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 […]

Ryan RayDecember 16, 2015

A trio of state appeals court judges on Wednesday overturned a lower court’s decision in the case against an 11-year-old boy who accidentally set fire to his father’s shed in 2014. In an opinion penned by Judge Clayton Roberts, the court found a motion to dismiss the case in Duval Circuit Court should have been granted, as […]

Ryan RayDecember 8, 2015

The Florida Cabinet continued what it called a “long-standing tradition” Tuesday morning when Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam presented a Florida-grown Christmas tree to his executive branch colleagues. The tree, a Leland Cypress grown in the Jackson County city of Sneads, was bestowed by Putnam on Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and CFO Jeff Atwater, who were there along […]

Mitch PerryDecember 3, 2015

(UPDATED) The Florida Attorney General’s office has decided it’s up to the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission to decide whether it wants to hire lobbyists. The decision came at the request from St. Petersburg GOP state Sen. Jeff Brandes for an opinion on the issue. In a letter to Brandes on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General […]

Peter SchorschNovember 30, 2015

Several high-profile Florida Republicans, including all three members of the Florida Cabinet, are lending their support this week to raise money for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Jeb Bush. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam have been named honorary co-chairs of a $2,700 per person fundraiser scheduled […]

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 at 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 […]

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 […]

Mitch PerryNovember 24, 2015

If you’re a reporter, you didn’t have to be in Jacksonville Monday to learn the details of Gov. Rick Scott‘s $79 billion budget. That’s because the governor’s press office helpfully sent out email after email to highlight aspects of the vast budget throughout the day, where the highlights include $1 billion in tax cuts and cutting […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2015

Jeff Brandes is taking another shot at the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission, this time because it hired a lobbyist. The St. Petersburg-based state senator has been calling for the agency’s demise for several years now, in part because it has tried to regulate ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft. Now he wants Attorney General Pam […]

Associated PressNovember 18, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott is seeking $8.5 million to help process a backlog of nearly 11,000 untested rape kits. Scott announced his proposal in a news release Wednesday. The money would be used to upgrade Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime laboratories. It would be spent on lab equipment, DNA database upgrades and crime scene vehicles. […]

Tag: Pam bondi

The 5 most disappointing Florida politicians of 2015

1st DCA overturns state prosecutors’ arson case against 11-year-old

Gov. Scott, Cabinet presented Florida-grown Christmas tree, thanks to Adam Putnam

Pam Bondi’s office says PTC can decide whether to hire lobbyists

Florida Cabinet, GOP leaders to turn out for Jeb Bush fundraiser Thursday evening

Peter Schorsch: Florida's pols owe plenty of thanks this holiday

This Thanksgiving, Florida politicians have much to be grateful for

Mitch Perry Report for 11.24.15 — Did Rick Scott release something Monday?

Jeff Brandes wants legal opinion about Hillsborough PTC’s lobbying efforts

Gov. Rick Scott seeks $8.5 million to help process rape kits