Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschNovember 14, 2017

Top Republicans in the House and Senate brought in saw huge committee fundraising gains in October, with Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson leading the pack with $645,000 raised. Simpson, a Trilby Republican, is likely to take over as Senate President for 2021-22, brought in 75 contributions through Jobs for Florida, including nine contributions of $25,000 […]

Peter SchorschOctober 31, 2017

The witching hour is upon us. Ghosts and ghouls fill the streets. Zombies walk side-by-side with princesses and superheroes. Their mission the same: Spook and scare their neighbors in hopes of scoring enough candy to sustain them for the next year. Total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $9.1 billion in 2017, according to the […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 6, 2017

A group of landowners in the Everglades Agricultural Area are telling the state officials that selling land south of lake Okeechobee do nothing to fix problems they believe are caused north of the lake. Senate President Joe Negron is pushing a Senate proposal seeks to create a $2.4-billion, 60,000-acre reservoir for Everglades water storage. If […]

Peter SchorschAugust 31, 2016

It is often said that “elections have consequences,” and for those engaged in the political struggle to convince voters to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee, these consequences will soon seem all too real. Among the biggest losers in Tuesday’s primary were candidates who signed the “NowOrNeverGlades” declaration to buy land from Florida sugarcane growers. […]

Peter SchorschAugust 26, 2016

Brian Mast is one of the 12 candidates seeking Florida’s 18th Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Patrick Murphy, who is now running for U.S. Senate. The retired Army sergeant is one of only two candidates who had accepted money from the sugar industry. The other is Republican Rick Roth, an actual sugar farmer. According to […]

Peter SchorschAugust 23, 2016

When it comes to Joe Negron’s plan to save the Everglades, not everyone feels the answer is to “buy the land.” The problem? The Stuart Republican’s proposal is painfully short on details, says a recent editorial in the Fort Myers News-Press. Negron, the incoming Senate President, is pushing the state to purchase 60,000 acres of […]

Mitch PerryAugust 22, 2016

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Tim Canova is going after Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her ties to sugar interests in a new ad airing on cable and broadcast channels in the Miami-Dade market this week. “Water is our precious resource, and the future of Florida depends on it,” Canova narrates to a picture of a baby swimming in clear blue water — which […]

Phil AmmannAugust 11, 2016

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Incoming Senate President Joe Negron is pushing a $2.4 billion purchase of 60,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee to store excess water and ease the effects of discharging polluted runoff. Announced Tuesday, the plan, which represents a major break in one of the state’s most divisive environmental battles, took the sugar industry by […]

Peter SchorschJuly 18, 2016

Last week, the Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas reported Florida’s sugar industry has spent a “whopping” $57.8 million over the last 22 years on political campaign contributions. This number sounds huge. But to those actively involved in Florida’s political process, the number is not so whopping when you’re plying your trade as a health care, theme park/entertainment, […]

Drew WilsonOctober 31, 2015

Early committee finance numbers for Republican Sens. Jack Latvala and Joe Negron show the two rivals for Senate President are as close as ever in fundraising. Latvala’s outfit, Florida Leadership Committee, entered October with a little more than $1.6 million on-hand, and the committee should get a little boost above that mark once final reports […]

Tag: Florida Crystals

Top Republican lawmakers scored big in October fundraising reports

Halloween is brought you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations

Everglades landowners ‘not willing sellers’ for Joe Negron’s Lake O reservoir

Voters throw cold water on ‘Buy the Land’ candidates in primaries

Brian Mast fudges promise to return sugar money, blasts opponent who calls him on it

News-Press editorial says Joe Negron Everglades plan needs work, more details

Tim Canova goes after Debbie Wasserman Schultz on relationship with Big Sugar in new ad

Joe Negron’s Lake O proposal takes sugar industry by surprise

Putting the sugar industry’s history of political contributions into some much-needed context

Fundraising reports show Senate rivals Jack Latvala, Joe Negron close as ever