Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ana CeballosMarch 3, 2018

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After leading the charge to oust Broward Sheriff Scott Israel in the wake of Florida’s worst school shooting, Republican state Rep. Bill Hager tried to gut funding from a program run by the Sheriff’s Office. Hager oversees the House’s criminal justice budget, which gives him large sway over funding for law enforcement-related projects and issues. […]

Ana CeballosMarch 2, 2018

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A quiet change proposed Thursday under a wide-ranging commercial motor vehicle bill would strip the power of a transportation panel and give the governor sole discretion over the appointment of the state’s top transportation official. State law tasks the Florida Transportation Commission to recommend three names to the governor when it comes to choosing the […]

Ana CeballosMarch 1, 2018

Private-prison giant GEO Group wants $4 million in taxpayer money to pay for correctional officers’ salaries at seven of its state-contracted facilities — but the House won’t budge. The House’s top criminal justice budget-writer, state Rep. Bill Hager, said his chamber has taken the stance to zero out the private prison’s request because the Florida-based […]

Ana CeballosMarch 1, 2018

In a rare political move, Gov. Rick Scott and the father of a 14-year-old Parkland shooting victim jointly addressed the House and Senate floors on Thursday and asked legislators to set aside differences and ensure schools are safe sans armed teachers. “I want to make sure there is law enforcement in our schools,” Scott told […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2018

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis on Thursday denounced Florida Legislature efforts to tighten gun restrictions and said the mass shooting two weeks ago at the Parkland high school should be seen as “a catastrophic failure” by the Broward County sheriff and the FBI. DeSantis, a congressman from Ponte Vedra Beach, has made similar comments in […]

Joe HendersonMarch 1, 2018

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Say this for Adam Putnam: he knows how to get attention. He put out a terse news release Wednesday, ripping a state Senate proposal to use $10 million from the concealed weapons license fee to reimburse trauma centers for costs related to the Parkland murders. It was kind of a “get off my lawn” moment […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2018

Survivors, family, and community members battered but not beaten by Florida’s two great recent tragedies met in Orlando Wednesday at Pulse nightclub, uniting in their grief, anger, determination and a frustration over how things do or do not change. A busload of Parkland community members, including families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students, came […]

Ana CeballosMarch 1, 2018

After a criminal justice bill sponsored by Senate budget chief Rob Bradley was zeroed out Wednesday in early negotiations, he said he will kill it to help fund plans to harden schools and fund for mental health services. “I have killed my own bill,” Bradley told Florida Politics. The move to abandon the bill took Sen. […]

Danny McAuliffeFebruary 28, 2018

When several amendments were filed on gun bills ahead of their hearings in the House and Senate budget committees on Tuesday, the mother of a teacher killed in the Parkland shooting said she felt misled by the Legislature. Linda Beigel Schulman’s son Scott Beigel was among the 17 killed by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz on Feb. […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 28, 2018

As the House and Senate begin final budget negotiations, one of the biggest Medicaid funding differences will be cuts to hospitals, an area that was slashed last Session and is already having a real-life impact on one rural hospital in DeSoto County. No more baby deliveries. “Effective February 1, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. DeSoto Memorial […]

Tag: Florida Legislature

Bill Hager’s battle with Broward Sheriff spills over into Florida budget talks

Governor would have sole discretion over FDOT head appointment under proposal

Senate, House at odds over $4m to pay for private prison operations

In impromptu Capitol visit, Rick Scott reiterates: don’t arm teachers

Ron DeSantis calls Parkland massacre a failure of FBI, sheriff; denounces state gun proposals

Joe Henderson: Maybe Senate should have asked Adam Putnam first

Parkland meets Pulse, uniting in grief, anger and frustration

Rob Bradley kills his criminal justice bill to ‘fund school safety initiatives’

Mother of dead Parkland teacher questions Legislature’s transparency

No more baby deliveries: Rural hospital affected after state’s Medicaid cuts