Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryOctober 17, 2017

A coalition of Florida business leaders is calling on the GOP-led Legislature to ensure a bill seeking a statewide ban on discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation at least gets heard in the House and Senate in the 2018 Session. Florida Competes is comprised of 10 Fortune 500 companies, 30 major employers and more […]

Mitch PerryOctober 16, 2017

Will 2018 finally be the year that a statewide ban against discrimination against the LGBTQ community in employment, housing and public accommodations becomes the law of the land in Florida? Once again, the Competitive Workforce Act (HB 347) has been filed in the Florida House of Representatives, this time by St. Petersburg Democrat Ben Diamond […]

Associated PressJune 26, 2017

Half of Florida’s legislators failed or nearly failed in a review of their support for public records and meetings given by Florida newspapers and an open-government group after this year’s legislative sessions. In a “scorecard” produced by the Florida Society of News Editors and based on information provided by Florida’s First Amendment Foundation — which tracked a priority list of […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 13, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott isn’t showing his cards when it comes to a wide-sweeping and contentious education bill, despite rumblings he could sign the measure as early as this week. The Naples Republican said he is still reviewing the bill (HB 7069), which, among other things, creates a “Schools of Hope” charter school program backed by […]

Staff ReportsJune 1, 2017

The voting record report is out. Associated Industries of Florida released its 2017 Voting Record report. Published for more than four decades, the annual report is considered one of the definitive legislative scorecards for the business community. This year, the organization calculated more than 208,966 votes on 1,955 bills with 848 legislators. “This session, AIF […]

Mitch PerryMay 3, 2017

By a vote of 117-0, the Florida House passed a bill to revamp the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA). With the Senate approving the bill last week, it now goes to Gov. Rick Scott‘s desk. Although Plant City Republican Dan Raulerson sponsored it in the House, that chamber actually substituted his bill with the Senate version, sponsored by Clearwater […]

Scott PowersMarch 14, 2017

A bill that would roll back all local ordinances and regulations of vacation rental houses to 2011 codes got a split-vote approval Tuesday from the House Agriculture & Property Rights Subcommittee. The issue was fashioned as one pitting property rights — those of people or companies that buy houses and convert them into short-term vacation […]

Drew WilsonMarch 13, 2017

Bills to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity would boost Florida’s economic output by more than $5 billion over the next 10 years according to a study touted by Florida Competes. The anti-discrimination advocacy group pointed to the study as part of their push for bills banning discrimination against LGBT individuals. According to […]

Mitch PerryMarch 3, 2017

Although it may be difficult to believe now that same-sex marriage is the law of the land, the fact is that it’s still legal in most states to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. It’s legal to discriminate against the LGBT community in Florida, which is why […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 15, 2017

The prospect that a national rating firm might downgrade Florida insurance companies because of rising costs linked to assignment of benefits agreements has lit a fire under advocates of reforming those contracts. “This issue is having a real effect on the pocketbooks of working Floridians and it’s time we take steps to clean up the […]

Tag: Ben Diamond

Republicans should at least give Competitive Workforce Act a hearing, business leaders urge

Bipartisan effort again behind LGBTQ discrimination bill

On open records, half Florida’s legislators rate F or D

Amid continued calls to veto HB 7069, Rick Scott says he is still ‘reviewing it’

Associated Industries releases 2017 Voting Record report

TBARTA bill passes unanimously — now goes to Rick Scott for signature

Vacation rentals de-reg bill passes House committee

Florida Competes says anti-discrimination bill would boost state economy by $5B

Florida Competitive Workforce Act now has 36 co-sponsors

Drive for assignment of benefits reform picks up steam