Local

Drew WilsonApril 27, 2016

State Sen. Jeff Brandes is hosting a kickoff reception Wednesday evening for his re-election effort. More than three dozen current and former local officials are on the host committee for the event, set for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Host committee members include Republican Reps. Larry Ahern, Chris Latvala, Kathleen Peters, Chris Sprowls and Dana Young, as well as former Rep. Frank […]

Peter SchorschApril 27, 2016

A North Florida school board approved a measure on Tuesday that will limit restrooms to students based on their birth sex, not their gender identity. The Marion County School Board approved the ban, which took effect Wednesday morning. The decision came despite a warning from the American Civil Liberties Union that the ban is unlawful, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 27, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry will be in Washington DC this afternoon, meeting with HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Sen. Marco Rubio in separate meetings. Castro is on Curry’s schedule at 1:30, and Rubio at 4. Expected topics: Global Ministries Foundation properties, including Washington Heights and Eureka Garden. Rubio has called attention to the issue on the Senate floor this […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 27, 2016

The Players Championship, a Jacksonville sports tradition since 1974, starts May 10 in Ponte Vedra’s Sawgrass resort. On Wednesday, the Jax Chamber provided a well-timed reminder of its economic impact on the Jacksonville area. The estimate for this year’s impact on the five-county Northeast Florida area: $151 million, from 191,000 attendees. And beyond the tangible […]

Scott PowersApril 27, 2016

Most of Central Florida’s Republicans in the Florida House of Representatives made a joint endorsement Tuesday of Dean Asher in the Orlando-based Florida Senate District 13 race. Asher announced the endorsements Tuesday from state Reps. Mike Miller of Winter Park, Rene Plasencia of Orlando, Eric Eisnaugle of Orlando, Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs, Jason Brodeur of Sanford, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 27, 2016

Jacksonville is headed into a lean budget year, according to most City Hall observers. Yet the man in charge of budget, CFO Mike Weinstein, is being honored with an award for his budget prowess. The Government Finance Officers Association sent a letter to Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry informing him that Weinstein won the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. The award, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 27, 2016

Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney candidate Wes White had a federal tax lien from the 2005 filing year that took until 2007 to resolve, FloridaPolitics.com has learned. The “unpaid balance of assessment” totaled $47,125.94. White, in a conversation Tuesday, called it “old history” and said that he “paid it within 60 days.” The issue was a […]

Drew WilsonApril 26, 2016

A no-party affiliated candidate has filed to run against Democrat Carlos Smith and Republican Amber Mariano in House District 49. Shea Silverman, a one-time intern for former state Senator and current U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, filed for the Orlando-based House seat April 14. Silverman currently works as a developer for the Center for Distributed Learning […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 26, 2016

A controversial bill, 2015-519, changing guidelines for city donation of vacant, buildable lots owned by the city after tax reversion for affordable housing inventory purposes, was passed by Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday. The bill doubles the permissible value of properties that can be dispensed to CHDOs and other affordable housing non-profits from $25,000 to […]

Scott PowersApril 26, 2016

Orlando’s Citrus Bowl is now known as Camping World Stadium. The company that describes itself as the nation’s top retailer of RVs, RV accessories and RV-related services purchased naming rights to the stadium and to a the Kickoff Classic football game, now called the Camping World Kickoff, in a deal announced Tuesday. The new names […]

Local

Who’s who of Pinellas politics join Jeff Brandes for campaign kickoff in St. Pete

Marion County School Board blocks transgender kids from choosing restroom

Lenny Curry to meet with federal officials Wednesday about HUD properties

Why this year’s Players Championship will be bigger and better than ever

Central Florida Republican lawmakers endorse Dean Asher in SD 13 race

Jacksonville CFO Mike Weinstein receives national award for budget prowess

Tax trouble for Wes White? 4th Circuit State Attorney candidate says “No”

Carlos Smith, Amber Mariano draw NPA challenger in HD 49 race

Jax Council finally passes property donation bill

Orlando’s Citrus Bowl renamed ‘Camping World Stadium’