Five of today’s top Florida political stories at your fingertips:

Obama mocks climate change skeptics: ‘It can’t be edited out’ – President Barack Obama jabbed at global warming skeptics while visiting the Everglades National Park on Earth Day, characterizing climate change as a dire threat. “Climate change can no longer be denied,” Obama said. “It can’t be edited out. It can’t be omitted from the conversation. And action can no longer be delayed. That’s why I’ve committed the United States the world in combatting this threat.” Read more

Ron DeSantis leads the charge against congressional Obamacare exemptions – U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., a possible U.S. Senate candidate in 2016, took a larger role in the fight against President Barack Obama’s federal health-care law on Wednesday, leading the charge to end congressional exemptions from the law. DeSantis announced on Wednesday that he was the House sponsor of U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s, R-La., bill ensuring members of Congress and congressional staffers do not receive subsidies — $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family — under Obama’s law, treating them as every other American under the law. Read more

Bradley: Gambling bills face long odds as compact discussions are now underway – Senate Regulated Industry Committee Chairman Sen. Rob Bradley said Wednesday that discussions with the Seminole Tribe and the Senate are underway over the resolution of the portion of the gaming compact with the state.But “there is such a large distance between the two parties” that he expects it “will be very difficult to come to a meeting of the minds” before the session ends on May 1. The casualty, he said, is likely to be passage of any gaming bill this session. Read more

Bill to combat Internet piracy passes in Florida Senate —Websites that distribute commercial movies and music online would be required to identify their owners under legislation passed by the Florida Senate. The Senate passed the bill Wednesday despite opposition from some of the nation’s biggest Internet companies. The House may take up the bill as early as Thursday. Read more

Watered-down version of ticket-selling bill still puts Ticketmaster ahead of free-market principles – Last year, BPR covered an interesting story for all lovers of the free market. It concerned the power grab by big-money ticket-selling companies like Ticketmaster who were on a mission to use the Florida Legislature to help control the ticket market. Ultimately, that effort last year failed. In fact, it failed to even get one hearing in the state House. This year, that has changed. Read more

Again? Florida State University investigating Jameis Winston … Over New Crab Excuse

For more Florida political news, visit BPR’s FLORIDA NEWS page

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Cheryl Carpenter Klimek

Administration
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Latest posts by Cheryl Carpenter Klimek (see all)

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