Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorOctober 24, 2018

Florida is one of just four states that bans individuals with past felony convictions from voting for life. This has resulted in 1.4 million Floridians, roughly 10 percent of the state’s voting-age population, being unable to vote. An estimated 27 percent of all disenfranchised formerly incarcerated people in the country reside in Florida. Amendment 4 […]

Jim RosicaOctober 6, 2016

A proposed Florida Commission on Ethics opinion says Tena Pate, former chair of the state’s parole panel, is not subject to the state’s two-year lobbying ban on high-level employees. A staff-written advisory opinion, released Friday, will be considered for approval at the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting. Pate chaired the Florida Commission on Offender Review, formerly known as the Florida Parole […]

Guest AuthorMay 7, 2015

With state prison and criminal justice reforms in the news, state inmates, their families and supporters, lawyers, and other advocates should be aware of early-release options and strategies. Florida has nearly 101,000 inmates in 56 major state prisons and numerous annexes and work camps. A clemency commutation of sentence and parole are alternate paths to […]

Martin Horn: Amendment 4 is good criminal justice policy

Draft opinion says Tena Pate not banned from lobbying

Reggie Garcia: Florida inmates should explore their early release options