Cruise ships would be required to install peep holes in cabin doors, increase guard-rail heights and maintain crime report logbooks under legislation introduced Thursday by Sen. John Kerry. ...more

June 28, 2008

SEBRING — Court fees, traffic fines and an assortment of other charges are going up as a result of the passage of Senate Bill 1790, and clerk of courts officials are scrambling to get the changes recorded before July 1, when these increases kick in. The bill was approved by Gov. Charlie Crist on June 10. The Highlands County Clerk of Court's staff is going through the 73-page senate bill making all the mandatory changes it contains to its fee schedules, said Bob Germaine, senior director of court services. ...more

June 18, 2008

It's unfortunate that legislation establishing Florida's first tower crane regulations collapsed because of a dispute over whether counties should have the right to adopt tougher standards. ...more

June 12, 2008

Regarding "Exhaustion A Fear As Schools Fit In Fitness" (Metro, June 10): More than twice as many children are overweight today compared to 1980. If this trend continues, this generation may be the first to not outlive their parents. ...more

June 12, 2008

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bid by Gulf state senators to add wind coverage to a financially strapped federal program that provides flood insurance. ...more

May 8, 2008

Imagine being in high school and never having used that time-honored gripe, "How is this class going to help me in later life?" ...more

May 5, 2008

Low-cost health insurance options were expanded, and thousands of autistic children received coverage of costly therapies. A school voucher program for poor kids grew by $30 million, but a controversial plan to build commuter rail in Central Florida ran out of steam. ...more

May 3, 2008

Republican Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits. ...more

April 24, 2008

Recently, Nancy Pelosi has put your life and my life at risk. How? By refusing yo renew the government's ability to monitor terrorists' communications overseas. At issue is the Protect America Act passed last August, which allows our intelligence agencies to monitor "foreigner to foreigner" communications without a warrant. For six months the Congress has been aware that this bill would be up for renewal. The Senate, by a bipartisian majority, passed legislation to prevent the authority from lapsing. However, the House Democratic leadership, led by Nancy Pelosi, refused to let the House vote on the bill. Why? Not because it lacked bipartisan support, but because it lacked trial lawyer support. The Senate bill contains a provision granting immunity from lawsuits to telephone compairs that have been cooperating with the government in the war on terror. To keep from puting her fellow Democrats in a position of making them vote publicly for the safety of us citizens or the trial lawyers, she left Washington for a vacation. ...more

February 23, 2008

Change might be blowing in the wind for insurance coverage for hurricanes and other natural disasters, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano thinks. Mariano has been pushing hard for a nationwide fund for catastrophic insurance. Various proposals have been floating around for the past 12 years. ...more

February 23, 2008