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

Michael MolineMarch 31, 2017

Sen. Anitere Flores has built a health care budget around $600 in federal money for indigent care that she concedes might never arrive. “If it doesn’t happen, look, we’ll have to reassess the situation,” Flores said this week during a hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. “This is just the Senate’s version. […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

State spending would shrink significantly under the budget being prepared in the Florida House, with much of the savings coming at the expense of projects sought by House members. “The next fiscal year, we go from a $1.2 billion deficit to an almost $1.1 billion surplus. In the year after, we go from a $1.8 […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

The Florida House approved legislation on an 82-33 vote Thursday that would ban professional sports teams from building or refurbishing stadiums on public land. CS/HB 77, by Bryan Avila, would forbid the construction, renovation, or improvement on any pro facility “on public land leased from the state or a political subdivision thereof.” Cities and counties […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

The House approved legislation Thursday that would require the decertification of any public employee union unless at least 50 percent of the eligible workers in a unit pay dues. HB 11 passed on a vote of 75-41, with many Democrats calling it union busting. “It amazes me that we constantly come up with bills that […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

The House gave final passage Thursday to a raft of government ethics reforms, including a proposed constitutional amendment to bar legislators and statewide elected officials from lobbying before any state government body or agency for six years. CS/HJR 7001, approved on 108-4 vote, would extend the existing two-year ban. “We’re not casting aspersions on any […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

A church atmosphere prevailed as some 300 people converged on the state Capitol Thursday to protest Gov. Rick Scott’s removal of Orlando prosecutor Aramis Ayala from the murder prosecution of Markeith Loyd. The protest, organized by Color of Change and Equal Justice USA, included denunciations of the Legislature for threatening to strike $1.3 million from […]

Michael MolineMarch 29, 2017

A proposal that could decertify public employee union chapters across Florida moved closer to a final House vote Wednesday, as its sponsor denied it was “union busting.” Sponsor Scott Plakon, a Republican business owner from Longwood, argued his bill was about transparency and democratic principles. “This empowers the majority who may not be paying dues,” […]

Michael MolineMarch 29, 2017

Two days after the Oakland Raiders won NFL approval to move to Las Vegas, the Florida House Wednesday set a final floor vote on a bill that would ban professional sports teams from building or refurbishing stadiums on public land. CS/HB 77, by Bryan Avila, says “a sports franchise may not construct, reconstruct, renovate, or […]

Michael MolineMarch 29, 2017

A proposed constitutional amendment to impose term limits on justices of the Florida Supreme Court and state appellate judges squeaked through the Florida House Wednesday after a majority defeated a series of unfriendly — even sarcastic — amendments. HJR 1, by Eustis Republican Jennifer Sullivan, won 73 “Yes” votes — one more than the three-fifths support […]

Michael MolineMarch 28, 2017

The House public education budget would be extra kind to charter schools next year, pumping $200 million into charters specifically targeting children stuck in persistently low-performing classrooms. The money would provide grants to “charter school networks with a proven track record of serving specifically low-income students and successfully closing the achievement gap,” said Manny Diaz […]

Michael Moline
Image via TCEC.

Anitere Flores bets on Washington intervention in Florida’s health care budget

$81.2 billion House budget aims the meat-ax at member projects

House approves crackdown on public investment in pro sports stadiums

Union-decertification bill clears House on a 75-41 vote

Florida House OKs six-year ban on lobbying by former elected officials

Hundreds rally at Capitol in support of embattled Aramis Ayala

Bill targeting public-employee unions advances toward final House floor vote

Ban on public support for profession sports facilities cleared for final House vote

Term limits for Supreme Court, appeals judges clear the House, if barely

House budget would add ‘emergency’ $200 million for charter schools