Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Danny McAuliffeApril 6, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Alissa McKee Ellison to the Hillsborough County Court on Friday. Ellison, a shareholder at GrayRobinson law firm, will replace former Hillsborough Judge Michael S. Williams, who was selected by Scott last year to serve on the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court. Ellison, 37, of Tampa, received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State University […]

Phil AmmannMarch 31, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill this week aimed at eradicating invasive species, such as the rightly maligned Burmese python, from wreaking havoc in Sunshine State ecosystems. SB 168 creates a pilot program within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) allowing them to hire private contractors to capture or kill any of a […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 10, 2018

A list of 10 amendment proposals, dubbed “the terrible ten,” is making the rounds as the Constitution Revision Commission nears a May deadline to submit its final report. The left-leaning advocacy group, League of Women Voters of Florida, has come up with its “worst of the worst” list compiled of what they say are proposed […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 3, 2018

Hey, we get it. There’s a lot going on in the 2018 Legislative Session — and it’s only Week Five. With budget negotiations, the passage of 27 bills this week and it being an election year, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. So, here’s a brief — very brief — update on some […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 27, 2018

A proposal that would restrict local governments from imposing their own regulations sparked a back-and-forth Friday over LGBTQ rights between two individuals who come from completely opposite ends of the political spectrum. Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith told a Constitution Revision panel that the proposal would “eliminate all human rights ordinances” adopted by local […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 20, 2018

Citizen groups, the Legislature and the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) are all able to change the state’s governing document, but constitutional amendments still have to pass the final test — the people. That means placement on the statewide ballot and getting at least 60 percent approval. But what governs the order of amendments on the […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 17, 2018

RSA Consulting Group is expanding its scope in both the Tampa Bay region and Florida with the addition of up and coming lobbyist Kaitlyn Bailey. Bailey becomes the firm’s newest associate for Government & Community Affairs. As one of the region’s leading full-service consulting firms, with offices in Tampa and Tallahassee, RSA specializes in government, legislative […]

Danny McAuliffeJanuary 10, 2018

It’s probably not healthy to talk policy on an empty stomach. Fortunately, ‘Policy Pub’ sessions at Tallahassee restaurant Backwoods Bistro are back again, so hungry policy wonks — starved for both food and effective government solutions — can get the best of both worlds. The series is free and open to all members of the […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 6, 2018

Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez wants to know if the state will take any independent action against drug companies for their role in the state’s opioid epidemic. “As we all know, this is now, and has been for some time, a full-blown public health crisis, and there is no time to waste,” Rodriguez wrote to Attorney […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerDecember 15, 2017

The presidents of the University of Florida and Florida State University said a last-minute decision by congressional leaders to scuttle a proposal to tax tuition waivers for graduate students would be a major victory for higher education. A U.S. House tax-overhaul plan would have made graduate students pay federal income taxes on tuition charges that […]

Tag: Florida State University
Golf ball and golf club in bag on green grass

Alissa McKee Ellison appointed to Hillsborough bench

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Python purge

Takeaways from Tallahassee — ‘Terrible ten’

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Legislative misses

Takeaways from Tallahassee — LGBTQ tweet war

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Getting 2018 ballot in ‘order’

Personnel note: RSA Consulting Group adds up-and-coming lobbyist Kaitlyn Bailey

‘Policy Pub’ series returns to capital

Takeaways from Tallahassee — What’s up with the opioid probe?

University leaders back dropping grad student tax