Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Melissa RossNovember 18, 2015

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization is out with its 2016 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report assessing LGBT inclusion in major companies and law firms across the nation, including 21 in Florida. In an email to media outlets, the HRC champions that […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

As the saying goes, “promises made; promises kept.” On Friday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced three long-promised “community conversations” on the need for expanding the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to LGBT citizens. Reaction from activists was positive. “We’re pleased to see Mayor Curry keep his campaign promise to lead a series of community conversations about discrimination. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 21, 2015

One of the more positive developments, in terms of the revived effort to expand the Jacksonville Human Rights Ordinance to LGBT members of the community, was the enlistment of Southern Strategy Group to lobby for the effort. As I wrote in my column for Folio Weekly, now on racks throughout Northeast Florida: I like a […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 13, 2015

The Human Rights Campaign has its troops on the ground as registered lobbyists for the expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance. They have an important ally from the Southern Strategy Group: Deno Hicks, a Jacksonville native and the managing power of the Jacksonville SSG office, who is now a registered lobbyist via Florida Businesses for […]

Ryan RayJuly 24, 2015

House District 49 Democratic candidate Carlos Guillermo Smith announced to a rally of fast food workers he will stand with them in gesture of solidarity by agreeing to temporarily live on Florida’s minimum wage $8.05 an hour. The move, which liberal legislators such as Sen. Dwight Bullard and Rep. Cynthia Stafford have mirrored in the past, comes amid […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 24, 2015

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBT Americans, has prepared a draft version of the 2015 Municipal Equality Index scorecard, and the preliminary numbers are a damning indictment of the Alvin Brown administration’s work, or lack thereof, in that area. Jacksonville scored just 23 by this measure. The “good news” […]

Ryan RayApril 27, 2015

Former Democratic Rep. Joe Saunders is “talking to family and friends about what the future may hold” now that Rep. Rene Plasencia – who narrowly defeated Saunders in a razor-thin contest in District 49 last November – has opted to run in a more Republican-leaning adjacent district in 2016. Saunders took to social media on Sunday and later caught up with Florida […]

Mitch PerryNovember 24, 2014

Last month the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted to include the LGBT community to other protected classes in connection with employment, public accommodations, real estate transactions and county contracting and procurement. The move was hailed by activists who have considered the county to be somewhat in the dark ages when it came to […]

Mitch PerryNovember 20, 2014

Some random thoughts and observations, hours before President Obama probably melts down the conservative Twitterverse with his Executive Action on immigration in his prime-time address later tonight…. Congrats to the Tampa Bay Times’ Michael Kruse, the gifted wordsmith who will be taking his talents to the Beltway and write for Politico, along with editor Bill […]

Tag: Human Rights Campaign

Email insights: Human Rights Campaign ranks Florida companies in 2016 Corporate Equality Index

Lenny Curry announces Jax HRO “community conversations”

Southern Strategy Group no longer lobbying for Jax HRO

Southern Strategy Group lobbying for Jax HRO

House candidate Carlos Smith accepts minimum wage challenge

Jax scores 23 on draft version of 2015 HRC Municipal Equality Index

Democrat Joe Saunders considers comeback in House District 49

Bill that would end discrimination against LGBT community in Florida introduced

Mitch Perry Report 11.20.14