Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

The city of Tampa’s uneventful election season comes to a halt Tuesday night. By 8 p.m. we should have a winner in the only city council race that remains undecided — the District 6 battle between Guido Maniscalco and Jackie Toledo. I hate the overuse of the term “Seinfeld” to describe something as being about […]

Mitch PerryMarch 23, 2015

Last week the House Health & Human Services Committee approved a proposal that would allow private adoption agencies to object to “performing, assisting in, recommending, consenting to, or participating in the placement of a child if a placement violates the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.” The measure, sponsored by Sanford Republican Jason Brodeur, […]

Mitch PerryMarch 2, 2015

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa will be of one of about 100 members of Congress to participate in the 50th anniversary of the march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., this weekend. The original march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was one of the crucial civil rights march that led to the historic […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 26, 2015

Six weeks after he said he was considering filing such legislation, St. Petersburg Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes on Thursday filed a bill that prohibits law enforcement agencies from retaining property and assets seized from individuals who are not convicted of a crime. Civil forfeiture is a controversial legal process that allows police to take assets from […]

Mitch PerryDecember 12, 2014

As always, Howard Simon is a very busy man. The executive director of the ACLU of Florida for over 17 years was in Tampa early Friday morning as the featured guest speaker at the annual Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council awards breakfast at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westshore. Simon said one of the chief reasons he […]

Mitch PerryDecember 4, 2014

Once again, Rick Scott has had his plans to drug test Floridians thwarted by a judge – this time by the three justices who comprise the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court has ruled that a 2011 Florida law mandating that all applicants for the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program submit to […]

Guest AuthorNovember 2, 2014

Over the years, I’ve observed that Floridians want their politicians to be driven by Florida values. This election season, voters must be wondering: how has Gov. Rick Scott lived up to key Sunshine State commitments? Rewarding hard work:  Floridians don’t want handouts they believe in working for a living. That’s why they believe in […]

Tag: ACLU

Mitch Perry Report for 3.24.15 — Tampa’s election season ends tonight

ACLU attorney says new House bill to prevent gay adoptions in Florida is unconstitutional

Kathy Castor taking part in congressional march on Selma bridge this weekend

Jeff Brandes files bill to amend civil forfeiture law in Florida

Florida ACLU head Howard Simon on the police, same-sex marriage and restoration of ex-felon voting rights

Another court slams Rick Scott on urine testing

Ralph Nader: Nine Florida values that Rick Scott opposes