Elevator pitch

Phil AmmannApril 19, 2017

Child advocate and state Sen. Lauren Book‘s inspirational story will be featured in Sheryl Sandberg‘s newly launched initiative on themes of resilience through tragedy. On April 19, Book — a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who became an internationally renowned activist — will exhibit an installation decorating the Capitol rotunda, made up of more than 750 […]

Phil AmmannApril 18, 2017

A growing number of medical professionals have joined forces in a wave of disapproval of optometrists in Florida’s “Eyeball Wars,” which is now making way through Tallahassee. HB 1037, which seeks to allow optometrists to perform surgery and prescribe opiates, among other things, now sits on the agenda of the House Health & Human Services […]

Phil AmmannApril 14, 2017

Does Al Lawson ‘get’ Jacksonville? Questions still remain as to whether Congressman Lawson understands Jacksonville, as his visits to the Jacksonville City Council Tuesday, and town hall Wednesday indicate. On Tuesday, one could sense among certain council members (specifically, those representing districts that overlap Lawson’s) a grating irritation over Lawson’s constant use of Eureka Garden […]

Phil AmmannApril 13, 2017

Suncoast Tiger Bay Club often likes to “carve up” politicians for lunch. Next week, they will have one for dinner, too. Congressman Charlie Crist is the special guest for the Club’s “Tiger Bay After Hours” event Thursday, April 20. The St. Petersburg Democrat will appear at a special evening meeting, which begins 6:30 p.m. at […]

Phil AmmannApril 7, 2017

You may notice a running theme with this issue of Bold: much of it deals with crossroads situations (to borrow a phrase from 90s rappers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony). Will the city dredge JAXPORT? Or will years of deliberation and consternation lead — as they so often do — to nothing? Will Corrine Brown beat the rap […]

Phil AmmannApril 1, 2017

The 60 Plus Association, the largest conservative senior advocacy group, is launching the “Taxpayer Revolt Tour,” a series of rallies with local speakers from communities across Florida. To make senior voices heard in both Washington, D.C., and Tallahassee, the tour begins Sunday, April 2, in Sarasota, finishing Wednesday, April 5, in Tallahassee. Other cities include Orlando, […]

Phil AmmannMarch 27, 2017

Joe Negron recently visited Pahokee High School for a town hall meeting to discuss his plans for taking farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). During the meeting, the Senate President said he is in discussion with “many owners of land south of the lake” in the effort to acquire 153,000 acres of productive land to […]

Phil AmmannMarch 24, 2017

The nation’s largest association of physicians is the latest group to come out against a bill at the center of Florida’s so-called “Eyeball Wars” between ophthalmologists and optometrists. On Thursday, American Medical Association President and CEO James Madara sent a letter to House Health & Human Services Committee chair Travis Cummings, in which he called […]

Phil AmmannMarch 23, 2017

Florida’s “Eyeball Wars” between ophthalmologists and optometrists could soon be spilling onto the House floor. On Monday, Speaker Richard Corcoran removed HB 1037 — a controversial bill to allow optometrists to perform surgery, among other things — off the agenda of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. A representative for Corcoran told POLITICO Florida that […]

Phil AmmannMarch 15, 2017

Optometrists enjoyed a narrow victory Wednesday in Florida’s renewed Eyeball Wars when a House committee advanced a bill to allow optometrists to perform certain types of eye surgery. After a two-hour hearing, the House Health Quality Subcommittee approved HB 1037, sponsored by Rep. Manny Diaz and opposed by both the Florida Society of Ophthalmology and […]

Phil Ammann

Lauren Book unveils display on resilience, triumph over sexual abuse in Capitol rotunda

Eyeball Wars rage as dozens of medical groups oppose optometrists, claiming ‘serious threat’ to care

Jacksonville Bold for 4.14.17 — My city was gone

Charlie Crist to be ‘carved up’ at Suncoast Tiger Bay After Hours April 20

Jacksonville Bold for 4.7.17 — See you at the crossroads

60 Plus Association to host Florida ‘Taxpayer Revolt Tour’

Glades landowners double down on Joe Negron to reveal his ‘willing sellers’

American Medical Association sides against optometrists in Florida Eyeball Wars

Speaker moves Eyeball Wars closer to House floor; docs say optometrist testimony ‘patently false’

Ophthalmologists ‘disheartened’ by House advancing bill for optometrists to practice surgery