The redistricting maps approved by the Florida Senate on Tuesday “do not meet the criteria set forth by the Fair Districts amendments,” writes state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, in a new column explaining her decision to buck the party line and vote against the maps.
Awake the State will hold protests targeting Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-led Legislature all over the state on the first day of Florida’s legislative session, Jan. 10.
According to a recent Brookings Institute report, three big metro areas in Florida — Lakeland, Palm Bay and Miami — are among the 20 weakest-performing cities in the country in the struggle to recover from the recession.
The shift comes with political risks for Republicans, who, by favoring programs like drug treatment and work-release over lengthy prison sentences, can expose themselves to accusations that they’re soft on crime.
State Sen. and high-speed rail supporter Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, wrote a letter to the Palm Beach Post knocking down three of the arguments raised by opponents of the project.
Gov. Rick Scott’s transition team outlined a plan to cut prison spending while also, over the long run, reducing crime, but state lawmakers this week expressed concern over whether prison reform would lead to politicians being labeled soft on crime.
As Senate President Mike Haridopolos has withdrawn his support of a high-speed rail line connecting Orlando and Tampa, at least one business group announced plans Wednesday to rally support for the project.
Big city politics may not be the only factor in the success of a high-speed rail line planned between Tampa and Orlando, as lawmakers from smaller towns that make up the heart of the line are calling for the troubled project to come to fruition.
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