Jax

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

In Northeast Florida, Rob Bradley has a lot of pull. One of the most powerful Senators in the state, with a PAC to match, a measure of Bradley’s esteem is that he was chosen to carry the ball on the Lenny Curry plan to defray the unfunded liability of public pensions with a half-cent sales tax. In […]

Melissa RossJanuary 22, 2016

Child safety advocates are slamming legislation they say would endanger children and weaken Florida’s newly passed child passenger safety law, on the books only a year. SB 1394, filed by Sen. Jeff Brandes, officially defines the terms “service patrol vehicle” and “driver-assistive truck platooning technology.” However, it’s the language referring to children that’s sparking outraged […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

JEA, Jacksonville’s community utility, has been in the news this year for reasons that have less to do with its performance than other issues. Still, the utility has a story to tell about customer service. J.D. Power reports that JEA has the highest business customer satisfaction in the South with midsize utilities. JEA achieved the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

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In a conversation Friday, state Rep. Lake Ray talked with FloridaPolitics.com about the biggest bill this session for Jacksonville: the proposed extension of the Better Jacksonville Plan half-cent sales surtax to address the unfunded liability with public pensions. Ray, a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill, described the legislative effort as a “work […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

Duval GOP Chairman Lake Ray and Duval Democratic Party Chairman Neil Henrichsen are working together on a campaign more important than almost any other. A campaign to end hunger. On a rainy Friday morning at the northwest Jacksonville headquarters of Feeding Northeast Florida, the two chairmen pledged their cooperation in a campaign to end hunger […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2016

While there’s no expectation that U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and R&B rapper/singer Ne-Yo will be recording together in the near future, they will share the same red carpet on Saturday in Atlanta for the Trumpet Awards. “I am honored to be a 2016 Trumpet Awards recipient, and pledge to continue my work in the arena of civil […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

The second of two big public notice meetings of Jacksonville City Council members Thursday involved a familiar subject: the subpoenas of Police and Fire Pension Fund material, requested last year as part of the “forensic audit” of the pension fund that some on Council regard as gospel, and that others outside of Council regard as blasphemy. […]

Melissa RossJanuary 21, 2016

Despite statewide pleas to veto it, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Thursday a water policy bill decried by the state’s environmentalists but loved by agriculture interests. St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman joined the chorus of critics blasting the move as one of short-term expediency at the expense of the long-term goal of protecting […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

On Thursday, Jacksonville City Council members Lori Boyer and Aaron Bowman convened to discuss a piece of cure legislation, intended to resolve Council’s budget night decision to move $330,799 from stormwater to safety officer salaries. Before that meeting, I talked with Fire Chief Kurtis Wilson about the need for safety officers, something that has gotten obscured in the procedural drama […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

Two interesting Jacksonville City Council public notice meetings are slated for Thursday, and both of them have to do with public safety-related legal concerns. At 1 p.m, Councilwoman Anna Brosche meets with Council VP Lori Boyer regarding 2015-783, the so-called Cure Legislation to resolve a controversial budget night allocation of $330,799 from the stormwater budget to salaries for […]

Jax

Rob Bradley talks Jax pension surtax, cannabis, and his political future

Child safety advocates slam car-seat bill they say will endanger kids

JEA touts business satisfaction kudos from J.D. Power

Lake Ray says “hurdles” remain in passing Jax pension tax plan

Duval Democratic, GOP chairmen campaign together against NE Florida hunger

Corrine Brown, Ne-Yo to receive award Saturday

Jax Council renews call for transparency from Police and Fire Pension Fund

St. Johns Riverkeeper blasts Rick Scott, Legislature over water policy bill

Jax Safety Officer salary cure legislation moves closer to reality

Interesting public notice meetings in Jax Thursday