Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 8, 2016

The Florida Senate is poised to vote on a controversial bill that prohibits public funding for clinics, like Planned Parenthood, that are affiliated with a licensed abortion clinic. Lawmakers began discussions of the measure (HB 1411) on Tuesday. The proposal, sponsored by Lakeland Republicans Sen. Kelli Stargel in the Senate and Rep. Colleen Burton in […]

Associated PressFebruary 25, 2016

Florida legislators may try once again give additional protections to customers of Citizens Property Insurance. A Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill that would put a limit on how many times a year a homeowner could be asked to leave the state-created insurance carrier. The bill sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores would also make […]

Ryan RayFebruary 17, 2016

After nearly an hour of at times emotional debate on Wednesday, a Senate budget panel approved a controversial proposal to prohibit public funds from going to any facility that provides abortions. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Health & Human Services passed SB 1722 by a party-line vote Wednesday morning, with the eight-member panel’s three Democrats voting in […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2016

The 2016 Florida Legislative Session now in mid-February is more than halfway complete, an anomaly that usually happens once every decade. Under a bill, SPB 7076, that narrowly passed through the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on Tuesday, the early start could happen again in 2018. It passed on a party-line vote, with all three Democrats […]

Ryan RayFebruary 16, 2016

The Senate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday gave the nod to state Surgeon General John Armstrong. Members granted him confirmation to extend his tenure as head of the state’s health care apparatus, but just barely by a 5-4 vote Armstrong has been under heightened scrutiny in Tallahassee because of recent public failures in the state’s health […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 10, 2016

The House Appropriations Committee Wednesday approved a bill seeking to shift the cost of relocating utility lines for infrastructure improvements from utilities to public entities. In some cases, the costs would be absorbed by the Florida Department of Transportation. According to LobbyTools, HB 461, filed by Pensacola Republican Rep. Clay Ingram, came after an opinion […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2016

Monday saw the Florida Senate Finance and Tax Committee pass the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill that would allow a referendum authorizing the half cent Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax to be extended until 2060, to pay off Jacksonville’s unfunded pension liability. Ahead of the committee meeting, Lenny Curry lobbied committee members, via private January meetings with Curry […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 5, 2016

At 4 p.m. Monday the second of three state Senate committees (Finance and Tax) will consider the “discretionary sales surtax” bill that Jacksonville’s financial future has become predicated upon. Passage of the bill to extend the Better Jacksonville Plan’s half-cent sales tax as far out as 2060 (from a current sunset date of 2030), would […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 25, 2016

A bill that requires gas stations to toughen up security and increases penalties for fuel pump fraudsters cleared its first Senate panel Monday. Senate Bill 912 would require gas stations to secure fuel pump credit card readers to defend against data theft devices, known as “skimmers,” that capture credit and debit card information. The bill also ups the […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 22, 2016

Now that the Florida Senate gave up the ghost in its redistricting legal battle, both incumbent state Sens. Anitere Flores and Dwight Bullard will need to decide who is running where. Mary Ellen Klas reports in the Miami Herald that the two now reside in the newly redrawn Senate District 40. In a new agreement between the […]

Tag: Anitere Flores
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Senate begins discussion on bill that could defund Planned Parenthood

Legislators may try once again give additional protections to Citizens Property Insurance consumers

Senate panel advances bill to defund abortion providers

Bill to start 2018 Legislative Session in January advances in Florida Senate

Senate panel narrowly votes to confirm Scott admin Surgeon General

House committee approves bill shifting costs to move utility lines for infrastructure projects

Jacksonville “pension tax” bill clears 2nd Senate committee

Lenny Curry pension tax proposal hits 2nd Senate committee Monday

Bill to combat gas pump “skimmers” passes Senate panel

Oscar Branyon says Dwight Bullard to “stay put” in SD 40, Anitere Flores moves to SD 39