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

Jim RosicaNovember 21, 2016

The newly renovated Florida Senate chamber will ceremonially open Monday, and don’t expect another re-do for a very long time. “We believe the historic components of the remodel have created a timeless design that will limit the need for future renovations,” outgoing Senate President Andy Gardiner said in a statement. The re-opening will take place at 3 […]

Jim RosicaNovember 18, 2016

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The list of applicants to Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga for a seat on the Constitution Revision Commission has now reached 32. Supreme Court spokesman Craig Waters released an updated list this week. Labarga is allotted three appointments to the commission. He is accepting applications through Dec. 31, and has said he’ll make the […]

Jim RosicaNovember 18, 2016

The head of a medical marijuana advocacy group is criticizing President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Jeff Sessions for U.S. Attorney General. Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans for Safe Access, said in an email Friday that the Republican Sessions “has criticized the morality of cannabis users and has stated that cannabis is more harmful than alcohol.” […]

Jim RosicaNovember 16, 2016

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The newly renovated Florida Senate chamber will be ceremonially opened next Monday at 3 p.m. And don’t expect another re-do for a very long time. “We believe the historic components of the remodel have created a timeless design that will limit the need for future renovations,” outgoing Senate President Andy Gardiner said in a statement. […]

Jim RosicaNovember 16, 2016

Should school bus drivers get overtime pay for being stuck in traffic or “sweeping (out) the bus”? A group of current and former Sarasota County school bus drivers says “yes” in a federal lawsuit filed this week in Tampa. They sued the county school board for “wage theft” for not being paid for a long list […]

Jim RosicaNovember 16, 2016

Senate President-designate Joe Negron on Tuesday released his chamber’s proposed rules for 2016-18, which didn’t contain the strict provisions of their House counterparts. But the Stuart Republican, set to officially take over next week, still told members in a memo to “review the attached documents carefully” since “the adoption of rules is a significant matter.” […]

Jim RosicaNovember 16, 2016

A 64-year-old former employee of state Insurance Consumer Advocate Sha’Ron James says she was wrongly fired for, among other things, “sending James an email in all capital letters.” James told the worker, Camille Rawls, she “should have known (that’s) ‘the same as yelling at someone in person,'” according to a lawsuit Rawls filed in Leon County Circuit […]

Jim RosicaNovember 15, 2016

The latest lobbyist compensation reports may have readers think they’re seeing in triple vision. For the third quarter, the Top 5 earners in registered legislative lobbying, in order, were Ballard Partners, Ron Book, Southern Strategy Group, Capital City Consulting, and Greenberg Traurig. Look familiar? That’s because that was the same Top 5 for the second quarter, though in a […]

Jim RosicaNovember 15, 2016

House Speaker-designate Richard Corcoran grins widely when you suggest he’s stealing a page from the “progressive” politics playbook. The Land O’ Lakes Republican held an impromptu press conference Tuesday after he welcomed new members at their two-day orientation session, another Corcoran innovation. He was asked: Prohibiting state representatives from flying in lobbyists’ airplanes? Increasing the […]

Jim RosicaNovember 14, 2016

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The Florida House of Representatives’ new Republican Conference Rules should “end divisive intraparty races for leadership positions,” incoming Majority Leader Ray Rodrigues said Monday. The new rules, which govern only the chamber’s GOP members, include a change that members must “serve at least one full session before directly or indirectly soliciting pledges of support,” Rodrigues said in […]

Jim Rosica

Curtains rise today on renovated Florida Senate

More than 30 have applied to Supreme Court for constitutional rewrite panel

Medical marijuana advocates up in arms over Jeff Sessions

Senate to re-open next week after months of renovations

Sarasota County school bus drivers file wage theft suit

Florida Senate light on lobbying in new rules

All caps email leads to lawsuit against Sha’Ron James

Déjà vu all over again in lobbyist compensation reports

Richard Corcoran blazing his own leadership trail

Fla. House GOP releases new conference rules