Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonOctober 30, 2017

Consumer confidence may be down, but shoppers won’t be spooked on Halloween according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation. NRF, the parent group of the Florida Retail Federation, expects 179 million Americans to spend a combined $9.1 billion this year on all things Halloween — that’s 8 million more trick-or-treaters and $700 […]

Drew WilsonOctober 23, 2017

A proposed ballot initiative that would give Florida voters the final say in gambling expansion now has more than 300,000 valid signatures according to the Florida Division of Elections. Voter Control of Gambling in Florida now has 301,370 valid signatures and has surpassed its quota in one of Florida’s 27 congressional districts, Pinellas County-based Congressional […]

Drew WilsonOctober 11, 2017

Disney isn’t a fan of casino gambling coming to the Sunshine State, and the House of Mouse hasn’t shied away from putting its money where its mouth is with its support of the committee backing a proposed ballot initiative that would limit gaming expansion. Disney Worldwide Services contributed another $575,000 to “Voters in Charge” last […]

Peter SchorschJuly 5, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s newly formed political committee raised more 2 million dollars last month. Although the Land O’Lakes Republican has been coy about his political future, with an eye-opening haul like that, it’s hard to argue the Speaker is not at least considering a 2018 gubernatorial run. Included in that $2,060,000 (and change) Watchdog […]

Jim RosicaJune 5, 2017

The state’s anti-gambling expansion group is pushing back against comments that it’s “misinformed” about casino gambling not being a “meaningful attraction for Florida tourism.” Steven Norton, a longtime gambling executive and consultant, linked to Nick Sortal‘s Friday column for the Miami Herald in Norton’s Monday email roundup of the gambling scene in the South. “As I survey the scene […]

Scott PowersMay 11, 2017

Three Democrats and one Republican running so far for the 2018 Florida governor’s race are starting out with war chests built with big checks, from such sources as August A. Busch, George Soros, David King and Wayne Hogan, mainly cut to their independent political committees that have no limits. Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam leads the […]

Associated PressMarch 24, 2017

It takes a lot of land to accommodate Cinderella’s castle, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Epcot’s 11-country World Showcase — and a hefty purse to pay the property taxes on it. To cut tax bills in the tens of millions of dollars, the specialists at Orlando’s famous theme parks have employed methods from […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 21, 2017

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam raised more than $500,000 for his political committee in the first half of February according to a newly updated financial report. The committee, Florida Grown, brought in about $200,000 of its $538,000 haul from the Associated Industries of Florida and one of its related political committees. Another $100,000 came from Vero […]

Associated PressFebruary 8, 2017

Disney has been on a tear the past few years, thanks to popular channels like ESPN, its “Star Wars” and Marvel superhero franchises, and improving results at its global parks. Now comes the hard part. CEO Robert Iger’s contract runs out next year, creating management uncertainty just as Disney needs to keep its lucrative television […]

Terry RoenNovember 15, 2016

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Forecasters are predicting a robust holiday shopping season for Florida retailers. The Florida Retail Federation, the trade association representing the state’s retailers, is predicting a 4 percent increase in sales for Sunshine State retailers, expected to outpace the national average of between 3.3 and 3.5 percent. Florida benefits from 100 million tourists visiting the state […]

Tag: Disney
American Dunes Golf Club. Image via American Dunes Golf Club.

NRF survey predicts another record-setting Halloween for retailers

Gambling amendment crosses 300K signatures

Disney keeps money flowing to anti-gambling amendment

Richard Corcoran’s $2 million haul, and what it could mean for the governor’s race

No Casinos responds to criticism it’s ‘misinformed’ about casino gambling

Governor’s race candidates drawing big checks

Mickey vs. the tax man: Disney, Universal fight tax bills

Adam Putnam’s political committee adds another $500K

Disney’s wonderful world may be too good to last

Holiday retail forecast bright