Ashley Lopez: At the same time the Republican-led Florida Legislature was turning down federal funds that would pay for expanding the state’s Medicaid program to more than 1 million people who cannot afford health insurance, those same state lawmakers were working to keep their own insurance premiums lower than most other state employees.

Ashley Lopez: Florida’s 2013 legislative session ended last week without state lawmakers agreeing on a plan to accept federal money for expanding Medicaid in the state. Now, Democrats are asking the governor to call a special session to work out a deal.

Ashley Lopez: Florida’s legislative session ends in two weeks and state lawmakers say they might not reach a decision on whether to accept the federal government’s health care reform money to expand Medicaid.

Ashley Lopez: Members of the more conservative Florida House released their alternative plan to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act last week. So far, both Democrats and Gov. Rick Scott have criticized the plan.

Ashley Lopez: The Florida Senate isn’t going along with a House proposal to raise the contribution limit to individual candidates from $500 to $5,000.

Ashley Lopez: Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said he is not writing off completely the possibility of expanding Medicaid in the Sunshine State.

Ashley Lopez: A new plan that would overhaul the state’s pension system can be traced back to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), The Palm Beach Post reported this week.

Ashley Lopez: Organizations ranging from tea party groups to the liberal Progress Florida have banded together to oppose a bill intended to improve the state’s ineffective ethics rules. The ethics bill doesn’t go far enough, these groups say.

Ashley Lopez: Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, admitted that his family relied on Medicaid when they were struggling and his baby brother was dying of cancer.

Ashley Lopez: Campaign finance experts and voting rights advocates say proposed campaign finance reforms won’t improve the fairness of elections — and might even make things worse.