Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannMay 15, 2018

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. Off: Alexa Chappell is no longer staff director for the House Democratic Leader’s office. Off: Bo Pittman is no longer program manager for the House Property Management Division. Off: Whitney Langston is no longer an attorney for the House Health […]

Drew WilsonMarch 27, 2018

Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube is holding a fundraiser April 12 for his campaign to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney in Florida’s 17th Congressional District. The campaign fundraiser will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Aragon Room of The Biltmore in Coral Gables, 1200 Anastasia Avenue. The host committee listed […]

Peter SchorschMarch 7, 2018

Last night, I tweeted a .gif about Senator Anitere Flores and how capitol insiders are not surprised that it is the portion of the budget that she helps write that is forcing the Legislature into overtime. It was an easy, lazy criticism of Flores. Of course health care spending, specifically hospital spending, is what’s holding […]

Peter SchorschMarch 6, 2018

The headline above this story probably comes as no shock to those who follow the annual trial bar versus insurance industry drama and have witnessed Sen. Gary Farmer buzzing around committees. What’s surprising is how casually Farmer has been – messily even – doing the trial bar’s bidding. Public records requested by Florida Politics legitimize what […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2018

A line-item to fund veterans workforce training wasn’t zeroed out, state Sen. Anitere Flores said Thursday. The apparent move raised eyebrows among some watchers of the Health and Human Services budget conference. Both chambers seemed to agree on $1 million in the 2018-19 state budget. “We’re just changing the funding source,” she told Florida Politics. “We […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 28, 2018

As the House and Senate begin final budget negotiations, one of the biggest Medicaid funding differences will be cuts to hospitals, an area that was slashed last Session and is already having a real-life impact on one rural hospital in DeSoto County. No more baby deliveries. “Effective February 1, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. DeSoto Memorial […]

Michael MolineFebruary 21, 2018

PIP repeal is not officially dead, but it wasn’t looking at all well Wednesday after a key Senate committee adjourned its last meeting of Session without taking up the matter. “It is referenced to this committee, but was not on this agenda. In theory, it makes the prospects of that policy change happening obviously very […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 20, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly avoided killing a campus “free speech” bill, opting to instead temporarily postpone it after the roll had been called despite objections the move was not procedurally sound. SB 1234, sponsored by Ocala Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, would erase dedicated “free speech zones” on college campuses, instead opening entire campuses to […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 26, 2018

The private investigator thought to be responsible for outing an affair between Republican Sen. Anitere Flores and Democratic Sen. Oscar Braynon said he didn’t set up the website publicizing the affair, and the lawmakers weren’t who he was surveilling in the Tennyson building. Gainesville-based private eye Derek Uman told the Tampa Bay Times via email […]

Ana CeballosJanuary 26, 2018

A Senate panel on Thursday pushed forward a redraft of a bill that would allow people to bring guns to churches with attached schools as long as there are no school-sponsored activities going on. Before changes to the bill were approved, two Republicans in the Judiciary Committee expressed concern that the Republican sponsor of the […]

Tag: Anitere Flores
Uloma Ekpete Kama. Image via campaign site.

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Greg Steube holding April 12 fundraiser in Coral Gables

It’s really not hospital spending holding up the budget; it’s the politics of Parkland

Texts reveal Gary Farmer still lobbying for trial bar

Veterans training still being funded, Anitere Flores says

No more baby deliveries: Rural hospital affected after state’s Medicaid cuts

Prospects for PIP repeal dive as Senate panel disdains the legislation

Senate panel postpones ‘campus free speech’ bill

Tennyson private eye says he wasn’t investigating legislators

Some Republicans wary of Dennis Baxley after gun bill redraft