Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersApril 18, 2017

Lawmakers looking to cut budget and staffing levels of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala note that she has so many unfilled staff positions that the cuts should not affect performance, yet a statewide look shows her operation is pretty typical of state attorneys offices. Almost all of Florida’s state attorneys – as well as Florida’s public defenders, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 18, 2016

Amy Schumer isn’t the only major comic whose liberal schtick ended up alienating some Tampa residents who coughed up big money for a night’s entertainment. In 2003 Bill Maher gave an eviscerating takedown of George W. Bush at the Straz Theatre (still known then simply as the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center). It was just months […]

Mitch PerryOctober 12, 2016

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(UPDATE) There are just 16 counties in the U.S. — or one half of one percent — that imposed five or more death sentences between 2010 and 2015, and, according to a new report, four of them are in Florida — Hillsborough, Pinellas, Miami-Dade, and Duval. The Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project’s report notes these “outlier counties” are plagued by […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJuly 22, 2016

Chris Sprowls is hanging up his hat as a prosecutor. The 32-year-old Palm Harbor Republican expected to serve as Speaker of the Florida House said he had joined the firm of Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney. The decision marks the end of a seven-year career with the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. “We’re going […]

Mitch PerryMarch 12, 2016

Nikki Haley says she’s seen what Donald Trump rallies have become of late, and surmised that accepting him as the GOP presidential nominee goes against what the party of Lincoln is all about. “I’m watching a presidential candidate who at his rally is saying, ‘punch him. He should be taken out on a stretcher. Do […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 10, 2015

A Tampa Bay-area lawmaker wants to “streamline” the process for minors to expunge or seal their criminal records. State Rep. Chris Latvala, a Clearwater Republican, filed his bill (HB 147) on Thursday for the 2016 legislative session. And fellow state Rep. Chris Sprowls, a Palm Harbor Republican and assistant state prosecutor, agreed to co-sponsor the measure. […]

Tag: Bernie McCabe

Not just Aramis Ayala: Almost all state attorneys have lots of job openings for prosecutors, support staff

Mitch Perry Report for 10.18.16 — Amy Schumer not the 1st libe

New report says Hillsborough and Pinellas County are outliers nationally in calling for death penalty

Speaker-to-be Chris Sprowls leaves state prosecutor’s office for private practice

Nikki Haley tells Pinellas Republicans that they’re better than what Donald Trump is offering

Chris Latvala’s bill would “streamline” sealing of juvenile records