Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaSeptember 5, 2017

An appellate court on Tuesday unanimously reversed state regulators in favor of a ragtag north Florida horse track looking to become a “first-class (gambling) facility.” The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering last year rejected an administrative law judge’s tossing out of the state’s complaint that Hamilton Downs ran “flag drop” races contrary to […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott set the execution of Michael Lambrix, who’s been on Death Row for 33 years, for 6 p.m. Oct. 5, the Governor’s Office announced Friday. The Florida Supreme Court last February delayed his execution after attorneys argued that the state should first determine how to apply a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the state’s death penalty […]

Scott PowersAugust 31, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has the authority to transfer murder cases away from the office of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala because she refuses to pursue capital punishments, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Ayala greeted the ruling by declaring she was changing her policy, and would set up a special panel to review the death penalty […]

Scott PowersAugust 31, 2017

Two more Orange County murder cases, including one dating to the early 1990s and one from this spring, are being stripped from Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala, with Gov. Rick Scott reassigning the prosecutions to State Attorney Brad King of Ocala. Scott signed two executive orders late Wednesday, reassigning the murder cases of Jermaine A. Foster, […]

Jim RosicaAugust 25, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case against Gov. Rick Scott over whether he has the authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. The court on Friday set argument for 9 a.m. Nov. 1. For now, the matter will be heard by the court’s seven justices, […]

Associated PressAugust 23, 2017

For the first time in state history, Florida is expecting to execute a white man Thursday for killing a black person — and it plans to do so with the help of a drug that has never been used before in any U.S. execution. Barring a stay, Mark Asay, 53, is scheduled to die by […]

Associated PressJuly 19, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott is asking the state’s top court to throw out a lawsuit that aims to stop the Republican governor from appointing three Supreme Court justices on his last day in office. Attorneys for Scott on Wednesday filed a response to a lawsuit filed last month by the League of Women Voters of Florida […]

Jim RosicaJuly 19, 2017

If the state thinks a law requiring women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion is constitutional, it needs to prove it, a Tallahassee judge said during a Wednesday hearing. Circuit Judge Terry Lewis—a 28-year veteran of the bench—gave the Attorney General’s Office 60 days to develop evidence to counter a Supreme Court decision this […]

Jim RosicaJuly 14, 2017

A proposed constitutional amendment aimed at limiting gambling’s expansion in the state is now over the 100,000 signature mark. Division of Elections records show the “Voter Control of Gambling” amendment now has 104,416 signatures toward getting on the 2018 statewide ballot. But that’s still a long way from the 766,200 signatures needed for the initiative’s ballot placement. […]

Jim RosicaJuly 13, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a challenge of Gov. Rick Scott‘s veto of reimbursements to homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were torn down by the state. The homeowners had asked the court to undo Scott’s veto of more than $37 million by filing a petition for writ of mandamus, an order to an elected official to perform a certain […]

Tag: Florida Supreme Court

Court overrules regulators regarding ‘flag drop’ races

Rick Scott sets date for next Florida execution

High court backs Rick Scott, Aramis Ayala vows new policy

Rick Scott reassigns two more murder cases from Aramis Ayala

Supreme Court orders argument in judicial appointments case

For the first time in Florida, a white person is set to be executed for killing a black person.

Rick Scott asks Supreme Court to toss out lawsuit over justices

Judge gives state 2 months to defend abortion waiting period

Gambling control amendment surpasses 100,000 signatures

Squeezed: Supreme Court denies challenge of citrus veto