Ryan Nicol, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan NicolDecember 21, 2018

A national survey of U.S. editors and news directors conducted by the Associated Press has named February’s shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School the number one news story of 2018. The attack killed 17 people, spawned activism efforts from students and parents of the victims, and resulted in the passage of a new gun safety […]

Ryan NicolDecember 21, 2018

Congresswoman-elect Donna Shalala of Florida’s 27th Congressional District announced her leadership team Friday morning, choosing former Bill Nelson staffer Jessica Killin as her chief of staff. Most recently, Killin worked for USAA to provide financial services to veterans and their families. An Army veteran herself, Killing spent a decade at USAA. She attended the University […]

Ryan NicolDecember 21, 2018

State Sen. Lauren Book is putting forward a new measure (SB 174) in response to February’s shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, mandating silent alarm systems be set up in public schools throughout the state. The act, dubbed “Alyssa’s Law,” is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who was one of the 17 people […]

Ryan NicolDecember 20, 2018

Spread the Vote, a national organization aimed at helping potential voters receive government-issued IDs, has named Miami native Matthew Tisdol as its new state director in Florida. Tisdol previously worked as the testing and investigation coordinator for the Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, a non-profit aimed at helping people process housing discrimination claims. His work has been […]

Ryan NicolDecember 19, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Kristin Jacobs wants to create a $110 million compensation fund for the victims of February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in which 17 were killed. She filed legislation (HB 123) in the Florida House on Wednesday. The fund would be set up within the Department of Education. The department then would be […]

Ryan NicolDecember 18, 2018

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Newly-installed Broward County Supervisor of Elections Pete Antonacci acknowledged Tuesday the county still has work to do to avoid the mistakes of his suspended predecessor. Antonacci made the comments at Tuesday’s meeting of the Broward legislative delegation at the City of Sunrise Civic Center. “I’ve got a lot to learn about the job, the office,” Antonacci said. “What’s I’m here […]

Ryan NicolDecember 18, 2018

Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie lobbied Broward County legislators Tuesday to set up a victims’ compensation fund to pay out money to those affected by February’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Runcie and other school board members were confronted by some of those families at another delegation meeting earlier this month. Mitch Dworet, Debbie […]

Ryan NicolDecember 18, 2018

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Former Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes is suing to get her job back after she was suspended by Gov. Rick Scott. Snipes filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee against Scott and Senate President Bill Galvano. Galvano has said the Senate would not review the suspension despite a constitutional ability […]

Ryan NicolDecember 18, 2018

Ralph Thomas, a Wakulla County Commissioner, has filed to replace state Rep. Halsey Beshears in House District 7. “I served our nation in uniform, and now I want to serve our rural communities in the Florida House of Representatives,” said Thomas, who was a member of the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1997. “As a hometown […]

Ryan NicolDecember 17, 2018

State Sen. Lauren Book has filed a bill (SB 160) which would seek to criminalize the sale of sex dolls designed to look like young children. “A person may not knowingly sell, lend, give away, distribute, transmit, show, or transmute … an obscene, child-like sex doll,” the bill says. “These obscene dolls are being shipped from […]

Ryan Nicol

Parkland shooting named “Top news story of 2018” in AP survey

Donna Shalala taps Jessica Killin as chief of staff

Lauren Book proposes ‘Alyssa’s Law’ to set up silent alarms in public schools

Personnel note: Spread The Vote names new Florida director

Kristin Jacobs files bill to create compensation fund for Parkland victims

Pete Antonacci faces questions from Broward legislative delegation

Robert Runcie urges compensation fund for Parkland victims’ families

Brenda Snipes sues to stay on as Broward Elections Supervisor

Wakulla Co. Commissioner Ralph Thomas files for HD 7

Lauren Book files state ban of ‘obscene, child-like‘ sex dolls