FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS FLORIDA's VOTER SUPPRESSION LAW

A federal judge has issued a temporary halt to key provisions of new Florida laws meant to limit the activities of voter registration groups.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle today ordered a temporary injunction supporting the League of Women Voters, Rock the Vote and the Florida Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, which have largely abandoned their vote-registration efforts because of the restrictions placed on their activities last year by the Florida legislature.

Hinkle said “the statute and rule impose a harsh and impractical 48-hour deadline for an organization to deliver applications to a voter registration office and effectively prohibit an organization from mailing applications in. And the statute and rule impose burdensome record-keeping and reporting requirements that serve little if any purpose, thus rendering them unconstitutional …”

There was no immediate reaction from the groups or the state.

UPDATE, Thursday, 4:25 PM:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Rep. Perry Thurston (D-Plantation), the House Democratic Leader-designate, issued the following statement regarding a preliminary injunction issued today by federal Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee in which he orders the state to refrain from enforcing a portion of a controversial Florida election law that was a priority of Republicans during the 2011 session.

Representative Thurston’s statement:

“I am elated by this initial victory for Florida’s voters. I am pleased that voter rights groups are likely to prevail in their challenge to at least a key portion of the Republican-crafted voter suppression law. As federal Judge Robert Hinkle has noted in a preliminary injunction issued today, a provision of the law that makes third-party groups like the League of Women Voters hand in voter registration forms within 48 hours is simply `harsh and impractical’ and the `short deadline, coupled with substantial penalties for noncompliance, make voter-registration drives a risky business.’

“Frankly, I think the bulk of the voter suppression legislation approved by majority party members in the Legislature is an assault on one of our basic rights as U.S. citizens and the law should be replaced with reasonable rules regulating Florida’s elections.

“I remain proud of Representative Mark Pafford for filing in the 2012 legislative session House Bill 1189 to ensure that basic voting rights are protected for Floridians. It is a great disappointment to members of the Florida House Democratic Caucus that Republican legislative leaders refused to advance Representative Pafford’s important legislation.

“Without the changes sought by Florida House Democratic Caucus members, I fear that Florida’s new election rules imposed by the GOP voter-suppression legislation will reduce turnout among young, disabled, minority and low-income voters. If allowed to remain in effect, these changes will shorten the hours for early voting, make it harder for people with address changes to vote, and make third-party voter registration drives more difficult.”

Judicial Retention Battle Builds With Complaint Against Barbara Pariente

A disgraced, disbarred attorney has filed an official complaint over state Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente's partisan remarks at a South Florida synagogue.

In a letter to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, Jack Thompson, of Coral Gables, called Pariente's speech "partisan, issues-related, evocative of her religion, and violative of various judicial canons."

Pariente last week told a gathering at Temple Emeth of Delray Beach that "a vote yes will be a vote to retain me and the other two justices. … A vote no will give Governor [Rick] Scott the right to make his appointments, which will result in partisan political appointments."

Dan Stengle, legal counsel for the three justices' merit-retention campaigns, said he saw "nothing that Justice Pariente said that violated any judicial canons or election laws. Her reported comments were factual and truthful, and there was nothing inappropriate about what she said or where she said it.

"Justice Pariente, in the constitutionally-provided merit retention process, has every right to speak about merit retention and her role as a Supreme Court justice.

"She also considers it her obligation to the voters of Florida to discuss these issues and the importance of maintaining a fair and impartial judiciary that operates without fear or favor, as Floridians contemplated when they adopted the Florida Constitution," Stengle said.


Francine Walker, spokeswoman for the Florida Bar, said her organization "does not have jurisdiction over the judges. The Judicial Qualifications Commission, a separate agency, does."

A spokesman for the JQC said commissioners are "not allowed to comment on" pending cases.

