Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJanuary 6, 2017

Is Ken Lawson the right man to right the state’s beleaguered tourism agency? The smart money in Tallahassee now is betting on Gov. Rick Scott to move Lawson, his secretary of Business and Professional Regulation, to head VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s “official tourism marketing corporation.” As you’ll recall, Scott called on former CEO Will Seccombe […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 4, 2017

Christian D. Searcy doesn’t consider himself “the most political person” but suggests you don’t need a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing on Florida’s judicial nominating panels. Searcy, president of the Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley personal-injury law firm, reacted to Tuesday’s news about the state’s Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNCs). Gov. Rick Scott had […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 3, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has rejected all suggestions from The Florida Bar to fill vacancies in several of the state’s Judicial Nominating Commissions (JNC), the panels that recommend lawyers for judgeships. The latest rejections now add up to at least 90 of the Bar’s recommendations for JNC openings that Scott has turned down since taking office in 2011, according […]

Associated PressDecember 31, 2016

A Florida administrative law judge says a rule requiring companies to notify the public of pollution events within 24 hours is invalid. The new rule was pushed by Gov. Rick Scott after it took weeks for the public to be notified about a giant sinkhole at a fertilizer plant that sent millions of gallons of […]

Staff ReportsDecember 30, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott on Friday announced thirteen appointments and eleven reappointments to many of the state’s Judicial Nominating Commissions, the panels charged with making recommendations for judgeships. They “submit three to six names of the most highly qualified applicants to the Governor, who must make a final selection from the list,” according to The Florida Bar. […]

Associated PressDecember 30, 2016

Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry has reached his final day in office. Perry is stepping down Friday because he reached the mandatory retirement age for justices. Perry was appointed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist to the court in 2009. He was the fourth black justice appointed to the court. During his tenure, he was […]

Jim RosicaDecember 30, 2016

From algebra to Zika, 2016 brought a plethora of material to the Capitol Press Corps. Trying to pick the top state government stories is a subjective pursuit, to say the least, but here are the FloridaPolitics.com picks for the passing year. In (kind of) chronological order: — Kevin McCarty ousted as state Insurance Commissioner, replaced by […]

Staff ReportsDecember 30, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott announced that “Florida’s strong economic and job growth is fueling Floridians’ consumer confidence and housing market which have both seen success at the end of 2016.” Scott’s office released a statement Friday: Consumer confidence rose nearly seven points in December to 97.2 points, the highest level in 2016. Meanwhile Florida’s housing market showed […]

Jim RosicaDecember 27, 2016

Enterprise Florida (EFI) would have to hire outside auditors “to verify compliance” of businesses getting incentive money under legislation filed Tuesday. New state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Miami-Dade Democrat, filed the bill (SB 216) on the state’s public-private economic development organization. The legislation, which does not yet have a House companion, would require the organization to then […]

Associated PressDecember 23, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott has assigned a complaint filed against Attorney General Pam Bondi to a prosecutor in southwest Florida. The complaint stems from scrutiny this year over a $25,000 campaign contribution Bondi received from President-elect Donald Trump in 2013. Bondi asked for the donation around the same time her office was being asked about a […]

Tag: Gov. Rick Scott

Could Ken Lawson next be tapped to head VISIT FLORIDA?

Is Rick Scott co-opting Florida’s judicial nominating process?

Rick Scott rejects Bar’s nominees for state’s judicial panels

Judge invalidates pollution notification rule

Rick Scott appoints 24 to Judicial Nominating Commissions

Closing statement: Florida Supreme Court justice steps down

Jim Rosica’s review of top state government stories in 2016

Rick Scott: “Florida continues to outshine other states”

Jose Javier Rodriguez files Enterprise Florida reform legislation

Rick Scott hands Pam Bondi complaint to new prosecutor