Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-6.32.30-PM-1024x1024.png

Making the Tampa Bay region look like a game of Twister, Senate Rules Chairman David Simmons late Thursday filed his own proposed map redrawing the state’s Senate districts. For instance, Simmons’ map creates a 16th District that takes in about the same area currently represented by GOP Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater, not by jumping the bay, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 22, 2015

Although a legislative proposal to put an end to permanent alimony died in the Regular Session this year, it’s coming back in 2016, and a women’s group opposing the proposal is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to put a stop to it if reaches his desk. UniteWomen.Org FL is opposing SB 250, a bill sponsored by Brandon Republican state […]

Associated PressOctober 21, 2015

Amid a deepening rift that has split top Republicans, the Florida Senate may require voters in 2016 to pick senators for all forty of the state’s current Senate districts. The move may end a growing and contentious debate that has threatened to derail the 19-day special session that started this week. The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

Screen-Shot-2015-10-21-at-6.37.25-PM-1024x1024.png

State Sen. Bill Galvano has filed a proposed new Senate district map for his Reapportionment Committee, meaning there will be one “base map” going forward to discuss and amend. Galvano posted the map to the Senate’s redistricting website at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Among other things, it contains a district that crosses Tampa Bay – the 19th, […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

The head of the Senate’s redistricting panel said he plans to file a bill for the Senate’s new district boundaries by late Wednesday and begin to discuss it by Friday. Despite seemingly little headway made during an hours-long meeting earlier in the day, State Sen. Bill Galvano said redistricting legislation could be on the floor […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

State Sen. Tom Lee has emerged a lone voice of Republican dissent over the ongoing effort to redraw the Senate’s district map. Lee, a Brandon Republican and former Senate president, sits on the chamber’s redistricting panel that is meeting Wednesday. The morning part of the meeting was slowed down with technical and legal explanations. Essentially, however, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2015

Last week in Tallahassee, we heard Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli say sort of a remarkable thing. Referring to the conflict between his House of Representatives and the Senate that has dominated Florida politics in 2015, he said it was a “extraordinary” that anything gets passed between the two bodies. The latest fissure between the House and […]

Jim RosicaOctober 19, 2015

A fiery state Sen. Tom Lee lashed out at the Senate’s outside attorney Monday, questioning why he didn’t object to specific allegations of unconstitutionality over the chamber’s current districts. The Legislature had begun a scheduled three-week Special Session to redraw the state’s 40 districts after the Senate settled a court challenge by admitting its current map was gerrymandered to […]

Drew WilsonOctober 12, 2015

MONEY-STACKS-CONSUMER-CONFIDENCE-e1443209144360-1024x1024.jpg

Republican Sens. Jack Latvala and Joe Negron may have posted big-time fundraising numbers in September but they weren’t the only Senate Republicans raking in contributions. The political committee supporting Bradenton Republican Sen. Bill Galvano for Senate President brought in $207,500, its best fundraising performance since February, and it took only 10 contributions to hit that […]

Jim RosicaOctober 8, 2015

The Senate’s budget panel got the raw news Thursday: Florida isn’t getting a break on health care costs anytime soon. The Appropriations Committee, which helps write the state’s annual spending plan, heard presentations on “The Economics of Health Care” and “Factors Influencing the Price of Health Insurance.” One item conspicuously not on the agenda: Medicaid expansion. […]

Tag: Tom Lee
Biden in Tampa. Screenshot via PBS.

David Simmons files map for Senate redistricting

Women’s group calls on Rick Scott to reject Tom Lee’s proposed alimony bill

Florida Senate may require senators to be on 2016 ballot

Bill Galvano files proposed Senate redistricting map

Bill Galvano says Senate redistricting could be on floor by early next week

Tom Lee’s dissent grows over Senate redistricting effort

Mitch Perry Report for 10.20.15 -Friction begins immediately between House and Senate in special session

An angry Tom Lee questions Senate base maps

Senate Republican committees post major fundraising numbers

Senate budget panel wrestles with health costs