Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschAugust 18, 2018

Rick Wilson, the Tallahassee-based Republican operative whose moonshot to the spotlight accompanied his unwithering criticism of President Donald Trump, came home this week. His landing spot: The capital city’s Midtown Reader bookstore, to read from and discuss his new best-selling book, “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” “This process started a little bit as catharsis,” Wilson told […]

Peter SchorschAugust 11, 2018

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Charter chalks a win The Leon County School District suffered a bruising defeat this week when an appeal panel unanimously recommended the state overturn the county’s decision to block a new charter school from setting up shop in the county. The Charter School Appeal Commission, composed evenly of traditional public and […]

Guest AuthorAugust 10, 2018

Serving as Secretary of the Department of Children and Families is the second most challenging job in Florida government. Day or night, you never know what agonizing tragedy will confront your staff and community partners. Public servants of Mike Carroll’s high integrity, breadth of knowledge and deep compassion are difficult to replace. We are about […]

Jim RosicaAugust 10, 2018

Mike Carroll, Secretary of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), will quit his post effective Sept. 6, Gov. Rick Scott‘s office announced Friday. “Mike embodies the ideals and mission of the Department … and has devoted nearly three decades to improve and change the lives of Florida’s vulnerable children and families,” the governor said […]

Peter SchorschAugust 4, 2018

Every July Fourth, Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston reads a copy of the Declaration of Independence reprinted in the Tallahassee Democrat. “I always sit in the morning with a cup of coffee and read back through that,” Polston told members of the Economic Club of Florida in Tallahassee this week. “I just enjoy doing […]

Peter SchorschJuly 28, 2018

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With a brow-raising $89.3 billion for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the state appropriated the largest budget in Florida history, a $4.36 billion increase from last year. Those big numbers make Florida TaxWatch’s recently released Taxpayer’s Budget Guide all the more valuable. Authored by the watchdog group’s vice president of research, Kurt Wenner, the interactive series […]

Peter SchorschJuly 21, 2018

Clouds are brewing over the journalism industry, but the long-term forecast is promising. That’s according to Diane McFarlin, the former publisher of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and current dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism. She delivered a media ‘forecast’ to an audience of UF alumni in Tallahassee this week. In the short term, […]

Staff ReportsJuly 2, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott says he has told the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) to “file a budget amendment to redirect funding for homelessness prevention services.” Scott announced the move in a news release Monday. “The Florida Legislature provided DCF spending authority in the FY 2018-19 budget, but did not provide dollars needed to fund these […]

Peter SchorschJune 29, 2018

And here we go again. Another ill-fated plan to save a failed development with taxpayer dollars. This story from the Tallahassee Democrat has two agencies (Department of Children and Families and the Department of State) moving into another failed shopping center. Let’s not forget what happened just a few years ago when state agencies were forced […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 19, 2018

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A spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott Sunday rejected comparisons between a 2016 state investigation into the Parkland school shooter and the FBI’s lack of follow-up on tips on his potential danger. “It is absurd and irresponsible to compare the DCF’s investigation, completed nearly 18 months ago in response to allegations of caregiver abuse and neglect, […]

Tag: Department of Children and Families

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Hustlin’ 45

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Charter chalks a win

Jack Levine: With integrity and compassion, Mike Carroll will be hard to replace

Mike Carroll quits as head of Florida’s child-welfare agency

Takeaways from Tallahassee — A justice talks civics

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Budget breakdown

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Weathering the storm

Rick Scott orders money for homelessness prevention

Malled to death

Governor’s Office rejects FBI, DCF comparisons post-Parkland