Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

James CallMarch 9, 2015

It was a day of testing at the state Capitol. The House Education Committee took about an hour to dispose of an overhaul of Florida’s school accountability system. The measure reducing testing and allowing an earlier start date of the school year sailed through with a few concerns expressed and a unanimous vote. While the […]

Associated PressMarch 9, 2015

Florida’s top law enforcement agency is investigating cyber-attacks that caused several school districts to suspend standardized tests. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Education announced the investigation Monday, a week after school districts started reporting problems with the tests. Administrators were having problems logging into the testing system and some students […]

Associated PressMarch 4, 2015

Disagreement is surfacing between Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other members of the Florida Cabinet over how to proceed in the aftermath of Scott’s controversial firing of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Chief Gerald Bailey. Aides to Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a Cabinet […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 25, 2015

Miami Herald political editor Sergio Bustos provided the most fascinating tidbit at Tuesday’s Media Panel sponsored by TaxWatch and held at Gunster law firm in Fort Lauderdale. The topic was gambling in Florida. Will the state reach a new compact with the Seminoles? Will the interests pushing for Las Vegas-style resort casinos finally get clearance […]

Ryan RayFebruary 25, 2015

Sen. Garrett Richter of Naples filed a bill Monday to enact restrictions “prohibiting a person, state agency, or political subdivision from using a drone to capture an image of privately owned or occupied real property or of the owner, tenant, or occupant of such property with the intent to conduct surveillance” without their consent, if “a […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 13, 2015

Rick Swearingen, newly appointed commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is taking a stand against a recent article criticizing his trips he took as part of Gov. Rick Scott‘s security detail. “State’s new FDLE Commissioner has Earned Governor’s Favor,” which ran Feb. 9, has Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas claiming Swearingen took several “inappropriate trips” at […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 13, 2015

Rick Swearingen, newly appointed commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is taking a stand against a recent article criticizing his trips he took as part of Gov. Rick Scott‘s security detail. “State’s new FDLE Commissioner has Earned Governor’s Favor,” which ran Feb. 9, has Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas claiming Swearingen took several “inappropriate trips” at […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 9, 2015

Like most everyone else in Florida politics, I read with interest the Tampa Bay Times‘ profile of Rick Scott’s Chief of Staff, Melissa Sellers. Because I have personally done almost as much research on Sellers as Times reporters Adam Smith and Steve Bousquet, there wasn’t much that they wrote that surprised me. In fact — and this is […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 28, 2015

A St. Petersburg consumer law attorney is demanding an official investigation into Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Cabinet and staff for possible violations of the state’s open records laws. On Tuesday, attorney Matthew Weidner sent a letter of complaint to William Meggs, state attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit in Tallahassee, requesting a formal investigation […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 15, 2015

A new scandal exploded across Tallahassee on Tuesday afternoon after Gov. Rick Scott admitted that Gerald Bailey did not voluntarily resign as commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, but was forced out against his will. Under Florida law, the governor cannot fire the head of FDLE without the support of at least one other member […]

Tag: Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting. Image via AP.

The day that was in Florida Politics — March 9

State investigates cyber-attack on school testing program

Disagreement surfaces over follow-up to Gerald Bailey firing

Jac VerSteeg: Why casinos might be out of luck in Florida

Garrett Richter seeks to limit drone surveillance by Florida law enforcement

New FDLE chief blasts Herald article on “inappropriate” trips as Rick Scott security detail

New FDLE chief blasts Herald article on "inappropriate" trips as Rick Scott security detail

Make fun of Melissa Sellers all you want, but not for this…

St. Pete lawyer files Sunshine Law complaint letter over Baileygate

Peter Schorsch: What’s the Scott administration going to do about Bailey’s firing?