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

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

The inaugural First Coast Legislative Delegation meeting, to be held Thursday at Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute, is going to be different from the Duval Delegation meeting held the day before. For one thing, it will be regional in nature, including 16 representatives and senators total. And for another thing, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry will keynote […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. And pretty soon, it might be on a Florida license plate. A bill filed by Northeast Florida State Senator Aaron Bean may lead to more money for wetlands conservation, via a specialty license plate for Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited, a […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

The Duval County Legislative Delegation has a lot of new faces and a crowded agenda in front of it on Wednesday afternoon, when they convene at Jacksonville’s city hall. New to the body: Republican Reps. Cord Byrd of House District 11 and Clay Yarborough in HD 12, Democratic Rep. Tracie Davis of House District 13, Democratic […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

On MSNBC Monday morning, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asked whether she preferred the statement on the death of Fidel Castro by President Barack Obama or President-elect Donald Trump. In a reflection of the non-negotiable political realities of South Florida, the former DNC Chairwoman forged her own path. “I prefer my own statement. The one that I put out […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

People interested in running for leadership positions in the Duval County Democratic Party are encouraged to declare their candidacies by Monday, asserts an internal email from the party. While candidates can be nominated from the floor on Dec. 5, which is election night, it follows that most candidates who want to be taken seriously will […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

Steve Zona, the head of the Jacksonville branch of the Fraternal Order of Police, got some backup over the holiday weekend from leaders of the state and national FOP in the biggest debate his union has had in some time. They conveyed a clear message: the FOP has support in what looks to be a protracted […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 27, 2016

Sen. Marco Rubio made the rounds of Sunday morning shows this week, discussing Fidel Castro and the way forward for U.S./Cuba relations. Rubio, a frequent and fierce critic of the current president’s accommodation toward the Cuban government, has voiced an interest in applying more pressure on Havana in the Trump era. His comments Sunday were consistent with […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 23, 2016

Tuesday saw the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters slamming a pension reform proposal from City Hall. Wednesday saw the Fraternal Order of Police doing the same, offering its own proposals for police and corrections that include raises for all employees, pension benefits rolled back to 2015 levels for extant employees, and the Florida Retirement System […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

Two bills that were big talkers in committees last week passed the full Jacksonville City Council Tuesday night. One bill changed various aspects of the Tourist Development Council. The other bill authorizes a million-dollar federal grant for the Jacksonville Journey. **** The TDC bill went through a number of changes in the committee process last week, but […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

Tuesday saw senior staff from the city of Jacksonville locked in negotiations with representatives from the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. Spoiler alert: those negotiations won’t be wrapped up in time for Thanksgiving. The fire union seems to prefer switching to the Florida Retirement System’s pension plan; the city likes defined contribution. That is a huge gap. […]

A.G. Gancarski
Buccaneers QB Teddy Bridgewater. Image via AP.

Lenny Curry to keynote First Coast Legislative Delegation meeting Thursday

Ducks Unlimited plates for Florida vehicles may be coming soon

Packed agenda for Duval Delegation meeting Wednesday

Separation continues between Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Barack Obama on Cuba policy

Declaration deadline for Duval Democrat leadership elections looms

National politics, political legacies, & the Jacksonville pension debate

Marco Rubio talks Cuba policy and American national interest

Jacksonville police union: defined benefit pensions are not ‘dinosaurs’

Jacksonville City Council passes TDC, Jacksonville Journey bills

Jacksonville pension proposal: A ‘shock’ to firefighters