Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 10, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry broke recent protocol on his Twitter account with a couple of enthusiastic Tweets about President-elect Donald Trump. The Tweets, issued on Friday evening upon the mayor’s return from the city’s annual bond rating trip, speak to an alignment the Jacksonville mayor has had with Trump going back years. “President elect .@realDonaldTrump using football […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 8, 2016

On Thursday, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart held a “teacher roundtable” at an elementary school in Northwest Jacksonville. Reynolds Lane Elementary, located near the industrial areas of Commonwealth Avenue, is in a neighborhood that shows up on the crime blotter and the lead stories of the news all too frequently. Thursday saw Gov. Scott […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 6, 2016

A bill allocating $70,000 t0 Jacksonville City Council members for internal costs on “neighborhood events” had gotten some pushback when introduced by Councilman Reggie Brown earlier this year. However, in the current round of committee hearings, the measure is getting traction. The measure cleared Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services on Monday. And on Tuesday, the Rules Committee […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 6, 2016

Two members of the Jacksonville City Council introduced a resolution last month urging a local bill this Legislative Session to further relax rules on drinking and dining in certain areas of the city. Councilmen Jim Love and Reggie Gaffney filed 2016-783, which would urge the Florida Legislature to amend relevant Florida statute, adding “special zones” in certain areas […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

In Jacksonville, the name Carla Miller is synonymous with ethics. Miller, the city’s ethics director, wrote the city’s first ethics code and first started serving as an ethics officer in Duval in 1997. As the city has grown, Miller has been a constant. And in her role, she has come to understand the incremental nature […]

Steve SchaleDecember 5, 2016

It is time for one last big data piece on Florida 2016. For about 18 hours a day over 2+ weeks, I found myself living and breathing early voting data. So now that all the data have been reported from counties, I wanted to look back at some assumptions, and compare them to the actual […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

Jacksonville City Councilwoman Katrina Brown renewed her push for citizen review boards for police shootings on Friday morning. It’s a heavy lift, as charter precludes such a board; however, a sheriff’s office reform task force last month suggested that such a mechanism may be a worthwhile reform, even as the police union opposed it. Brown has prioritized […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

A bill requested by the office of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry proposes to tighten definitions for what is and isn’t an academic degree. The bill, filed in the wake of a report that found would-be Neighborhoods Department head Derek Igou had a degree from an unaccredited college (thus driving his letter of resignation), seeks to tighten up […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 30, 2016

Despite major turnover in the Duval County legislative delegation, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s priorities are largely unchanged. Money for public safety. Money for infrastructure, such as the city’s ongoing septic tank removal project. And one big ask: Curry wants $50 million in state money for Hart Expressway ramp modifications, noting the current setup has outmoded designs and creates […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 30, 2016

Whether or not FBI Director James Comey was actually responsible for Hillary Clinton not being elected president due to his on again/off again inquiry into her handling of classified emails is a matter of interpretation. Less subject to interpretation: Comey’s travel plans, which include a January journey to Jacksonville, just two days before the inauguration of Donald Trump. […]

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After a quiet spell, Lenny Curry extols Donald Trump on Twitter

Northwest Jacksonville Title I teachers sound off to Rick Scott, Pam Stewart

Neighborhood events bill clears second Jacksonville council panel

Jacksonville City Council to consider local bill to make drinking and dining easier

Transparency and trust are necessary for democracy, says Jacksonville ethics director

Steve Schale: Florida early vote, a retrospective

For citizen review board in Jacksonville, a charter change is necessary

Jacksonville to tighten controls on academic credentials for city employees

Jacksonville wants $50M to remove, replace Hart Bridge ramps at sports complex

FBI director James Comey plans January journey to Jacksonville