Tagged: politics

Republicans are upset that the president wants the debt ceiling included in budget talks. Meanwhile, former Republican Governor Charlie Crist switches parties.  

Details from WLRN-Miami Herald News:

Miami-Dade Commissioners said they could bring back prayer to their public meetings and now they have. It came in an 8 to 3 vote. They signed off on a change to a current rule that only allowed for a moment of silence before meetings. Now, commissioners will be able to invite a religious leader of their choosing to lead everyone in a prayer before each meeting. Baylor Johnson is a  spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union      of Florida and says the commissioners are inviting conflict and a possible lawsuit by doing this. A commissioner can also lead a prayer themselves if t

Leaders from throughout the region meet in Jupiter later this week for the fourth annual Regional Climate Leadership Summit, and the timing couldn't be better. Or worse, depending on your perspective. 

Pounding surf and high tides from Hurricane Sandy's passage have put the issue front and center, especially in Fort Lauderdale.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist is standing with state Democrats in favor of a bill to fix election problems that embarrassed the state last week.

State Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg is the House sponsor of the bill, which would restore early voting to 14 days and allow non-government buildings to be used as early voting site.

Crist's name continues to surface as a possible Democratic challenger to Gov. Rick Scott in 2016. He has left the Republican Party and remains an independent who likes to call himself "Citizen Crist."

Florida is considering its options while refusing to implement the Affordable Care Act.

Governor Rick Scott has been a harsh critic of the health care reform law. Under Scott’s administration, Florida lead the Supreme Court case against it.

But the Supreme Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act and last week, Florida voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have banned the individual mandate. That leaves Scott in a tough spot for someone who would rather not implement the law.

Incoming Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) and House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) say they want Republicans and Democrats to work together. 

Weatherford says the people have spoken in re-electing President Obama.

"Anyone who wishes for him to not succeed at this point is betting against America and they're wishing against the success of America," Weatherford said. 

State election officials say they're keeping an eye on Palm Beach County's operations, after a second printing mishap involving absentee ballots.

The first blunder involved 27,000 absentee ballots with a header missing above the judicial races.  The ballots can't be read by Palm Beach County's vote tabulation machines, so election office workers are copying out those forms by hand onto new ballots.

The redesign of Florida license plates is on hold.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wants new license plates that are easier for toll booth cameras and red light cameras to read.

But the agency withdrew its request for approval by the Florida Cabinet Tuesday.

The DMV is tweaking the plan in part because of concerns by county  tax collectors that private companies will be hired to issue the new plates.

Forget booths and absentee ballots.

College students would rather vote using their thumbs, according to a study conducted by telecommunications giant AT&T.

AT&T conducted the survey on one of the most politically galvanized campuses in the nation -- Lynn University in Boca Raton.  American politics have played a major role at Lynn since last fall, when the university was chosen to host the last Presidential debate of 2012.

Out of nearly 300 students surveyed, 58 percent say they would use smartphones to cast their ballot if "mobile voting" were available.