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

Michael MolineSeptember 7, 2018

Justice Jorge Labraga joined the Florida Supreme Court’s conservative wing in ruling that the Constitution Revision Commission’s Amendment 6 including a crime victims ‘bill of rights’ may appear on the November ballot. “We hereby reverse the circuit court’s judgment and vacate the injunction prohibiting the Secretary of State from action to place the Constitutional Revision Commission’s Revision […]

Michael MolineSeptember 6, 2018

A state appeals court has upheld insurance policy language barring policyholders from signing assignment of benefits agreements without the approval of co-insureds, including financial institutions holding mortgages on the property. The ruling Wednesday, written by Judge Alan Forst for a unanimous three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal, contradicts a finding by the 5th District reached […]

Michael MolineSeptember 5, 2018

A critic of Florida’s proposed victims’ right amendment suggested Wednesday that the Florida Supreme Court should block the Constitution Revision Commission from combining multiple proposals into single revisions to place before the voters. Such “bundling” gives voters a choice to swallow provisions they don’t like to enact those that they do, litigator Harvey Sepler said during […]

Michael MolineSeptember 5, 2018

An appeal before the Florida Supreme Court, testing the leeway county supervisors of elections afford candidates in meeting filing deadlines, was in jeopardy Wednesday for failure to pay a filing fee. In a notice to aspiring Clay County Court candidate Lucy Ann Hoover, high court clerk John Tomasino warned of the impending consequences. “Failure to file the […]

Michael MolineSeptember 4, 2018

A rules change to help Visit Florida comply with legislatively mandated reporting requirements for big contracts will be ready for the organization’s board of directors next week. State law requires Visit Florida to submit contracts in excess of $750,000 to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. If the commission’s chair and vice chair — or the Senate […]

Michael MolineSeptember 4, 2018

VISIT FLORIDA has begun a search for a replacement for chief marketing officer Nelson Mongiovi, who has resigned effective Sept 11. Vice President for Brand Staci Mellman will serve as interim CMO. Members of the executive committee heard details of the search during a conference call Tuesday. Officials offered no details of Mongiovi’s plans. He did […]

Michael MolineSeptember 3, 2018

Florida ranks a not-too-impressive No. 37 on Oxfam America’s Best and Worst States to Work Index. The report, released to coincide with Labor Day, cites the state’s $8.25 per hour minimum wage — less than 32 percent of the estimated living wage for a family of four of $25.87. Moreover, cities and counties lack the power […]

Michael MolineAugust 31, 2018

Ballot language for the Constitution Revision Commission’s proposed Amendment 6 disguises its curtailment of defendants’ rights with a promise to create procedural protections for crime victims, opponents argued in written arguments submitted Friday. In their answer to arguments the state submitted to the Florida Supreme Court the day before, the League of Women Voters and two private citizens attempted to refute […]

Michael MolineAugust 31, 2018

The state government’s written arguments in the Florida Supreme Court test of the Constitution Revision Commission’s Amendment 6 victim’s rights proposal emphasize the “sanctified” nature of the amendment process. They also underscore that the amendment process counts on voters to be reasonably well-informed about our constitutional system — especially given the strict word limits on […]

Michael MolineAugust 31, 2018

Proponents of the Constitution Revision Commission’s victims’ rights proposal have filed the first written arguments in a Florida Supreme Court case testing whether the ballot language would mislead the voters. The brief appeared shortly after the high court accepted a request by the Criminal Law Section of the Florida Bar to file a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the proposed […]

Michael Moline
Image via AP.

Victims’ rights amendment will appear on ballot, justices rule

Sign on dotted line: Appeals court upholds assignment of benefits ruling

Florida Supreme Court hears arguments over Amendments 6, 8

Unpaid fee endangers Supreme Court appeal in candidate disqualification

Visit Florida board to vote on new contract oversight rule

Personnel note: Nelson Mongiovi leaving VISIT FLORIDA

Happy Labor Day Florida — or perhaps not so much

Critics: Amendment 6 language would confound ‘common sense’

Give voters some credit to decide Amendment 6, state argues

Opening briefs land in test of Amendment 6 ballot language