Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaMarch 3, 2018

An embittered Sen. Tom Lee on Friday said the Legislature’s rank and file is “getting crumbs” from leadership and “they’re fed up about it.” Senate President Joe Negron later countered he’s “proud of the process,” saying “everyone is entitled to their opinion.” Lee had disagreed with a provision in the House’s big education bill (HB 7055) […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 1, 2019

Three bills that passed the 2018 Legislative Session and were signed by Gov. Rick Scott will take effect on the first day of the new year. Summaries below have been adapted from various staff analyses: — HB 85, on “Voter Registration List Maintenance.” The bill allows the Department of State to become a member of a nongovernmental […]

Staff ReportsDecember 28, 2018

Let’s not even pretend to avoid a spoiler: The post-Parkland legislation was the biggest legislative story of the last year. We’ll save that for the end, but in the meantime, here’s Florida Politics’ annual (and admittedly subjective) list of the top stories to come out of the 2018 Legislative Session. In somewhat chronological order: Sexual […]

News Service Of FloridaDecember 22, 2018

Florida has about 17,000 fewer students in its kindergarten-to-high school system than lawmakers anticipated this year, a new report shows. The state budget, passed during the 2018 Legislative Session, included funding for 2.848 million K-12 students in the 2018-2019 academic year. But a report released Wednesday by the Legislature’s Office of Demographic and Economic Research […]

Peter SchorschDecember 13, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Thursday evening. Sen. Bill Galvano is taking a pass on looking into the fate of the Broward Elections Supervisor, and a former House Speaker enters hospice. Sixty Days prays for him and his family. Here’s your nightly rundown. Senatorial stasis: […]

Peter SchorschDecember 12, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session: The Last 24 Good Wednesday evening. The Senate’s Appropriations chairman was both optimistic and guarded about next year’s state spending plan, and Democrats in the House want to tear up the state’s election laws and start over. Not that it will get far, but […]

Peter SchorschDecember 11, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Tuesday evening. Lawmakers descended upon the Capitol for three days of training (including on ethics), orientation and how-do-you-do’s, while one of their own just got a big job promotion into the nascent administration of Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis. Ethics, shmethics: Sixty […]

Peter SchorschDecember 10, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session: The Last 24 Good Monday evening. It’s looking more and more like the state’s governor-in-waiting has given his imprimatur for a Sarasota Senator to next lead the state’s GOP, and Senate Democrats are clamming up about combating sexual harassment in the Capitol. Sixty Days […]

Mitch PerryOctober 17, 2017

Self-driving cars would be able to legally cruise Sunshine State highways under a bill filed by Jacksonville House Republican Jason Fischer. His legislation (HB 353) would allow for the safe and legal operation of “autonomous vehicles.” The bill also calls for updating sections of Florida’s motor vehicle laws that “require or presume” there’s a human […]

Staff ReportsOctober 1, 2018

A new law goes into effect Monday to allow beer distributors to give away for free glasses printed with product names and logos—known as “branded glassware”—to bars and restaurants. Under previous law, glasses had to be sold. A version of the measure (HB 961) had been filed unsuccessfully last year, with this year’s finding traction […]