Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressFebruary 13, 2017

Teachers from elementary school through college are telling students how to distinguish between factual and fictional news — and why they should care that there’s a difference. As Facebook works with The Associated Press, FactCheck.org and other organizations to curb the spread of fake and misleading news on its influential network, teachers say classroom instruction […]

Michael MolineJanuary 31, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott proposed an $83.5 billion state budget Tuesday that would include $618 million in tax cuts, $85 million in economic incentives, nearly $4 billion for environmental protection, and more than $5.1 billion for public safety. Florida has added more than 1.2 million jobs during his tenure “because of our continued focus on cutting […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 28, 2017

The House is now on board with Senate President Joe Negron‘s higher education priorities. On Friday, state Rep. Bryan Avila filed companion bills (HB 3, HB 5) to Senate measures (SB 2, SB 4) filed by Bill Galvano. The bills touch on modifying performance-based incentives, boost funding to hire and keep top faculty, and create […]

Larry GriffinJanuary 25, 2017

Carlos Guillermo Smith, a UCF graduate himself, wants you to have more access to higher education – that’s why his new bill, HB 489, introduces sweeping expansions to the Bright Futures scholarship. The bill, called the “Restore Our Bright Futures” act, will return the scholarship to the levels of the 2010-11 school year and make […]

Associated PressSeptember 16, 2016

Donald Trump‘s signature, an unmistakable if nearly illegible series of bold vertical flourishes, was scrawled on the improper $25,000 check sent from his personal foundation to a political committee supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Charities are barred from engaging in political activities, and the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign has contended for weeks that the […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 8, 2016

Working in higher education allows me the privilege of working firsthand with some of the brightest and engaged minds in our state. It is trite, but worth saying, that education is key to our country’s future and we must continue to equip the next generation with the knowledge and power to make our country even […]

Associated PressSeptember 6, 2016

Donald Trump spoke to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi before his charity cut a 2013 check to support her re-election effort, but his campaign said Tuesday the two never discussed whether her office would join a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks clarified details of the conversation one day after the Republican presidential […]

Associated PressJuly 9, 2016

Wanda Melton has voted for every Republican presidential nominee since Ronald Reagan in 1980, but now the Georgia grandmother plans to cross over to support Democrat Hillary Clinton. “I’m not a real fan of Hillary,” Melton says from her office in Atlanta. “But I think it would just be awful to have Donald Trump.” She […]

Associated PressMarch 4, 2016

The president of the University of South Florida is about to get a significant pay raise. The university’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to increase Judy Genshaft‘s base salary 5 percent to $493,500. The Tampa Tribune reports that with a performance-based stipend of up to $275,000, she could earn $768,500. The school’s longest-serving president […]

Associated PressNovember 12, 2015

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is calling on the state’s colleges to improve their graduation rates. Scott on Thursday challenged Florida’s 28 public colleges to boost the number of students who graduate. Scott said that currently 43 percent of students graduate with an associate degree within three years. The governor wants that number to more than […]

Tag: higher education

The new civics course in schools: How to avoid fake news

Rick Scott’s $83.5 billion state budget goes heavy on tax holidays

House joins Joe Negron’s higher ed program

Carlos Guillermo Smith’s ‘Restore Our Bright Futures’ act aims to help more students go to college

Donald Trump signed improper charity check supporting Pam Bondi

Ed Moore: Immigration reform key to education, workforce

Donald Trump seeks distance from donation supporting Pam Bondi

College-educated whites put hole in Donald Trump coalition

University of South Florida president gets big pay raise

Rick Scott wants colleges to improve graduation rates