Thursday Morning Reads: Gaming bill arrives and Connie Mack jumps in Senate race

TALLAHASSEE– More than a hundred lobbyists throughout the state’s capital city yesterday were waiting on one thing — the destination casino bill. It’s finally here and we have stories on that, Connie Mack’s decision to enter the U.S. Senate race and other stories for you. Here are the top five stories you should be reading this morning. * The Sun-Sentinel has a Q and A on all you need to know about the new destination bill. From the story: The bill will be one of the most heavily lobbied pieces of legislation during the 2012 legislative session, which starts Jan. 10. Social conservatives, as well as business and tourism groups, are opposed. South Florida pari-mutuels want their “racino” slot machines to be taxed less if casinos are allowed. And the Seminole Tribe will fight to maintain its current casino monopoly. * The St. Petersburg Times reports that U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, has changed his mind and is jumpi9ng into the U.S. Senate race. From the story: Mack, R-Fort Myers, considered entering the race earlier this year but decided to focus on his House duties. He was friendly with another candidate, state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, who dropped out months ago. This summer, rumors surfaced that Mack was again interested. Mack brushed those off. But the Republican field

has struggled to generate excitement, giving Mack, 44, a new opportunity. * The Miami Herald has a story on how Broward and Miami-Dade schools are struggling to meet class size requirements. From the story: In a tight budget year, Miami-Dade and Broward public school districts may once again face hefty fines from the state for not meeting class size requirements. While the precise amount of fines levied won’t be released by the Florida Department of Education until next month, what’s clear from early figures provided by each district to the state last week is that neither county was able to fully comply with state limits on class size. * The Orlando Sentinel writes on the court challenge that public employee unions mounted yesterday over changes to the pension system. From the story: After years of rampant neglect at assisted living facilities, a Miami-Dade County grand jury has launched an investigation into conditions in the homes, including reports of frail elders dying from abuse and breakdowns in enforcement that allowed dozens of dangerous ALFs to stay open, The Miami Herald has learned. Bonus Blogs * Ethics commission tosses teamsters’ complaint about Scott * Politifact: Sen. Nelson and the BP video

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Thursday Morning Reads: Gaming bill arrives and Connie Mack jumps in Senate race

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