The state’s legal stance on gay marriage and Medicaid are not family friendly, say opinion columns from the Tampa Bay Times and Orlando Sentinel.
Five-year-old Ethan is loved by his two mothers, Melanie and Vanessa Alenier, but they have been denied a marriage license by the state of Florida. They are among six couples suing to overturn Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano says legislators should note how 17 states now recognize same-sex marriage; 11 have done so since December 2012.
The Orlando Sentinel highlights Republican state Sen. Rene Garcia and the re-introduction of a bipartisan plan to use tens of billions in federal funds to insure poor Floridians. The new plan is different from conventional Medicaid expansion, and would expire if federal funding falls below 90 percent. If Gov. Rick Scott is “pro-family and pro-business,” the Orlando Sentinel says, then he will push to make this bill work.