Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonFebruary 20, 2015

Amid a looming legislative food fight, fliers are being mailed to voters in select state House districts urging them to push their local legislator to support a contentious bill backed by the Florida Medical Association. The flyers are drawing the ire of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli because he’s among legislators targeted by them. They have also reached […]

Associated PressFebruary 20, 2015

A South Florida legislator wants to make it officially legal for unmarried men and women to live together. Sen. Eleanor Sobel filed a bill Thursday that repeals a long-standing law that makes it a second-degree misdemeanor for men and women to cohabit if they are not married. Sobel’s bill (SB 1078) would also remove a […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 20, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli are beginning their first legislative session as their chambers’ leaders with a unified front and much in common. Both are conservative Republicans with business backgrounds who list faith and family among their highest values. Gardiner is considered “old Orlando” — where his family has lived since […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 19, 2015

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio says New Hampshire voters can expect many opportunities to engage with him directly in town hall-style events if he makes a bid for the White House. “If I run for president, we’re going to do as many of those as we possibly can; I enjoy that forum,” Rubio told The Associated […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 19, 2015

The Auditor General’s Office and staff from the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee selected Thursday 26 lobbying firms for the first-ever audits of lobbyists’ compensation forms. Fourteen firms that seek to influence the Legislature in the making of policy and 12 firms focused on the executive branch are the first group subjected to audits mandated by a measure signed […]

Bob SparksFebruary 19, 2015

Bill Clinton is known to use the term “dead bang loser” to deride the policies or actions of political opponents. One of his more recent targets was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for the latter’s epic fights with the state teachers’ union. Clinton described Walker’s success in those fights as a dead bang loser for Wisconsin. […]

Daniel TilsonFebruary 19, 2015

So we’ve got this Sunshine Law in Florida. It’s supposed to be all about “open” government decision-making and freedom of information, including unrestricted access to public records. As many of us now know more than ever before, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet have made a farce of the law. And they’ve had plenty […]

Mark FerruloFebruary 19, 2015

Do you think Florida’s school accountability system, with punitive high-stakes testing and unreasonable mandates, is out of control? To teachers and other folks on the front lines in the fight to improve our public schools, it most definitely is. Last week, more than 6,000 teachers, parents, education advocates and other concerned Floridians participated in the […]

Associated PressFebruary 19, 2015

Determined to protect their new Senate majority, Republican officials are lobbying Florida Sen. Marco Rubio heavily to seek re-election to Congress next year even though he says he’ll forgo that campaign if he makes an expected bid for the White House. Officials familiar with the effort say that recruiting Rubio to seek re-election is a […]

James CallFebruary 19, 2015

The Auditor General Office and staff from the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee selected Thursday 26 lobbying firms for the first-ever audits of lobbyists’ compensation forms. Fourteen firms that seek to influence the Legislature in the making of policy and 12 firms focused on the executive branch are the first group subjected to audits mandated by a […]

Uncategorized

FMA-backed group targets lawmakers over looming fight with insurance companies

Eleanor Sobel wants to repeal cohabitation law

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, Senate President Andy Gardiner reveal softer sides

Marco Rubio plans public meeting, book signing in New Hampshire

Thoughts on selection process of which lobbying firms will have their compensation reports audited

Bob Sparks: Tax credit scholarship lawsuit a ‘dead bang loser’

Daniel Tilson: Ain’t no sunshine: Make our legislators clean the mud off Florida government ‘transparency’

Mark Ferrulo: Education community overwhelmingly opposes punitive testing

Marco Rubio facing pressure to run for Senate re-election

State selects 26 lobbying firms for first-ever audit of compensation reports