Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayMay 6, 2016

A plan for the state of Florida to buy $6.6 million in new state land easements took another step toward approval this week. Aides to Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet officers heard plans to buy two huge swaths of land in Osceola County, south of St. Cloud, for conservation purposes. Such land is set aside to help […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 5, 2016

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is ramping up its efforts to make sure mosquito control programs are ready to combat the Zika virus. Over the past two weeks, the department has held workshops in seven counties across the state. During those meetings, the department handed out BG-Sentinel traps to capture the mosquitoes that […]

Associated PressMay 4, 2016

The Florida Department of Agriculture will begin testing mosquitoes for the Zika virus. Commissioner Adam Putnam announced Tuesday that a department laboratory in Kissimmee is now equipped to test for the virus. The same laboratory is used to test for animal diseases. The department is working with mosquito control districts to distribute traps and train […]

Ryan RayMay 3, 2016

Major agriculture players — growers, industry advocates, scientists, and policymakers alike — will congregate in West Palm Beach on Wednesday for the Palm Beach International Agricultural Summit. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is expected to join in, along with senior executives from farm machinery giant John Deere and leading food pantry operator United Way of New York, as participants take a deep dive into issues […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

Insurance-related concerns reacted with cautious optimism to Friday’s naming of David Altmaier as Florida’s new Insurance Commissioner. “The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida is committed to working with the new commissioner to increase the health and stability of the property and casualty insurance market in Florida,’’ Executive Director Michael Carlson said in a statement. The […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

A 34-year-old former high school math teacher was named Friday to be the next Florida Insurance Commissioner. David Altmaier, currently a deputy commissioner at the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), starts on Monday. Altmaier, who will be paid $165,000 a year, began at OIR as an insurance examiner in 2008. The selection caps off weeks of […]

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are supposed to meet Friday to pick the state’s new Insurance Commissioner. But except for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, none of them will actually be there. The rest, including Scott, will be phoning it in. Friday’s get-together (or lack thereof) is a last-minute emergency meeting, called by the […]

Mitch PerryApril 28, 2016

It came down to, as we all knew it would, to the enigmatic Victor Crist. After more than four hours of discussion and debate, the decision about whether to place the Go Hillsborough half-cent sales tax on the November ballot was deadlocked between the Board of County Commissioners 3-3, which is what we had known […]

Mitch PerryApril 27, 2016

Adam Putnam says that new trade opportunities have historically had a negative impact on Florida agriculture, but a confluence of events is setting up the state to play a major role in feeding the world in the future. “Put very simply, by 2050 we will have 10 billion mouths to feed on Planet Earth,” the state’s […]

Jim RosicaApril 21, 2016

Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham says she’s giving up on Congress and “seriously considering running for governor in 2018.” In an early Thursday email, the Tallahassee congresswoman wrote, “I have major news, and I want you to hear it first” (even though at least two news media outlets actually broke the story first). “The politicians, lobbyists and […]

Tag: Adam Putnam

Cabinet aides tee up land deal for Tuesday vote

Department of Agriculture hosts Zika workshops across Florida

Florida now ready to test mosquitoes for Zika virus

Adam Putnam, water specialists to address international agriculture summit Wednesday

Insurance interests “look forward” to new commissioner

David Altmaier named Insurance Commissioner

Jeff Atwater may be alone in Cabinet meeting

Mitch Perry Report for 4.28.16 – Go Hillsborough goes down. Now what?

Adam Putnam says global trends favor Florida’s agricultural brand for the future

Gwen Graham announces possible run for Governor

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.