Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 13, 2017

Legislation that would fund a program to alleviate Florida “food deserts” advanced easily through a Senate subcommittee Thursday. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources passed SB 1592, creating the “Healthy Food Assistance Program,” which provides funding to the Department of Agriculture for retrofitting small food retailers with refrigeration, display shelving or […]

Scott PowersApril 3, 2017

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Football fans of rival Auburn University probably won’t be getting a Florida commemorative plate this year. A provision to allow for the production of Auburn license plates was dropped from state Sen. Keith Perry‘s Senate Bill 1374 through an amendment added Monday in the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee. That left the […]

Jim RosicaMarch 29, 2017

Now that he’s dispensed with the possibility of running for political office again, former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says he just wants to be a cultural “preservative.” Huckabee – a Christian minister, former Arkansas governor and now Walton County resident – spoke to reporters before his appearance at Wednesday’s Legislative Prayer Breakfast in Tallahassee. Huckabee ran for […]

Gary FineoutMarch 23, 2017

Students, their parents and school employees would be guaranteed wider rights to publicly pray and express their religious beliefs in public schools under a far-reaching bill approved Thursday by the Florida Senate. Backers of the legislation, including Senate President Joe Negron, contend that the measure is needed because schools have unnecessarily clamped down on free […]

Mitch PerryMarch 22, 2017

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Legislation to make texting while driving a primary offense passed Wednesday unanimously by the Senate Transportation Committee. Miami Republican Rene Garcia sponsored the legislation (SB 144). Florida was one of the later states in the country to adopt anti-texting laws, not doing so until 2013. But the fact that it’s a secondary offense has led critics […]

Jim RosicaMarch 15, 2017

The Florida Senate has passed a change to the state’s “stand your ground” law that would make it easier for criminal defendants to claim self-defense. It was approved on a 23-15 vote during Wednesday’s floor session. Specifically, the bill would require prosecutors to prove “that a defendant is not immune from prosecution.” The bill (SB 128), […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 14, 2017

Legislation that could extend the concept of religious expression in public schools cleared its second and final Senate committee, and now awaits a floor vote. The “Florida Student and School Personnel and Religious Liberties Act” [SB 436], carried in the Senate by Sen. Dennis Baxley, was passed along party lines by the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. The […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 14, 2017

Legislation that could extend the concept of religious expression in public schools will have committee hearings in the Florida House and Senate Tuesday. The “Florida Student and School Personnel and Religious Liberties Act” [HB 303 / SB 436] is being carried on the House side by Democratic Rep. Kim Daniels and the Senate side by Sen. Dennis Baxley. […]

Les NeuhausMarch 7, 2017

The Senate Committee on Judiciary overwhelmingly passed a claims bill Tuesday, compensating a man seriously injured as a teen when the van he was riding in was smashed from behind by a school bus belonging to the district. The claims bill — SB 24 — was sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores, who wanted the district to stick with a […]

Joe HendersonMarch 7, 2017

The Hillsborough County public school district has straightforward rules in its student handbook about religion. It says students can talk about religion, practice their religion, can be excused to observe a religious holiday, and – most important for the context of our discussion today – decide for themselves whether they want to participate in things […]

Tag: Dennis Baxley

Senate committee advances bill to address Florida food deserts

Auburn license plate proposal dropped in committee

Mike Huckabee’s mission: To keep the world from ‘spoiling’

Bill would protect religious expression in schools

Tougher texting-and-driving ban sails through Senate committee

Senate passes fix to ‘stand your ground’ law

‘Religious expression in public schools’ ready for full Senate vote

Religious expression legislation slated for Tuesday committees in House, Senate

Judiciary Committee unanimously OK’s claim bill for man injured in bus accident as teen

Just imagine huge can of worms opened by religious liberty bill