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

Jim RosicaApril 17, 2017

Thanks to state Sen. Jeff Brandes, Nebuchadnezzar may come to Florida — the wine bottle size, not the king of ancient Babylon. Current law generally makes it illegal to sell wine “in an individual container holding more than 1 gallon.” A typical bottle is 750 milliliters, roughly a fifth of a gallon. Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican, last week […]

Jim RosicaApril 13, 2017

Despite bitter opposition from Democrats, the Republican-controlled House Thursday passed its proposal to create privately-run “Schools of Hope” to combat failing public schools in the state. The measure (HB 5105) was approved by a vote of 77-40 after more than three hours of debate. It now heads to the Senate, where leaders have said they’re open to […]

Jim RosicaApril 13, 2017

Satellite-television service can be taxed at a higher rate than cable TV, the Florida Supreme Court decided Thursday. Satellite companies had challenged the state’s 16-year-old Communications Services Tax (CST), which now taxes cable service at 4.92 percent and satellite at 9.07 percent. Those concerns, led by DirecTV, said that difference was unconstitutional and asked for a refund. But […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

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For as many people who asked the Constitution Revision Commission to do something, there were others who wanted the panel to do nothing at all. And that’s not counting the fringe speakers Wednesday night who told the commission they were “imposters” and “impersonating delegates of the people.” The 37-member panel, which convenes every 20 years […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

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The chair of the Constitution Revision Commission has told commissioners an internal “working group” will finalize the body’s operating rules by early June. Carlos Beruff, who leads the panel charged with reviewing and suggesting rewrites to the state’s governing document, said in a Wednesday memo that several members will form a committee and “hold noticed and open […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

A proposed conference to resolve differences between the House and Senate gambling bills, originally planned for this week, was postponed till next week. That’s because, as of Wednesday, lawmakers continued to talk with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has six casinos in the state. One lobbyist suggested an end game: Passing only a new […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum on Wednesday called proposed House funding for charter schools “a giveaway to (House Republicans’) friends and family.” But Gillum at first wouldn’t answer whether he would veto such funding if he were governor, saying instead he would put a “premium” on fully funding the state’s public school system. […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

Attorney General Pam Bondi has lost a preliminary round in a lawsuit claiming she forces businesses to pony up millions of dollars to unregistered charities as part of settlements in consumer protection cases. Circuit Judge Charles Dodson of Tallahassee on Monday ordered Bondi to show why he shouldn’t find for the plaintiff, Orlando entrepreneur John D. Smith. In […]

Jim RosicaApril 12, 2017

The list of companies, nonprofits and others who were registered to lobby the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) now stretches to 55 pages, according to the state’s Lobbyist Registration Office. But many, if not most, of those may be from the state automatically adding names to that lobbying registry—and from lobbyists who haven’t yet “unchecked” their box for […]

Jim RosicaApril 11, 2017

The bad news in citrus: “Grapefruit production declined.” The good news: “Florida orange production remained steady.” That’s the upshot of the latest forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, according to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). “The April report projects the state’s orange crop to stay at 67 million boxes […]

Jim Rosica
Image via X (Duke Energy).

Bigger wine bottles could be coming to Florida

House passes ‘Schools of Hope’ charter school plan

Supreme Court OKs taxing satellite TV higher than cable

On display in Tallahassee: What people want – and don’t want – from constitutional rewrite panel

Constitution Revision Commission chairman outlines rule-making plans

Legislature still hasn’t begun conferencing on gambling legislation

Andrew Gillum, Shevrin Jones lambaste charter school funding plan

Pam Bondi loses first round in unregistered charities lawsuit

Hundreds of concerns automatically signed up to lobby constitutional review board

Citrus forecast generally holds steady, USDA says