Florida Independent

Best Of: Planned Parenthood criticizes family planning opt-out in Medicaid bill

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.28.11 | 8:00 am

In April, The Florida Independent’s Ashley Lopez broke news about a provision in the state’s Medicaid overhaul that allows providers to opt out of providing family planning services for “moral or religious reasons.” Months later, Lopez explored whether the provision was legal, examining the claim that if family planning providers cannot afford to participate in Medicaid because of low reimbursement rates, women in the state could be left stranded.

Best Of: Abstinence program with anti-gay ties backs out of applying for taxpayer dollars

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.27.11 | 9:00 am

In February, Florida Independent contributor Kopsa broke news about ties between the founder of the Jacksonville-based abstinence education program Project SOS, an organization that has received more than $8 million in taxpayer funding since 2001, and Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa, a chief proponent of that country’s “Kill the Gays” bill.

Best Of: ACLU, Project Vote highlight legislator’s remarks in letter to Department of Justice

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.27.11 | 8:00 am

During the 2011 legislative session, The Florida Independent’s Travis Pillow captured state Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, defending new voting restrictions in unusually direct language. “Do you read the stories about the people in Africa?” Bennett asked.

Best Of: State senator amends ‘Choose Life’ bill in response to controversy

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.26.11 | 10:00 am

Beginning in early January, Virginia Chamlee tracked progress of a Florida bill created to redirect how money raised through the sale of the state’s “Choose Life” license plates is distributed. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, was written to remove rules stipulating that at least 70 percent of the money go to meet the physical needs of pregnant women, leaving the controversial organization Choose Life, Inc., free to spend the money on anti-abortion advertising and counseling.

Best Of: Riverkeeper issues scathing letter about exaggerated water rule costs

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.26.11 | 9:00 am

In November 2010, The Florida Independent’s Virginia Chamlee reported on internal emails she obtained that revealed that officials in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection knew that the cost estimates it was using to argue against new EPA water quality rules were artificially inflated and, in some instances, mathematically incorrect.

Introducing: The Best of The Florida Independent

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 12.26.11 | 8:00 am

Impact. It’s a word we at The Florida Independent throw around daily behind the scenes, but it’s not an idea we talk about much in public. Sure, it’s featured prominently in our statement of purpose (to produce “news that impacts public debate and advances the common good”), but in the daily What Have You Published in the Last 10 Minutes? rush, it’s easy to overlook. I’d like to change that.

VIDEO: Independent reporters Todd Heywood, Marcos Restrepo discuss HIV/AIDS policy

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 11.17.11 | 2:51 pm

American Independent News Network reporters Todd Heywood, of The Michigan Messenger, and Marcos Restrepo, of The Florida Independent, have both reported extensively on HIV/AIDS policy around the country. They recently teamed up to chat about the national HIV/AIDs Drug Assistance Program funding crisis and HIV criminalization laws around the country, among other issues.

Help us fight a ‘frivolous and blatant attempt to chill free speech’

By Hanaa Rifaey | 10.19.11 | 12:00 pm

Controversial anti-gay minister Bradlee Dean and his evangelical band/ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International (YCR) are suing The American Independent News Network’s senior reporter, Andy Birkey, and are threatening to also sue our site The Minnesota Independent. Rachel Maddow, who also reported about Dean on her MSNBC show, is also named in the suit, which seeks $50 million in damages.

Welcome to the redesigned Florida Independent

By Cooper Levey-Baker | 09.10.11 | 10:49 pm

As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve got a new look! We’ve changed up the homepage to make it easier for you to find the stories you want, redesigned the navigation bar to help you find the topics you’re interested in and…