Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Joe HendersonMarch 1, 2018

Adam-Putnam-at-Florida-Energy-Summit-e1515421715202.png

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 […]

Joe HendersonFebruary 28, 2018

17-people-killed-in-Florida-school-shooting-sheriff.jpg

Some good ideas about gun control came out of the Legislature this week. Arming teachers isn’t one of them, though. The proposal in the House Appropriations Committee to spend $400 million and put resource officers in every school, beef up mental health treatment, and reinforce buildings to make them safer – all good. As always […]

Danny McAuliffeFebruary 28, 2018

As many speculate that Florida’s affordable housing issues will be exacerbated by the influx of Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria, the state Legislature intends to sweep millions from the Sadowski Trust, which funds the state’s affordable housing programs. Speaking with reporters late Tuesday night following an organizational meeting of the newly announced budget conference, Senate […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 27, 2018

With three minutes left in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, a bill mandating each judicial district in the state to implement pre-arrest diversion programs headed to the Senate floor. There was no debate on the bill (SB 1392) that would set up diversion programs with the intent of giving local law enforcement agencies a […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 27, 2018

With two weeks left in Session, the Florida Legislature on Tuesday agreed to the outline of the 2018-19 state budget that will use roughly $32 billion in state funds. At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Conference Chairs Sen. Rob Bradley and state Rep. Carlos Trujillo will hold an organization meeting in 212 Knott Building. Conference subcommittees have […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 27, 2018

As the Florida Legislature on Tuesday turned its focus to proposals crafted in the wake of the state’s deadliest school mass shooting in Parkland, a measure that would give law enforcement officers more power to investigate deadly threats made on social media cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube, who on Monday […]

Tag: Florida Legislature

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

Joe Henderson: Arming teachers is bad, bad, bad idea

Budget remarks don’t bode well for Sadowski Trust

Pre-arrest diversion program proposals head to House, Senate floors

Budget conference begins tonight, state allocations unveiled

Florida cops could soon have more power to investigate social media threats