Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bob SparksJune 25, 2015

The Florida Senate and several communities hoping to receive state money for local projects or programs are unhappy. The public food fight between legislative chambers and the governor was an embarrassment that could have serious ramifications. A governor’s use of line-item veto authority is often likened to a surgeon conducting delicate surgery with a scalpel. […]

Mitch PerryJune 24, 2015

Jeb Bush likes to boast on the campaign trail that he used to be called “Veto Corleone,” so paramount was his mission to stamp out what he considered excessive and unnecessary government spending from the annual state budget while he was Florida’s governor. Bush has nothing on Rick Scott. The current Florida governor on Tuesday […]

Phil AmmannJune 23, 2015

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam expressed disapproval that Florida state firefighters are among the losers in Gov. Rick Scott’s recently signed $78.7 billion state budget. In a private ceremony Tuesday morning, Scott vetoed $1.6 million in the state budget set aside for 606 Forest Service firefighters to get $2,000 a year in pay raises each. The cuts were […]

Ryan RayJune 23, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott denied giving consideration to his friends — or retaliating against his enemies — as he threw out more than $460 million allocated by lawmakers in this year’s budget. “Absolutely not,” Scott told reporters Tuesday morning after the day’s Cabinet meeting concluded. But a close look at what was axed and what was […]

Bruce RitchieJune 23, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday vetoed more than $87 million in environmental spending including $27.3 million for suspect “dispersed” water projects. Scott vetoed $461.3 million in spending from a budget of more than $78 billion. While highlighting tax cuts and spending to bring more jobs to Florida, the governor said the 2015-16 state budget provides […]

Guest AuthorJune 18, 2015

Marco Rubio must be smiling. The baby-faced U.S. senator and presidential hopeful is having the best two weeks of his life. Not only did he get needlessly razed by the arch-liberal New York Times in two attack pieces, he’s also receiving the cold shoulder by everybody’s who’s somebody in Florida’s Republican establishment. According to CNN, […]

Mitch PerryJune 17, 2015

Jeb Bush has been traveling the nation making campaign and fundraising stops since the beginning of the year, all under the guise of “exploring” the possibility of running for president. That distinction that has allowed him to raise unlimited amounts of cash for his political action committee called Right to Rise. According to a new […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

On the eve of Jeb Bush’s announcement Monday at Miami Dade Community College that he’s officially a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, his campaign has issued a list of Florida GOP lawmakers backing him in the race against Marco Rubio and the more than dozen other candidates in the race. For starters, the entire […]

Melissa RossMay 12, 2015

He’s a retired optometrist, but Wayne Wood is a bold-faced name in Jacksonville for pursuits that go far beyond medicine. Wood is the founder of Riverside Avondale Preservation and the Riverside Arts Market. He’s the driving force behind the new Friends of Hemming Park. And he’s a noted author and local historian. Described by some political observers […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 11, 2015

Health care experience may not be a prerequisite to get onto the newly created Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding, but contributing to political committee and candidates doesn’t hurt. Carlos Beruff, a Parrish home builder, is executive director of the commission. A review of campaign finance records shows that Beruff has given $107,369.69 to Republican candidates […]

Tag: Adam Putnam
Close-up. Arrested man handcuffed hands at the back

Bob Sparks: 2015 leaves Florida Republicans in a dangerous place for 2016

Mitch Perry Report for 6.24.15 — Rick Scott wins again

Adam Putnam “disappointed” with firefighter pay raise veto

Rick Scott’s veto list puts friends, foes in sharp relief

Governor vetoes water projects, firefighter pay increases

Chris Timmons: Marco Rubio, the insurgent

GOP state lawmakers give generously to Jeb Bush’s super PAC

Florida lawmakers line up behind Jeb Bush before official announcement

Wayne Wood endorses Alvin Brown: “We cannot afford to hire a rookie”

Health care panel appointees gave to Rick Scott, his PAC, other GOP hopefuls