able to dispense them likely won’t go anywhere in the Senate, said Haridopolos, whose wife is a doctor.

“I don’t have a lot of hope for that one. We’re not even going in that direction,” Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said this afternoon at his weekly briefing with reporters.

The House budget committee OK’d a stark, $66.5 billion spending plan Wednesday which reduces the state’s workforce by 5,245 jobs and imposes wide-ranging cuts to most state programs.

The Republican-led panel approved the measure on a party-line 15-8 vote.

“It’s about the best budget we could do, given the circumstances,” said Appropriations Chair Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid.

But Democrats said the ruling GOP was threatening critical programs, while endangering Floridians with such efforts as privatizing prisons and probation officers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

“When the budget puts life at risk, I have an issue,” said Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston.

Jamie Titcomb, who’s been executive director of the 38-municipality Palm Beach County League of Cities for the past 12 years, announced this week he plans to retire at the end of June.

Titcomb, 54, was a Boynton Beach city commissioner before taking the League post. The League advocates for the interests of cities and towns with county government and in Tallahassee.

“I think twelve is enough…I’m term-limiting myself. My bucket list contains many things I wish to pursue now and in the future,” Titcomb said in a press release announcing his departure.

A Medicaid rewrite that would steer 2.9 million low-income sick and elderly Floridians into managed care programs across 19 still-to-be-established regions cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in the state Senate.

The Health Regulation Committee approved the measure 11-0, despite concerns from some lawmakers that the legislation threatens many low-budget, community care providers who currently serve thousands of elderly Floridians in their homes.

Critics said they fear these providers could be hard-pressed to win contracts and play a role in a new system dominated by large HMOs and hospital-driven Provider Service Networks (PSNs).

But Senate sponsor Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said that competition was key to assuring that Medicaid patients received better and more efficient care.

Negron said lawmakers are looking to cut $1 billion from Medicaid’s current $22 billion budget, which now represents almost one-third of the state’s recession-wracked state spending plan.

“I want this bill to be bold and transformative, rather than just sniveling around the edges,” Negron said. (more…)

The House gave retail pharmacies a boost this morning in its approach to reining in pill mills by going after rogue distributors.

Rep. Robert Schenck, sponsor of the bill (HB 7095), offered an amendment that would limit dispensation of narcotics to pharmacies that are publicly traded, have more than $100 million of taxable assets in Florida or have been in operation continuously for at least a decade.

The measure would also require the use of tamper-proof prescription pads or electronic prescribing for all controlled substances.

Schenck’s amendment, approved by the House Judiciary Committee this morning, also goes a bit easier on dispensing docs than his previous proposal which would have banned them from dispensing virtually any medications. Under Schenck’s new plan, only the pharmacies could dole out Schedule II and III drugs. Schedule II drugs iclude highly addictive narcotics like oxycodone and hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. Schedule 3 drugs include sedatives and steroid compounds. (more…)

Freshman Republican Sen. Marco Rubio ended his self-imposed exile from the national media spotlight with Tuesday night appearances on ABC’s Nightline and Fox News’ Hannity and an interview this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America.

He also has an opinion piece in this morning’s Wall Street Journal in which he says he’ll vote against raising the federal government’s borrowing limit unless certain conditions are met.

“I will vote to defeat an increase in the debt limit unless it is the last one we ever authorize and is accompanied by a plan for fundamental tax reform, an overhaul of our regulatory structure, a cut to discretionary spending, a balanced-budget amendment, and reforms to save Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,” Rubio says.

Read the whole thing here.

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, says President Obama has failed to offer a clear rationale for bombing Libya this month. Hastings, who hadn’t weighed in on the military action there until tonight, issued a statement calling it “troubling” that Obama had not offered a “clear strategy” for the U.S. mission there.

Read Hastings’ entire statement after the jump….

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South Florida contractors were among those appealing Tuesday to Gov. Rick Scott’s job-creation push, urging him to seek more funding for Everglades restoration for economic, as well as environmental, purposes.

In his budget proposal, Scott has recommended cutting state restoration money from $50 million to $17 million. He also has called for 25 percent property tax cuts from the state’s water management districts, which environmentalists say also could reduce dollars for Everglades work.

House and Senate budgets advancing also tighten-up environmental spending, as lawmakers look to close a spending gap nearing $3.8 billion.

“Continued state funding of Everglades restoration will help ensure that the federal government stands by its commitment to fund these important projects and will allow construction to move forward,” the ten contractors wrote Scott. “The Everglades stand at a crossroads.”

Contractors included engineers, environmental consultants, and road graders from South Florida to Jacksonville and Mississippi.

About 1,000 protesters rallied Tuesday across the street from the state Capitol, blasting Gov. Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers for advancing an array of bills condemned as union-busting.

Many of those crowding the grounds of the Leon County Courthouse wore green shirts bearing the motto, “Let’s Pull Together.” The shirts also were emblazoned with the logo for AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.”

“Sure, I’m worried about what’s going on,” said Shelton Locklear, 64, a carpenter, and 31-year employee of the Polk County School Board. “They’re making us pay for pensions, that’s a pay cut for us.”

Locklear, who said he hadn’t drawn an across-the-board pay raise in three years, acknowledged Scott and legislative leaders looked certain to make the pension changes. But he said he hoped a show of political force by unions might blunt the push.

Nearby, a voter registration table was set up. And Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams drew a stark contrast between the crowd gathered across the street from the Capitol, and the lawmakers inside the 22-story structure.

“It’s all about taking care of the corporate executives who bankrolled the companies that put our legislators into office,” Williams told those gathered. “There’s one voice, one group that stands in the way of the right-wing ideology — it’s organized labor.” (more…)