Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bruce RitchieDecember 18, 2014

Supporters of paved bicycling trails have big plans for Florida and are turning them into reality. But they also need some help from Amendment 1. Passed in November by 75 percent of voters statewide, Amendment 1 dedicates one-third of the revenue from a tax on real estate transactions toward land and water conservation projects. The […]

James CallDecember 17, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott’s second-term management team continues to take shape with December appointments and reappointments. Wednesday Scott announced Cynthia O’Connell and Ken Detzner will continue in their roles as Secretary of the Lottery and Secretary of State. O’Connell was appointed Lottery Secretary in 2011 and is a former advertising manager for First Florida Bank Inc. […]

Bruce RitchieDecember 11, 2014

Jon Steverson, Gov. Rick Scott’s choice as Department of Environmental Protection secretary, has been an outspoken director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District during his brief tenure there. Whether he will impress environmentalists with his passion and results at DEP is uncertain. Scott named Steverson, 39, on Thursday to replace Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., […]

Daniel TilsonDecember 2, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott and his minions proved last week that they view middle-class Florida consumers as mostly slow-witted turkeys ready to be roasted to a crisp and gobbled up by corporate gluttons. While most of us were distracted by shopping, cooking, traveling and other Thanksgiving preparations, Scott’s hand-picked five-member Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to […]

Guest AuthorDecember 2, 2014

And now the corruption begins. There’s no other honest word for it. For average Floridians, the November election is over, whether they voted or not. Most didn’t bother. But for those major contributors who bought it, it’s payback time. The political game is played between elections when the public isn’t looking. It’s all about the […]

Guest AuthorDecember 1, 2014

For Florida, innovation is more than an experiment in the latest trends. Innovation improves the lives of consumers and creates jobs and economic opportunity. When it comes to better health-care outcomes, disruptive innovation can be an issue for consumers and our state’s competitiveness. Consider telemedicine. By using electronic communication to share data, physicians in rural […]

Julie DelegalNovember 10, 2014

On Nov. 4, Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats, and not a single bullet was fired. In a world still filled with civil wars and religiously motivated slaughter, conducting peaceful elections is no small thing. It turns out that the GOP didn’t need any bullets, though. Instead, they used their bankrolled brainchild, […]

Adam WeinsteinOctober 30, 2014

I’m tired of false moral equivalencies. For a year or more, I’ve heard pundits and cynics flaunt the conventional wisdom about this governor’s race: Both candidates are awful. It’s hard not to feel that way, after tens of millions of dollars in shade-throwing, half-truthing ads and stunts. Calling both guys in the race equally terrible […]

Bruce RitchieOctober 23, 2014

The debates are over in the race for Florida’s governor. Some environmental questions have been asked and either answered or dodged. Election Day is Nov. 4, and early voting has begun. But the lingering unanswered question I have that should be on the minds of every Floridian is: What will happen to the state role […]

Julie DelegalOctober 23, 2014

It was easy-breezy. In a land where small electric fans cause tornadoes of political outrage, the simple contract negotiations between state Sen. John Thrasher and his new employer, the Florida State University Board of Trustees, were refreshingly smooth. The terms appear to be completely pro forma. Except for one little detail. The devil is in […]

Tag: Gov. Rick Scott

Bruce Ritchie: Bike trail plan moving toward reality, but needs Amendment 1 funds

Sec State Ken Detzner and Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell stay for second term

Bruce Ritchie: On Florida’s newly appointed Department of Environmental Protection director

Daniel Tilson: Team Scott makes it a happy Thanksgiving for Florida energy monopolies

Stephen Goldstein: What will Florida GOP contributors expect for their millions?

Mark Wilson: For a healthier Florida, embrace innovation through telemedicine

Julie Delegal: The nation is not tacking right, even though Congress is

Adam Weinstein: Stop saying Crist and Scott are both awful: Scott wins that contest by a mile

Bruce Ritchie: Candidates say nothing about Florida’s future role in managing growth

Julie Delegal: Teacher tenure: As state senator he took it away from public school teachers, but as Florida State president John Thrasher could claim it for himself