Preaching morality while practicing cupidity can be tricky, but various American governments have done it for years regarding smoking. This mental contortion now has a new chapter. The four largest American tobacco companies (Altria, R.J. Reynolds, Lorillard, Philip Morris) are, under government compulsion, funding newspaper and television ads to tell -- actually, to remind -- people that their products are sickening:
(This is the second part of a series of stories previewing issues for the 2018 legislative session.)
Battles over health-care spending and regulation of Florida's vast health-care industry are likely to command a great deal of time and attention when the Florida Legislature convenes in January for its annual session.
Lawmakers are again expected to engage in a tug-of-war about what type of regulations should be in place for health-care facilities, but a main focus will be on Florida's strained safety-net health program at a time of tight state finances.
No issue inspires more political energy in Florida than does term limits. At any given moment there are always campaigns underway to apply term limits to more offices or, in the case of cynical politicians, to undo or evade voter-approved laws. U.S. Term Limits tracked this activity for 2017 and prepared a summary.
2017 was a somewhat slow year when it came to Second Amendment issues, and while the year handed some victories to pro-gun groups, it also handed them several losses, with roadblocks all the way from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C.
(This is the first in a series of News Service of Florida stories previewing issues for the 2018 legislative session)
Education has long been a top priority for Florida lawmakers and in 2017 education once again made a splash in a variety of headlines throughout the year.
Before leaving Washington for the holidays, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., teamed up with two Senate Democrats to introduce a bill that continues the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB).
