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Staff ReportsAugust 25, 2018

Nearly 350 candidates are vying for state House and state Senate seats in 2018. Try as we will, Florida Politics can’t interview all of them. Just like in 2016, we’re again asking every candidate, including incumbents, to complete a questionnaire we believe offers an interesting, albeit, thumbnail sketch of who they are and why they are […]

Jim RosicaAugust 21, 2018

A special panel of lawmakers continues to demand answers from medical marijuana regulators, according to a new letter obtained Tuesday through a public record request. Among the latest queries from the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee (JAPC): The identities of “subject matter experts” that the Department of Health plans to use to evaluate license applications, and whether a rule governing […]

Danny McAuliffeAugust 10, 2018

A Democratic push to reconvene state legislators for a special session on the state’s controversial ‘Stand Your Ground’ law is dead. Although doomed Thursday night, when it became clear that the three-fifths support threshold could not be met, lawmakers had until noon Friday to go on record with their support or opposition to the special […]

Staff ReportsAugust 8, 2018

Florida lawmakers have until noon Friday to respond to a proposal by Democrats to call a special session to revisit the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law. As of Wednesday evening, responses have largely fallen along party lines. House Republicans, expected to reject the idea of holding a session, made up 43 of the 44 […]

Jim RosicaAugust 6, 2018

A Tallahassee judge eviscerated the state law on medical marijuana, declaring major provisions to be unconstitutional. The ruling came in a challenge brought by Florigrown, which had been denied a chance to become a “medical marijuana treatment center” (MMTC), or provider. The company is partly owned by Tampa strip club mogul and free speech advocate Joe Redner. […]

Staff ReportsAugust 5, 2018

The second biggest shopping holiday of the year is here. No, it’s not the U.S. Coast Guard’s birthday, not in Florida at least. It’s the “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday. According to the Florida Retail Federation, the weekend — scheduled yearly by Florida lawmakers — is second only to Black Friday when it comes to getting […]

Jim RosicaJuly 19, 2018

The Legislature opened the state’s wallet again Thursday, granting a request from the state’s medical marijuana regulators for another $13 million in operating costs. The approval from the Joint Legislative Budget Commission didn’t come without some grousing, however. The Department of Health, under Gov. Rick Scott, regulates the drug through its Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU). House Democratic […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 16, 2018

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham is finally going up on television in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach. Per a media release from her campaign: “The new ad, ‘Lessons,’ introduces Graham as a mother, former PTA president, congresswoman, and daughter of popular former Governor and Senator Bob Graham. Like her previous ads, the new spot contrasts 20 […]

Jim RosicaJuly 11, 2018

Saying he violated their constitutional rights “in multiple ways, and over repeated objections,” House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron asked a Tallahassee judge to remove himself from future proceedings in an environmental funding case. The legislative leaders filed their disqualification request with Circuit Judge Charles Dodson earlier this week. On June 28, […]

Staff ReportsJuly 3, 2018

It’s almost Independence Day, which in Florida means: Time to scare some birds. Although you can buy fireworks in the state, they’re not actually legal here. Indeed, The Tampa Tribune in 2014 called fireworks sales in Florida an “institutionalized charade,” leading one lawmaker to call for “more freedom (and) less fraud.” Retail sales are allowed only […]

Tag: Florida Legislature
Image via AP.

Meet Anna Eskamani, Democrat running for Florida House District 47

‘Please explain’: Legislative panel again questions marijuana regulators

Final votes recorded for failed ‘Stand Your Ground’ session

‘Stand Your Ground’ session likely doomed

Judge declares parts of medical marijuana law unconstitutional

Retailers expect near record spending during back-to-school tax holiday

Lawmakers grudgingly OK more money for marijuana regulators

Gwen Graham buys TV time in Jacksonville, West Palm Beach

Lawmakers want judge tossed off environmental funding suit

Florida’s bizarre fireworks law still in place