Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jac VerSteegJanuary 13, 2016

FAU professor James Tracy is creating an opening for Florida politicians who don’t like tenure and don’t like faculty unions. Because of Tracy’s case, tenure opponents could go on the attack and look good doing it. Tracy is the Florida Atlantic University communications professor who claims the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre is a […]

Jac VerSteegJanuary 12, 2016

FAU professor James Tracy is creating an opening for Florida politicians who don’t like tenure and don’t like faculty unions. Because of Tracy’s case, tenure opponents could go on the attack and look good doing it. Tracy is the Florida Atlantic University communications professor who claims the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre is a […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 12, 2016

Brute force is one way things get done in politics. If a party has an overwhelming majority in the legislative and executive branches, it can simply ram everything through. But the Founding Fathers deliberately made it difficult. Therefore, both left and right seek compromise, where possible. In the last session of the Florida Legislature, there […]

Brendan FarringtonJanuary 12, 2016

The Legislature will begin its annual session early this year with the hopes of avoiding the chaos and dysfunction that marked the 2015 Session and three special sessions that followed. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner say the past is the past and there’s no lingering animosity after the two chambers found […]

Rich TemplinJanuary 6, 2016

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Once again, the media is abuzz and many in the Florida Legislature are absolutely giddy at the prospect of what they call a budget surplus this year. State fiscal analysts are predicting a surplus of about $635 million and the Governor’s Office, using a bit of fuzzy math that no one outside of his administration […]

Scott PowersJanuary 4, 2016

Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings has split up the fourteen challenges to the state’s newly-awarded medical marijuana licenses, re-assigning the three Central Region challenges to Judge Elizabeth W. McArthur and the four Northeast region cases to Judge R. Bruce McKibben. Initially, the challenges all had been assigned to Judge W. David Watkins, who had presided over […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 3, 2016

In a decision that could signal the end of Republican domination of the Florida Legislature, a circuit judge last week approved a new map for 40 state Senate districts. Judge George Reynolds‘ ruling rejected boundaries for Senate districts drawn up by a top Republican. Reynolds instead signed off on a map drawn by a coalition of […]

Jim RosicaDecember 30, 2015

From palace intrigues to pot, 2015 brought a plethora of material to the Capitol Press Corps. Trying to pick the top 10 state government stories is a subjective pursuit, to say the least, but here are the FloridaPolitics.com picks for the passing year: No. 1: The “firing” of Gerald Bailey Gov. Rick Scott actually forced […]

Martin DyckmanDecember 30, 2015

Florida had been a state for less than a century when it came time to honor famous citizens with two statues at the U.S. Capitol, and there were few plausible candidates. Dr. John Gorrie, the physician who invented mechanical refrigeration – imagine modern Florida without it – was an outstanding choice. But from today’s perspective, […]

Martin DyckmanDecember 29, 2015

Florida had been a state for less than a century when it came time to honor famous citizens with two statues at the U.S. Capitol, and there were few plausible candidates. Dr. John Gorrie, the physician who invented mechanical refrigeration – imagine modern Florida without it – was an outstanding choice. But from today’s perspective, […]

Tag: Florida Legislature
"Statesman of the Year" honoree Matt Gaetz was appropriately impressed with this year's Lincoln Day Dinner. Image via Republican Party of Palm Beach County.

Jac VerSteeg: FAU professor James Tracy’s case helps anti-tenure forces

Jac VerSteeg: FAU professor James Tracy's case helps anti-tenure forces

Lloyd Brown: Special interests balking at a fair compromise on water bill

Gambling, guns, tax cuts and more facing Florida lawmakers

Rich Templin: The great Florida surplus myth

State to split 14 medical marijuana license challenges among three administrative judges

5 Florida pols screwed by the redistricting ruling

Jim Rosica’s top 10 stories of 2015 in state government

Many Floridians of note deserve U.S. Capitol honor

Martin Dyckman: Many Floridians of note deserve U.S. Capitol honor