Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannJune 30, 2015

Florida lawmakers just wanna have fun – to borrow a line from Cyndi Lauper. As summer breaks all over the country, Floridians look forward to visiting vacation spots both at home and across America. The Florida Senate is no different. In the 75-odd days until committee meetings start for the 2016 Legislative Session, a newly announced […]

Phil AmmannJune 30, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner appointed Senate President Pro Tempore Garrett Richter on Tuesday to chair the Florida Defense Support Task Force. The 12-member Defense Support board, established by Florida Statute, works to protect and enhance Florida’s military missions and installations. The task force is administered by Enterprise Florida, the quasi-governmental agency that serves as the […]

Mitch PerryJune 30, 2015

When House Speaker Steve Crisafulli abruptly called on the Florida House of Representatives to depart Tallahassee three days before the regularly scheduled legislative session was scheduled to conclude in late April, he angered many Floridians, including Senate President Andy Gardiner. The division between the Florida House and Senate this spring prevented the Legislature from producing […]

Mitch PerryJune 29, 2015

One of the big winners out of last week’s budget signing by Gov. Rick Scott was the University of South Florida. It received $12 million in funding for its Kate Tiedemann College of Business building on its St. Petersburg campus, and for the $17 million it received toward the construction of the Morsani College of Medicine […]

Associated PressJune 27, 2015

Florida is getting its first female state auditor general. Sherrill Norman will be sworn in Wednesday as the state’s sixth Auditor General, a constitutional officer who serves as the state’s independent auditor. She will replace David Martin, who is retiring after nearly eight years. Norman will oversee 350 employees and a budget of more than $35 […]

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. […]

Staff ReportsJune 23, 2015

In a blistering press release, state Sen. Geraldine Thompson said Gov. Rick Scott vetoed eight projects she supported in the state budget because she doesn’t “think like him.” “I championed eight projects for appropriations that would benefit low-income and minority communities, all eight were vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott,” she said in a prepared statement. […]

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 […]

Guest AuthorJune 23, 2015

This year in Tallahassee, there has been no shortage of opinions on how to divide the dollars the Florida Legislature is constitutionally required to spend on natural resources through Amendment 1. Throughout the debate, some have tried to hold our lawmakers to an arbitrary standard, arguing for tens of millions of dollars to be spent […]

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

As they threatened to do, the environmental movement in Florida is not abiding by the the state Legislature’s failure to comply with Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Initiative in the Florida Constitution approved last fall by voters. A lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon by the Earthjustice group on behalf […]

Tag: Andy Gardiner
Helene, early Sept. 27. Image via NOAA via AP.

Florida Senate Majority puts the ‘fun’ in fundraising during summer break

Garrett Richter tapped to chair Florida Defense Support Task Force

Justice-2-Jesus’ Brian Pitts’ lawsuit calls for repealing every law passed this year because of Legislature’s premature exit

USF campuses in St. Pete, Tampa still celebrating budget wins

Florida to swear in first female state auditor general

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

Geraldine Thompson says her projects vetoed because she doesn’t “think” like Rick Scott

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

Brewster Bevis: Legislature showing leadership by ensuring Amendment 1 dollars benefit everyone

Environmental groups sue Legislature for failing on Amendment 1