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

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2018

Florida’s Democrat Bill Nelson bid adieu to his colleagues in the U.S. Senate Wednesday afternoon but vowed to not leave public life, a pledge warmly welcomed by other senators starting with Republican Marco Rubio who said he will be remembered as a giant. In a 30-minute speech from the floor of the U.S. Senate, Nelson recalled […]

Scott PowersDecember 11, 2018

Republican state Rep. Thad Altman filed a bill Tuesday to require employers to check the citizenship and immigration status of potential employees through E-Verify before hiring them, with the prospect that the state could then investigate complaints. Altman introduced HB 89, the Verification of Employment Eligibility Bill, saying it is intended to prevent the hiring of […]

Scott PowersDecember 11, 2018

When Republican Michael Waltz takes his seat in Congress next month he’ll be bringing his concerns about health care costs from his business background, veterans and national security from his military background, and space from both. The lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard with multiple deployments as an Army Green Beret officer and years as […]

Scott PowersDecember 10, 2018

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In a floor speech that moved from touting science and economics to the future of human life, Florida’s Democratic U.S. Senate Bill Nelson essentially said goodbye to being part of America’s space policy Monday and urged his colleagues to support science, space, and exploration forever more. Nelson’s days in the U.S. Senate are counting down […]

Scott PowersDecember 10, 2018

Juvenile arrests fell sharply in Florida for the second consecutive fiscal year, led by counties such as Orange, Miami-Dade and Hillsborough that are aggressively pushing civil citations, diversion programs, and other initiatives to deal with juvenile crime other than arrests. Overall, Florida saw an 8 percent drop in juvenile arrests, and a 10 percent drop […]

Scott PowersDecember 7, 2018

Republican state Rep. Tyler Sirois heads into his first term in the Florida House with high hopes of addressing two widespread Florida issues that have a particularly strong impact on his Brevard County, water quality protection and vocational education. And he’ll be looking for ways to use the Florida Forever fund to address the water […]

Scott PowersDecember 7, 2018

Melinda Miguel, former Florida Chief Inspector General under Gov. Rick Scott, will return to that post under Ron DeSantis, his transition committee announced Friday. Miguel left the Governor’s Office in the spring of 2017 after 28 years in government to run her own consulting service, the last six as the state’s Chief Inspector General, saying she […]

Scott PowersDecember 7, 2018

A challenge of Orange County’s Republican leadership fell flat Thursday night returning Chair Charles Hart and his team for new terms, this time full terms backed by strong showings in elections. Hart fended off a challenge from insurgent Randy Ross in a vote of 81 to 23 Thursday night, and the party’s designated slate of […]

Scott PowersDecember 6, 2018

Citing the chilling national revelations about sexual assault cases involving Palm Beach financier Jeffrey Epstein and a case involving an Orlando woman, state Sen. Linda Stewart filed a bill Thursday to remove the statute of limitations in cases involving alleged rapes of children under 18. “Many young sexual battery victims do not come forward when they are first […]

Scott PowersDecember 6, 2018

Calling the Valencia College-University of Central Florida Creative Village campus going up a “living, breathing opportunity escalator,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer focused most of his annual State-of-the-Downtown address on anticipated improvements for the historically-segregeted and long-distressed downtown neighborhood of Parramore Thursday. “Education can change lives. It can change neighborhoods, it can change the downtown, it […]

Scott Powers

Bill Nelson bids U.S. Senate adieu, vows to continue fighting

Thad Altman files E-Verify bill

Michael Waltz focuses on health care, veterans, national security – and space

Bill Nelson’s Senate farewell to space speech urges exploration forever more

Juvenile arrests fall as counties such as Orange turn to alternative justice

Tyler Sirois heading to Florida House with water, vocational education in mind

Melinda Miguel returning as Chief Inspector General under Ron DeSantis

Orange County Republicans return leadership

Linda Stewart seeking to eliminate statute of limitations on rapes of minors

Buddy Dyer focuses on Creative Village impact on Parramore, downtown Orlando