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

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2017

With a bipartisan gathering of other Florida congressional members, Orlando’s former police chief Val Demings, now a congresswoman from Orlando, led the House of Representatives in a moment to remember and honor Orlando’s fallen officers Monday night. “I rise today to honor the lives of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton of the Orlando Police Department and Deputy Norm Lewis […]

Scott PowersJanuary 9, 2017

The Affordable Care Act has a clear partisan divide but individual, key provisions have broadly bipartisan support, the Pew Research Center is reporting Monday. Pew found that the partisan divide that began immediately in 2009 when Congress was debating President Barack Obama’s health care bill that got dubbed “Obamacare” remains a gulf – with more than […]

Scott PowersJanuary 9, 2017

U.S. Rep. Val Demings – a retired Orlando police chief who spent 26 years on the force before entering politics – is “devastated” to hear about the murder of her former colleague Orlando Police Department Master Sergeant Debra Clayton followed by the traffic death of an Orange County deputy sheriff working that scene, Demings office […]

Scott PowersJanuary 9, 2017

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio restarted his social media campaign to highlight political prisoners worldwide Monday, this time spotlighting a Russian imprisoned under President Vladimir Putin for “unauthorized assembly, and calling out Putin by name. “#Russia must immediately and unconditionally release prisoner of conscience Ildar Dadin #expressionNOToppression,” Florida’s Republican senator tweeted Monday morning. It’s a restart of […]

Scott PowersJanuary 6, 2017

As Colorado became a medical marijuana state and then a recreational marijuana state the laws of the land became increasingly surreal, at least in the images drawn Friday by that state’s assistant attorney general for marijuana laws for the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida. Law enforcement officers losing probable cause triggers for searches. Schools […]

Scott PowersJanuary 6, 2017

The statewide group that challenged Orange County’s charter amendments and obtained a court order staying their enactments appears to be entirely run by three Orange County officials who would be affected by the changes, Sheriff Jerry Demings, Tax Collector Scott Randolph, and Property Appraiser Rick Singh. Paperwork at the Florida Division of Corporations shows that […]

Scott PowersJanuary 6, 2017

Orlando’s freshman U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy took her first swings on the floor of Congress Thursday night, pushing an amendment she offered to protect one of the more popular provisions of Obamacare from repeal, but the amendment failed. Murphy, the Winter Park Democrat, introduced a proposed amendment that would have shielded a rule that allows […]

Scott PowersJanuary 6, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott‘s proposal to spend $5.8 billion to beef up state counterterrorism drew a joint endorsement Thursday from the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Police Chiefs Association. The two groups’ leaders signed a statement applauding Scott’s proposal and urging the Florida Legislature to approve it. On Wednesday during stops in Orlando and […]

Scott PowersJanuary 5, 2017

Medical marijuana champion John Morgan has said repeatedly recently that the “now-what?” questions regarding Amendment 2 are in the hands of lobbyists, lawyers, and legislators; but on Thursday a lobbyist, a lawyer and a legislator told told the Seminole County Chamber of Commerce they don’t really know what’s next at this point. Lobbyist Louis Rotundo who represents […]

Scott PowersJanuary 4, 2017

Wednesday is the day that Orange County’s voters figured they had turned their sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, clerk of courts, supervisor of elections and comptroller into non-partisan, term-limited county officials – but it’s not happening. And it is unclear if it will ever happen. Late Tuesday Judge Bob Leblanc of Florida’s 9th Circuit Court […]

Scott Powers
Image via AP.

Val Demings, Florida members, lead moment in Congress to remember Orlando’s fallen officers

Survey finds bipartisan divide on ACA but bipartisan support for key provisions

Val Demings ‘devastated’ by Orlando officer deaths

Marco Rubio puts Russian in political oppression spotlight – and calls out Vladimir Putin

Colorado official describes wild west of law with marijuana

Challenge to Orange County Charter amendments limited to Jerry Demings, Scott Randolph and Rick Singh

Stephanie Murphy proposal for ACA amendment falls in Congress

Rick Scott’s counterterrorism proposal gets cities’, police chiefs’ backing

Panel: Amendment 2 firing up big bowl of who-knows-what

Orange County’s charter amendments falling silently; despite election, no changes in county offices