Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschDecember 17, 2015

As much as we would like to think otherwise, in politics, not everyone can be a winner. To put it another way, as Judge Smails did in the eminently quotable Caddyshack: “The world needs ditch-diggers, too.” Few will disagree that 2015 was a particularly fertile political year, one that produced a bumper crop of political disappointments – that’s what we get […]

Mitch PerryDecember 17, 2015

There are several gun bills that will be before the Florida Legislature when they convene next month in Tallahassee, including a guns-on-college-campuses bill. The legislation failed in the 2015 session, but GOP lawmakers are pushing for it again next year. On Wednesday, Florida’s Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker […]

Jim RosicaDecember 10, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner says he expects a productive 2016 Legislative Session without the turmoil that fractured last session. Gardiner, a Republican, spoke to FloridaPolitics.com Thursday in a pre-session interview. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli is scheduled to hold a similar question-and-answer session with news media next Friday. But the issue that caused the last Session to […]

Jim RosicaDecember 9, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott has told reporters he’ll “respect the decision” of the Legislature about the deal he struck with the Seminole Tribe of Florida renewing exclusive rights to offer blackjack at its casinos in return for $3 billion over seven years. Scott briefly answered questions after this week’s Cabinet meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday […]

Jim RosicaDecember 2, 2015

Richard Corcoran, who will be Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives at the same time Joe Negron is Senate President, called him a “good friend” and “an intelligent and principled leader.” Corcoran sat in the front row at Negron’s designation ceremony Wednesday. The Land O’ Lakes Republican had his own designation ceremony in September. “I […]

Phil AmmannDecember 2, 2015

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Florida students with disabilities could have expanded educational options in a bill that passed its final Senate committee hearing Wednesday morning. LobbyTools is reporting that SB 672, sponsored by Niceville Republican Don Gaetz, is now on its way to the Senate floor. If passed, the bill would expand the one-year Personal Learning Scholarship Account program, […]

Peter SchorschNovember 25, 2015

From the diners and town halls of Iowa and New Hampshire to the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee and from … to Charlie Crist’s waterfront condominium in St. Petersburg, politicians across Florida will gather around Thanksgiving dinner tables to celebrate the most American of holidays. Before they dig into dishes of stuffed Florida zucchini and yellow squash parmesan and Florida snap […]

Drew WilsonNovember 19, 2015

A Senate committee voted Thursday to introduce a bill that would improve state programs for infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Proposed by the Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs, SB 7034 renames the Infants and Toddlers Early Intervention Program to the “Early Steps Program” and requires the Florida Department of Health to […]

Drew WilsonNovember 9, 2015

Republican Senate District 13 candidate Dean Asher added to his fundraising lead in October, raising $55,250 between his campaign account and political committee. The Orlando area Realtor brought in $5,250 through his campaign account, which finished the month with just under $149,000 cash on-hand. Allegiant Friends for Florida, his political committee, posted the other $50,000 […]

Peter SchorschNovember 9, 2015

The state Senate’s Republican members will meet Dec. 2 to formally select state Sen. Joe Negron as Senate President-designate for the 2016-18 Legislative Term. Senate President Andy Gardiner announced the move in a Monday press release, making official what FloridaPolitics.com first reported last week: That state Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican, had ceded the race to […]

Tag: Andy Gardiner

The 5 most disappointing Florida politicians of 2015

Florida Congressional Democrats weigh in against guns on campus bill in Legislature

Andy Gardiner hopes to avoid health care funding dramas of last Session

Is Rick Scott already getting cold feet on Seminole blackjack deal?

Richard Corcoran promises blue skies with Joe Negron

Bill to expand education for students with disabilities passes final Senate committee

This Thanksgiving, Florida politicians have much to be grateful for

Senate panel approves changes to Florida “Early Steps Program”

SD 13 candidate Dean Asher boosts fundraising lead with $55K in October

Joe Negron to be formally voted Senate President next month