Orlando

Scott PowersNovember 28, 2018

The Florida Department of Transportation decided Wednesday to move forward with negotiations to lease state-owned land in a corridor between Orlando and Tampa for a higher-speed passenger train rail to be developed and operated by Brightline. The private South Florida company that is becoming Virgin Trains USA had submitted the only proposal to the state […]

Scott PowersNovember 28, 2018

Insurgent centrist Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives including U.S. Reps. Stephanie Murphy and Darren Soto from Central Florida have reached a deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Wednesday for rules reforms that would lead the party rebels to support her for House Speaker. The deal is lesser in sweep and commitment than the […]

Scott PowersNovember 27, 2018

The centrist Democratic caucus Blue Dog Coalition has elected Winter Park’s Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy as their leader for the 116th Congress. Murphy, entering her second term in Congress, was unanimously elected Tuesday evening to serve as c0-chair for administration, the most senior leadership position administration for the 24-member coalition. Murphy, who is Vietnamese-American, […]

Scott PowersNovember 27, 2018

Characterizing Virgin Trains USA’s agreement offering safety upgrades while ending some longtime opposition as a good first step, more is needed, state Sen. Debbie Mayfield said Tuesday. Mayfield intends to keep the pressure on the private railroad company seeking to extend passenger train service. Over the weekend, Virgin Trains USA, formerly known as Brightline (and All Aboard […]

Scott PowersNovember 27, 2018

They’re not exactly MAGA hats, at least not yet, but who knows? Newly elected Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani is chartering Big Kids territory for her 2020 re-election campaign, starting early with an online store selling Anna Eskamani ball caps, T-shirts, mugs, clocks, and other campaign souvenirs to raise a little money and put her name […]

Scott PowersNovember 26, 2018

Orange County Democrats flipped three seats in the Florida House and, as state Reps. Geraldine Thompson, Anna Eskamani and Joy Goff-Marcil make their debuts, they’re looking for practical starts. On Nov. 6, the three Democrats flipped the partisan strength of Orange County’s delegation from five Republicans and four Democrats, to seven Democrats and two Republicans. Thompson has been […]

Scott PowersNovember 23, 2018

Centrist Demorats including Florida’s U.S. Reps. Stephanie Murphy and Darren Soto seeking broad rules reform in the U.S. House of Representatives responded Friday to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi‘s appeasement effort by saying it is not good enough and they cannot support her for House Speaker. “We will only vote for a Speaker candidate who supports […]

Scott PowersNovember 16, 2018

The Central Florida Expressway Authority introduced a new transponder Friday that would allow its customers to travel in any of 18 states and pay road and bridge tolls electronically. The new E-PASS Xtra transponder is an advancement on the authority’s current sticker-chip transponders because it will work throughout much of the eastern United States, not […]

Scott PowersNovember 16, 2018

The Orange County mayoral transition team appointed by Mayor-elect Jerry Demings has finished work on its report to him, outlining scores of proposed changes in county government focusing on such things as affordable housing, mass transit, green initiatives and more business culture. The 60-page draft report was reviewed for a final draft Friday morning at […]

Scott PowersNovember 15, 2018

Orange, Seminole, Lake, and Osceola counties’ anticipated hand recount of ballots for the Florida gubernatorial and Agriculture Commissioner races would only involve a few thousand ballots out of the nearly 1 million cast in those Central Florida counties. There were 478,122 ballots cast and machine recounted in Orange County for the Nov. 8 election but […]

Orlando

Florida opens lease negotiations with Brightline for Orlando-Tampa train corridor

Deal brings Nancy Pelosi support from Stephanie Murphy, Darren Soto, other ‘Problem Solvers’

Stephanie Murphy elected national leader of Democratic Blue Dogs

Debbie Mayfield intends to keep pressure on Virgin Trains USA

Anna Eskamani turns to swag sales to energize re-election campaign

Orange County Democratic House newbies seeking practical issues

Problem Solvers Caucus tells Nancy Pelosi ‘Nope’

Expressway Authority rolls out transponder that will work on toll roads nationally

Jerry Demings getting report with scores of proposals for Orange County

Hand recounts only would involve a few thousand ballots in Central Florida

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.