Emails & Opinions

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2017

Even after meeting dozens of times throughout the 2017 Legislative Session, the House GOP freshman caucus failed to adopt new rules on how to pick a leader. A caucus to ratify rules — drafted by Reps. Ralph Massullo and Michael Grant — to guide the freshman class’s decision-making process met Friday during a break in the […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2017

Dysfunction seems to run in Tallahassee like a sine wave. We went from the collapse of 2015 – the House going home early, no budget, a Special Budget Session – to the trains-on-time Session of 2016, to the no-budget-at-the-end-of-regulation Session in 2017. We saw another Session in which we got oh-so-close to a gambling bill, […]

Guest AuthorMay 8, 2017

“It is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men (and women)” — Frederick Douglass It is incredible how many societal ills arise out of a failure to educate, in the fullest sense of the word, the children of our great state. We utter platitudes like, “we must do better,” as we watch […]

Joe HendersonMay 8, 2017

Florida State Senate President Joe Negron continues to insist there was no dark conspiracy to deny pre-eminent status to the University of South Florida. He swears on a stack of legal briefs that state graduation guidelines weren’t changed at the last minute just to make sure USF wouldn’t qualify. As we now know, this is […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2017

Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica. The work of the people ended with a whimper Friday, as lawmakers agreed to extend the 2017 Legislative Session to complete the budget, killing a host of other legislation. As the Legislature turned […]

Peter SchorschMay 6, 2017

Editor’s note: FloridaPolitics.com comprehensive list of the Winners and Losers emerging from the 2017 Session will be published after Sine Die. Arthenia Joyner may no longer be in the Legislature, but she finally was able to see a prized piece of legislation pass. This week, the House unanimously approved the “Compensation of Victims of Wrongful […]

Blake DowlingMay 6, 2017

Legislative Session is winding down – gaming, dope, infrastructure, assistive tech. It has been an exciting journey, with losers and winners, fights, name calling at the Capitol and at the Governors Club. Hopefully, when the dust settles, those in the trenches can regain some commonality and remember we are all on the same team as […]

Peter SchorschMay 5, 2017

Noting several missed opportunities, the Florida Chamber of Commerce is giving faint praise to lawmakers for their efforts during Session to keep Florida competitive. While the 2017 Legislative Session could have been much worse, the Chamber said Friday it should have been much, much better. “Thanks to the thousands of businesses that stood with the […]

Peter SchorschMay 5, 2017

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Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica. — WINNERS & LOSERS — Readers: We’re asking for your suggestions for who are the “Winners and Losers of the 2017 Legislative Session.” Your recommendations are needed by Sine Die. All submissions […]

Guest AuthorMay 4, 2017

Today, there are approximately 200 teacher openings in Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) for the 2016—2017 school year, which ends next month. That means students in 200 classrooms are being managed by a substitute. The teacher shortage is not surprising, but the Duval County School Board’s consideration to cut Teach for America (TFA) is. If […]

Emails & Opinions

House GOP freshmen fail to adopt rules for Speaker’s race, putting leadership battle into chaos

Winners and losers emerging from the 2017 Legislative Session

Michael Bileca and Manny Diaz: Florida’s educational industrial complex earned need to be reformed

Joe Henderson: Bottom line for USF — Close, but no pre-eminence status

Sunburn for 5.8.17 – Sine Die

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Arthenia Joyner’s bill delayed, but not denied

Blake Dowling: Looking back …

With faint praise, Florida Chamber outlines ‘good, bad and ugly’ of Session

Sunburn for 5.5.17 – It’s sorta Sine Die

Dave Chauncey: Teach for America Jacksonville, not billboards, is better way to recruit teachers