Politics: As Qualifying for State Offices Closes, Seven Senators and 27 Representatives Are Reelected Without Opposition

The qualifying period for all candidates for state offices for the 2010 ballot began on June 14, 2010 and ended at noon on June 18, 2010. As of the end of qualifying, seven state senate candidates and 27 state representative candidates emerged without opposition, effectively assuring their elections.

The seven unopposed senators include two non-incumbents. Former Rep. David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs) will take the seat currently held by term-limited Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs), and current Rep. Maria Lorts Sachs (D-Delray Beach) will take the seat that became vacant after Sen. Ted Deutch (D-Delray Beach) was elected to Congress to represent the 19th District in a special election on April 13, 2010. Other unopposed senators include Don Gaetz (R-Destin), Arthenia L. Joyner (D-Tampa), Senate President-Designate Mike Haridopolos (R-Melbourne), Joe Negron (R-Palm City), and Nan H. Rich (D-Sunrise).

The 27 unopposed state House candidates include 16 Republicans and 11 Democrats, all but one of whom are incumbents. The non-incumbent elected without opposition is Steve Perman (D-Boca Raton), who will replace Rep. Kevin Rader (D-Boynton Beach), a candidate for state Senate. Both Rep. Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park), the House Speaker-Designate for the 2010 – 2012 biennium, and Rep. Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel), Speaker-Designate for the 2012 – 2014 biennium, drew opponents for the 2010 ballot.

Among candidates for statewide offices, the only surprises were the decision of Rep. Pat Patterson (R-Deland) to abandon his campaign for chief financial officer and the decision of attorney Jim Lewis of Ft. Lauderdale to run for attorney general as a no-party-affiliation candidate rather than as a Republican. The contest for CFO will be between current Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach), former Rep. Loranne Ausley (D-Tallahassee), and two no-party-affiliation candidates. The contest for attorney general includes three Republicans: former Rep. Holly Benson (R-Pensacola), Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi, and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp of Cape Coral and two Democrats, Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres and Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach.

Economy: Unemployment Rate Falls to 11.7 Percent in May 2010

On June 18, 2010, the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation announced that Florida's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2010 was 11.7 percent. The May rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the April 2010 rate of 12.0 percent and 1.5 percentage points higher than the May 2009 rate of 10.2 percent.

The May unemployment report represented the second monthly decline in unemployment since February 2006. Florida unemployment reached a 40-year peak of 12.3 percent in March 2010 and declined to 12.0 percent in April 2010.

The May Florida unemployment rate was two percentage points higher than the national rate of 9.7 percent. Florida continues to have the fifth-highest unemployment rate in the nation, exceeded only by Nevada (14.0 percent), Michigan (13.6 percent), California (12.4 percent), and Rhode Island (12.3 percent).

The counties with the highest unemployment rates in May 2010 were Flagler County (15.1 percent), Hernando County (13.8 percent), Hendry County (13.7 percent), Marion County (13.6 percent), and St. Lucie County (13.5 percent). The counties with the lowest unemployment rates were Liberty County (6.4 percent); Monroe County (7.1 percent); Lafayette, Okaloosa, and Walton counties (7.4 percent each); Alachua County (7.5 percent), and Leon County (7.6 percent).

Oil Spill: State Leaders Question BP PLC's Claims Process as Tar Balls Reach as Far East as Panama City Beach

Although beaches have not yet been closed to visitors, as of June 20, 2010, observers had found tar balls, presumably from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, along Florida Panhandle beaches from the state line east to Panama City Beach. A U.S. Coast Guard crew also had found a mile-long oil slick eight miles offshore from the Panama City area.

On June 15, 2010, the legal task force assembled by Gov. Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum began to map out the process by which state and local governments would recover the losses they sustained in the oil spill. Litigation was not at the top of the group's agenda. One of the panel's co-chairs, Democratic former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, said that the example of the Exxon Valdez oil spill is not far from the minds of state officials. "Restitution is the most important thing to obtain as soon as possible. We've learned from the Exxon Valdez that if we go to court it may take 20 years," Mr. Butterworth said.

The other co-chair, Republican former Attorney General Jim Smith, said that the state needed to pursue a "measured, level-headed" plan. "Everyone's natural reaction is to sue, sue, sue. But the potential consequence of filing suit immediately is that BP stops compensating claims."

The panel heard from several state officials who cited problems with the claims process being used by the well owner, BP. The problems included lack of communication with claimants, varying documentation requirements, and inaccurate statements about when claims might be paid. As described by one staff attorney in the attorney general's office, "the lack of information flowing from BP has led to much ill-will."

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