Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Julie DelegalJune 15, 2015

State Rep. Mia Jones tried. In the spirit of compromise, the Democrat from Jacksonville moved right to embrace the health care-expansion plan backed by the Florida Senate: the Florida Healthcare Affordability Insurance Exchange, aka FHIX. Jones told The Jacksonville Times-Union that she had set aside her doubts about the plan and would “stand on the […]

Guest AuthorJune 7, 2015

During the 2015 special session, a controversial topic involving Amendment 1 funding entangles a push to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). Extreme elements of the environmental movement have made it sound as though the simple purchase of one property will “save the Everglades.” If the Everglades ecosystem is […]

Guest AuthorMay 31, 2015

“It’s like Déjà vu all over again” is one of my favorite “Yogi-isms” and it’s been looping on repeat in my head like an earworm. I’m referring to the Florida Senate’s latest attempt to revise its healthcare FHIX proposal and, yes again, expand Medicaid. The new plan will be called many things to attract broad […]

Guest AuthorMay 31, 2015

“It’s like Déjà vu all over again” is one of my favorite “Yogi-isms” and it’s been looping on repeat in my head like an earworm. I’m referring to the Florida Senate’s latest attempt to revise its healthcare FHIX proposal and, yes again, expand Medicaid. The new plan will be called many things to attract broad […]

Bruce RitchieApril 13, 2015

After a debate this past month, a Tampa Bay group that says it promotes a return to constitutional government and free markets has come out against a proposed constitutional amendment that would encourage the use of solar energy. Floridians for Solar Choice proposes a constitutional amendment that would promote local, small-scale solar energy production and […]

Bruce RitchieApril 10, 2015

With a solar energy constitutional amendment proposed for the 2016 ballot, a pair of bills designed to provide tax savings for residents who install solar on their homes appears dead in the 2015 Legislative Session. SB 400 by Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg, would provide a ballot measure to extend a residential property […]

Guest AuthorMarch 26, 2015

While attending a college information program with my high school son recently, I heard an admissions officer say something that every Florida legislator ought to hear. “The three most important letters in the college selection process aren’t S-A-T or A-C-T,” the admissions officer observed. “The three most important letters are F-I-T.” The admission officer’s point […]

James CallMarch 25, 2015

The James Madison Institute 2015 Annual Dinner celebrated “The Florida Story: A Lasting Legacy.” More than 300 politicos and supporters attended the dinner Tuesday night on the campus of Florida State University. Former FSU President Stanley Marshall founded JMI in 1987 to advance the limited government philosophy of its namesake: James Madison. “There are more instances of the […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 24, 2015

Backers of a solar energy ballot initiative said Tuesday they’ve collected enough petition signatures to have the measure reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court. Floridians for Solar Choice says it wants to encourage solar energy production with a constitutional amendment that would prohibit governments or utilities from placing barriers on the sale or distribution of […]

James CallMarch 22, 2015

This week in Florida Politics we shall seek clarity. By week’s end we will know about the House and Senate’s competing budget proposals, how Sen. Rob Bradley intends to solve the Charlotte’s Web mystery, and whether service in the Confederate Army is Hall of Fame material. The highlight of a busy week comes Wednesday when both the Senate Appropriations and […]

Tag: James Madison Institute
Marco Rubio. Image via AP.

Julie Delegal: Health care defeated by politics of personal resentment

Dan Peterson: Amendment 1 Everglades restoration money more complex than just buying land

Sal Nuzzo: Senate’s new FHIX offering is ‘like Déjà vu all over again’

Sal Nuzzo: Senate's new FHIX offering is 'like Déjà vu all over again'

Conservative group opposes solar amendment after Tampa debate

Solar bills falter in Legislature while ballot initiative rolls on

William Mattox: Legislature should empower parents to enroll child in school that best fits

James Madison Institute dinner celebrates limited government, school choice

Solar amendment group says it has enough signatures for high court review

The week ahead in the Legislature