Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jacob OglesJanuary 2, 2019

Could cigarette butts become a thing of the past on Florida beaches? A bill filed by state Sen. Joe Gruters would outlaw smoking on all Florida beaches. But the ACLU already has voiced concerns about how the law will be enforced. The legislation (SB 218) would penalize smokers with a $25 fine and up to 10 […]

Guest AuthorDecember 14, 2018

Last week, the ACLU, the ACLU of Florida, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP filed a lawsuit against Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to illegally jail and nearly deport a U.S. citizen. Peter Sean Brown, a Keys resident born in Philadelphia and […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 7, 2018

Floridians have passed Amendment 4, which provides for the automatic restoration of voting rights to nonviolent felons who’ve completed their sentences. The margin of victory as of 9 p.m. Tuesday was 64 percent-36 percent, with at least 60 percent needed to pass. Currently, Florida is one of just three states with a “lifetime voting ban for people with […]

Jacob OglesOctober 30, 2018

A constitutional amendment aimed at restoring voting rights for ex-cons seems poised to pass, but another that would ban offshore oil-drilling and indoor vaping seems doomed to fail. That’s according to a new University of North Florida poll. The poll, released today by the Public Opinion Research Laboratory, asked likely voters how they would vote […]

Scott PowersOctober 16, 2018

Two new television commercials are being launched Tuesday telling the stories of a rape victim and the mother of a murder victim, who explain how helpless they’ve felt in pursuing justice and why they want Florida voters to adopt Amendment 6. The commercials are part of the $30 million campaign being run by Marsy’s Law […]

Jacob OglesOctober 1, 2018

A significant percentage of voters remain undecided on a ballot measure that could affect victim’s rights and judicial terms. A Florida Chamber of Commerce poll obtained by Florida Politics shows 45 percent of voters plan to vote “Yes” on Amendment 6, and just 18 percent plan to vote “No,” while 36 percent of voters have […]

Jacob OglesOctober 1, 2018

Voters remain uncertain about a constitutional amendment that would restore felons’ voting rights, according to a new Florida Chamber of Commerce obtained by Florida Politics. The poll shows 42 percent plan to vote “Yes” on Amendment 4, the Voter Restoration for Felons Initiative, while 20 percent will vote “No.” Meanwhile, 36 percent of voters remain […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 19, 2018

Vote-by-mail ballots offer convenience to those using them, but an ACLU of Florida report released Wednesday shows that some ballots are more likely to be rejected than others. The ACLU study, “Vote-By-Mail Ballots Cast in Florida,” shows a higher rejection rate in the 2012 and 2016 general elections for mail ballots than those cast in person, […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 23, 2018

The Democratic primary battle in Florida’s 5th Congressional District between U.S. Congressman Al Lawson and former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown is heating up. And ICE is one reason why. Last week, Lawson found himself voting with Republicans (and against many Democrats) on a key issue: the future of the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lawson was just one of […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 26, 2018

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the James Madison Institute were among the groups discussing this year’s iteration of the Caruthers Institute report “Stepping Up: Florida’s Top Juvenile Pre-Arrest Diversion Efforts” on a Tuesday morning conference call. Dewey Caruthers, president of The Caruthers Institute, which conducts the study, […]

Tag: ACLU
Three people were killed in an accident on the Florida Turnpike in St. Lucie County on Aug. 12. Image via Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Joe Gruters wants to ban smoking on state’s beaches

Amien Kacou: Florida sheriffs are being duped by ICE

Florida approves automatic restoration of voting rights to felons

Poll: Amendment 4 poised to pass; Amendment 9 doomed to fail

Marsy’s Law group offers crime victims’ pleas in new Amendment 6 ads

A third of voters uncertain on Marsy’s Law, according to Chamber poll

Florida Chamber poll: Many undecided on restoring felon voting rights

Rejected: Young voters, minorities have vote-by-mail trouble, ACLU finds

ICE heats up primary fight between Al Lawson, Alvin Brown

Strides made in pre-arrest diversion programs; gaps in schools, rural counties persist