Mitch Perry, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

Although it should go without saying that polls conducted as the summer of 2015 commence may not have anything to do with what happens in the winter of 2016, nevertheless they are the “snapshot in time,” as the proverbial phrase goes regarding where the electorate stands. That should be good news for Jeb Bush in […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

Mary Mulhern said Tuesday she will soon file to run for the Florida Congressional District 13 seat in Pinellas County occupied by Republican incumbent David Jolly. The former Tampa city councilwoman floated the idea 11 days ago of a possible run for the seat, held more than 42 years by C.W. Bill Young, until his death […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

There were some local projects of note in the Tampa Bay area that escaped Rick Scott’s veto pen Tuesday morning, but there were plenty of other local projects and programs that did not, all part of a record breaking $461 million in vetoes announced by the governor’s office. Winners included USF, which received $17 million for its […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott vetoed more than $461 million worth of projects from the state’s nearly $80 billion budget Tuesday morning, but the University of South Florida’s two pet projects survived his veto pen. They include $17 million for relocating USF’s Morsani College of Medicine to its expected downtown Tampa home on the corner of Meridian […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

One of the annual rites of spring in Tallahassee is for Florida TaxWatch to release their Turkey Watch Report, which traditionally is released in May shortly after the Legislature finishes their work and before the governor signs the budget. The report spotlights legislative projects placed in the budget without proper opportunity for public review and debate, which […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

Another Democrat is looking at the possibility of challenging Republican David Jolly in 2016, and this one actually lives in the district. St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Darden Rice says she’s been asked “for some time” to consider running for the Democratic nomination for the CD 13 seat, and she says she is giving it the […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2015

Rick Scott has a week to sign the just-passed $78.7 billion Florida budget, and he’s promising taxpayers that “I’m going to watch your money” as he reviews projects with his veto pen. The Legislature’s last-minute addition of $300 million in pet local projects (including for a USF medical facility moving to downtown Tampa) has caused outrage in […]

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

No “fracking fees.” That was the message from a press conference held Monday afternoon in St. Petersburg, as state Representatives Dwight Dudley (D-St. Petersburg), Jose Javier Rodriguez (D-Miami), and Amanda Murphy (D-New Port Richey) spoke out against a decision last week by the Florida Public Service Commission that would allow Florida Power & Light to collect up to […]

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

As they threatened to do, the environmental movement in Florida is not abiding by the the state Legislature’s failure to comply with Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Initiative in the Florida Constitution approved last fall by voters. A lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon by the Earthjustice group on behalf […]

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

Contained inside the $80.4 billion budget that the Florida Legislature approved last week was $3.3 million in additional funding for the Early Steps Program, money that Gov. Rick Scott had threatened to cut before the session began earlier this year. Early Steps helps babies and toddlers with developmental disabilities or delays during their first three […]

Mitch Perry

New NH poll shows Jeb Bush as the early leader, with Donald Trump right behind him

Mary Mulhern says she’s running for CD 13 seat in Pinellas County

Tampa Bay area sees number of projects cut by Rick Scott in his budget

USF funding projects survive Rick Scott’s veto pen

Rick Scott’s budget signing preempts impact of Florida TaxWatch turkey list

Darden Rice seriously contemplating challenging David Jolly in CD 13

Mitch Perry Report for 6.23.15 — Will Rick Scott veto IMG Academy funding?

Florida House Democrats denounce FPL’s “fracking fee”

Environmental groups sue Legislature for failing on Amendment 1

Kathy Castor thanks Andy Gardiner for preserving Early Steps Program funding