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

Guest AuthorApril 3, 2014

There are few issues that bring together interests from all across the state during a legislative session – and this year one example of this is water policy. For months, there have been workshops and forums all focusing on the future of water policy in Florida. Lawmakers and other interested parties have focused on water […]

Guest AuthorApril 3, 2014

There are many articles about how to train for a 26.2-mile run. They’re as compelling as the bread aisle at Target. I’m still not the runner who thinks anyone really wants to read a thousand words on glycogen levels and tempo runs. Several columns strongly suggest a person run one year, minimum, before attempting the […]

Guest AuthorApril 2, 2014

The Environmental Protection Agency lifted in March its ban imposed on BP. For me, the decision felt like hearing a serial killer had been granted a pardon and released into our community. BP’s history shows how it has repeatedly put American lives and our environment at risk. Lifting the ban allows them back in our […]

Guest AuthorApril 2, 2014

On March 31, three legislators representing several ideological stripes attended a forum to discuss medical marijuana. Unfortunately, the one-sided discussion did little more than serve as a platform to promote passage of the issue in the Legislature and on the ballot in November. Democratic strategists hope that this initiative will bring young Dems to the […]

Guest AuthorApril 1, 2014

Remember that childhood story, “The Three Little Pigs,” where the wolf huffed and puffed and blew away the houses built of sand and sticks? It’s something of an allegory for those of us who’ve chosen to live and work on riverbanks, lake shores and seaside dunes. Ah, waterfront property. Two words that evoke daydreams and […]

Guest AuthorApril 1, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule soon in a case that will determine whether prayers at government meetings should continue to be allowed and if so, what kind. The court will rule on whether an upstate New York town violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making […]

Guest AuthorMarch 31, 2014

The farce is over — thankfully. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner called a halt to his voter purge — a hunt for ghost non-citizens who apparently have been standing in line to cast ballots and elect Democrats. “From the beginning, I have said that the law requires state officials to ensure that the voter […]

Guest AuthorMarch 30, 2014

Occasionally it’s a good idea to take a look at Florida’s laws and question whether they still merit being on the books. Last year, lawmakers repealed the law requiring a 10-percent ethanol blend in gasoline. The law was inconsistent with efforts to reduce regulatory burdens to help Florida create a pro-business, job-producing environment. Lawmakers also […]

Guest AuthorMarch 30, 2014

Florida is ground zero for the weird and unusual, but there are many people, places and events that Florida can point to with pride: Gov. Reubin Askew, our world-class beaches, beautiful wetlands, Disney World, Gasparilla and our universities’ title-winning athletic teams. But George Zimmerman is not something we’re proud of. For those people who have […]

Guest AuthorMarch 27, 2014

I’m beginning to think that Adam Putnam is just about the only grown-up in Tallahassee. Which is ironic because Putnam, Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, isn’t even 40 yet. But he’s served in the Florida and U.S. Houses of Representatives and as agriculture commissioner has demonstrated that — future ambitions aside — he’s at least looking […]

Guest Author

Brewster Bevis: Dispersed water storage is good for Florida business

Catherine Durkin Robinson: How to prepare for a marathon

Rick Outzen: Lifting ban on BP is like granting a pardon to a serial killer

Barney Bishop: Medical marijuana forum is all smoke and little substance

Linda Cunningham: Government must partly subsidize flood insurance

Steve Kurlander: Overt Christian prayers have no place at government meetings

Andrew Skerritt: Will halting the voter purge help Scott with Hispanic voters?

John Harris: Repealing Prohibition-era law adds security and convenience

Gary Stein: Time to make George Zimmerman disappear

Cary McMullen: Kudos to Putnam for trying to get money to fix schools