Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Diane RobertsApril 19, 2016

Ever wonder what will be left of natural Florida when Rick Scott slithers out of the Governor’s Mansion for the last time? Look at the Indian River Lagoon. Once a 150 mile-long bay of clear water filled with manatees, sea grasses and oysters, it has become a brown, stinking monoculture where only algae thrive. The […]

Diane RobertsApril 18, 2016

Ever wonder what will be left of natural Florida when Rick Scott slithers out of the Governor’s Mansion for the last time? Look at the Indian River Lagoon. Once a 150 mile-long bay of clear water filled with manatees, sea grasses and oysters, it has become a brown, stinking monoculture where only algae thrive. The […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 12, 2016

Brute force is one way things get done in politics. If a party has an overwhelming majority in the legislative and executive branches, it can simply ram everything through. But the Founding Fathers deliberately made it difficult. Therefore, both left and right seek compromise, where possible. In the last session of the Florida Legislature, there […]

Rosanne DunkelbergerJanuary 2, 2016

On the second day of 2016, a group of about 100 gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee to bid farewell Norene Olson Chase, who, at 91, lived a decade longer than the average woman in the United States. She died Dec. 14. Chase died, as nonagenarians are wont to do, after falling, breaking […]

Mitch PerryAugust 27, 2015

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a settlement agreement previously negotiated between Florida Power & Light (FPL) and the Office of Public Counsel. FPL ratepayers will pay $520.5 million to purchase and then phase out the Cedar Bay Generating coal-fired power plant in Jacksonville, located near the St. John’s River. “As we continue to […]

Mitch PerryMay 27, 2015

Among those heavily disappointed by the recently aborted Legislative Session are environmental advocates, frustrated by lawmakers who failed to allocate enough money for Florida Forever, the state’s land acquisition program. That failure came despite more than 75 percent of voters in November approving Amendment 1, which calls for setting aside part of real estate document […]

Bruce RitchieMay 1, 2015

Another legislative session dubbed the “year of water” failed to deliver in 2015 as the House went home early over a health care spending dispute with the Senate. HB 7003, a water bill that was a legislative priority of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, passed the House by a 106-9 vote on the second day of […]

Ryan RayApril 28, 2015

A small clutch of activists gathered on a foggy Tuesday morning to deliver petitions to Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders. Executive Director of Audubon Florida Eric Draper was handed a bottle of water infused with a blue-green algae bloom beforehand, FedExed straight from Central Florida the afternoon before. The green, murky water came from Lake Okeechobee and is […]

Bruce RitchieApril 23, 2015

Language from a comprehensive House water bill was added on Thursday to other environmental legislation in the House over objections from Democrats. The water bill language lacks key components of the Senate bill that are important to that chamber’s leadership, raising questions about whether the move represents gamesmanship between the two chambers. Some environmentalists say […]

Bruce RitchieApril 20, 2015

President Barack Obama’s planned trip to the Everglades this week is being used some supporters to boost the proposal to buy U.S. Sugar Corp. land for water storage. In his weekly radio address on Saturday, Obama said he will visit the Everglades on Earth Day, which is Wednesday, to talk about how climate change threatens […]

Tag: eric draper

Diane Roberts: Rick Scott’s business buddies want to kill bears, panthers, environment

Diane Roberts: Rick Scott’s business buddies want to kill bears, panthers, environment

Lloyd Brown: Special interests balking at a fair compromise on water bill

Remembering Norene Chase, a “warrior” with a clipboard

FPL gains OK to purchase, close coal-fired plant in Jacksonville

Statewide rallies to push for Special Session action on Amendment 1

“Year of water” failed along with most environmental bills

Everglades Trust delivers petitions urging Rick Scott to buy U.S. Sugar land

House water bill language finds new home as Session winds down

President’s visit is “vital” to land deal, Everglades Trust says