Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Danny McAuliffeNovember 2, 2017

With a state Senate on edge after the resignation of Jeff Clemens and looming questions of surveillance, Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon II wants his chamber to focus on cases of harassment, rather than what he dubbed “consensual” relations. The assertion came after Braynon detailed his priorities for the 2018 Session. The Miami Gardens Democrat put juvenile […]

Peter SchorschOctober 27, 2017

Lake Worth Democrat Jeff Clemens resigned from the Florida Senate on Friday, effective immediately. “I have made mistakes I ashamed of, and for the past six months I have been focused on becoming a better person,” he said in a statement sent to news media. “But it is clear to me that task is impossible […]

Peter SchorschOctober 27, 2017

Two weeks ago, I wrote that Tallahassee has a Harvey Weinstein problem. Obviously, I did not know then what I think I know now about Senator Jeff Clemens. Frankly, had I, I would not have been that circumspect. That was then. This is now. We know what we know today thanks to the dogged reporting […]

Peter SchorschOctober 27, 2017

Could a third woman serve as president of the Florida Senate? That’s one of the intriguing questions at the core of behind-the-scenes maneuvering now fully underway within the Senate’s Republican caucus (currently at 24 members) as the race to succeed Bill Galvano and Wilton Simpson has quietly begun. Galvano was designated Tuesday as the next […]

Scott PowersOctober 26, 2017

A new bill filed Thursday morning by Sen. Jeff Brandes would expand the field of projects that local governments can spend tourism tax dollars on to include public works infrastructure that would assist tourism. Filed SB 658, the bill would open the door for local governments to spend tourism dollars on roads, bridges, water and sewer […]

Scott PowersOctober 24, 2017

After hearing a cavalcade of criticisms of short-term vacation rental homes in Florida two weeks ago, the Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee heard many positives Tuesday morning, while deliberating whether there need to be any state regulations. The committee’s workshop on vacation rental homes was extended from its initial hearing of the 2018 Florida Legislative […]

Associated PressOctober 20, 2017

The Florida Senate is refusing to turn over dozens of emails involving a state budget website that was shuttered despite taxpayers paying $5 million for it so far. The contractor that built the website has sued the Senate for a final payment of $500,000. While the case moves along, attorneys for both sides are arguing […]

Joe HendersonOctober 12, 2017

State Sen. Dennis Baxley just couldn’t resist. At a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday to investigate the 14 deaths of elderly patients at a Hollywood Hills nursing home, Baxley made the reasonable point that the tragedy was “outrageous.” But then, as Scott Powers reported for Florida Politics, Baxley ventured into what-is-he-talking-about land. “We keep getting new […]

Peter SchorschOctober 12, 2017

Session hasn’t even started, and we already have a winner for “Legislative Nice Guy of 2018″—Senate President Joe Negron. Negron, who we’ve already reported as having found a new gear as he enters his last year in leadership, gave up his primo parking spot in the Capitol garage so that his colleague, Dorothy Hukill, can […]

Scott PowersOctober 4, 2017

The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee will take up hurricane effects and recovery efforts across the business community in Florida at its first meeting of the 2018 session, Chairman Bill Montford announced Wednesday. That is assuming the committee’s hearing is not postponed because of a hurricane. Very early projections of Tropical Depression 16 forming off […]

Tag: Florida Senate

Oscar Braynon: Focus on harassment, not consensual relationships

Jeff Clemens resigns from Florida Senate amid sex scandal

Jeff Clemens should step down

Race for Senate presidency gets underway, but at stately pace

Jeff Brandes’ bill would allow tourist taxes for public works to support tourism

Senate panel hears values of vacation rentals, mulls regulations

Senate withholding secret emails linked to website

Joe Henderson: Dennis Baxley’s misdirection play

Joe Negron’s class act: ‘Here, Dorothy Hukill, take my spot’

Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee plans hurricane talk

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.