Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannFebruary 2, 2016

A woman unpaid with unusually long work hours, or a young man recruited for a job under false premises. It is difficult to comprehend the evil of human trafficking, but its existence is real and occurs not only in poor and impoverished villages halfway around the world, but right here in our own communities. Human […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 2, 2016

Workers at Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino are taking a field trip to Tallahassee on Wednesday, according to a news release from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. More than 100 of them, including table games dealers, will be asking lawmakers to approve the new Seminole Compact and save their jobs. On Monday, Gov. […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 2, 2016

The fate of a new Seminole Compact and accompanying gambling legislation was thrown into question Tuesday when a key senator opened the possibility that neither may get to a vote this session. Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican, chairs the Regulated Industries Committee. It oversees gambling issues and has the first bite at the Compact. The panel already has […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 2, 2016

Both the Florida House and Senate are off to a great start in the 2016 session, having passed significant legislation expanding job and education opportunities for people with disabilities and approving a historic water bill. Thanks to Gov. Rick Scott, both of these bills are now law. The comprehensive water bill has been the subject […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 1, 2016

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Two post-5 p.m. Monday news releases painted opposing pictures of the renegotiated Seminole Compact. Ostensibly, the pact would allow the Indian tribe to retain its privilege as the only Florida casinos offering blackjack. In return, it would give the state $3 billion over seven years. Monday morning, tribal leaders met with Gov. Rick Scott as a public-relations […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 1, 2016

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Gov. Rick Scott and Seminole Tribe of Florida representatives on Monday earnestly began a hard sell of a new deal that would let the tribe keep blackjack at their casinos. Scott met with Tribal Chairman Jim Billie, other tribal leaders and gambling operations executives in South Florida in a meeting that was live-streamed on the Internet. […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 29, 2016

State Sen. Joe Negron, a former budget panel chief, told his colleagues last month in an acceptance speech for his upcoming Senate presidency that the state must do more for its troubled children and teens. “We should not and we will not tolerate serious wrongdoing by young people but, at the same time, let’s not criminalize adolescence,” he said, […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 29, 2016

He’s been a state representative, an American Bar Association president, the Florida State University law school dean and later its president, and can claim credit for getting cameras in Florida’s courtrooms. And as of Friday, Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte is a cartoon. A singing and dancing one at that. D’Alemberte is a character in a nearly […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 28, 2016

Raise your hand if you ever had an EBT card, or that is, been on food stamps. Whew! I am not alone. In 2012, I was let go from a job I held for six years. The economy was still recovering from the Great Recession, and being a working class fellow with no higher education […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 28, 2016

America is busy celebrating National School Choice Week — with more than 16,000 events taking place all over the country. But here in Tallahassee, it feels more like Florida School Choice Month, because two landmark January events are apt to have a profound influence on the educational options of Florida students for years to come. […]

Tag: Gov. Rick Scott

Christina Daly and Mike Carroll: State is combatting human trafficking

Seminole casino workers to lobby lawmakers

Rob Bradley: No promises on Seminole Compact, gambling bill

Charlie Dean, Matt Caldwell: New water legislation is effective

Seminoles, No Casinos duel in end-of-day news releases

Rick Scott and Seminole Tribe begin PR effort for new blackjack deal

Senate budget eliminates direct funding for youth mentoring

Sandy D’Alemberte featured in cartoon for state constitutional cause

Chris Timmons: Florida wants welfare for the rich, not the poor

William Mattox: Celebrating Florida School Choice Month