By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA— Honoring years of legal precedence, a federal judge has ruled that maintaining fair and legitimate voter registration rolls is probably a good idea, especially in the vote-challenged state of Florida. Previous examinations by the state yielded a list of over 200,000 suspected ineligible voters still on the registration lists across the Sunshine State — […]
Florida Rep. Ted Deutch wishes away voter fraud
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog MIAMI— Just ignore it, and it will go away. That’s the attitude of U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, who passed a letter to the 24 other members of Florida’s congressional delegation claiming there has been “no history of mass voter fraud” in the Sunshine State and any attempt to […]
Court strikes down drug testing for FL state workers
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — Florida Gov. Rick Scott was dealt a blow Thursday morning when a federal judge declared unconstitutional mandatory drug screening for state employees. The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro in the Southern District of Florida, issues a permanent injunction on the drug tests, which were required by an executive order in March 2011. “The executive order does […]
Polls show Florida as key battleground state in 2012
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — Following tradition, the Sunshine State is setting the stage for another unforgettable year of election politics. That’s according to the latest Fox News poll conducted April 15-17, sampling 757 Florida registered voters in a telephone survey. In the expected matchup between Democratic President Barack Obama and likely Republican nomineeMitt Romney, Obama leads by less than two points, […]
Shooting thrusts FL city into epicenter for social activism, justice
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog SANFORD — In more tranquil times, the city of Sanford was known as the Historic Waterfront Gateway City, a tribute to its comfortable position between Lakes Monroe and Jesup. But, since the death of Trayvon Martinin late February, the city has become the volatile epicenter of the battle for justice, social activism and political maneuvering leading […]
Welfare drug tests: Noble effort or needless stigma?
By Yaël Ossowski | Florida Watchdog TAMPA — The measure was intended to promote “personal responsibility” and put an end to millions in “misused” tax dollars. If welfare recipients expect to receive a check, warned Sunshine State lawmakers last spring, then they must submit their urine to the state and prove their bodies are clean of illegal […]
Loaded with cash, Nelson holds lead in Senate race
by Yaël Ossowski TAMPA — Just three weeks before the filing deadline, Florida‘s U.S. Senate candidates are pulling out all the stops to catch Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. The two-term senator has amassed close to $1.6 million in the first three months of 2012, bulking up the $8.4 million he raised last year, according to his re-election campaign. Read more: Statehouse […]