Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJune 8, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court has remanded another murder case death penalty from Orlando, that of Bessman Okafor, and Gov. Rick Scott quickly reassigned it away from Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala. The move came with swift intervention from state Rep. Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs, who asked the governor to keep the case from going […]

Brendan FarringtonApril 27, 2017

Florida could become the first state to issue what’s essentially a birth certificate for women who’ve had miscarriages under a bill the Legislature sent to Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday. The Grieving Families Act would give parents the option of receiving a state-issued certificate if a pregnancy is lost between nine weeks and 20 weeks […]

Peter SchorschApril 15, 2017

A running compilation of Easter-themed messages from Florida’s elected officials and politicians. Florida Senate President Joe Negron: State Sen. George Gainer: State Sen. Jack Latvala: State Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto: “As week six of the legislative session concludes we take time today to celebrate Good Friday, and look forward to the Easter weekend.” “I am hopeful […]

Scott PowersApril 12, 2017

Surrounded by what’s billed as the world’s new center for tennis but yet also almost in the shadow of a failed medical research center, Gov. Rick Scott brought his plea for salvation for Enterprise Florida and VISIT Florida to Orlando’s Lake Nona community Wednesday – urging pressure on the mostly-Republican group of lawmakers set to […]

Scott PowersApril 4, 2017

Repeatedly saying that his concern is with her blanket statement to decline death penalty prosecutions, state Rep. Bob Cortes renewed his call Tuesday for the resignation or suspension of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala. Cortes is emerging as one of Ayala’s sternest critics after the state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit announced last month […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 28, 2017

The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee passed its version of the public school recess bill, setting lawmakers on two very different paths when it comes to free play. The committee approved a committee substitute for the bill (HB 67) that would allow school boards to include free-play recess for students in kindergarten through third grade as […]

Scott PowersMarch 23, 2017

Republican State Rep. Bob Cortes has decided he likes what he’s doing in the Florida House too much to want to run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy in the next congressional election. Cortes, of Altamonte Springs, had been seen as a leading potential GOP candidate in Florida’s 7th Congressional District, which the GOP has […]

Scott PowersMarch 20, 2017

Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes called late Monday for Gov. Rick Scott to reassign all potential death penalty cases under the jurisdiction of State Attorney Aramis Ayala and to suspend her from office. Cortes, who was among the first critics of Ayala’s “no death penalty” policy announced last week, said in a letter to Scott […]

Scott PowersMarch 10, 2017

Republican candidate David Smith has started his run for Florida House District 28 with a personal $25,000 loan to his campaign. Smith, of Winter Springs, is running to replace state Rep. Jason Brodeur, who is term-limited out in 2018, in a district that covers east Seminole County. The former Marine colonel and modeling and simulation […]

Scott PowersFebruary 3, 2017

The social fallout from Puerto Rico’s multi-fasceted financial crisis must be dealt with in more immediate ways in Central Florida where so much of the diaspora is fleeing, a panel of scholars urged key Puerto Rican political leaders in Orlando Friday. Their call for concern for recognizing, assisting, and empowering Puerto Ricans settling by the […]

Tag: Bob Cortes

Supreme Court sends Bessman Okafor sentence back, Rick Scott reassigns it from Aramis Ayala

Florida passes bill to issue certificates for miscarriages

Compilation of Easter messages from Florida’s elected officials and politicians

Rick Scott brings Visit Florida, Enterprise Florida pitch to Lake Nona

Bob Cortes, others renew call for Aramis Ayala’s removal

House panel approves scaled back version of school recess bill

Bob Cortes: I’m not running for Congress (yet)

Bob Cortes calls for Rick Scott to suspend Aramis Ayala, reassign all her capital cases

David Smith starts Florida House run with $25K loan; David Santiago, Mike La Rosa raise $21K

Puerto Rico crisis panel brings it home to Florida