Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonJune 7, 2015

Florida legislators over the weekend tried to hammer out budget decisions on everything from hospital spending to money for Everglades restoration. But as they slogged through spreadsheets, proviso language and dollar amounts, fault lines quickly developed between the House and Senate over everything from member-backed projects, education policy and whether to borrow money to pay […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 11, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s blue ribbon health care and hospital commission meets in two weeks but the governor’s office remains quiet on the appointments. Scott created the commission via executive order this past week. The order doesn’t mention how many members would be on the commission or whether any would be lawmakers but it did note […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 8, 2015

Interest is mounting in Gov. Rick Scott‘s new healthcare commission. Sen. Eleanor Sobel is the latest to publicly announce her desire to serve on the commission and sent a press release announcing she is requesting Scott place her on the commission. The release notes with Sobel “you get a broad range of knowledge and experience […]

Mitch PerryApril 29, 2015

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In recent weeks, supporters of Florida’s Amendment 1 have become increasingly fearful that the Legislature was going to betray the will of the voters that passed the land-buying measure last November. The constitutional amendment calls for the state to dedicate a portion of documentary tax stamp proceeds to land buys and other environmental programs, and was […]

Bruce RitchieApril 21, 2015

A Senate water bill passed its final committee stop on Tuesday despite continuing concerns raised by counties and environmentalists. SB 918 replaces a Lake Okeechobee pollution permitting program with more reliance on water cleanup plans, sets deadlines for establishing minimum flow levels for springs, sets timelines for springs cleanup plans and creates a statewide advisory […]

Bruce RitchieApril 14, 2015

Despite objections from environmentalists, a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday amended a state lands bill to require that state parks be reviewed to determine whether could be used by “low impact agriculture” or whether the state still needs them. SB 7086 is preferred by environmental groups compared to the House version of the bill, which would allow […]

Ryan RayApril 7, 2015

As she portrayed her SB 840 as a mostly technical bill that simply clears up a legal conflict currently circulating in the courts, Sen. Eleanor Sobel probably was not prepared for the maelstrom of criticism from both parties that befell her effort. Following an easy and perfunctory confirmation process for a score of various agency officials — a process that […]

Ryan RayApril 7, 2015

One of several bills making tweaks to Florida’s austere prohibition on gifts, Sen. Oscar Braynon‘s SB 984 was granted an easy passage Tuesday afternoon in the Senate Governmental Oversight & Accountability Committee. The proposal — which would allow public entities to let candidates and officials use public property such as city halls and conference rooms without […]

Mitch PerryApril 3, 2015

Happy Passover/Good Friday to everyone. I don’t think about it often, but a quasi-holiday like today makes me sympathetic to all those in media land who have to produce a full television or radio broadcast on a day that doesn’t portend to contain a lot of news, at least not domestically. When I was producing an […]

Mitch PerryApril 3, 2015

Happy Passover/Good Friday to everyone. I don’t think about it often, but a quasi-holiday like today makes me sympathetic to all those in media land who have to produce a full television or radio broadcast on a day that doesn’t portend to contain a lot of news, at least not domestically. When I was producing an […]

House, Senate remain divided over major budget items

Hospital meeting 2 weeks away; still no word on Rick Scott’s appointments

Interest is mounting in Rick Scott’s healthcare/hospital commission

Amendment 1 supporters aren’t giving up the fight for funding just yet

Senate bill clears final committee stop despite concerns from counties, environmentalists

Senate amendment requires review of state parks for ag use or disposal

Write-in residency requirements bill goes down in bipartisan flames

Lobbyist gift ban exemption passes swiftly in Senate panel

Mitch Perry Report for 4.3.15 – Does the Florida House agree there’s too much “damn testing” going on?

Mitch Perry Report for 4.3.15 – Does the Florida House agree there's too much "damn testing" going on?