Hurricane Preparedness

Hurricane Preparedness Kit Essentials

Include the following items in your family's hurricane preparedness kit:

 First-aid kit and important medications

 At least one gallon of water per person per day

 Canned food and a manual can opener

 Clothing and bedding

 Battery- powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries

 Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members

 Driver’s license, Social Security cards insurance cards and policies, wills and other important documents

 Maps of potential evacuation destinations

 Cash 

 Books and toys 

 Pet care items – carrier case, food, medications medical records 

 Matches in a waterproof container 

 Toilet paper and personal hygiene items 

 Cell phone, cell phone batteries, and extra chargers

 A written household inventory 

 Address book or list of family members phone numbers

Food Safety for Power Outages

During a power outage, you will need to take extra precautions that the foods you eat and the water you drink  are safe. During a storm, tap water available in your area may become contaminated. Frozen and refrigerated food  items without a source of electricity may go bad. As flooding occurs, immediately evaluate stored food and water  supply. Perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are not properly refrigerated or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when it is thoroughly cooked.  Follow these food guidelines to keep your family safe during a storm-provoked power outage: Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to maintain a cold temperature. During a warning, set freezers and refrigerators to their coldest settings. If the power goes out, a refrigerator will keep food cold for up to four hours if unopened; an unopened freezer will stay cold 48 hours if full and approximately 24 hours if only half full. Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe source such as bottled water.  Thoroughly cook frozen and refrigerated foods. If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while they are still at safe temperatures, it’s important that the food is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any food borne bacteria that may be present is destroyed. Take extra care with baby’s food. If possible, use prepared, canned formula and jarred foods that require no added water. If you must use concentrated formulas, be sure to add water from a safe source, such as bottled water.  For more information, visit www. foodsafety.gov or call the FDA toll-free number at 1-888-SAFEFOOD. Terms to Know Tropical Depression: An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38MPH (33knots) or less. Sustained winds are defined as one-minute average wind measured at about 33 ft (10 meters) above the surface. Tropical Storm: An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 33-78MPH (34- 63 knots).  Hurricane: An intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74MPH (64knots) or higher.  Storm Surge: A dome of water pushed onshore by hurricane and tropical storm winds. Storm surges can reach 25-feet high and be 50- 1000miles wide.  Storm Tide: A combination of storm surge and the normal tide (i.e., a 15-foot storm surge combined with a 2- foot normal high tide over the mean sea level created a 17- foot storm tide). Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Watch: Hurricane/ tropical storm conditions are possible in the specified area, usually within 36hours. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information. Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Warning: Hurricane/ tropical storm conditions are expected in the specified area, usually within 24hours.  Short Term Watches and Warnings: A hurricane watch issued for your area indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within approximately 36hours. A hurricane warning issued for your area indicates that hurricane conditions are expected within approximately 24hours. For further information regarding hurricane season safety and preparedness, contact your local Red Cross. If you live in an area vulnerable to hurricanes, you’re probably aware of the damage to life and property that can result from severe weather. The best way to protect your family is to be better prepared! source: Winn Dixie sores Inc

Hurricane Preparedness

Hurricane Preparedness Kit Essentials

Include the following items in your family's hurricane preparedness kit:

 First-aid kit and important medications

 At least one gallon of water per person per day

 Canned food and a manual can opener

 Clothing and bedding

 Battery- powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries

 Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family members

 Driver’s license, Social Security cards insurance cards and policies, wills and other important documents

