Bruce Ritchie, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bruce RitchieMarch 12, 2015

Rep. John Wood told House subcommittee members on Thursday that he doesn’t consider carbon dioxide to be a pollutant and if they think it is, “then everybody zip up their mouths and don’t exhale the rest of the meeting.” Wood, a Republican from Winter Haven, was answering questions on his bill that would require legislative ratification of […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 12, 2015

Rep. John Wood told House subcommittee members on Thursday that he doesn’t consider carbon dioxide to be a pollutant and if they think it is, “then everybody zip up their mouths and don’t exhale the rest of the meeting.” Wood, a Republican from Winter Haven, was answering questions on his bill that would require legislative ratification of […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

Former Rep. Jimmy Patronis wants senators to know he can serve on the Florida Public Service Commission and still help run his restaurant in Panama City Beach. PSC Commissioner Julie Brown wants you to know that last fall she didn’t vote for gutting utility energy conservation goals. Both commissioners are going through Senate confirmation for […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation, says the Florida residents affected by discharges from Lake Okeechobee need to let state leaders know about their concerns. Eikenberg is at the Capitol this week meeting with House and Senate leaders including House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner. He’s trying to get state leaders […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation, says the Florida residents affected by discharges from Lake Okeechobee need to let state leaders know about their concerns. Eikenberg is at the Capitol this week meeting with House and Senate leaders including House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner. He’s trying to get state leaders […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

State Sen. Alan Hays on Wednesday sternly told a Senate subcommittee audience that the Legislature had not neglected the environment in past years, and that Amendment 1 supporters may have misled Florida voters. The ballot initiative, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, provides an estimated $22.6 billion towards water and land conservation during […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 10, 2015

A bill that would place a renewable energy tax exemption amendment on the ballot in 2016 passed their its committee stop on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity-Florida held a press conference to its opposition to a different proposed amendment dealing with solar energy. SB 400, from St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes, would extend a residential […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 10, 2015

A bill that would place a renewable energy tax exemption amendment on the ballot in 2016 passed their its committee stop on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity-Florida held a press conference to its opposition to a different proposed amendment dealing with solar energy. SB 400, from St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes, would extend a residential […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 10, 2015

A bill that would eliminate a state process for reviewing large developments cleared its first committee stop on Tuesday. Meanwhile, another bill that would eliminate Florida’s 11 regional planning councils was amended to eliminate only one of them. Large developments such as shopping malls and housing projects with hundreds of homes now are classified by […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 10, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott is denying there was a policy banning the use of the term climate change at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as Democrats Tuesday continued to hammer him on the issue. Over the weekend, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting reported there was an unwritten policy “distributed verbally statewide” at DEP banning […]

Bruce Ritchie

John Wood says "God gave us CO2" as Dems question his bill

John Wood says “God gave us CO2” as Dems question his bill

Jimmy Patronis, Julie Brown slide through committee stop toward PSC confirmation

Everglades Foundation's Eric Eikenberg presses case for land buy

Everglades Foundation’s Eric Eikenberg presses case for land buy

Alan Hays says Amendment 1 backers misled voters

Jeff Brandes’ renewable bills pass first stop, group opposes solar amendment

Jeff Brandes' renewable bills pass first stop, group opposes solar amendment

Development bill passes first stop despite opposition from cities and counties

Dems pull no punches as Rick Scott presses climate change gag denial