Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 19, 2018

Duval County residents continue to be vexed by CSX trains stalled out at railroad crossings during the “precision railroading” era. They shouldn’t expect recourse from local government, however. A correspondent to Mayor Lenny Curry attempted this week to get recourse from the company. She was directed to make her grievance known on a webpage but with no response. Some excerpts […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 22, 2018

CSX stalling trains on Duval County railroad crossings became such a joke in 2017 that at least one parody twitter account was spawned. However, a discussion this week between FDOT and the mayor of Baldwin, a city in Duval County, reveals that the worst may be over. If true, this is good news. Late in […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2017

Railroad company CSX embraced a “precision railroading” model, one that led to staff cuts and a seeming uptick in trains lingering on tracks blocking roadways. Since then, citizens in the Jacksonville/Baldwin area — and well beyond — have kvetched, per an email from John G. Kalinowski, an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s 4th Judicial Circuit. In […]

Jim RosicaOctober 18, 2017

Tobacco companies are hoping next year’s try at a bond cap repeal doesn’t go up in smoke. Legislation that would do away with the limit on the amount of money tobacco companies have to put up as appellate bonds has again been filed, this time for the 2018 Legislative Session. The one-line bill (SB 124) simply repeals the section […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2017

The Jacksonville City Council located money via leftover fund balance from the current fiscal year, leading to discussions on Wednesday of how to spend the roughly $5 million on capital projects. One big project — Ortega Hills land acquisition — may help to solve a long-standing problem in the neighborhood, which sees ingress and egress […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 9, 2017

A House bill (HB 6011) that would repeal the cap on the amount of money tobacco companies have to put up as appellate bonds was “temporarily postponed” Thursday. With its Senate companion (SB 100) also indefinitely put off, the proposal’s fate is uncertain for the 2017 Legislative Session. The House version was slated to be heard in the Civil […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 26, 2016

Before John Rutherford won the GOP primary in Florida’s 4th Congressional District, he showed fundraising strength in the late-period, 48-hour contribution notices. Despite running against an opponent who doesn’t prioritize fundraising in the general election, Rutherford is finishing strong as November approaches. Rutherford banked $24,900 on Oct. 25, and the money came from a combination of […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 15, 2016

A measure that would prohibit employment, retail and other discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity has picked up a second Republican sponsor in the Florida Senate: Travis Hutson of St. Augustine. The group behind the the “Florida Competitive Workforce Act” (HB 45/SB 120) announced the move in a news release Friday. The prime sponsors […]

Bill RuftyJanuary 6, 2016

Polk County business leaders and legislators are readying for a possible end run around the Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to postpone and perhaps even stop support for the Central Polk Parkway toll road … maybe a half-end run. Rep. John Wood, a Winter Haven Republican who has chaired the Central Polk Parkway Working Group […]

Phil AmmannDecember 22, 2015

Three Florida cities, including St. Petersburg and Orlando, earned perfect scores in enacting policies to protect gay, lesbian and transgendered citizens from discrimination. In a statement Tuesday, Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce recognized Orlando, St. Petersburg and Wilton Manors (in Broward County), for receiving 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation 2015 Municipal […]

Tag: CSX
Image via AP.

No fix for Duval residents vexed by CSX crossing blockages

CSX claims to have cut crossing blockage times

‘Arrangement’ between CSX, 4th circuit lawyers on blocked railroad crossings

Tobacco bond cap repeal teed up again in Legislature

Solution emerges to stalled train problem in Jacksonville’s Ortega Hills

Tobacco bond repealer is again postponed, this time in House

John Rutherford banks $25K in recent contributions

Support for LGBT-protection bill grows among Legislature’s GOP members

Maybe Polk County will build a toll road, anyway

3 Florida cities receive perfect score for LGBT anti-discrimination policies