 Maps of potential evacuation destinations

 Cash 

 Books and toys 

 Pet care items – carrier case, food, medications medical records 

 Matches in a waterproof container 

 Toilet paper and personal hygiene items 

 Cell phone, cell phone batteries, and extra chargers

 A written household inventory 

 Address book or list of family members phone numbers

Food Safety for Power Outages

During a power outage, you will need to take extra precautions that the foods you eat and the water you drink  are safe. During a storm, tap water available in your area may become contaminated. Frozen and refrigerated food  items without a source of electricity may go bad. As flooding occurs, immediately evaluate stored food and water  supply. Perishable food such as meat, poultry, seafood, milk and eggs that are not properly refrigerated or frozen may cause illness if consumed, even when it is thoroughly cooked.  Follow these food guidelines to keep your family safe during a storm-provoked power outage: Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to maintain a cold temperature. During a warning, set freezers and refrigerators to their coldest settings. If the power goes out, a refrigerator will keep food cold for up to four hours if unopened; an unopened freezer will stay cold 48 hours if full and approximately 24 hours if only half full. Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe source such as bottled water.  Thoroughly cook frozen and refrigerated foods. If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while they are still at safe temperatures, it’s important that the food is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any food borne bacteria that may be present is destroyed. Take extra care with baby’s food. If possible, use prepared, canned formula and jarred foods that require no added water. If you must use concentrated formulas, be sure to add water from a safe source, such as bottled water.  For more information, visit www. foodsafety.gov or call the FDA toll-free number at 1-888-SAFEFOOD. Terms to Know Tropical Depression: An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38MPH (33knots) or less. Sustained winds are defined as one-minute average wind measured at about 33 ft (10 meters) above the surface. Tropical Storm: An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 33-78MPH (34- 63 knots).  Hurricane: An intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74MPH (64knots) or higher.  Storm Surge: A dome of water pushed onshore by hurricane and tropical storm winds. Storm surges can reach 25-feet high and be 50- 1000miles wide.  Storm Tide: A combination of storm surge and the normal tide (i.e., a 15-foot storm surge combined with a 2- foot normal high tide over the mean sea level created a 17- foot storm tide). Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Watch: Hurricane/ tropical storm conditions are possible in the specified area, usually within 36hours. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television for information. Hurricane/ Tropical Storm Warning: Hurricane/ tropical storm conditions are expected in the specified area, usually within 24hours.  Short Term Watches and Warnings: A hurricane watch issued for your area indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within approximately 36hours. A hurricane warning issued for your area indicates that hurricane conditions are expected within approximately 24hours. For further information regarding hurricane season safety and preparedness, contact your local Red Cross. If you live in an area vulnerable to hurricanes, you’re probably aware of the damage to life and property that can result from severe weather. The best way to protect your family is to be better prepared! source: Winn Dixie sores Inc

Message By State Sen. Maria Sachs

Key to Economic Growth

By State Sen. Maria
Sachs, District 30


The current economic recession poses questions for Florida’s budget.
Education has always been the best investment a government can make.
In the past 20 years, however, we have seen a dramatic increase in the
speed and size of the economic return on this investment.

In the areas of information and media technology, there is a wildly
shrinking barrier to turning intelligent concepts into successful
businesses. We as political leadership need to acknowledge that there is
a similarly shrinking line between education and prosperity.

Today universities are bearing economic fruit on a different time    
scale. In the arena of information technology, the merit of an idea has
grown in importance as a factor relative to industry connections. The
people most likely to create successful businesses in this industry are the ones most engrossed in
fresh ideas and less tethered to existing personal or professional responsibilities: students.
Google, Yahoo, and Facebook, arguably the three most important web companies, were not
created by graduates or by politicians, but by the students of excellent university programs.



Stanford University is the premier example of an organization that has embraced the new
young face of the tech economy. It interweaves academic work with entrepreneurial projects,
directly connecting students, even at the undergraduate level, with businesses and venture capital
firms. The financial rewards are startling: Stanford, having licensed 8,000 campus inspired
inventions, has reaped $1.3 billion in royalties. Five thousand companies sprang from Stanford
ideas, including HP, Yahoo, Google, Cisco, eBay, Netflix, LinkedIn, and E-trade. Florida needs
to pursue the model pioneered by Stanford in Silicon Valley, where education is not a contributor
to the economy – it is the economy.

