Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ana CeballosMarch 14, 2018

After years of being a persistent—sometimes annoying—presence in committee rooms across the Capitol, only one thing was able to make Tallahassee’s best-known gadfly hang up his corduroy jacket: a snowball of scandals. “Latvala, Clemens, Artiles—all this happened in one year. In one year! No, that is not acceptable and it was too much. It was […]

Staff ReportsMarch 10, 2018

The 2018 Legislative Session came and went, and Brian Pitts of the advocacy group Justice 2 Jesus was nowhere to be found. One of the last times he was spotted was November at the Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee. It was the last meeting for former state Rep. Neil Combee and after he said farewell, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 8, 2017

Legislation that forces local governments to hold sales tax referendum only on the date of a primary or general election was approved by a House committee in Tallahassee. Sponsored by Spring Hill Republican Blaise Ingoglia, the bill (HB 317) is similar to other proposals to come before the Legislature in recent years but failed to […]

Les NeuhausMarch 16, 2017

Florida lawmakers advanced two key pieces of legislation through the House Thursday, including one to lengthen the period before elected officials could begin lobbying after their time in office. The other bill would make state attorneys and public defenders in each judicial district eligible for impeachment under the governor’s power. In an overwhelming vote, the […]

Jim RosicaAugust 2, 2016

A brain-damaged Pasco County woman and a deceased Florida State football player are again the subjects of claim bills filed in the Florida Legislature. According to the Florida Senate website, 22 of the bills — also known as relief acts — were turned in Monday. Under the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, Florida law limits local […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 28, 2016

Perennial gadfly and Capitol fixture Brian Pitts is suing Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature for “preliminary and perpetual relief” from what he calls an “invalid” state budget for this year. Pitts, a trustee of his St. Petersburg-based Justice-2-Jesus church group, filed a 30-page complaint in Leon Circuit Civil Court last week, according to court […]

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

A bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Negron to prevent state funding from flowing to organizations that boycott or have divested from Israel on human rights grounds passed unanimously through a Senate budget panel on general government Tuesday afternoon. The bill, SB 86, creates a state list of “scrutinized companies” that boycott Israel to be kept by the […]

Mitch PerryJuly 1, 2015

Envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins in Christianity. It’s something that would be ideal if we didn’t occasionally suffer from, but it’s all too human for us to do so. I don’t know if it’s something I read or heard years ago, but when it comes to money (like sex), I always […]

Mitch PerryJune 30, 2015

When House Speaker Steve Crisafulli abruptly called on the Florida House of Representatives to depart Tallahassee three days before the regularly scheduled legislative session was scheduled to conclude in late April, he angered many Floridians, including Senate President Andy Gardiner. The division between the Florida House and Senate this spring prevented the Legislature from producing […]

Tag: Brian Pitts
Image via Palatka Main Street.

‘It was time for a sabbatical’: Scandals drive Brian Pitts away

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Where is Justice 2 Jesus?

Bill limiting local tax referendums passes House committee

House committee advances lobbying ban; impeachment power for attorneys, public defenders

Claim bills filed for 2017 Legislative Session

Brian Pitts suing Rick Scott, lawmakers over “invalid” state budget

Joe Negron bill to cut ties with anti-Israeli boycotters sails through committee stop

Mitch Perry Report for 7.1.15 – The politics of envy and being relatable

Justice-2-Jesus’ Brian Pitts’ lawsuit calls for repealing every law passed this year because of Legislature’s premature exit