Governor Rick Scott says he’s suing the federal government over a move that links a critical hospital funding program to a Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. The federal government says its decision to renew the $2 billion dollar program that reimburses hospitals for uncompensated care, hinges on the state’s decision to expand Medicaid. And Scott says that link amounts to coercion.
Representative Richard Corcoran may be putting his foot in his mouth after calling proponents of Medicaid expansion “Gucci-loafing, shoe-wearing special interests.” Medical professionals from South Florida marched heel-toe to the capitol, and as Matthew Seeger reports, they’re not going to buckle to legislative tongue-lashing.
A bill that would require a woman to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion has passed another hurdle in the Senate, despite continued opposition. Sascha Cordner reports.
How many people should agree a person is guilty of a crime? Is six enough? Would 12 be better? What if it means that person will spend the rest of their life in prison? Regan McCarthy reports those are questions lawmakers in the Senate Judiciary Committee are working to answer.
Senators got into a bipartisan fight Thursday over Florida’s civil forfeiture procedures. Nick Evans reports the underlying bill passed its committee but not before lawmakers stripped out a plan to prohibit law enforcement agencies using seized goods for their own operation.
The emotional climate of the Legislature is turbulent, with budget storms and legislative high pressure in the long-range forecast. And as Jim Ash reports, clouds were also building Thursday over the issue of global warming.