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Brian Brandon works the bag as part of a physical fitness regimen at the Sky Academy charter school Wednesday Nov. 16, 2011 at the YMCA in Venice, Fl. The school promotes a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness in a learning environment.Monday: Charter schoolsThe Senate Education Pre-K -12 Committee takes up a massive charter school bill that allows state colleges that offer approved teacher preparation programs to operate one K-12 charter school. The bill, SB 1852, already has 14 amendments filed. Another measure would set up additional standards for Florida Virtual School, including allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities. (SB 1402) The panel also looks at allowing school districts to extend bond payout periods (SB 750) and another giving school boards longer period to organize themselves after fall elections (SB 620.) (Monday, 3 p.m., 301 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has contracted with an Arizona-based company to install and monitor cameras to catch red-light runners at six dangerous intersections throughout the county.Tuesday: Cameras at red lights, on school busesA bill that would let school districts put cameras on school buses with the hope of getting pictures of drivers who don't observe the school bus stop signs when children are boarding is before the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday. The measure (SB 250) is sponsored by Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. The committee also hears a combined version of two bills (SB 590, SB 568) dealing with red lights - including a tweak to the law dealing with red light cameras. The legislation would require twice-a-year testing of the controversial cameras, and spells out that the burden of proving the guilt of someone caught by a red light camera remains on the government - and making clear that alleged red light runners have the right to challenge their tickets in court. Another measure, SB 1184, would prohibit local governments from assessing storm water fees on agricultural operations. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., 37 Senate Office Building, The Capitol.)
Professor Charles OgletreeWednesday: Speech to Black CaucusHarvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree gives remarks at a black caucus lecture series event. "Does Race Still Matter in the Age of Obama," is the topic for Ogletree, who is probably best known for representing Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., House Chamber, The Capitol.)
This year's Florida State Fair runs Feb. 9-20Thursday: Florida Cabinet at State FairgroundsThe governor and Cabinet take their show on the road this week as they host the monthly Cabinet meeting at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Along with recognitions honoring the annual agrarian/gastronomical event and the Future Farmers of America, the panel take up a handful of minor issues dealing with the State Board of Administration investment policy revisions and state lands issues including the renewal of a limestone mining permit in Miami-Dade County and the repeal of several Department of Environmental Protection rules as requested by Gov. Rick Scott last year. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Florida State Fair Grounds, Bob Thomas Horse Pavilion, 4800 US Highway 301 N., Tampa.)
The Florida Legislature is in session this weekMore on tap this week in state governmentClick here to read HT Politics' correspondent Christine Sexton's weekly preview of what is happening in the state Legislature.
On the agenda this week in Florida government
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It’s sad that the new owners of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Halifax Media Holdings LLC, only allows certain articles that they select, to be able to receive comments. Halifax Chief Executive Michael Redding heads up this exclusionary policy. Halifax’s owners are Redding Investments; Jaarsss Media LLC, of Miramar Beach, Fla., headed up by Rupert E. Phillips; and Stephens Capital Partners, who are investors out of Little Rock, Ark., & are under the control of billionaire Warren Stephens. These are the people that readers of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Lakeland Ledger, Winter Haven News Chief, Gainesville Sun and Ocala Star-Banner in Florida need to contact to overturn this policy of controlling the publics voice in political matters. They are trying to influence politics in a slanted way by only allowing public comments to selected articles. For instance today there is an article entitled: “Tea party: Warming or resigned to Mitt Romney?” By Kristen Wyatt of the Associated Press. The public certainly would like to be able to comment on this article as well as all the other articles this news organization distributes about American politics at all levels. We certainly respect your role in the free market, however you’re joined at the hip with your readership by the first amendment. http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120206/APA/1202061206
Chuck Luck, I work at the Herald-Tribune.
The reason comments aren’t allowed on the article you mentioned is because that story is part of an automatic feed from The Associated Press. None of those feed stories have comments enabled, for some reason. There’s no bigger conspiracy.
I’ve posted a copy of the story here on HT Politics, and welcome your comments:
http://htpolitics.com/2012/02/07/tea-party-warming-or-resigned-to-mitt-romney/