Former State Senator Paula Dockery Discusses the Legislative Session Including the Debate over Medicaid Expansion and the Parent Trigger Bill

Good morning- welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei. Coming up we’ll talk about the almost completed work of the 2013 state legislative session. Joining us will be former state senator Paula Dockery from Lakeland.

But first one listener comment. After yesterday’s interview about the vast amounts of methane hydrates located at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico the conversation veered to energy efficiency and automobiles. Here’s what one listener had to say after yesterday’s program.

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St. Pete City Council puts off next phase of pier funding

St. Pete City Council members won’t decide whether to approve $1.5 million for the new St. Pete Pier for another two weeks. Council members voted 5-3 Thursday in favor of putting the decision off until city staff can give board members a better idea of how that money is being spent.

The city’s head architect, Raul Quintana, had asked the city to green light the next design phase so that the project could stay on schedule.

The Lens design chosen to re...

Tampa City Council weighs options on what more to do about panhandling

Thursday Tampa City Council considered further crackdowns on panhandling.

The discussion was still going on when we went to air.

During public comment in the morning nine people asked council to enact an ordinance putting more limits on when and where people can ask for handouts. Shawn Robinson, president of Hillsborough Community College's Ybor City campus, says panhandlers harass students and faculty.

However, two people opposed additional constraints on panhandling. Jon Dengler wo...

Immigration reform targeted during Ybor City May Day celebration

Immigration reform could become a reality now that some United States Senators have suggested ideas that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people. Activists made that their focus Wednesday during a May Day protest in Ybor City’s Centennial Park. The ACLU of Florida’s Paola Everett said the legislation is a start, but more needs to be done.

"We really need to make sure that this immigration reform includes fair access to education. That it allows people to go back to ...

Governor Scott signs new ethics and campaign finance reform legislation

Dan Krassner with Integrity Florida joined the program to talk about new campaign finance and ethics reform bills Florida Governor Rick Scott signed on Wednesday.

Among the changes include raising the individual campaign contributions of individuals to candidates from $500 to $1,000 for local candidates, and to $3,000 for those running for state-wide office, something Integrity Florida applauds, but groups like the League of Women Voters oppose.

"Abolish Class Society" is May Day message in St. Pete from Overpass Light Brigade

Wednesday is International Workers’ Day. A small group of protesters displayed a lighted message over I-275 near 22nd Avenue North in St. Pete saying “Abolish Class Society” in honor of what’s also known as May Day.

“It’s a celebration of the working class and the struggle for the abolition of class distinction.”

That’s Occupy Tampa’s Jake Vigness. May Day is celebrated in 80 countries worldwide as part of an international labor movement. But the Unit...

Mayoral candidate Kriseman calls for early voting in St. Pete municipal election

The City of St. Petersburg will hold an election for Mayor and City Council this year.

The primary is in August, but unlike the 2012 presidential election, there aren’t plans to allow early voting.

That’s gotten groups, like the NAACP, and candidates, like Mayoral hopeful Rick Kriseman, hoping to change the policy.

"First off, my office only recently became aware that the city didn't have early voting for this coming municipal election. I mean, I think that in general the public, ...

Are We Really Running Out of Fossil Fuels? And May Day Demonstration Planned in St. Pete

Good morning, welcome to Radioactivity. Today we’re going to talk about a vast new energy source that has the potential to make the US energy independent- but it also has the potential to vastly increase the amount of green house gases and destabilize nations.

First one listener comment about yesterday’s segment on the Green Shadow Cabinet. Here’s what one listener had to say.

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There’s a huge cache of fossil fuel on the planet-largely untapped. And a huge portion of t...

Hillsborough Commission supports trapping, neutering and releasing feral animals as alternative to euthanasia

Wednesday Hillsborough Commissioners voted to support an alternative to euthanasia for feral cats in county shelters.

Sandra Murman was one of the six commissioners to support TNR, or trapping, neutering and releasing feral animals.

"So, I still have concerns. I still do not believe that this is a fix to the problem and I will be a no vote - probably the only no vote - but I will be leading the cause for the squirrels and the birds and the other indigenous animals who will lose their ...

Lakeland immigration reform advocates side with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio

Community activists are pushing immigration reform for the 11 million undocumented people in the country. During a Republican fundraiser in Lakeland Wednesday, more than a dozen people waved signs calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to support a pathway to citizenship measure introduced in the Senate by Marco Rubio, who was a speaker at the luncheon.

Rubio and 7 of his colleagues in the Senate have formed what people are calling the Gang o...