Staff Reports, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsFebruary 15, 2018

A law enforcement official says he knows of “no known ties” between the suspect who confessed to a deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school and a white supremacist group. Lt. Grady Jordan is a spokesman for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee, where the white nationalist militia known as the Republic of […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 14, 2018

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“Leave it be until Amendment 3,” says a new ad from the group behind a constitutional amendment on voter control of gambling expansion that will be on November’s statewide ballot. Voters In Charge, the political committee backing the Voter Control of Gambling Amendment, on Wednesday announced “a 30-second television ad, a 60-second radio ad, as […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 13, 2018

Budget deal provided a test of principles With last Friday’s budget deal coming together in the wee hours of Friday morning, some delegation members had internal conflicts before deciding how they would vote. Some would have to seemingly vote against their principles in order to keep the government open and fund priorities. Deficit hawks had […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 13, 2018

A measure to change the state’s payday-lending system before new federal government regulations kick in easily cleared a House panel Tuesday. The bill (HB 857) was approved by the Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee. The only ‘no’ votes were from Tracie Davis, a Jacksonville Democrat, and Rene Plasencia, an Orlando Republican. Davis earlier had said […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 12, 2018

Good news in a new survey of Florida registered voters for Amendment Four, the “Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative.” At least in the early going, there is broad based support for the concept that felons (sans murderers and those convicted of sexual crimes) should have their rights restored once they serve their time. 71 […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 12, 2018

Whether Republican or Democrat, Florida’s gubernatorial candidates have an existential problem Florida voters really don’t know who they are. A new survey released by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab lays out the name identification problem for the field in sharp relief. “It’s a little surprising that so few people have heard […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 7, 2018

The House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday decided to oppose a bill it calls an “attack on … public education.” The “caucus position” against the measure (HB 7055) came during a meeting before the afternoon floor session where House members are discussing their version of the state budget for 2017-18. The education bill, among other things, would […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 5, 2018

With 88 reported unprovoked shark attacks and five fatalities worldwide, 2017 was “just an average year,” according to the University of Florida International Shark Attack File. The group said it investigated 155 incidents and determined 88 were unprovoked. While the total number of attacks are slightly higher than the most recent five-year annual average of […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 2, 2018

On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott announced a dozen appointments to several state boards and panels. Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County Thomas Bean, 40, of Palm Beach Gardens, is the director of public and community engagement at Florida Power and Light. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his master’s […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 31, 2018

It was a simple question: “Where are you from?” House District 72 Democratic candidate Margaret Good has not been shy about being raised outside of Florida. But when asked recently by a reporter with WWSB, the Sarasota attorney seemed hesitant to clarify exactly where outside Florida. Good is facing Republican businessmen James Buchanan, who holds […]

Staff Reports

Law enforcement says no known ties between Parkland shooter, white supremacist group

‘Leave it be’: New ad for gambling initiative out

The Delegation for 2.13.18 — Insights from the Beltway to the Sunshine State

Payday loans bill clears latest House committee

Poll indicates broad support for felon voting rights restoration initiative

Gubernatorial candidates suffer from low name recognition, new survey says

House Democrats unite against contentious education bill

Average year for number of shark attacks, deaths says UF researchers

Rick Scott announces 12 state appointments

Video: Special election candidate struggles to answer where she’s from