Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2017

Don’t expect any movement in the budgets for Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA at the conference committee level. “I’m authorized to negotiate quite a few things in this budget and there’s a few things I’m not, and those would be among the things I’m not,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, the St. Petersburg Republican chairing the […]

Jim RosicaApril 28, 2017

Ken Lawson, CEO of the embattled VISIT FLORIDA, again pleaded with lawmakers to fully fund his agency, saying jobs depend on it. Lawson appeared before the Legislature’s tourism and economic development budget conference on Friday as Gov. Rick Scott left the state to attend a National Rifle Association meeting in Atlanta. Meantime, Scott’s political committee, Let’s […]

Michael MolineMarch 28, 2017

House budget writers stuck to the plan Tuesday in rolling out details of their proposed $12.3 billion for transportation and tourism. It would eliminate economic incentives programs including Enterprise Florida, and sharply reduce spending on Visit Florida. “We’re basically following the tenets of (HB) 7005, the policy bill that was passed a couple of weeks ago,” […]

Michael MolineMarch 16, 2017

Florida would place its military installations at risk of commercial encroachment — and, possibly, closure — without adequate funding for land acquisition through the Florida Forever land acquisition program, a military support organization warned Thursday. Some $3 million from U.S. Department of Defense funds will be lost at the end of 2018 unless the state […]

Staff ReportsMarch 8, 2017

Voters across the state will be getting robo-calls blasting their representative for voting for a bill to kill Enterprise Florida. POLITICO Florida reported that Let’s Get to Work, the political committee backing Gov. Rick Scott, has funded another round of robocalls hitting Republicans who voted for a bill (HB 7005) that would eliminate Enterprise Florida […]

Michael MolineFebruary 22, 2017

The House Transportation and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee began voting on nearly $500 million in member project bills Wednesday, as its chairman warned that the panel’s approval does not guaratee a project will make it into the final House budget bill. “Our point here is to try to vet these to the extent we can in the […]

Ryan RayJune 1, 2016

A pair of eminent Florida politicos want to introduce legislation to create a specialty Florida license plate bearing the logo of Auburn University. That’s a bad idea for several reasons. No animus against Democratic strategist Kevin Cate, one of the kindest political people around, or Rep. Jamie Grant, who gives me courage despite my own receding hairline. But this […]

Peter SchorschApril 7, 2016

Pensacola state Rep. Clay Ingram has decided against a run for the state Senate, he announced Thursday. Ingram was speculated to be a likely candidate in the race to replace Sen. Greg Evers, who is contemplating running for the 1st Congressional District seat vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller. Northwest Florida politicos thought Thursday would be the day […]

Drew WilsonMarch 28, 2016

A Republican candidate has filed for the Florida House seat held by incumbent Pensacola Beach Republican Mike Hill, which may signal the freshman representative’s intent to run for Greg Evers’ Senate seat. This past Wednesday, Frank White filed for House District 2, becoming the only other Republican running in the GOP stronghold, which has been […]

Guest AuthorMarch 11, 2016

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller has set off a series of dominoes with his announcement Thursday that he will not seek a ninth term in Congress. Congressional openings are rare. Over the past 45 years, Northwest Florida has only had four U.S. Representatives: Bob Sikes, Earl Hutto, Joe Scarborough, and Miller. The last two, Scarborough and […]

Tag: Clay Ingram

Top line tourism, economic development money closed out, chair says

Ken Lawson on VISIT FLORIDA funding: ‘Protect our people’

House and Senate cement their differences on Visit Florida funding

Task Force wants money to fight encroachment on Florida military bases

Report: Rick Scott committee releases robocall targeting Republicans who support killing Enterprise Florida

House Transportation and Tourism panel begins vetting member projects

An Auburn license plate in Florida is a bad idea

Not waiting for Greg Evers’ decision, Clay Ingram says he won’t run for state Senate

Frank White files in GOP-heavy HD 2

Rick Outzen: Political domino games begin with Jeff Miller’s announcement