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

Melissa RossMarch 4, 2016

As top Republicans bemoan the prospect that divisions within their party could lead to a Hillary Clinton presidency, her campaign is rolling out the support of top military brass with a series of veterans and military families town halls across Florida in the run up to the March 15 primary. Brig. Gen. John Douglass, Rear […]

Melissa RossMarch 2, 2016

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Crowing that “Your Action DID help keep fracking out of Florida,” the League of Women Voters of Florida is congratulating opponents of a measure that would have expanded fracking in the state for killing the bill. “Thanks to the tens of thousands of voices of the League and other citizens of Florida, Sen. Gary Richter, (R-Naples) […]

Melissa RossFebruary 25, 2016

The actress who portrayed the iconic role of Scout onscreen in Harper Lee‘s classic tale “To Kill A Mockingbird” decried the “inflammatory and divisive” rhetoric of Donald Trump, saying the late Lee would not have approved, either. “I think she would be extremely upset with some of our politicians who are not being realistic, and […]

Melissa RossFebruary 24, 2016

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Vowing to reintroduce it “in two months,” Jacksonville City Councilman Tommy Hazouri says he’ll keep bringing back HRO legislation because it’s “simple and to the point.” “We have a human rights ordinance that covers everybody but the LGBT community, and all we’re wanting to do is include them,” he told WJCT’s First Coast Connect. “It’s […]

Melissa RossFebruary 23, 2016

The Hillary Clinton campaign, already aggressively running phone banks across Florida, will kick off its first door-to-door canvassing effort in Jacksonville on Saturday morning. “We’ve got a huge focus on field, making phone calls and knocking on doors, really to have those conversations with as many people as possible to let them know the primary […]

Melissa RossFebruary 22, 2016

News of a stalemate on the homeless situation in Daytona Beach is discouraging advocates hoping for a resolution to the longstanding issue. Groups of homeless had set up a makeshift camp in front of the county administration building last month. That led to county officials offering to provide land and $4 million for the construction of […]

Melissa RossFebruary 19, 2016

Just as lobbyists for the ride-sharing service Uber made their case for uniform regulations in Tallahassee this week, one of the company’s whiz kids was sharing the secrets of the uber-popular app back in his Florida hometown. “We’ve gone from 3 million trips a month to 3 million trips a day,” Ed Baker, the company’s […]

Melissa RossFebruary 18, 2016

This week in Jacksonville, former Florida Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham rallied people upset with the Legislature over Amendment 1 funding by telling them to get vocal and train to become citizen-activists. “We have an organization called the Florida Conservation Coalition, and its purpose is to try to get citizens involved,” Graham said during an […]

Melissa RossFebruary 18, 2016

The director of Donald Trump‘s Florida campaign is warning his supporters not to let “the Establishment steal the Florida Primary Election” from Trump. “If you are interesting in being a Poll Watcher for the Donald J. Trump for President Inc. Campaign, the deadline is fast approaching for many of our Early Voting Counties,” a Thursday e-blast […]

Melissa RossFebruary 17, 2016

The Duval County School Board continued its work this week looking at proposed boundary and program changes for a number of Jacksonville schools proposed by Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. Vitti (so far) has not followed through on threats to sue after public records revealed board member Connie Hall sent controversial text messages about him to a […]

Melissa Ross
Image via AP.

Hillary Clinton campaign to host veterans town halls across Florida

League of Women Voters of Florida exults over death of fracking bill

Harper Lee “would be extremely upset” with Donald Trump rhetoric, “Scout” says

Tommy Hazouri: will reintroduce HRO “in two months,” challenges Bill Gulliford to on-air debate

Hillary Clinton campaign to kick off first Jacksonville canvassing on Saturday morning

Daytona Beach homeless issue at stalemate as local advocate is investigated

Uber VP: “We now reach 95% of Florida’s population”

Bob Graham rallies Amendment 1 supporters to become “citizen-activists”

Donald Trump campaign: Don’t let “the establishment” steal Florida primary

Duval School Board tensions simmer as charter fight escalates