SCOTT APPROVAL RATING IMPROVES
Gov. Rick Scott’s approval rating among Florida voters has climbed to 45 percent, a substantial improvement from earlier this summer, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday. The poll indicated that 45 percent of voters approve of the way Scott is handling his job, while 44 percent disapprove. In a June Quinnipiac poll, 39 percent of voters approved of the way Scott handled his job, while 49 percent disapproved. The new poll also indicates that voters have favorable views of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Quinnipiac found that 45 percent of voters approve of the way Nelson is handling his job, while 30 percent disapprove. Meanwhile, 57 percent of voters approve of Rubio’s job handling, while 31 percent disapprove. The Connecticut-based Quinnipiac, which frequently polls in Florida and other states, surveyed 1,093 Florida voters from Aug. 7 to Aug. 18. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
SENATE GIVEN FRIDAY DEADLINE FOR REDISTRICTING RESPONSE
The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the state Senate until the end of the week to respond to move by the House that would allow a circuit judge to consider proposed congressional redistricting plans from both legislative chambers and other parties in a long-running lawsuit. The Supreme Court requested that the Senate respond by noon Friday, according to an online docket. The House filed a document Monday asking that a Leon County circuit judge be able to consider the redistricting plans. The House made the move after a special legislative session collapsed last week without lawmakers agreeing on a redistricting plan. The special session was called after the Supreme Court last month found that current congressional districts violated the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” standards.
–The News Service of Florida