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

Scott PowersDecember 13, 2016

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran sued PDR Productions Inc. Tuesday for a judge’s permission to publicly release documents involved in the Visit Florida deal used to hire Miami rapper Pitbull to promote Florida tourism. At issue is Corcoran’s concern that Visit Florida deals — done increasingly in secret — may require deeper scrutiny in how it’s spending state […]

Scott PowersDecember 13, 2016

Florida’s Space Coast saw solid increases in tourism and hospitality employment fostered by rising hotel and cruise ship occupancies but tempered slightly by a drop in gambling boat passengers in the past year. A new “Space Coast Tourism Report” from the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast projects that 2016 will break the tourism […]

Scott PowersDecember 13, 2016

Democrat U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson is downplaying prospects that his filing to run again for Congress means he’s going to run again for Congress — but he’s not ruling it out. The Democrat from Orlando — who leaves office Jan. 3 because he did not seek re-election in Florida’s 9th Congressional District — has filed […]

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2016

Cape Canaveral is set to host an unusual rocket launch Wednesday morning with a NASA satellite-carrying rocket dropped from beneath an airplane that takes off from the Florida coast. The launch of Orbital ATK’s Pegasus XL space vehicle, originally set for Monday, has been bumped to no earlier than Wednesday, between 8:20 and 9:20 a.m. The […]

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2016

While no one from Central Florida will be chairing full committees in the Florida House of Representatives this spring, several local representatives will be chairing key subcommittees, Health Care Appropriations, Tourism & Gaming Control, and Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs. The committee appointments came down Monday from House Speaker Richard Corcoran. State Rep. Mike La […]

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2016

When the U.S. Senate passed a quadrennial NASA Authorization bill Saturday it was too late for it ever to get adopted, since the House of Representatives already had adjourned for the session, but the bipartisan bill with bi-cameral input was intended as a message to the Donald Trump White House about Congress’s priorities for NASA. […]

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2016

The sun never quite rose in Orlando Monday morning as fog and thick overcast lay a mourning atmosphere for the city’s six-month remembrance of the day it can never forget. Southeast of downtown Orlando, at the city’s Greenwood Cemetery, the Earthly remains of Cory James Connell, Anthony L. Laureano Disla, Leroy “Indara” Valentin Fernandez, and […]

Scott PowersDecember 9, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump is returning to Orlando next week on his victory tour, appearing at the spot he spoke at just a few days before winning Florida and the presidency. Trump will be joined this time by vice president-elect Mike Pence, for a “U.S.A. Thank You Tour” rally at the Central Florida Fairgrounds at 7 […]

Scott PowersDecember 9, 2016

With his potentially-groundbreaking appointment to chair the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee, state Sen. Randolph Bracy is pledging to take an aggressive approach to criminal justice reform in Florida. The Orlando-area Democrat’s chairmanship, announced last week by Republican Senate President Joe Negron, is highly unusual for three reasons: because Bracy is a Democrat, a freshman […]

Scott PowersDecember 9, 2016

The number of people licensed to carry concealed weapons in Florida has tripled since President Barack Obama took office in 2009 and now represents almost one of every 13 Floridians. That ratio includes an undetermined number in the millions of Floridians who are not eligible for concealed weapons licenses, such as children, people convicted of […]

Scott Powers

Florida House sues over Visit Florida-Pitbull deal documents

Space Coast reports rising tourist trade

Alan Grayson files to run again but says it’s just paperwork, for now

Orbital ATK drop launch of rocket set for Wednesday

Central Florida reps pleased with tourism, health care subcommittee chairs

Senate passes NASA bill too late, but offers statement of Congress priorities

Six months later Orlando contemplates unity, loss from Pulse

Donald Trump bringing victory tour to Orlando next week

Randolph Bracy intends to be aggressive toward reform as Senate Criminal Justice Committee chair

Florida concealed weapon license popularity skyrocketing