Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bruce RitchieMarch 18, 2015

A Senate committee on Wednesday voted to restore funding for affordable housing, as a way to offset the loss of revenue because of Amendment 1. Approved overwhelmingly by voters in November, Amendment 1 assigns 33% of documentary stamp tax revenue to water and land conservation. SB 586 seeks to redistribute the remaining $1.3 billion in documentary […]

Diane RobertsMarch 17, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE–When the Death Mermaid shows up, pay attention. Back in 1881, she appeared to Hamilton Disston, warning him against trying to drain the Everglades. Old Ham, never the most emotionally stable of multimillionaires, shut his eyes tight and swore on his mother’s grave he’d stop drinking cologne. In 1969, she scared the feds into […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

State Sen. Alan Hays on Wednesday sternly told a Senate subcommittee audience that the Legislature had not neglected the environment in past years, and that Amendment 1 supporters may have misled Florida voters. The ballot initiative, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, provides an estimated $22.6 billion towards water and land conservation during […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 3, 2015

With industry and environmental groups sparring over what qualifies for spending under Amendment 1, the chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees environmental spending says he won’t haggle over the issue. Amendment 1, the water and land conservation funding initiative approved by voters in November, will be a focus of the 2015 Legislative Session starting […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 3, 2015

With industry and environmental groups sparring over what qualifies for spending under Amendment 1, the chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees environmental spending says he won’t haggle over the issue. Amendment 1, the water and land conservation funding initiative approved by voters in November, will be a focus of the 2015 Legislative Session starting […]

Diane RobertsMarch 2, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – Some Florida towns have a strawberry festival; some have a seafood festival or a jazz festival or even a frog leg festival. Here in Florida’s capital, we put on an annual Festival of Bad Ideas. Its other name is the Legislative session. Come spring, legislators swarm, careening madly down our narrow, pretty […]

Diane RobertsMarch 2, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – Some Florida towns have a strawberry festival; some have a seafood festival or a jazz festival or even a frog leg festival. Here in Florida’s capital, we put on an annual Festival of Bad Ideas. Its other name is the Legislative session. Come spring, legislators swarm, careening madly down our narrow, pretty […]

Diane RobertsMarch 2, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – Some Florida towns have a strawberry festival; some have a seafood festival or a jazz festival or even a frog leg festival. Here in Florida’s capital, we put on an annual Festival of Bad Ideas. Its other name is the Legislative session. Come spring, legislators swarm, careening madly down our narrow, pretty […]

Bruce RitchieFebruary 18, 2015

The Florida House has received $1.2 billion in funding requests for local water projects and some of those could receive money from Amendment 1, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli said Wednesday. Amendment 1, approved by 75 percent of voters in November, is expected to provide $757 million from documentary stamp revenue for water and land conservation […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 2, 2015

The other night I received a recorded message from my children’s principal. He called to inform parents that a student at my sons’ high school has TB and – that’s all I heard. Like any sleep-deprived mom about ten minutes late for happy hour, I immediately shrieked, dropped the phone and went online for answers. […]

Tag: Alan Hays

Senate panel restores affordable housing funds shifted by Amendment 1

Diane Roberts: Legislators, ignore the Death Mermaid at your peril

Alan Hays says Amendment 1 backers misled voters

With environmental issues looming, Alan Hays won’t haggle over Amendment 1 spending

With environmental issues looming, Alan Hays won't haggle over Amendment 1 spending

Diane Roberts: Welcome to Tallahassee’s Festival of Bad Ideas

Diane Roberts: Welcome to Tallahassee's Festival of Bad Ideas

Diane Roberts: Welcome to Tallahassee's Festival of Bad Ideas

Amendment 1 could help pay for water projects, House speaker says

Catherine Durkin Robinson: Anti-immunization insanity endangers kids