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

Joe HendersonMarch 12, 2018

The 2018 Florida Legislative Session is over and all that messy lawmaking stuff is complete, so our representatives now can focus on their real jobs — raising money and plotting their next elected gig. Um, not you Jack Latvala. Sorry. For everyone else though, there are ELECTIONS coming SOON!!! But hey, we can’t just say Sine […]

Joe HendersonMarch 9, 2018

The last time I saw Ronda Storms was more than five years ago. I was interviewing her about her campaign for Property Appraiser in Hillsborough County. She won the Republican primary but thumped by nine points in the general election by Bob Henriquez. We met at Starbucks in Valrico, about 15 miles east of downtown […]

Joe HendersonMarch 9, 2018

Republican Ronda Storms, whose controversial career has included two terms each in the Florida Senate and Hillsborough County Commission, has decided to attempt a political comeback. Storms announced Friday on her Facebook page that she will run for HD 59, a seat currently held by Ross Spano, who is running for the Republican nomination for Attorney […]

Joe HendersonMarch 8, 2018

There are two reasons to feel at least a little bit good about what the Florida Legislature just did in the name of gun sanity. First, families of the 17 victims in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland supported the compromise bill calling for age and other restrictions on gun sales […]

Joe HendersonMarch 7, 2018

The Hillsborough County School Board deserves a tip of the hat for its wise and unanimous decision to oppose arming select employees under the guise of security. The vote was a pre-emptive stand against the movement in the Florida House to allow willing schools to authorize select individuals to carry firearms. As the Tampa Bay […]

Joe HendersonMarch 6, 2018

If you look closely, there actually are a couple of decent things in the just-passed Florida public education bill that is headed to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature – basically scraps offered to schools as balm for their tattered remains. But let’s call HB 7055 for what it is. It’s a victory lap for […]

Joe HendersonMarch 5, 2018

Senate President Joe Negron was either confused Saturday or had a temporary case of amnesia, but whatever the problem one thing was immediately clear. Negron simply forgot who really controls that chamber of the Florida Legislature. Guess what? It ain’t him. And it’s sure not the Republican Party. Nope. After the vote to quickly reverse a […]

Joe HendersonMarch 3, 2018

Tom Lee is right. OK, it was more than a bit of hyperbole Friday when Lee, a Republican state Senator from Thonotosassa, said leadership in both chambers is running the Legislature “like a third world country” but he was right on point when his frustration with how bills are presented and passed became headline news. […]

Joe HendersonMarch 1, 2018

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Say this for Adam Putnam: he knows how to get attention. He put out a terse news release Wednesday, ripping a state Senate proposal to use $10 million from the concealed weapons license fee to reimburse trauma centers for costs related to the Parkland murders. It was kind of a “get off my lawn” moment […]

Joe HendersonFebruary 28, 2018

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Some good ideas about gun control came out of the Legislature this week. Arming teachers isn’t one of them, though. The proposal in the House Appropriations Committee to spend $400 million and put resource officers in every school, beef up mental health treatment, and reinforce buildings to make them safer – all good. As always […]

Joe Henderson
Gold Coast Eagle Distributing;s Javier Bermudez and Chad Fraser bring water to Helene victims in Bradenton. Image via Gold Coast.

Joe Henderson: A proper goodbye to 2018 Legislative Session

Joe Henderson: Ronda Storms is back; don’t underestimate her

Ronda Storms announces HD 59 bid

Joe Henderson: A little gun sanity finally comes to Florida

Joe Henderson: Hillsborough school board made right call on guns

Joe Henderson: Florida public education takes another hit

Joe Henderson: Joe Negron just forgot who is in charge

Joe Henderson: Tom Lee is right to rip Legislature leadership

Joe Henderson: Maybe Senate should have asked Adam Putnam first

Joe Henderson: Arming teachers is bad, bad, bad idea