Scott Powers, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJanuary 7, 2019

Dominoes are setting up for the 2020 elections in Osceola County, as Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez, term-limited there, has filed to battle Osceola County Commissioner Peggy Choudhry for her seat. Choudhry is a first-term commissioner, elected in 2016, who announced Monday she is seeking re-election. She and Alvarez both are Democrats, meaning the Mayor would […]

Scott PowersJanuary 7, 2019

On Tuesday as many as 1.4 million felons who have served all terms of their sentences will get the right to register to vote in Florida thanks to voters approval in November of Amendment 4, a day that felons’ voter rights champion Desmond Meade said would be historic and a celebration. “Tomorrow when returning citizens across […]

Scott PowersJanuary 4, 2019

On Friday, Florida’s Supreme Court upheld an Orange County charter amendment to make the county’s constitutional officers nonpartisan, a decision that could open partisan and nonpartisan debates in other counties. By a 4-3 vote, the court quashed a lower-court ruling that had kept Orange County’s elections partisan for the constitutional offices of sheriff, tax collector, […]

Scott PowersJanuary 3, 2019

Implying irony of a federal budget battle over border security leaving some critical Homeland Security workers without pay, Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz started refusing congressional pay Thursday as soon as he was sworn into office. Waltz, whose freshmen class took office Thursday, wrote to the chief administrative officer of Congress Thursday declaring that he did […]

Scott PowersJanuary 3, 2019

Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg and his staff members aren’t officers and may not be allowed to carry guns as part of their jobs. That’s according to the office of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, which recently issued an informal (and non-binding) legal opinion on the matter. Greenberg, widely known as a conservative provocateur, announced 18 […]

Scott PowersJanuary 3, 2019

The transition committee advising Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis on school safety raised concerns Thursday about clashing cultures of law enforcement, mental health professionals and educators, and argued that state officials must force changes in mindsets. Several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on Public Safety and state staff members advising the panel made stark assessments Thursday of progress made […]

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

As the White Stripes pound out the intro to their 2007 song “Icky Thump,” a voice emerges, all FM-DJ smooth: “Welcome everybody; this is Rock and Politics on KQ 93.7 FM. I’m your host, ‘The Rockin’ Congressman’ Darren Soto. Thanks for listenin’, and thanks for comin’ to rock!” Yes, that’s Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto […]

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

In Florida, a “vacation rental” has to have a sleeping area, a kitchen, and a bathroom all under the same roof. That’s the crux of an advisory opinion issued Wednesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Her analysis potentially provides cities with a new – albeit narrow – opportunity to limit vacation rentals. That would be […]

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma will chair the Transition Advisory Committee Working Group on Opioid Abuse for Florida Attorney General-elect Ashley Moody. Lemma will work closely with Moody and others to gather information on best practices to stop the influx of opioids, raise awareness, and reduce the death toll of the crisis that claims 14 […]

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

Orlando Democratic state Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Anna Eskamani announced Wednesday that they’re organizing a town hall meeting on state funding for the arts later this month in Orlando. Smith, who has a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, and Eskamani contended that Florida’s arts funding ranks near the bottom nationally after cuts last year, and […]

Scott Powers
Image via AP.

Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez files to run against Peggy Choudhry in Osceola

Desmond Meade calls on felons to register, celebrate as ‘returning citizens’

Supreme Court upholds Orange County’s nonpartisan elections law

If Coast Guard’s not paid, then Michael Waltz doesn’t want pay

Seminole Tax Collector Joel Greenberg can’t carry gun on duty, Pam Bondi’s office says

Ron DeSantis’ school safety panel urges culture changes

‘Rockin’ Congressman’ Darren Soto aims to rock immigration, voter rights

Pam Bondi: ‘Sleeping quarters’ don’t qualify as vacation rentals

Dennis Lemma to head Ashley Moody’s opioids advisory panel

Carlos Smith and Anna Eskamani set arts funding meeting