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

Michael MolineApril 12, 2017

Senate President Joe Negron’s $1.5 billion plan to fix Lake Okeechobee, and stop overflows of toxic “guacamole water” into the state’s rivers and streams, passed the Senate Wednesday on a vote of 36-3. Last June’s overflow of toxic algae blooms, which devastated tourism and sickened many people, and prompted Gov. Rick Scott to declare a […]

Michael MolineApril 11, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an initiative against Florida’s “opioid crisis” Tuesday, calling upon the Legislature to help with tougher penalties and cracking down on sham “sober houses.” But Scott stopped short of declaring an opioid state of emergency. “We fought the pill mills, but now our challenge is bigger than […]

Michael MolineApril 10, 2017

The workers’ compensation fix that emerged from the House Commerce Committee last week was the product of hours — and hours — of testimony, debate, and negotiations. The Insurance and Banking Subcommittee staged marathon hearings in which all the stakeholders — insurers, employers, attorneys, unions, and more — hashed out their differences. Then the Commerce […]

Michael MolineApril 7, 2017

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No need to worry about the hit to general revenues from the Senate’s medical marijuana sales tax exemption. The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference estimated Friday that the bill might reduce tax receipts, but not enough to notice — even when accounting for the non-state residents who would qualify for cannabis cards if the bill becomes […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

Advocates of assignment of benefits reform delivered 1,500 petition signatures to House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office Thursday, renewing their campaign against what they consider dodgy lawsuits by unscrupulous contractors and attorneys. And no — they didn’t mean to imply anything untoward about the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. The advocates, operating under the Florida […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

The House workers’ compensation package survived hearings before the Commerce Committee Thursday, including business-friendly amendments that would leave injured workers paying their own attorney fees if they pursue meritless claims. One by one, the panel gave voice approval to three amendments offered by House Insurance & Banking chairman Danny Burgess, who has managed the underlying […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

Associated Industries of Florida chief Tom Feeney had praise Thursday for amendments that would bring the House workers’ compensation reform bill closer to business interests’ ideal. “AIF today calls on members of the Florida House Commerce Committee to adopt the amendments to HB 7085 that will go a long way in rectifying our state’s wounded […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

The Senate Appropriations Committee wastes little time or comment approving a proposal to make sure the public is notified within 48 hours of a toxic spill. The panel took bare minutes to vote the bill out unanimously. It was the final committee stop on the way to the Senate floor. CS/SB 532, the Public Notice […]

Michael MolineApril 6, 2017

The House Commerce Committee will take up a workers’ compromise amendment package Thursday that takes a more aggressive approach to attorney fees than did previous versions of the legislation. The amendments to HB 7085 retain language allowing deviations from the statutory attorney fee schedule that link trial lawyer’s compensation to benefits secured through claims litigation. […]

Michael MolineApril 5, 2017

If House leaders really oppose special interests they’ll support the Lake Okeechobee plan the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Wednesday, chairman Jack Latvala said following the vote. “When you hear their stated objections that they’ve made publicly, it’s always had to do with losing jobs or the amount of bonding involved,” Latvala told reporters. “We’ve pretty […]

Michael Moline

Senate approves plan to fix Lake Okeechobee, end algae invasions

Rick Scott, Pam Bondi announce campaign targeting opioid crisis

Danny Burgess: ‘Absolutely, the injured worker is a big concern here’

Cost of tax exemption for medical marijuana would be minimal

AOB reformers, bearing petitions, insist no offense intended against House chair

House worker’s compensation package emerges from Commerce Committee

AIF lauds proposed revisions to House’s workers’ compensation reform

Pollution-spill notice bill races to approval by Senate Appropriations Committee

New House workers’ comp amendments get tough on attorneys’ fees

Jack Latvala argues revised Lake Okeechobee project defangs its critics