Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMarch 23, 2015

Sometimes, the little bills are the good ones. Sometimes, the bills that don’t involve eye-catching headlines or involve hot-button issues like guns on campus, how to use Amendment 1 money, or who should check the genitalia of folks using the bathroom, often get little notice. It’s that way with the effort to ban Palcohol. On one hand, […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 23, 2015

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Sen. Arthenia Joyner of Tampa, the Senate Democratic leader, is filing a budget amendment to redirect $80 million toward the Florida Forever land-buying program and away from other purposes she said are not consistent with Amendment 1. Approved by 75 percent of voters in November, Amendment 1 is supposed to direct $742 million toward water […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 20, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott on Friday wanted you to know that he likes Florida panthers and likes the environment — to the tune of $3 billion for environmental spending requested in fiscal year 2015-16. With the House and Senate this week having delivered blows to the hopes of Amendment 1 land-buying supporters, Scott proclaimed Saturday to […]

James CallMarch 19, 2015

A marijuana lobbyist said to me a couple of weeks ago that he suspected the latest challenge to the Charlotte’s Web rule would “smoke out” people’s true intention, whether they disliked the rule or disliked the law. It’s the end of the third week of the session and we’re getting to the “smoke out” point on a […]

Daniel TilsonMarch 19, 2015

Funny thing about the “will of the people” in Florida. Even when expressed via an overwhelming majority “Yes” vote on a constitutional amendment, the Legislature can and does subvert it. That’s what’s happening with the environmental protections and preservations Floridians thought were a done deal after more than 75 percent of voters joined forces to […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 19, 2015

Environmental groups supporting Amendment 1 on Thursday criticized a Senate chairman’s spending proposal that provides $22 million for land acquisition. Amendment 1, approved by 75% of Florida voters in November, provides an estimated $741.8 million in fiscal 2015-16 for water and land conservation programs. Sen. Alan Hays, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 19, 2015

Environmental groups supporting Amendment 1 on Thursday criticized a Senate chairman’s spending proposal that provides $22 million for land acquisition. Amendment 1, approved by 75% of Florida voters in November, provides an estimated $741.8 million in fiscal 2015-16 for water and land conservation programs. Sen. Alan Hays, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 19, 2015

A Senate appropriations subcommittee chairman on Thursday presented a budget proposal that provides $22 million for land acquisition, prompting another Republican subcommittee member to charge that the proposal violated Amendment 1. Amendment 1 is a conservation spending initiative approved by 75% of voters in November. In 2015-16, the measure will provide $741.8 million, or 33% […]

Diane RobertsMarch 19, 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 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 […]

Tag: Amendment 1

Powdered alcohol … the next date rape drug?

Arthenia Joyner filing budget amendment to boost land-buying

Rick Scott proclaims Panther Day, support for environment

The day that was in Florida politics — March 19

Daniel Tilson: Florida Legislature is subverting our will on Amendment 1, water

Environmental groups criticize “hostility” in Senate Amendment 1 spending proposal

Environmental groups criticize "hostility" in Senate Amendment 1 spending proposal

Amendment 1 budget proposal prompts objections, heated exchange

Legislators, ignore the Death Mermaid at your peril

Senate panel restores affordable housing funds shifted by Amendment 1