Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

Legislation to regulate share-riding services Uber and Lyft failed in the Florida Legislature this year, meaning that their ability to operate in the state without getting in trouble will vary county to county. Most of the issues here and across the country with Uber and Lyft regard getting their insurance and background check policies in […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

In what is being depicted as a devastating blow to President Barack Obama, the House of Representatives on Friday resoundingly rejected a proposal that would grant financial aid to displaced workers by a vote of 302 to 126. That damages the possibility that Congress will grant the president fast-track trade authority to complete the Trans Pacific Partnership, […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

The Florida Democratic Party gathers Saturday night in Hollywood for its annual Leadership Blue Gala. They’re expected to drop their report on how to pick up the pieces after the major disappointment of the 2014 campaign. The report was written by the party’s LEAD (Leadership Expansion to Advance Democrats) Task Force, and it’s already being panned […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

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Former Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern says she’s “investigating” running for political office in 2016, and that includes the possibility of moving to Pinellas County this summer to compete for the District 13 Congressional seat held by Republican David Jolly. “I’ve been crunching numbers for months, and networking, and talking to people at all levels […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

On the eve of Jeb Bush’s announcement Monday at Miami Dade Community College that he’s officially a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, his campaign has issued a list of Florida GOP lawmakers backing him in the race against Marco Rubio and the more than dozen other candidates in the race. For starters, the entire […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2015

Thirty-eights years after Anita Bryant, Florida no longer officially bans gays from adopting children. Although it’s been legal for such couples to adopt since 2010, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill into law Thursday night that now makes that official. The issue roiled social conservatives in and outside of the Legislature this spring. The inclusion of […]

Mitch PerryJune 11, 2015

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As has been the case in the past two Republican presidential primary cycles, CNN will be bringing its resources to Florida to host a televised debate. The cable news network announced Wednesday that it will come to the Sunshine State to host a debate on March 10, five days before registered Republican voters here will vote […]

Mitch PerryJune 11, 2015

The Tampa Bay Times lead Thursday is a story that we touched upon briefly Wednesday because the Legislature is now half-way through its Special Session in Tallahassee: There are fears among Tampa leaders that state funding for a USF College of Medicine building ($17 million) and accompanying USF Heart Institute ($15.75 million) is in peril. […]

Mitch PerryJune 10, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed HB 7109 into law Wednesday, a bill that makes modest reforms at the state Public Service Commission. The law limits future Public Service Commission members to three consecutive four-year terms and requires commissioners to undergo annual ethics training. The bill was weakened when the House refused to accept a Senate amendment […]

Mitch PerryJune 10, 2015

The Jeb Bush-Marco Rubio mano-a-mano duel for the Republican nomination has certainly split Florida Republicans, though a majority of the establishment GOP has tended to side with Team Jeb. Then there are those who choose to remain neutral, such as John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, one of the leading social conservative organizations […]

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Uber’s David Plouffe rejects claim on reliability of fingerprint background checks

Kathy Castor explains why she opposed Obama on trade bill

Steve Schale weighs in on what Florida Democrats should do for 2016

Mary Mulhern “investigating” run for Pinellas County CD 13 seat

Florida lawmakers line up behind Jeb Bush before official announcement

Mitch Perry Report for 6.12.15 — On this LGBT issue, Florida and Rick Scott resist social conservative pressures

CNN returning to Florida in March to host presidential debate

Mitch Perry Report for 6.11.15 — Picking winners and losers in Tallahassee

Rick Scott OKs modest reforms to Public Service Commission, public utilities

Report puts John Stemberger favoring Marco Rubio in presidential contest