Florida, instead of moving closer to the Stanford model, is moving farther away by
cutting $300 million from our higher education budget. The effect on Florida’s stake in the
tech economy has already been felt: the University of Florida, our state’s flagship research
university, is responding to the budget cuts with plans to dismantle part of its computer science
department. This is the same university where, only a few years ago, an undergraduate student
created Grooveshark, a web music business that boasts 35 million users and 100 employees at
its headquarters in Gainesville, Florida. In addition, Florida Atlantic University has announced
its Dania Beach SeaTech campus, a world-class facility and trailblazer in renewable energy
research, will no longer receive state funding.

Despite political rhetoric about the importance of STEM, we in government must
continue to fund higher education so that Florida will take its rightful position as one of the
leaders in a global economy. Florida must invest in higher education to set our state and country
back on a path to prosperity and ensure that we continue to remain competitive in a global

Voting rights groups ask Scott to stop non-citizen voter purge

A coalition of voting rights groups is asking Gov. Rick Scott to stop a statewide effort to purge thousands of potential non-citzens from the voting rolls, and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, also plans to ask the governor to stop the scrub.




READ MORE......

Florida Conservative Press Declares Sen, Bill Nelson The Winner

Like It or Not, Bill Nelson Looks Solid for Third Term  
Republicans hold the high ground in Florida's political battles. They control the governorship and all the state Cabinet offices. Most of the Florida congressional delegation is Republican and they have veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature. But they can't quite get their act together in taking on Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson who is seeking a third term in November.
Read More

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) statement after President Obama declared his support for marriage equality:

“Today, we take a historic step forward in the decades-long march for civil rights. With President Obama’s statements, LGBT Americans in South Florida and throughout the nation can confidently look to a future in which their family has the same rights as the family next door, and their commitment to their spouse is inscribed not just in their eyes but in the eyes of the law.

“We have a true champion for equality at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We know there’s more to do, but if these last few years have shown us anything, it’s that if we work together, knocking down obstacles brick by brick, the walls will come crumbling down.

“And perhaps most importantly, this announcement means that for the LGBT youth of South Florida and throughout America, who are all too frequently ostracized, demoralized, and bullied just for being who they are, today’s announcement means that it has, and it will continue to get better. Equality is not an aspiration. It is a destination. And we will get there together, I know it.”
 

Anti-Rubio group says Rubio thinks troops are coming out of Iraq "too fast"

Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald PolitiFact
Excerpt: WrongWayRubio.com, a joint project by Progress Florida and Florida Watch, also takes issue with his foreign policy, a particularly important focus for a potential Republican vice presidential nominee. The site provides terse commentary on several issues, allowing readers to tweet the statements -- and the website's source material for the claim -- through their own Twitter accounts.

Meet and Greet For Mayor Gary Resnick

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) made the following statement in honor of May as Jewish American Heritage Month:

Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month in 2012
 

 Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) made the following statement in honor of May as Jewish American Heritage Month:

“I am delighted that this May we celebrate the seventh annual Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to honor the myriad contributions the Jewish community has made to the cultural fabric of the United States. The American Jewish experience is the story of the immigrant, the labor movement, and the battle for civil rights; Jews in America have blazed trails from the battlefield to the Supreme Court, from the sports field and symphony hall to the pages of our nation’s history books. The American Jewish story is the American story.

“This month we celebrate the stories of American Jews like Emma Lazarus, the poet who was an important supporter of Jewish immigrants and the large international Diaspora of Jews. Lazarus is best known for her sonnet “The New Colossus,” which is inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty:

‘Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’

“This well-known message and its prominence on our nation’s most famous statue demonstrate the enduring roots the American Jewish experience share with the larger American story. Not only do the lessons and values of Judaism, so prominent in Lazarus’s writing, complement the strivings of American history; the simple fact of these words’ presence on our nation’s symbol of liberty and justice shows that American Jews have helped shape our great national story.

“This May, I hope you will take a moment to visit www.jahm.us andwww.jewishheritagemonth.gov to learn more about Jewish American Heritage Month and the history of the Jewish community in the United States. As we reflect on the contributions that the Jewish community has made throughout our nation’s history, we remain dedicated to forging a better world in the years to come.”

You can read the President's proclamation here.