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Peter SchorschJanuary 15, 2018

Right out of the gate, the Florida House took several major steps toward statewide insurance reform during the first week of the 2018 Legislative Session. On Friday, lawmakers advanced a trio of House bills: repealing the state’s motor vehicle no-fault law and PIP insurance requirements, addressing “assignment of benefits” abuse and making significant changes in […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 10, 2018

In the Wednesday edition of Florida Playbook, author Marc Caputo makes a very good point, but screws up another about a sex scandal involving two married senators — one of them the chamber’s highest-ranking Democrat and the other a powerful Republican. “The Braynon-Flores affair is different from the (Jack) Latvala, (Stephen) Bittel and (Jeff) Clemens cases,” […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 9, 2018

[Updated 9:30 a.m. with statement from Flores and Braynon.] Apparently exposing new depths of Florida political espionage, an anonymous internet website appeared Tuesday morning claiming to show secretly-taped videos and secretly-shot photographs supporting allegations of a rendezvous between Republican state Sen. Anitere Flores and Democratic state Sen. Oscar Braynon II. The pair of Miami-Dade lawmakers issued a […]

Jim RosicaNovember 6, 2017

Sen. Jack Latvala on Monday asked to be relieved of his chairmanship of the chamber’s Appropriations Committee, a request that Senate President Joe Negron quickly obliged. Until further notice, Fleming Island Republican Rob Bradley is Senate budget chief. Bradley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “I understand that you are in the […]

Ana CeballosNovember 3, 2017

Republican Sen. Anitere Flores, who represents the Irma-battered Florida Keys, said Friday that property insurance will be the “main” insurance issue she will tackle in the upcoming legislative session. “I made some promises to myself over the summer that I was going to have a much calmer session this year, and not be in the […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 25, 2017

Florida Department of Corrections’s troubled security operations were big talkers Wednesday in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice. DOC Secretary Julie L. Jones addressed staffing patterns, contraband reduction efforts and use-of-force incidents. Major issues faced by the DOC are familiar to longtime observers, including continued staff attrition, overcrowding, increases in contraband, and a secretary confronting […]

Peter SchorschOctober 12, 2017

State Sen. Gary Farmer was taken off the chamber’s Banking and Insurance Committee, but Senate President Joe Negron told Florida Politics there was “nothing nefarious” about the removal. Capitol insiders buzzed that Senate leadership was looking to exact revenge on the trial bar because of its financial support of Annette Taddeo, the Democratic opponent of […]

Michael MolineOctober 10, 2017

Assignment of benefits reform was among the first topics tackled by the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee Tuesday as it began preparing for the 2018 Legislative Session. A panel of interested parties, invited to debate points of contention, appeared to agree that so-called AOB agreements ought to be in writing, and that a deadline should […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 15, 2017

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A South Florida senator has filed the first bill in response to the deaths of eight nursing home residents this week after Hurricane Irma knocked out their air conditioning. Sen. Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat, filed the measure (SB 284) on Friday afternoon. Among other things, it would require the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) “to determine […]

Peter SchorschAugust 17, 2017

If you’ve ever dreamed of slurping spaghetti with state senators, top Florida Republicans have an offer you can’t refuse, so long as you can snag a flight to the Big Apple pronto. Senate President Joe Negron will make a fundraising trip to New York Thursday with the two senators set to succeed him in his […]

Tag: Anitere Flores

In first week of Session, Florida House took big steps toward insurance reform

Of course the Anitere Flores-Oscar Braynon affair is news! And other thoughts on the latest Tallahassee sex scandal

After anonymous site outs them as couple, Sens. Oscar Braynon, Anitere Flores admit to affair

Jack Latvala out as Senate Appropriations chair, Rob Bradley in

Lawmakers foresee ‘headwinds’ in passing major insurance legislation

Florida Corrections head: ‘We’re working staff to death’

Joe Negron: ‘Nothing nefarious’ in Gary Farmer’s reassignment

Senate begins search for consensus on AOB reform

First legislation filed after nursing home deaths

Top Senate Republicans holding Big Apple fundraiser Thursday