It's hard to picture two places in Florida more different than Miami and Gretna.
But international, glitzy Miami and rural, down-home Gretna are drawing headlines for the same reason: gambling.
The debate about expanded gambling intensified this week as lawmakers and lobbyists get ready to battle about adding resort casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Meanwhile, the Gadsden County Commission agreed to hold a referendum about allowing slot machines at a new Gretna racetrack and poker room.
Gambling offers sizzle, but lawmakers and other state leaders also made clear this week they are concerned about, well, less-exciting issues. That includes auto insurance, workers' compensation insurance and the always-thorny Citizens Property Insurance.
SPINNING THE WHEEL ON GAMBLING AND JOBS:
House sponsor Erik Fresen, R-Miami, and Senate sponsor Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, met with a roomful of reporters Thursday to rebut criticism of their proposal to allow three resort casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward.
Criticism is coming from various directions, including religious groups, some business organizations, the Seminole Tribe and the pari-mutuel industry.
But Fresen offered an explanation that resonates from the waterfront in Miami to the timber of Gadsden County: New gambling facilities will bring new jobs.
"My community is begging me,'' he said. "Can we do something to inject some capital into our economy? I have $6 billion knocking on my door from an industry who wants to come in with all private capital.''
But groups such as the Florida Baptist Convention, the Florida Catholic Conference and Florida Family Action held a news conference earlier to say expanded gambling is a fool's bet. They say, among other things, that it hurts poor people and damages the state's family-friendly reputation.
"We are working to make our message very clear to legislators that it is unconscionable to vote for a change that will negatively affect thousands of families in our state,'' said Mark Andrews, chairman of Florida Casino Watch, a group that took part in the news conference.
With the legislative session starting in January, such back-and-forth arguments will continue for the foreseeable future. But one of the most important voices in the debate could be House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.
When asked about casinos this week, Cannon was diplomatic and said he was trying to reserve judgment on the proposals. But he also didn't leave any doubt about his views of gambling.
"I am philosophically opposed to the expansion of gaming in our state,'' Cannon said.
PIP, OTHER ISSUES PILE UP:
Gambling might be the issue du jour, but insurance issues never fade away.
Lawmakers and other state leaders this week called for changes in the personal-injury protection auto insurance system, the workers' compensation insurance system and -- that old perennial -- Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
But actually making changes isn't so easy, at least in part because so many interest groups have stakes in issues such as PIP and workers' comp.
A panel created to study PIP fraud and inflated auto-insurance costs agreed that the system has soaring premiums and a rising number of claims. But panel members couldn't agree what to do about it.
"It's lawyers, providers and insurance companies fighting over a pot of money the consumers paid in and keep paying in at an extraordinary level,'' said Robin Westcott, the state insurance consumer advocate. "Each day seems to be worse.''
Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet heard presentations about PIP and the state-backed Citizens, which now insures nearly 1.5 million properties. Scott ordered Citizens officials to come back with recommendations in December to stem the growth.
"This is something we cannot continue to do,'' Scott said. "I expect the solution you and the board bring to me will solve the problem by June of next year, before the next hurricane season."
IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED:
Scott and Republican lawmakers have been taking legal hits on some of their priorities.
But that doesn't mean they are ready to give up.
Scott announced Thursday the state will appeal a federal judge's injunction against a law that requires drug tests for welfare recipients.
"This policy is intended to help Florida families and is an effective way to ensure that welfare dollars are used for the benefit of children and to help Floridians get back to work and off public assistance,'' Scott said. "I have no doubt that the law is constitutional, and that it is supported by the great weight of judicial authority.''
But the appeal, like passage of the law, drew criticism, with Rep. Cynthia Stafford, D-Miami, describing the tests as "mean-spirited, wasteful and unconstitutional.''
Scott declined Monday to appeal a circuit judge's ruling that tossed out a massive prison-privatization plan. But Attorney General Pam Bondi stepped in and filed the appeal, at the request of the Legislature.
Bondi's move, which came shortly before an appeal deadline, was somewhat of a surprise. But the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which filed the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the privatization plan, vowed to fight to the state Supreme Court, if necessary.
"We've been ready to go from the start, and we're taking it to the next level,'' PBA Executive Director Matt Puckett said.
BUSINESS UPS AND DOWNS:
Scott this week got to make the type of announcement he would love to repeat again and again: Boeing said it will build the next generation of manned space-flight vehicles at the Kennedy Space Center.
Boeing said it plans to have more than 150 employees in place by 2013, a number that could grow to more than 500 by 2015. That would be a boost to Scott's focus on bringing jobs to the state.
"Boeing's choice of Florida for its commercial crew program headquarters is evidence Florida has the world-class facilities and work force expertise needed for aerospace companies to succeed,'' Scott said.
The governor's staff, however, tried to tamp down another piece of jobs news later in the week that posed an embarrassment for the governor. Solantic, an urgent-care chain that Scott founded and later sold, said it would move at least a handful of headquarters jobs from Jacksonville to Tennessee.
A far bigger problem for Florida businesses emerged Thursday, when state analysts said many firms will see their unemployment taxes go up nearly $100 per employee in 2012.
Lawmakers have taken steps during the past few years to avoid major unemployment-tax increases. Business groups could seek similar help in 2012, as they try to buy time until the economy improves.
"This system was never really designed to support unemployment at these levels for this period of time,'' said David Hart, vice president of governmental affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. "It's a challenge not just here, but across the country.''
STORY OF THE WEEK: Scott and lawmakers pushed back against judges who rejected two of their priorities. They appealed decisions blocking drug testing for welfare recipients and prison privatization.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Our goal is not about the expansion of gaming,'' said Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican who is sponsoring a bill that would allow resort casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. "As a matter of fact, we hope it will reduce gaming in the state.''
