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Peter SchorschJanuary 9, 2019

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Wednesday evening. The biggest news of the day didn’t come out of the Legislature, though it was the buzz of the Capitol: Gov. Ron DeSantis named the first Cuban-American woman to the state’s highest court. The appointment — the first […]

Ryan NicolJanuary 9, 2019

Septic tanks are one of the primary triggers for toxic algae blooms throughout the state, the Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee was told Wednesday. A presentation was given by Dr. Brian Lapointe, who has worked as a research professor at Florida Atlantic University and has studied water quality in the state for decades. […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 8, 2019

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Tuesday evening. With left hands on Bibles and right hands in the air, a new era arrived in Tallahassee. With campaigns and transitions finally over, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, CFO Jimmy Patronis, Attorney General Ashley Moody (all […]

Danny McAuliffeJanuary 8, 2019

A possible economic contraction and anticipated needs for new money could result in lawmakers acting more conservatively as they forge the state’s nearly $90 billion spending plan. Chief legislative economist Amy Baker gave a bittersweet update to state House budget committee members on Tuesday. Florida’s economic indicators are healthy, with some even better than pre-recession levels, […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 7, 2019

Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session The Last 24 Good Monday evening. Two days’ worth of inaugural activities, including casual pizza parties and official swearings-in, has kicked off in the capital for Governor-elect Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov.-elect Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General-elect Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried and CFO Jimmy […]

Ryan NicolJanuary 7, 2019

A bill filed by Sen. Lauren Book to create a tax exemption for purchases of diapers and incontinence products cleared its first hurdle Monday. It emerged from the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism with unanimous approval. Committee Chair Joe Gruters and Vice Chair Victor Torres were joined by members Linda Stewart, Travis Hutson and Tom Wright […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 4, 2019

Fred Piccolo, spokesman for House Speaker Jose Oliva, released the following memo on Friday: After consulting with House Democratic Leader Kionne McGhee, the following members are hereby appointed as Ranking Members for the following committees and subcommittees for the 2019 Legislative Session. Appropriations Committee – Leader McGhee Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee – Rep. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2019

A bill filed in the Senate to protect residential vegetable gardens from local bans now has a House companion. The legislation (HB 145), filed by first-term House Republican Elizabeth Fetterhoff of Deland, would eliminate as “void and unenforceable” local jurisdiction over front-yard gardens. The goal: Facilitating “the development of sustainable cultivation of vegetables and fruits at all […]

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

Orlando Democratic state Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Anna Eskamani announced Wednesday that they’re organizing a town hall meeting on state funding for the arts later this month in Orlando. Smith, who has a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, and Eskamani contended that Florida’s arts funding ranks near the bottom nationally after cuts last year, and […]

Ryan NicolJanuary 2, 2019

The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee is scheduled to take up a bill proposed by state Sen. Lauren Book (SB 60) that would exempt diapers and incontinence products from the state’s 6 percent sales tax. “For some families, this is just another piece of their monthly budget,” Book said in a statement to Florida Politics upon […]

Tag: 2019 legislative session

Sixty Days for 1.9.19 — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session

Senate panel briefed on septic tanks’ contribution to algae outbreak

Sixty Days for 1.8.19 — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session

Don’t expect a legislative spending spree, House budget chief says

Sixty Days for 1.7.19 — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session

Senate panel clears bill to exempt diapers from sales tax

House announces ranking Democrats for legislative panels

Senate bill to protect vegetable gardens gets House companion

Carlos Smith and Anna Eskamani set arts funding meeting

Senate panel to consider tax break for diapers