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Mike Bennett: Contractor by day, shielder of contractors by day.

​We wrote earlier today about SB 1196, a bill working its way through the state Legislature that would shield developers from having to fix faulty roads, drainage, and utility systems after they're built.More >>

Les gusta.

​Though a Rasmussen poll released Monday showed Newt Gingrich well ahead of the rest of the Republican presidential field, a Univision/ABC News poll released this morning revealed Florida's Latino voters overwhelmingly favor former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Of those polled, 49 percent went for Romney; Gingrich got 23 percent, and the ABC News piece leaves out how many went for Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. Everyone in the race, however, trails among Latinos to one other candidate -- Barack Obama.More >>

Alan Grayson

​Now that former Orlando Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson is trying to win his old congressional seat back, he took a pretty good shot at making himself relevant again on Friday by coming out in defense of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

On HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, Grayson gave an explanation of the Occupy movement to author P.J. O'Rourke and ended up with a standing ovation from Maher's audience.

"Let me tell you what they're talking about," Grayson said. "They're complaining about the fact that Wall Street wrecked the economy three years ago and nobody's held responsible for that."

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​It's been nearly 20 months since the last execution of a prisoner by the State of Florida, and in anticipation of South Florida cop killer Manuel Valle's lethal injection at 4 p.m. today, we decided today would be a good day to drop some death-row knowledge.

Valle, 61, was convicted of killing Coral Gables police officer Louis Pena in April 1978 and just passed his 30th year on death row last month. And someone's going to be paid $150 for administering his lethal injection this afternoon.

Check out some of the Pulp's favorite Florida death-row facts after the jump, all courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections:

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Harvey

​I hope Denise Harvey is too preoccupied with her own ongoing legal to dramas to keep abreast of the ones unfolding back home. Remember Denise? She was the 42-year-old Vero Beach baseball mom who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sleeping with a 16-year-old. Thusly sentenced, she did what any sane person would do: She hit the road. Early this year, authorities found her hiding out in Saskatchewan, where she's now fighting extradition. She may win. Good for her! (And bad for her bail bond company. Just yesterday, Barnett Bail Bands coughed up $150,000 on Harvey's account.)

If she's keeping abreast of the goings-on in Florida, what might she make of this story, published in Tuesday's Sun-Sentinel: "Drummer gets probation for sex with teen girl from band camp"?
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Harvey.

​Denise Harvey, a 42-year-old woman, did a very, very bad thing. In 2006, she had sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Why's it a bad thing? Because Denise Harvey lives in Florida. If Denise Harvey lived just a few hours north -- in Alabama or Georgia -- having sex with a 16-year-old wouldn't be considered criminal at all. It would be considered weird or hot, depending on your predilections, but nobody could say boo about it. In those states, 16 years is the age of consent. Just like it is in most of the civilized world. (As I write these words, I'm sitting in Brooklyn, New York, where the age of consent is 17, and I'm drinking coffee procured by a friend from Spain, where the age of consent is 13.)
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