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Staff ReportsMay 31, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott signed five bills into law Wednesday, including legislation providing birth certificates in cases of miscarriage and punishing the desecration of graves. Scott did not explain his reasons in his transmission letter to the secretary of state. HB 101, the Grieving Families Act, would give parents the option of receiving a state-issued certificate […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 31, 2017

Sen. Jeff Brandes said he plans to continue his push for criminal justice reform, advancing a multi-year process to take a closer look at the state’s criminal justice system. Brandes, who has made criminal justice reform a top priority, was in Washington, D.C. last week for the Right on Crime annual summit. The conservative-leaning organization […]

Staff ReportsMay 30, 2017

The House released a county-by-county list of budget line items Tuesday, ranging from a $26.8 million loan for a highway project in Alachua County to $64,820 in adult education money in Washington County. Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office dropped the list without comment, but it followed by four days Florida TaxWatch’s annual list of budgetary “turkeys” […]

Staff ReportsMay 30, 2017

The Florida Wildlife Federation wants the Legislature to meet in special session to pump money into the state’s environmental land-buying program. The organization issued a written statement Tuesday to Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, and Senate President Joe Negron, arguing the Legislature is under a “clear obligation” to finance Amendment 1, the Florida […]

Michael MolineMay 29, 2017

Of the missteps the Legislature committed this year, the most egregious was a failure to live up to its promises that the budget process would be more open and transparent than ever before, according to Florida TaxWatch chief Dominic Calabro. In an interview tied to TaxWatch’s release of its annual list of budgetary “turkeys,” Calabro praised […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 25, 2017

Florida will reduce the tax pay on business pay on rent, have two, three-day sales tax holidays, and eliminate the so-called tampon tax under a $180 million tax cut package signed by Gov. Rick Scott. Scott signed the measure (HB 7109) during an event at 3C Interactive in Boca Raton on Thursday. While the tax […]

Jim RosicaMay 25, 2017

Saying it could hurt job creation, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a contentious bill that would have removed the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. Scott filed his veto letter of the measure (SB 106) on Wednesday night, his deadline to act on the bill. It’s the first veto of a bill from the 2017 […]

Staff ReportsMay 23, 2017

Foster families will get free annual passes to Florida state parks under a bill signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday. Sponsored by Rep. Larry Lee in the House and Sen. Aaron Bean in the Senate, the new law provides families who operate a licensed family foster home free family annual passes and […]

Jim RosicaMay 21, 2017

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Costco now is joining Wal-Mart, Target and others in one last push to get Gov. Rick Scott to sign a bill to remove the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. Their Floridians For Fair Business Practices coalition on Friday released a tranche of letters sent to Scott encouraging him to OK the legislation (SB […]

Michael MolineMay 19, 2017

If Jack Latvala runs for governor — and, mind you, he’s not saying he is — it would be to keep career politicians from taking over Tallahassee like they have done in Washington. “They start out as legislative aides, they become House members, then they become senators, with very minimal experience in the real world,” […]

Rick Scott signs Grieving Families Act, plus four other bills, into law

Criminal justice reform remains a top priority for Jeff Brandes

House releases document listing state budget line items by county

Wildlife Federation seeks special session to finance conservation land purchases

Legislature failed transparency test this year, TaxWatch chief Dominic Calabro says

Rick Scott signs $180M tax cut package into law

The hangover: Rick Scott vetoes ‘whiskey & Wheaties’ bill

Rick Scott signs 16 bills into law

Big-box chains, others make one last push for ‘whiskey & Wheaties’

Jack Latvala tells Pensacola crowd that Tallahassee’s becoming too much like D.C.