Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersSeptember 15, 2017

More than half of Collier and Lee counties now have power but approximately 100,000 customers in each was without electricity, and 1.4 million statewide Friday evening. Statewide, more than 87 percent of Florida has the lights – and air conditioning – back on, in the latest report issued by the Florida Office of Emergency Management, […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 15, 2017

Local elections in Southwest Florida are being postponed due to Hurricane Irma. Governor Rick Scott declared Friday that municipal elections in Fort Myers and Cape Coral will be pushed back from September 26 to October 3. In the declaration, Scott cited recovery from Hurricane Irma as the reason for the delay. The order comes after […]

Associated PressSeptember 15, 2017

It’s been one week since Margherita Lopez has taken a shower. She’s been shuffled to three different shelters since evacuating her home in Key West last week as Hurricane Irma approached. She’s slept on a gymnasium floor without a cot, has struggled to find food and says she feels like emergency management officials have forgotten […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 15, 2017

Democratic candidates for governor are hitting Gov. Rick Scott and others hard in the wake of eight deaths in a South Florida nursing home that lost its air conditioning as Hurricane Irma hit the state. But Scott’s office defended the governor’s actions, saying the facility never reported “that conditions had become dangerous.” A criminal investigation […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 15, 2017

Agricultural Commissioner and GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam was scheduled to appear this coming Monday night at a meet and greet event at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, but now he won’t. The Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee announced Friday that the event has been canceled until further notice. Although no reason was given, […]

Scott PowersSeptember 15, 2017

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King is waiting like everyone else for investigative findings about why eight seniors were tragically left to die in a powerless Broward County nursing home in Hurricane Irma’s wake, but as an operator of senior housing facilities he said Friday it’s past time to talk about what to do long term. […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 15, 2017

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Key West didn’t suffer the same devastation from Hurricane Irma compared to Cudjoe Key and Big Pine Key, but the Category 3 storm did knock power out completely in the city last weekend when it hit the region. While power is now back in most of the city, the Keys still faces a water problem. The […]

Associated PressSeptember 15, 2017

Confronted with back-to-back major hurricanes, the American Red Cross has received a huge outpouring of financial support — and a simultaneous barrage of criticism based on its struggles to respond to several past disasters. To date, combined donations to the Red Cross for hurricanes Harvey and Irma have topped $300 million. Former President Barack Obama […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 15, 2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Thursday that it plans to recommence discharges from Lake Okeechobee tomorrow to slough off the excess water dumped into the lake by Hurricane Irma. The Corps said it will begin pushing “as much water as practical” through the spillway at Port Mayaca Lock & Dam on the east […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 15, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags at half-staff to honor Hardee County Sheriff’s Deputy Julie Ann Bridges and Florida Department of Corrections Sgt. Joseph Ossman. The two were killed Sunday in a two-car head-on collision. Bridges was on her way home after helping at a local hurricane shelter, reports said. Ossman was headed to work at a state prison. The […]

Headlines
James Uthmeier says California and Washington should lose CDL funding and authority from the feds. Image via Attorney General's office.

Power update: 1.4 million customers still without electricity

Governor orders municipal elections in Ft. Myers, Cape Coral postponed

Irma’s ‘forgotten’ evacuees struggle to find housing

Democrats batter Rick Scott over nursing home tragedy

Some gubernatorial candidates return to the campaign trail; some don’t

Chris King: Nursing home tragedy must spur senior housing talks

Rick Scott still assessing damage done to Conch Republic

For Red Cross, hurricanes bring both donations and criticism

Army Corps to resume Lake O flows Friday

Flags at half-staff for law enforcement deaths before Irma