Jim Rosica, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran late Monday said his chamber won’t agree to hand over any more money for the Department of Environmental Protection to pay its legal bills until the agency gives a full accounting of what’s already been spent. Corcoran was reacting to the DEP’s request to the Joint Legislative Budget Commission for an additional $13 million to pay outside legal […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 23, 2017

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has busted its outside legal expenses budget over the ongoing ‘water war’ between Georgia and Florida, legislative records show. It’s asking for an additional $13 million from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which meets Tuesday — and even that may not be enough. Gov. Rick Scott‘s office approved the request […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 21, 2017

Jon Steverson, the Secretary of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection under Gov. Rick Scott, has resigned. His departure was confirmed Friday night by McKinley Lewis, Scott’s deputy communications director, who provided a copy of the resignation letter. Steverson is set to join the legal-lobbying firm Foley & Lardner, sources tell FloridaPolitics.com. Herschel Vineyard, who also served as a DEP Secretary, […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 20, 2017

Update: State Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican, on Friday filed the Senate companion to the House bill, which she says is identical save for “a few punctuation differences.” State Rep. Colleen Burton will try again to overhaul the state’s alimony law, filing a bill on Wednesday. The Lakeland Republican still aims to toughen the standards by which alimony is […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 20, 2017

A bill filed Thursday in the Florida House would force the state Supreme Court to produce a yearly report on how many cases it’s finishing with opinions. It seems to go against the court’s official Latin motto, “Sat Cito Si Recte,” translated as “Soon enough if done correctly,” or even “Justice takes time.” “The phrase […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 19, 2017

The state of Florida has filed an appeal to a federal judge’s ruling allowing the Seminole Tribe to keep offering blackjack at its casinos. The 7-page “notice of appeal” to the 11th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals was filed Thursday by Jason Maine, general counsel to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which regulates […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 19, 2017

The state won’t end up on the hook for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida‘s legal fees, according to an appellate court decision released Thursday. The health care organization had sought to punish the Agency for Health Care Administration by making it pay the group’s attorney fees after filing “administrative complaints … alleging violations of […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is going after two tobacco companies for holding back money she says is owed to the state under an historic tobacco settlement. Bondi filed an enforcement motion in Palm Beach County circuit court Wednesday against ITG Brands and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (RJR). The attorney general said in a statement that R.J. […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court’s decision not to take up a contentious school vouchers lawsuit continued to garner reaction throughout Wednesday. Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump‘s nominee for U.S. Education Secretary, tweeted, “Congrats to the Florida families who have a clear path toward more opportunity due to #SchoolChoice w/ today’s FL Supreme Court decision!” Florida House […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request from a former Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority board member asking to review his 2014 state bribery conviction. Without comment, the court denied the petition from Scott Batterson on Tuesday, court dockets show. His request, filed in December, came after a three-judge panel of the state’s 5th District Court of Appeal split in upholding […]

Jim Rosica

Richard Corcoran: House won’t OK legal money for DEP

“Water wars” could cost the state another $13M in legal fees

Jon Steverson resigns as DEP secretary

Alimony reform bill filed for 2017

Bill would force case reporting requirements on Supreme Court

State appeals federal ruling on Seminole Tribe blackjack

State won’t have to pay Planned Parenthood’s legal tab

Pam Bondi moves against tobacco companies for missed payments

Officials, others respond to school vouchers case

U.S. Supreme Court turns down Scott Batterson’s bribery appeal