Mitch Perry, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

The committee hoping to put a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot that would automatically restore voting rights to nonviolent Florida felons is inching closer to the signature quota required to place an amendment on the ballot. Floridians for a Fair Democracy says it submitted more than 1.1 million signatures to various supervisors of elections during the […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

A bill that would legalize consumer fireworks cleared a House committee on Tuesday even as it faces strong opposition from the fireworks industry. Floridians buy and use fireworks just as much as any other state around the 4th of July and New Years Eve even though they can only purchase them after signing a form […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

Congressional District 27 Democratic candidate Matt Haggman announced Tuesday that he raised more than $402,000 in the last quarter of 2017, and now has taken in $914,000 overall in the race to succeed Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen this November. Ros-Lehtinen’s announcement in 2017 that she would leave public office after 30 years representing Miami and Miami […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

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Legislation that would increase the benefits paid to the spouses of police and firefighters employed by the City of Tampa who lost their lives in the line of duty advanced in a House committee Tuesday. The bipartisan bill (HB 1139), sponsored by Tampa Republican Shawn Harrison and House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz, also of Tampa, authorizes the city […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

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Democratic state Rep. Sean Shaw has made it official: he’s running for Attorney General this year, promising if elected to operate differently from term-limited Pam Bondi. “The people of our state should be able to count on their Attorney General to protect them and to always enforce the rule of law, not have someone more concerned with […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

A Senate committee approved a resolution calling Congress to keep in place a moratorium against oil drilling in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico. The military uses the area in question for air and sea training. Tuesday’s vote by the Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation comes a week after the Donald Trump administration […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2018

There are a number of first-time candidates running for office in Hillsborough County this year, but none are more successful at raising campaign cash than Aakash Patel, the 33-year-old Tampa businessman who is running for the District 1 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. Patel added more than $9,000 to his campaign coffers last month and now […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 15, 2018

Bill Nelson‘s campaign says the senator will report raising just over $2.4 million in the final three months of 2017. That brings him to more than $8 million cash-on-hand heading into this election year. Nelson has represented Florida in the Senate since 2000. It’s widely expected that he’ll be challenged in his reelection bid this fall by […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 15, 2018

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson believes President Donald Trump’s comments about “sh*thole” countries were “deplorable” and only serve to divide Americans. “The president’s comments are awful. They’re deplorable,” Nelson told two reporters Monday in St. Petersburg. “What a president ought to be is a uniter, not a divider. And that’s what’s so troubling about so many of […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 15, 2018

Although the Donald Trump administration removed Florida from its controversial proposal to permit drilling in most U.S. continental shelf waters, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan said Monday that “Florida is not out of the woods yet” when it comes to protecting the state from another catastrophic oil spill — and wants legislation extending a drilling ban. “Although I’m […]

Mitch Perry
Lake Mary’s team celebrates in the eighth inning of the Little League World Series Championship game against Taiwan. Florida won in eight innings 2-1. Image via AP.

Felon voter restoration initiative close to making 2018 ballot, supporters say

Bill to legalize fireworks takes off in House committee

CD 27 Democrat Matt Haggman had $400K fourth-quarter haul

Bill aims to help spouses of fallen Tampa first responders

Sean Shaw enters AG race, promises contrast to Pam Bondi

Senate committee advances moratorium on oil drilling in part of eastern Gulf

Aakash Patel continues fundraising prowess in Hillsborough Commission race

Bill Nelson has $8M cash-on-hand for re-election campaign

At event honoring MLK, Bill Nelson calls Donald Trump comments ‘deplorable’

Vern Buchanan: Florida ‘not out of the woods yet’ for offshore drilling