Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jacob OglesJanuary 8, 2019

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Joe Gruters wants to stop ethics complaints from being used as political cudgels. Now the Republican state senator from Sarasota is proposing a solution that could add a layer of secrecy to the process. His bill (SB 228) would prohibit the Florida Ethics Commission from making public ethics complaints made against a candidate within 60 […]

Peter SchorschJuly 4, 2018

Whether it’s lighting up the grill or some bottle rockets, Floridians are expected to bring some weekend flair to a mid-week Fourth of July. AAA – The Auto Club Group forecasts a record-breaking 46.9 million Americans will hit the road between Tuesday and Sunday to celebrate Independence Day, and Orlando once again tops the list […]

Joe HendersonNovember 1, 2017

Stay with me. This one gets a little weird. While you were distracted by the latest the latest episode of “Florida’s Got Dirt,” your First Amendment rights were put in the crosshairs again. Confused? It’s just another day in the state’s center of power. On the front page of Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Times was a […]

Jim RosicaNovember 1, 2017

The Tallahassee-based First Amendment Foundation, the state’s public records and open meetings watchdog, is giving a thumbs down to a proposed Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) amendment on “privacy” for the 2018 ballot. Foundation President Barbara Petersen, in a letter this week to Lisa Carlton, chair of the CRC’s Declaration of Rights Committee, said her group […]

Guest AuthorNovember 1, 2017

I read with great interest the letter by First Amendment Foundation (FAF) President Barbara Petersen to Lisa Carlton, chair of the Declaration of Rights Committee of the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC), regarding her concerns over the proposal written by former Florida Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Bell, and which I am sponsoring, entitled the “Florida Privacy Restoration Act.” […]

Jim RosicaAugust 29, 2017

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The Tallahassee-based First Amendment Foundation, the state’s public records and open meetings watchdog, says it is supporting House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s “efforts on (tourism money) transparency and accountability.” In a letter to Corcoran sent Tuesday by foundation President Barbara Petersen, the group responded to Corcoran’s recent “comments in the Orlando Sentinel regarding the need for […]

Peter SchorschJuly 4, 2017

Whether it’s on a boat or at the beach, setting off fireworks or firing up the grill, Floridians are expected to kick off Fourth of July weekend in style. An estimated 2.3 million Floridians are expected to travel during the holiday weekend, part of a historic holiday travel weekend travel pattern, according to AAA – […]

Staff ReportsJune 16, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott on Friday evening announced he had signed another 13 bills from the 2017 Legislative Session into law. Those bills include SB 118, which Scott’s office said would “prevent businesses that publish arrest photos from charging a fee to remove them if requested.” The measure was aimed at the growing number of websites that showcase […]

Joe HendersonJune 1, 2017

The irony of the state Constitutional Revision Commission trying to avoid sunshine laws is almost too rich to describe. If allowed to happen, that would be a dark day indeed. But that’s exactly what CRC Chair Carlos Beruff is proposing, even as the commission continues a series of town hall meetings designed to take public input […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 30, 2017

The First Amendment Foundation is weighing in on a wide-sweeping education bill, asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto the measure when it gets to his desk. In a letter to Scott on Tuesday, Barbara Petersen, the president of the First Amendment Foundation, said the organization’s concerns “relate only to the lack of transparency in the […]

Tag: Barbara Petersen

Joe Gruters wants to de-weaponize complaints lodged against candidates

Independence Day is brought to you by these lobbyists and political associations

Joe Henderson: Got whiplash? Absurdity rules in Tally

Open government watchdog barks at privacy measure

John Stemberger: Constitutional privacy fix will protect Floridians

First Amendment Foundation backing Richard Corcoran on transparency

Independence Day is brought to you by these lobbyists and political associations

Rick Scott signs 13 more bills into law

Joe Henderson: Sunshine law should remind leaders that people of Florida are citizens, not serfs

First Amendment Foundation calls on Rick Scott to veto education bill