Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJanuary 18, 2017

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has created a new standing subcommittee on cybersecurity and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson will be the ranking Democrat to help lead it. Little else is determined at this point. U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, chair of the Armed Service Committee, announced the panel’s creation Wednesday afternoon and appointed U.S. […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court’s decision not to take up a contentious school vouchers lawsuit continued to garner reaction throughout Wednesday. Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump‘s nominee for U.S. Education Secretary, tweeted, “Congrats to the Florida families who have a clear path toward more opportunity due to #SchoolChoice w/ today’s FL Supreme Court decision!” Florida House […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request from a former Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority board member asking to review his 2014 state bribery conviction. Without comment, the court denied the petition from Scott Batterson on Tuesday, court dockets show. His request, filed in December, came after a three-judge panel of the state’s 5th District Court of Appeal split in upholding […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The Florida Education Association (FEA) vented its “frustration” Wednesday after the Florida Supreme Court declined to take up a suit challenging the constitutionality of what’s been called “the nation’s largest private school choice program.” The court decided not to hear a challenge to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, created in 2001, though – as one former judge noted – its […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will not take up an appeal on a high-profile school vouchers case. The decision comes as a major setback to vouchers opponents, including the Florida Education Association (FEA), the statewide teachers’ union, but was applauded by school choice advocates. (Separate story on the FEA’s reaction here.) The court denied a request […]

Scott PowersJanuary 18, 2017

Whether or not congressional Republicans have a plan to replace Obamacare they are beginning to respond to voters concerns about lost coverage, and U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster has told his that “we do not intend to pull the rug out.” In his newsletter to constituents of Florida’s 11th Congressional District, which includes much of Lake […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 18, 2017

Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, is poised to be grilled by Senate Democrats when he appears Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The six-term Georgia Republican congressman has been one of the leading opponents of the Affordable Care Act in Congress, and an advocate for the restructuring of the […]

Associated PressJanuary 18, 2017

An environmental group is challenging a rate hike for Florida’s largest electric utility. The Sierra Club on Tuesday asked the state Supreme Court to reject an $811 million hike that was approved last year for Florida Power & Light. FPL has about 4.8 million customers in the state. FPL initially wanted a $1.3 billion hike […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 18, 2017

Both of Florida’s U.S. Senators are teaming up on a bipartisan bill to push back on the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The new legislation (s. 170) is an update of a bill proposed last year by West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and former Illinois Republican Mark Kirk. It would increase […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 18, 2017

Add state Senator Denise Grimsley to the growing list of Florida politicos thinking about 2018. The Sebring Republican said Tuesday that she is considering a 2018 run for Agriculture Commissioner. A registered nurse and hospital administrator, Grimsley said in a interview via text message that agriculture has always played a big role in her life. “It’s a big […]

Headlines

Bill Nelson to help lead new Senate panel on cybersecurity

Officials, others respond to school vouchers case

U.S. Supreme Court turns down Scott Batterson’s bribery appeal

Teachers’ union: “Who can challenge the Legislature on voucher program?”

Supreme Court throws out school vouchers case

Daniel Webster: Congress will not pull rug out on health care coverage

Debbie Wasserman Schultz accuses HHS nominee Tom Price as another of Donald Trump’s ‘swamp’

Sierra Club challenges nearly $1 billion electric rate hike

Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson team up on bill to counter BDS movement

Denise Grimsley eyeing Agriculture Commissioner run in 2018