Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2018

A consortium of pari-mutuel owners is working on a proposal to increase the money they give to the state if lawmakers agree to grant slot machines in counties that OK’d them in local referendums, industry sources told Florida Politics early Wednesday. The play is to match or beat the revenue share—estimated at $200 million-$300 million […]

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2018

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Gov. Rick Scott said he will sign a measure to expand workers’ compensation benefits to first responders who suffer job-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Scott made the announcement early Wednesday at a “Ringing of the Bell” ceremony for Florida’s fallen firefighters at The Capitol. The legislation (SB 376) is a priority of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, also the state’s Fire […]

Ana CeballosMarch 7, 2018

Despite being able to run for a final two years in the House, Rep. Larry Lee Jr. announced Wednesday he is pulling the plug on politics. “You get to this point in your life when you say, ‘why do I have to stand up and take all of these acts?’ Because when you continue to lay […]

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2018

The House began debate Wednesday on the Legislature’s school safety bill, hastily crafted in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting at Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed 17 lives. The day before, the Republican-controlled chamber beat down a slew of amendments on the measure (SB 7026), including one aimed at deleting a ‘guardian program’ […]

Peter SchorschMarch 7, 2018

Last night, I tweeted a .gif about Senator Anitere Flores and how capitol insiders are not surprised that it is the portion of the budget that she helps write that is forcing the Legislature into overtime. It was an easy, lazy criticism of Flores. Of course health care spending, specifically hospital spending, is what’s holding […]

Peter SchorschMarch 6, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Tuesday evening. The House struggled mightily with the post-Parkland bill inside its chamber, while protesters staged a ‘die-in.’ Sixty Days is staying alive. Here’s your nightly rundown. Parkland proposal: The House spent several hours just on questions on a contentious […]

Staff ReportsMarch 6, 2018

After an hours-long floor session, in which a series of Democratic attempts to change a controversial school safety bill failed, the Republican-controlled House on Tuesday readied the proposal for a final vote. Before that could happen, dozens of amendments sponsored by Democrats were killed. One by Rep. Jared Moskowitz would have removed a ‘guardian program’ […]

Jim RosicaMarch 6, 2018

The House spent three hours just on questions on a contentious $400 million school safety proposal passed by the Senate on Monday. House members took up the bill (SB 7026) Tuesday, with Democrats peppering Speaker-designate José Oliva with questions, many of them duplicative. “Asked and answered,” Speaker pro tempore Jeanette Nuñez said several times. She was in […]

Peter SchorschMarch 6, 2018

The battle over the Senate’s high-priority higher-education bill has left a high-profile loser: The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has been leading the opposition to a plan to unite the University of South Florida System into a single university. As the proposal made its way through the legislative process, the Chamber asked the Legislature […]

Peter SchorschMarch 5, 2018

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Monday evening. Committees have stopped meeting in both the House and Senate, meaning a bevy of bills were passed off both floors today. And now, with all budget conflicts “bumped,” it’s left to leadership to bang out the 2018-19 state […]

Tag: 2018 Legislative Session

As Session creeps to close, blockbuster gambling deal emerges

Rick Scott says he’ll sign first responders’ benefits bill

A tearful, fed-up Larry Lee decides to leave House

School safety bill up for vote in House

It’s really not hospital spending holding up the budget; it’s the politics of Parkland

Sixty Days for 3.6.18 — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session

After marathon floor session, House poised to approve school safety bill

House begins deliberations on post-Parkland measure

St. Pete Chamber loses bigly in debate over USF consolidation

Sixty Days for 3.5.18 — A prime-time look at the 2018 Legislative Session