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

Jim RosicaOctober 12, 2016

The federal government is forecasting a 14 percent decrease in Florida orange production next year and a drop in grapefruit of 11.5 percent. The National Agriculture Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its report Wednesday. In another sign of the citrus greening epidemic facing the industry, the service foresees yields of only 70 million boxes of […]

Jim RosicaOctober 12, 2016

Signaling its return next legislative session, state Sen. Anitere Flores “pledged to co-sponsor the Competitive Workforce Act,” a bill banning discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Floridians. Flores, a Miami-Dade Republican and confidante of Senate President-designate Joe Negron, announced her support Wednesday. She said the legislation is especially appropriate after this June’s hate-crime mass […]

Jim RosicaOctober 12, 2016

Calling the state’s Oct. 11 voter registration deadline “constitutionally untenable” in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, a federal judge ordered Florida’s registration books remain open till next Tuesday, Oct. 18. In a Wednesday hearing, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker of Tallahassee made clear he had no opinion on when the state closes registration, which is consistent with […]

Jim RosicaOctober 11, 2016

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The League of Women Voters of Florida has launched its own lawsuit to extend the state’s voter registration deadline. Its complaint, filed in federal court in Tallahassee Tuesday afternoon, is in addition to action taken by the Florida Democratic Party. “The Democrats did a great job, but we had additional points we wanted to make,” said […]

Jim RosicaOctober 11, 2016

State economists on Tuesday deadlocked over changing the state pension fund’s expected rate of return on investments. The Florida Retirement System Actuarial Assumption Conference will meet again Thursday to see if members can compromise. Christian Weiss, economic policy coordinator for Gov. Rick Scott, argued for keeping the system’s assumed rate of return at 7.65 percent. But Don Langston, staff director […]

Jim RosicaOctober 11, 2016

The Able Trust, which helps Floridians with disabilities find successful employment, recently beefed up its outside lobbying team. Karen Moore, chair of the Able Trust’s board of directors, confirmed Thursday that Matt Bryan, Andrea Reilly, and Woody Simmons will be the organization’s newest contract lobbyists. They will all be working under the direction of the Able Trust’s senior contract lobbyist, Mike Cusick, according to […]

Jim RosicaOctober 10, 2016

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Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence says he “believe(s) in redemption” and thought Donald Trump “express(ed) genuine contrition and remorse” over his taped lewd remarks about women. Pence, the governor of Indiana, spoke with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Monday morning. Last week, a tape from 2005 leaked in which GOP presidential nominee Trump can be […]

Jim RosicaOctober 7, 2016

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All eyes are now on Jacksonville as Hurricane Matthew creeps its way up Florida’s Atlantic coast, Gov. Rick Scott said Friday morning. “This is still a 120 mph storm, and we are very concerned about storm surge,” Scott said during a briefing at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He was surrounded by state Division of Emergency […]

Jim RosicaOctober 6, 2016

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday night said the state’s deadline next Tuesday to register to vote is staying put. “I’m not going to extend it,” Scott told reporters at a Hurricane Matthew briefing in the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. “Everybody has had a lot of time to register,” he said. “On top […]

Jim RosicaOctober 6, 2016

A proposed Florida Commission on Ethics opinion says Tena Pate, former chair of the state’s parole panel, is not subject to the state’s two-year lobbying ban on high-level employees. A staff-written advisory opinion, released Friday, will be considered for approval at the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting. Pate chaired the Florida Commission on Offender Review, formerly known as the Florida Parole […]

Jim Rosica
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Citrus production forecast remains in freefall

Anitere Flores will support ban on LGBT discrimination

Federal judge orders Fla. voter registration extended to Oct. 18

League of Women Voters also sues over voter registration

Economists agree to disagree on state pension fund

Personnel note: Able Trust hires new stable of lobbyists

Mike Pence says Donald Trump remorseful over lewd comments

Concerns over hurricane now turn to Jacksonville, Rick Scott says

Rick Scott won’t extend voter registration deadline

Draft opinion says Tena Pate not banned from lobbying