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

Mitch PerryOctober 11, 2017

For a scheduled speech in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump is expected to say that truckers and other middle-income workers stand to benefit significantly from his proposed tax plan. Hundreds of miles away, however, a group of progressive activists gathered in Tampa earlier the same day to denounce the proposal as currently laid out, calling […]

Mitch PerryOctober 11, 2017

St. Petersburg City Council hopeful Gina Driscoll doesn’t think much of the service offered by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) to those needing transportation in the ‘Burg. “We need to look at the bus system that we already have because it’s broken, it doesn’t work for most of the people who have to use it,” […]

Mitch PerryOctober 11, 2017

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Legislation to establish a slavery memorial at the state Capitol in Tallahassee passed its first committee Wednesday. The bill (HB 67) would authorize the Department of Management and Services, upon a recommendation from the Florida Historical Commission, to create and establish a Florida Slavery Memorial on the Capitol Complex. It would “honor the nameless and […]

Mitch PerryOctober 11, 2017

As the St. Petersburg mayoral race enters its final month, the Rick Baker campaign is making a case that Rick Kriseman is bad at managing the city’s budget. In a series of emails and tweets, Baker campaign manager Nick Hansen blasted Kriseman for dipping into reserves while the city takes in record levels of revenue. And […]

Mitch PerryOctober 11, 2017

The deadline has passed for the public to offer proposals to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC). It ended last Friday, after being extended to allow more input from the public after Hurricane Irma whipped through the state. The 37-member commission (34 of whom are Republicans) was created to review Florida’s Constitution and, if necessary, to […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

After widespread power outages following Hurricane Irma, much of the public conversation has centered around the possibility of the electricity companies burying power lines underground. That likely isn’t going to happen in Tampa, according to Gerry Chasse, vice president of electric delivery with Tampa Electric Company. Speaking before the Senate Committee on Communications, Energy and Public Utilities on […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

Perhaps the sleepiest Cabinet campaign going into 2018 election is the choice for Chief Financial Officer. Although current CFO Jimmy Patronis and Brandon Republican Tom Lee are expected to join the contest, they haven’t yet, leaving former Margate Democratic state Senator Jeremy Ring as the only candidate officially in the race. Ring raised $35,184 in September, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and six other Florida mayors have signed a letter urging Congress to pass a bipartisan bill allowing so-called “Dreamers” to earn permanent legal status and (possibly) ultimately citizenship. Members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a policy in June to support permanent legal status for Dreamers — undocumented immigrants entering […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

A Florida House committee advanced legislation Tuesday that would replace a statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith with one of Mary McLeod Bethune in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. The House Government Accountability Committee passed the proposal offered by Daytona Beach Democrat Patrick Henry (HB 139) with just one dissenting vote (from Jacksonville Rep. Jay […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

The poverty rate for blacks has never been lower in St. Petersburg, with the decline four times greater than the black poverty rate across Florida. That’s according to advocates working on that vexing issue, citing the latest U.S. Census data. Officials with the Agenda 2020 plan say that the black poverty rate has dropped 17.3 […]

Mitch Perry

Activists in Tampa denounce Trump’s tax plan as ‘giveaway to wealthy’

Gina Driscoll blasts ‘unacceptable’ St. Pete transit service

Bill to establish slavery memorial at Capitol advances in House committee

The two Ricks argue about city spending during latest St. Pete mayoral forum

SEIU highlights progressive proposals made to Constitutional Revision Commission

TECO official tells legislative panel it would cost ‘billions’ to bury power lines

Jeremy Ring added $35K in Sept. to his campaign for CFO

Eight Florida mayors urge Congress to pass ‘Dreamer’ legislation

House committee advances bill to replace statue of Confederate general with that of Mary McLeod Bethune

Advocates cite statistics to say poverty is being reduced in South St. Pete