A.G. Gancarski, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

The United States has had an embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, for over a half century. But that may change if a new bill co-sponsored by Marco Rubio and a rival from his presidential campaign gets through Congress. The Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act, filed Tuesday in the Senate and co-sponsored by Rubio, former 2016 presidential primary rival Ted […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

For those watching to see how Rep. John Rutherford will function in Congress, the Jacksonville freshman congressman may have passed his first test. Rutherford opposed Monday’s move by House Republicans to eviscerate the independent Office of Congressional Ethics. That move has already been reversed, vindicating Rutherford’s position. Rutherford committed to working across the aisle during a primary […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

Sen. Rob Bradley is going to be a road warrior Wednesday and Thursday, with six county delegation meetings slated ahead of committees next week. Bradley’s district shifted ahead of the last election, and now includes Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, Union counties, and part of Marion County. With that kind of ground to cover, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

Will the third time be the charm for expansion of Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance to include the LGBT community? Wednesday may tell the tale. Councilman Aaron Bowman, one of the co-sponsors of the 2016 HRO expansion bill, has scheduled a public notice meeting for 11:30 Wednesday morning at Jacksonville’s city hall. Expected to be in attendance: […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

Tuesday morning saw the Jacksonville City Council Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services committee greenlight a bill that frustrated it in December. The bill would increase city-imposed ticket surcharges for the Veterans Memorial Arena, the Baseball Grounds of Jax, and the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts, while adding surcharges for events at the under construction amphitheater and […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2017

CoWealth, the family business of Jacksonville City Councilwoman Katrina Brown, closed out 2016 by paying its delinquent 2015 property taxes. JoAnn Brown, the Councilwoman’s mother, paid the balance of $22,515.69 in full on Dec. 30. CoWealth was raided in December, in a multi-jurisdictional effort that included the FBI, the IRS, HUD, the Small Business Administration and the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2017

Now that 2017 is all but upon us — after a tumultuous 2016 electorally — what’s next for Northeast Florida politics? One assurance: unlike in 2016, with a massive electoral turnover in the region’s Washington and Tallahassee delegations, as well as in both the state attorney and public defender offices, 2017 won’t see that. With […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2016

St. Johns County Republican Rep. Cyndi Stevenson spoke to FloridaPolitics.com Friday about the House version of a bill she filed to relax restrictions on craft distillers. Current rules, Stevenson said, have “long past served any purpose.” Among the highlights of the legislation: increasing production caps from 75,000 to 250,000 gallons; allowing for off-site distribution points; and […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2016

The biggest moment in Jacksonville politics in 2016 was the August passage of a referendum unlocking future local sales tax proceeds to address pension debt, provided collective bargaining closes at least one of the city’s current pension plans. Considered to be an audacious, high-risk play when the initiative was formally launched early in 2016, former […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 29, 2016

Jacksonville politics is like a Southern family reunion: there are characters of all types. The 2017 list points out ten of those members of the #Jaxpol family who are uniquely positioned to be in the headlines for one reason or another. We are hoping that 2016 was an outlier year for scandals, and are not projecting […]

A.G. Gancarski

Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz push bill to move American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

John Rutherford opposed controversial House ethics changes

County delegation meetings abound for Rob Bradley this week

Jacksonville HRO expansion bill topic of Wednesday meeting

Ticket surcharge hike, school board governance bills clear Jacksonville council panel

Katrina Brown’s family business finally pays 2015 property taxes

A.G. Gancarski’s 10 predictions for Jacksonville politics in 2017

Cyndi Stevenson ‘excited’ to carry craft distillery bill in House

Future sales tax referendum bills could be restricted to general election ballot

10 people to watch in 2017 in Jacksonville politics