Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschFebruary 25, 2018

A group supporting a wave of first-time candidates for elected office took out a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of the Sun-Sentinel calling on Floridians to run against NRA-backed state lawmakers in 2018. The Run for Something ad states “The NRA is killing our kids” at the top and then includes an sheet with […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 21, 2018

A sweeping criminal justice bill that would upend how the state collects data on offenders in an attempt to better determine who is incarcerated and for how long is moving in the Senate. The measure would require the Department of Corrections to use risk-assessment instruments that can identify the appropriate intervention and program for an […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 12, 2018

“Concerned, apprehensive, and confused.” That’s the mood on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus over the proposed consolidation of the USF System, USF St. Pete student government leaders say. In a letter to GOP lawmakers who are pushing consolidation legislation, student body officials set out their concerns over the proposal to phase out the separate […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 31, 2018

Speaker Richard Corcoran on Wednesday followed up on a promise to shake up the criminal justice system and shake out more data on how it’s doing. That includes, as he once said, analyzing prosecution and sentencing outcomes by race and county. Corcoran, a Land O’ Lakes Republican, and others announced legislation (PCB JDC 18-02) to make […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 31, 2018

Currently in the Florida Legislature, there is a provision in a bill that “no later than Jan. 15, 2019” USF must submit a plan to “phase out the separate accreditation of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus and the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee Campus … no later than June 30, 2020.” Make no […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 29, 2018

Two Pinellas County Republicans want reassurance that students at the University of South Florida’s two smaller sister campuses will receive “significant benefits” under a proposed plan to consolidate the three-campus system into a single university. Citing “years of distrust between campuses” in a letter to USF Board of Trustees Chair Brian Lamb, state Rep. Chris […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerJanuary 29, 2018

The Florida college system would remain under the State Board of Education in a proposal approved Friday by a panel of the Constitution Revision Commission. The commission’s Education Committee approved a measure (Proposal 83), sponsored by Commissioner Nicole Washington of Miami Beach, that would put the existing governance system for the 28 state and community […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 26, 2018

The state university system’s Board of Governors said Thursday it was fully behind a plan to combine the three USF campuses, but the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce said lawmakers need to “hit pause” on the consolidation plan. Republican Rep. Chris Sprowls added a provision to the House higher education bill, HB 423, that would […]

Joe HendersonJanuary 19, 2018

The controversial proposal in the Legislature to combine the three campuses of the University of South Florida has drawn the ire of U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg. In a letter to Senate President Joe Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, Crist said he is “deeply concerned” over the bill offered by state Rep. Chris Sprowls, a […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 17, 2018

Saying they’re tired of Congress punting on the issue, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, joined by the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), announced a new agreement under which 17 local jails in Florida will hold undocumented immigrants for 48 hours after the inmate has posted bail to give federal agents time to […]

Tag: Chris Sprowls
Image via Tiger Bay.

Run for Something ad highlights unopposed Florida lawmakers with NRA ties

Senate panel pushes criminal justice overhaul bill

USFSP students ‘apprehensive and confused’ over consolidation

House kicks off effort to weed out ‘bigots on the bench’

This is the best you can do, St. Pete Chamber of Commerce?

Legislative leaders seek reassurance as USF consolidation plan moves ahead

State colleges could get spot in constitution

University system says unified USF ‘just makes sense,’; St. Pete Chamber says ‘slow down’

Charlie Crist ‘deeply concerned’ about USF unification bill

ICE, Florida counties strike deal on new immigrant detention policy