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Peter SchorschMay 9, 2017

Time to say goodbye. The Florida House Speaker’s Office, which has produced video after video this Legislative Session, it closed out 2017 Session with a three-minute video narrated by House Speaker Richard Corcoran. “I’m often asked, where are the leaders worthy of the title and I tell them they’re right here, in the Florida House,” Corcoran […]

Peter SchorschMay 9, 2017

Now that the 2017 Legislative Session is in the rearview mirror, state Sen. Jeff Brandes looks back on some big wins from the past two months. The St. Petersburg Republican is celebrating his top eight successes, which include a diverse range of issues such as renewable energy tax exemptions, statewide regulation for ridesharing, flood insurance […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2017

The Senate manager for two of the most ambitious bills debated during the Legislative Session was a little wistful following sine die. Sen. Rob Bradley, who carried SB 10 for Senate President Joe Negron, called the bill “one of the real legislative achievements of the last decade or so, that we can all be very […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron took the opportunity to crow a little upon the conclusion of the 2017 Legislative Session. Even if it did run over a little. The two held a joint news conference in the Capitol Rotunda following sine die to brag on what the Legislature had accomplished. “For […]

Staff ReportsMay 8, 2017

The Senate approved a roughly $83 billion state spending plan during a legislative overtime Monday, including a raft of conforming bills implementing House and Senate priorities on matters including public schools, colleges, and universities. The 34-4 vote sent the General Appropriations Act to the House, which later approved it on a 98-14 vote. The annual ‘sine die’ ceremony, […]

Jim RosicaMay 8, 2017

In comments more about family than policy, two House members said farewell to their colleagues Monday. Jose Felix Diaz, a Miami-Dade Republican, could become the next U.S. Attorney, or top federal prosecutor, for South Florida. Barring that, he has said he’ll run for the now-open state Senate seat vacated by Frank Artiles. And Eric Eisnaugle, […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2017

Only one of the budget conforming bills debated in the Senate Monday drew a point of order — SB 7069, to implement the House’s ideas about charter schools and teacher bonuses. It didn’t stop the bill from passing, on a vote of 20-18. House and Senate negotiators have paired the bill with separate legislation carrying […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2017

Legislators from Pasco County urged Gov. Rick Scott Monday to approve legislation authorizing construction of a $4.3 million criminal forensics laboratory there that would attack the state’s 16,000-case backlog of unsolved murders. “This is not about Pasco County. This is about the entire state,” Sen. Wilton Simpson said. The project would “greatly expand law enforcement’s […]

Michael MolineMay 8, 2017

Don’t let the perhaps flawed way that House and Senate negotiators agreed upon their $83 billion state budget tarnish the final bill, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala urged Monday as the Senate took up the measure in an extended session. “We’ve done a lot of good with this budget” and “cannot get bogged down just […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2017

Dysfunction seems to run in Tallahassee like a sine wave. We went from the collapse of 2015 – the House going home early, no budget, a Special Budget Session – to the trains-on-time Session of 2016, to the no-budget-at-the-end-of-regulation Session in 2017. We saw another Session in which we got oh-so-close to a gambling bill, […]

Tag: 2017 Legislative Session

In final video from Session, Richard Corcoran says its time to say goodbye

Jeff Brandes celebrates long list of legislative wins in 2017 Session

Rob Bradley reflects on his big win, and big loss, during the Legislative Session

House, Senate leaders claim historic accomplishments during 2017 session

Legislature OKs 2017-18 state budget in extended session

Jose Felix Diaz, Eric Eisnaugle bid adieu to House

Education bill, key to budget deal, clears the Senate by two votes

Area lawmakers, Dozier survivor pitch Pasco forensics lab to Rick Scott

Jack Latvala appeals to Senate to pass budget, despite flawed process

Winners and losers emerging from the 2017 Legislative Session