Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Diane RobertsJune 7, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – The not-remotely-special special session limps along, costing taxpayers about $75,000 a day. The bars in Tallahassee are making out pretty well. The rest of us, not so much. The Senate wants to expand Medicaid, but can’t call it “Medicaid,” because, you know, Obama. The House won’t call it anything other than “Medicaid!” […]

Phil AmmannJune 4, 2015

U.S. Reps. Gwen Graham and David Jolly introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress on Thursday to extend the prohibition on oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico through 2027. HR 2630, which seeks to amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, extends the drilling ban — 125 miles off much of Florida’s Gulf […]

Mitch PerryMay 26, 2015

The left-leaning senior advocacy group Alliance of Retired Americans has released its congressional voting record for every member of Congress for 2014, and Marco Rubio gets a zero rating for his votes that the group highlighted in the past year. That’s the same grade the organization has given the junior Florida Republican Senator in past […]

Phil AmmannMay 18, 2015

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson filed legislation Monday that will aid the victims of last week’s deadly Amtrak derailment outside of Philadelphia. Nelson’s bill seeks to remove the two-decade-old cap on damages, set by federal law at $200 million, for passenger rail liability after such accidents. If passed, Nelson’s bill would increase the cap to $500 […]

Guest AuthorMay 12, 2015

As we all know, Florida is an odd state for politics; one where Republicans control the Cabinet, House and Senate, but where voters have supported a Democratic presidential candidate the last two cycles. On the important topic of energy, Florida’s red politicians get very purple. Traditionally, Republicans have supported the notion of offshore energy exploration, […]

Mitch PerryMay 8, 2015

During the past year, the U.S. has sent a variety of troops, including special operations forces, to exercises and training program in Eastern Europe, including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but the long-term goal is to reduce our military presence in Eastern Europe. Marco Rubio would reverse that emphasis. “Instead of the temporary, mobile military presence […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 6, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he’s prepared to walk away from additional Medicaid funding and prepare a base budget if the state doesn’t get approval from the federal government on the Low Income Pool soon. Scott talked with reporters after a meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. Scott went to Washington to request […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 5, 2015

The specter of offshore drilling is real. And Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown wants to do something about it. A release from the Mayor’s office states that “after previously informing the U.S. Department of the Interior of his opposition to seismic testing off the Atlantic Coast, Mayor Alvin Brown today announced that he will file a proposed resolution with […]

Bruce RitchieMay 1, 2015

U. S. Sen. Bill Nelson says he filed legislation that he says would block a federal plan to allow oil and gas exploration off Florida’s Atlantic coast. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is considering 10 permits to allow seismic testing from Delaware south to about Melbourne off the coast of Florida. There is no timeline on a […]

Melissa RossApril 22, 2015

Florida Senator Bill Nelson has been pressing lately on the FAA to pay for TSA screenings of all airline and airport employees who have access to secure areas. The flap arose after an incident at the Atlanta airport in December when a baggage handler was nabbed smuggling more than 100 guns onto outbound flights. Nelson, in an […]

Tag: Bill Nelson
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Diane Roberts: Florida's presidential hopefuls have forgotten about Deepwater Horizon

Gwen Graham, David Jolly lead bipartisan fight to ban oil drilling off Gulf beaches

Liberal-leaning Alliance for Retired Americans gives Marco Rubio 0 rating on 2014 votes

Bill Nelson files Senate bill to help Amtrak crash victims

Barney Bishop: Florida should take head out of the sand, allow offshore seismic surveying

Marco Rubio lays out plan to stifle Russian presence in Eastern Europe

Rick Scott tells feds, “We need federal action right now”

Seismic Thing: Alvin Brown to file resolution opposing offshore drilling

Bill Nelson files federal bill blocking seismic testing off Florida

Email insights: Bill Nelson says Florida airports beat TSA to security solution