William Patrick, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

William PatrickApril 9, 2017

Bad press, combined with federal rules and regulations disproportionately targeting the higher education alternatives, have taken their toll on nonprofit and for-profit universities in recent years — but that could soon change. For-profit and private nonprofit colleges and universities offer career-building options separate from traditional public universities. Small class sizes, hands-on training and flexible schedules […]

William PatrickMarch 16, 2017

It’s Sunshine Week in the Sunshine State, and not just because it’s Spring Break. Since 2005, open government and freedom of information advocates have designated March 13-19 as a time to celebrate public transparency and raise awareness about the critical importance of access to government records. Sunshine Week is timed to coincide with the birthday […]

William PatrickMarch 15, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran began his two-year speakership in November by promising a “transformational leap” in government accountability and transparency. “The Florida House will set the standard for others to emulate,” he declared. Such pronouncements are often uttered by politicians, especially those who may aspire to higher office. But one week into Florida’s annual legislative session the […]

William PatrickMarch 13, 2017

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A bill that would allow police officers to review body camera footage before making an official statement in an officer-involved shooting is making its way through the Florida Legislature. But not without reservations. Lawmakers on the Senate Criminal Justice Committee heard the proposal for the first time last week. It was initially characterized as a […]

William PatrickMarch 2, 2017

Democratic lawmaker David Richardson appears to be getting his Enterprise Florida wish from his conservative House colleagues. The Miami Beach state rep won’t be getting a grant from the taxpayer-supported economic incentive organization; rather he’ll soon have a chance to help abolish it. House leadership, headed by Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, will be splitting […]

William PatrickFebruary 20, 2017

Florida’s state lawmakers increasingly are embracing criminal justice reform policies that break with the state’s “tough on crime” past. But a sea change could be in the works. But a sea change could be in the works. Last year, Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, and the GOP-controlled legislature approved one of the most far-reaching civil asset […]

William PatrickFebruary 15, 2017

As the debate over whether to fund or eliminate Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida escalates at the Florida Capitol, it’s important to consider that those who directly benefit from the mostly taxpayer-funded organizations are among their most vocal supporters. It’s natural, and predictable. It’s also entirely appropriate that incentives and tourism marketing recipients have the […]

William PatrickFebruary 8, 2017

As the debate over whether to fund Florida’s state economic incentive programs rages at the Florida Capitol this week, a new government study offers plenty of fodder for critics of such programs. In a new report by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, a nonpartisan legislative research office, researchers evaluated eight state-level economic incentive […]

William PatrickFebruary 7, 2017

President Donald Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, sparked a predictably hostile response from Democrats. But Gorsuch’s record on criminal justice reform offers a rare opportunity for bipartisan agreement. Gorsuch tipped his hand at a gathering of conservative attorneys in Washington, D.C., three years ago […]

William PatrickJanuary 23, 2017

It’s a vicious circle: Poor people who can’t afford their court-related costs and penalties incur escalating costs for not paying, further indebting them to the state. “It’s a circle that some people get stuck in and they can’t get out,” Christopher Torres, a Tallahassee defense attorney and former Florida assistant attorney general, told Watchdog.org. Compounding the problem is […]

William Patrick
Stock image via Adobe.

Private nonprofit, for-profit universities could soon get regulatory relief

Sunshine Week: First Amendment Foundation goes to bat for Florida’s right to know

House Speaker Richard Corcoran making good on transparency, accountability promises

Should police get a sneak peak at body-camera footage?

Does splitting bill in two edge Enterprise Florida closer to chopping block?

Task force would seek to remake Florida’s criminal justice system

Assessing Visit Florida beneficiaries’ assertions, predictions and anecdotes

Another day, another ding for Florida’s economic incentive programs

SCOTUS nominee Neil Gorsuch and ‘over-criminalization’

Proposed legislation could break the cycle of debt for many caught in Florida’s legal system