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Guest AuthorDecember 28, 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 […]

Jim RosicaDecember 23, 2015

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Florida’s election supervisors are asking the courts to resolve the state Senate redistricting saga by March 15 to protect the “quality and integrity of the (voting) process.” The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections filed its notice Wednesday with Circuit Judge George Reynolds, who is in the process of deciding how to redraw the state’s 40 […]

Jim RosicaDecember 21, 2015

The Florida Supreme Court on Monday ordered legal briefs to be filed for a review of a proposed solar-power constitutional amendment. The utility-backed Consumers for Smart Solar is sponsoring the amendment titled “Rights of Electricity Consumers Regarding Solar Energy Choice.” The court asked for briefs by Jan. 11 – the day before the start of the 2016 Legislative […]

Guest AuthorDecember 17, 2015

At one point, a black university (generally known as historically black colleges and universities: HBCU) was comparable to a high school in academic worth, even aspiration. Schools had to attempt a Herculean struggle to give black students something that amounted to an education because of Jim Crow intransigence. But once black schools got free of […]

Associated PressDecember 17, 2015

A judge who was captured on video berating and threatening to fight an assistant public defender was ordered removed from the bench Thursday by the Florida Supreme Court. Brevard County Judge John C. Murphy got into an argument last year with now-former assistant public defender Andrew Weinstock over whether a defendant could have a speedy trial. […]

Jim RosicaDecember 17, 2015

The Florida Supreme Court has approved a proposed constitutional amendment allowing medical marijuana in the state, according to an opinion released Thursday. The court on Thursday found that the amendment “embraces a single subject” and that the ballot title and summary and financial impact statement passed legal muster. “We therefore approve the proposed amendment and Financial Impact […]

Jim RosicaDecember 15, 2015

Former state Sen. Al Lawson on Tuesday said he will run for the state’s reconfigured 5th Congressional District that now stretches east-west from Jacksonville through Tallahassee to rural Gadsden County. The former state lawmaker said he “will officially announce and file for Congress in January,” according to a news release. “North Florida needs a strong, progressive […]

Associated PressDecember 14, 2015

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Leander Shaw, who served as the Florida Supreme Court’s first African-American chief justice, died Monday after a lengthy illness, the court announced. He was 85. Shaw was appointed to the court in 1983 by then-Gov. Bob Graham, and he retired in 2003, the court said in a news release. He served as chief justice from 1990 […]

Jim RosicaDecember 14, 2015

A plaintiffs’ lawyer on Monday squarely set up his boogeyman for this week’s state Senate redistricting trial: Sen. Bill Galvano, the chamber’s redistricting chair, its Republican leader and a future Senate president. “He made all the significant decisions regarding their map,” said attorney David King in his opening statement. “None of the other senators ever saw […]

Jim RosicaDecember 14, 2015

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Circuit Judge George Reynolds is scheduled to begin on Monday a five-day trial to determine the makeup of the state’s 40 senatorial districts. After listening to lawmakers, staff members, expert witnesses and other who will testify, Reynolds will have to pick one of five suggested maps submitted by the plaintiffs and the Legislature. One of […]

Tag: Florida Supreme Court

Jim Rosica's Top 10 stories of 2015 in state government

Elections supervisors to court: Decide Senate redistricting by March 15, please

Legal briefs ordered in solar amendment review

Chris Timmons: Perhaps “lesser schools” do alright

Supreme Court orders ‘kick ass’ judge removed from bench

Fla. Supreme Court green lights medical pot amendment

Al Lawson will run for new North Florida congressional district

Leander Shaw, first black Florida chief justice, dies at 85

Plaintiffs lay blame for redistricting mess on Bill Galvano

State Senate redistricting trial set to begin Monday