Jax

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2018

The opioid crisis has hit Jacksonville hard. And now, via engagement of an international class-action law firm, the city is ready to hit back. Scott & Scott, headquartered in Connecticut, will help the city pursue tangible remedies from opioid manufacturers. This firm has scored significant eight-figure cash settlements from numerous pharmaceutical companies and is currently […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 16, 2018

Peter Rummell is one of the leaders of Jacksonville’s political donor set, and for the second straight week he got news from a Jacksonville board regarding his District project. The news was different than that coming out of last week’s Downtown Investment Authority meeting, which had the city of Jacksonville buying the land from JEA […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 16, 2018

There will not be an open seat in Jacksonville’s U.S. Congressional Delegation in 2018, confounding those who expected otherwise. U.S. Rep. John Rutherford confirmed to Florida Politics Monday evening that he does, in fact, plan to run for re-election in Florida’s 4th Congressional District — a Jacksonville-centered district that includes Nassau and northern St. Johns County. “It […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 15, 2018

For those interested in the intersection of public policy and civil liberties, such as they are, the Florida Times-Union/ProPublica “Walking While Black” investigation and follow-ups were a revelation. The article confirmed what many already knew: African-Americans are, compared to their size of the population, disproportionately ticketed for jaywalking and related pedestrian violations. Fifty-five percent of the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2018

In a lengthy Facebook post Friday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office took issue with Florida Times-Union and ProPublica coverage of the ongoing pedestrian citation controversy. The T-U has spotlighted a practice of pedestrian tickets for jaywalking, noting that a disproportionate amount of tickets are given out in African-American neighborhoods. “Inaccurate and biased coverage by The Florida […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2018

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams has a Democratic challenger for re-election — ensuring that there will, in fact, be a policy debate ahead of the 2019 vote. Tony Cummings, who also ran in 2015, filed Friday. Thus far, he is the only other candidate in the race. In 2015, Cummings vowed to “rebuild the trust of the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2018

Northeast Florida State Senators Audrey Gibson, Aaron Bean, and Travis Hutson face no serious opposition; however, fundraising continued apace in December. Gibson, who may face a 2018 primary battle from Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown, brought in $12,750 in December off of 16 checks — half of them from consultants and political organizations. Bean, unopposed this year, topped $90,000 […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2018

December fundraising for 2019 Jacksonville City Council candidates presented few surprises, continuing trends that were established in previous months. The leading fundraiser, still: At Large District 4 Republican Matt Carlucci. Running unopposed, the former Councilman and head of the Florida Ethics Commission now has $200,000 raised — with nearly $189,000 of that on hand — after […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2018

“I walked through the morgue and into the cooler yesterday. That slams life and its realities home to you.” Councilman Bill Gulliford — a man who ensured, despite pushback from much of the Jacksonville City Council, that the overdose-racked Northeast Florida metropolis would attempt a pilot treatment program to deal with the wave of opioid overdose […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2018

On Wednesday, the congressional campaign of state Rep. Fred Costello was dinged with an amended Federal Elections Commission complaint. Costello maintains the complaint is “without merit” and should be thrown out. Costello, an Ormond Beach Republican, is vying to replace U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the district that runs from St. Johns to Volusia Counties. The original […]

Jax

Jacksonville strikes back against ‘human tragedy’, picks proven opioid suit lawyers

District project clears JEA board; developers now to buy land from JEA by July

Two more years: John Rutherford, Al Lawson plan re-election runs

Freaky Friday: Jacksonville’s power elite takes on the local paper

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office blasts ‘inaccurate and biased’ Florida Times Union coverage

Reform-minded Democrat Tony Cummings enters Jacksonville Sheriff race

Modest December fundraising for Northeast Florida Senators

Matt Carlucci’s $200K raised leads Jacksonville City Council candidates

For Bill Gulliford, opioid crisis is a matter of life and death

Elections complaint against Fred Costello amended; campaign says it’s ‘fraudulent’