Category: Legislature
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Weak ethics agencies, lobbyist regulation tarnish Florida in national integrity investigation
By Dan Christensen
BrowardBulldog.org with The Center for Public Integrity
Florida kicked off the modern era of open government reforms when it became the first state to pass an open meetings law in 1967. Today, Florida’s Sunshine Law, and its even older Public Records Law, are among the strongest in the nation. But while Florida lets plenty of sun shine in on public meetings and records, it has done a poor job of illuminating the activities of lobbyists. -
GEO Group spends big on politicians, lobbyists as lucrative state contract goes out for bids
By Dan Christensen
BrowardBulldog.org
If political contributions and Tallahassee lobbyists are any measure, Boca Raton’s The GEO Group is the odds-on favorite to win a super-sized contract put out to bid this week in Tallahassee to privatize state prisons across South Florida. -
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Lobbyists, lawmakers hit jackpot as Mardi Gras Casino pays out big to shed greyhound racing
By Dan Christensen
BrowardBulldog.org
The owner of Hallandale Beach’s Mardis Gras Gaming has paid a squad of lobbyists hundreds of thousands of dollars to sew up passage of a bill that would let it shed its moribund dog-racing business, but keep its lucrative slot machines and poker games. -
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The national debate over public workers to be played out in Florida as Legislature convenes
By William Gjebre
BrowardBulldog.org
Florida has a long history of battles for collective bargaining rights for public employees going back to the late sixties and early seventies, some gained after workers – particularly in South Florida — staged work stoppages and strikes. When the 2011 state legislative session opens Tuesday, a new chapter opens and Florida public employees face their greatest challenge in decades. -
A proposed law for Florida seeks merit pay for teachers; major school districts nervous
By William Gjebre
BrowardBulldog.org
Officials of teachers’ unions in Broward and Miami-Dade are wary of a newly filed bill that establishes teachers pay based on performance and places limitations on tenure. -
House sponsor quickly withdraws “nuclear bomb” of Florida pension reform
By William Gjebre and Dan Christensen
BrowardBulldog.org
Hammered with “thousands of emails and hundreds of phone calls” from angry police officers across the state, a rookie legislator Thursday withdrew his week-old bill seeking to overhaul Florida’s public retirement plans.
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