Florida Democrats looking to alter ‘Stand Your Ground’

By   /  January 30, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Florida, Issues, News, State Government  /  8 Comments

IN MEMORY: The law has received considerable attention since it was invoked in the tragic shooting of Sanford teenager Trayvon Martin.

After a failed state task force and dwindling public support, South Florida Democrats are proposing their own changes to the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, introducing a bill placing narrow constraints on how people justify shootings against would-be attackers and home invaders.

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Florida lawmaker calls red-light cameras ‘scam on poor people’

By   /  January 24, 2013  /  Accountability, Featured, Finances, Florida, Free Market, Issues, News, State Budgets, State Government  /  7 Comments

FREEZE: Campbell is challenging red-light cameras because she says they are illegal and discriminatory against the poor.

By Yael Ossowski | Florida Watchdog
ST. PETERSBURG – Red-light cameras are nothing more than a money-making scheme aimed at the poor, state Sen. Daphne Campbell says.
The cameras have nothing to do with actual safety at intersections, the Miami Democrat said.
“They’ve turned something so simple and elementary into a money business,” she told Florida Watchdog. “People [...]

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Harassed photographer filing lawsuit against Miami-Dade

By   /  January 23, 2013  /  Featured, Florida, Journalism, Journalism & Media, News, Power Abuse, Private property rights  /  No Comments

HEY CITIZEN: Miller was forcibly detained by private Metrorail security guards for filming on the public transit system.

By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog
MIAMI — When private security guards working for the Metrorail system in Miami stopped photographer Carlos Miller last Sunday night for taking pictures, they had no idea they’d be brewing a storm.
After Miller was forcibly tackled by the security guards for filming the Metrorail station and later charged by the [...]

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Gun buyback is ‘money down the tubes’

By   /  January 22, 2013  /  Featured, Federal Government, Finances, Florida, Gun control, Issues, News  /  16 Comments

JUST CHECKING: Eighty-one percent of Wisconsinites approve of background checks for those purchasing weapons at private gun shows, according to the latest Marquette Law School poll. (AP file photo)

 
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog
ST. PETERSBURG — One of Florida’s progressive heavyweights is out to collect the guns of Americans.
But for a fair price, of course.
That’s the aim of U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat from Florida’s 21st Congressional District, who last week introduced the Buyback Our Safety Act, a $15-million national gun buyback program that would [...]

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Florida Supreme Court OKs pension reform

By   /  January 17, 2013  /  Florida WatchBlog  /  No Comments

SOLID: The Supreme Court upheld the governor's pension reforms which were heavily opposed by public employee unions.

TALLAHASSEE — State pension reform will continue after all in the Sunshine State, thanks to Thursday’s Florida Supreme Court ruling upholding changes to pensions of public employees.
The 4-3 decision green lights the mandatory 3 percent contribution for the pensions of state workers and public employees enrolled in the Florida Retirement System.
“The actions of the Legislature have not impaired any [...]

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