Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 19, 2017

Florida Democratic Minority House Leader Janet Cruz is calling for Miami Republican Sen. Frank Artiles to step down, following the outrage over published remarks of his racist comments to black Democratic lawmakers. “Frank Artiles’ comments Monday night transcend politics and get to the idea of who we are as people,” said the Tampa Representative in a statement issued late […]

Mitch PerryApril 11, 2017

In declaring his candidacy early for the Tampa-based House District 62 seat, Carlos Frontela already demonstrates he’s learned from rookie mistakes made last year in his bid for the Hillsborough County School Board. “I jumped in really late, two months before the primary,” he says, reminiscing about his ill-fated run for the District 7 seat ultimately […]

Jim RosicaApril 10, 2017

Screen-Shot-2017-04-10-at-11.14.23-AM-e1491837618569.png

It’s tough to be a top Democrat in Florida, but Evan Jenne is going for it. Jenne, of Dania Beach, recently announced his intention to seek the leadership of the House Democrats in 2020-22. In a state where Republicans have controlled the Legislature for the last two decades, “you can’t promise definitively that something will […]

Jim RosicaApril 4, 2017

The House on Tuesday began consideration of a Senate bill changing the state’s “stand your ground” law to make it easier to claim self-defense. But the House soon amended the measure (SB 128) to change the burden of proof to overcome self-defense to “clear and convincing evidence,” a lower threshold than the Senate’s “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The […]

Mitch PerryApril 3, 2017

In Tampa, Florida Democratic Party Chair Stephen Bittel waxed optimistically last month about the Democrats’ chance of winning back the state Senate in 2020. Notably, he didn’t say anything about the House, where Republicans outnumber Democrats, 79-41. Tampa Rep. Janet Cruz, serving the first year of a two-year stint as Minority Leader and four weeks into the 2017 Session, admits […]

Mitch PerryApril 1, 2017

House members now say the possibility of a fracking ban is dead for the 2017 Legislative Session. Sen. Dana Young thinks it’s premature to administer last rites, at least just yet. “You never say never, but now we’re saying it looks like that will be next year,” Rep. Mike Miller, an Orlando Republican, told the Naples Daily […]

Peter SchorschMarch 31, 2017

Screen-Shot-2017-03-31-at-3.04.15-PM.png

Hmmm, they don’t seem that provocative. On Thursday, members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus wore purple T-shirts with the slogan, “A Woman’s Place is in the House and the Senate.” Once on the House floor, however, an alarm rose among some: Were they appropriate? Rules Chair Jose Oliva, slated to be Speaker in 2018-20, soon put […]

Jim RosicaMarch 23, 2017

A bill that would let voters fix mismatching signatures on their vote-by-mail ballots so they can be counted has passed the House of Representatives. The House approved the bill (HB 105), sponsored by House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz of Tampa, by a unanimous vote of 113-0 on Thursday. It would require supervisors of elections and their […]

Staff ReportsMarch 20, 2017

Members of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation will celebrate Hillsborough Day at the State Capitol in Tallahassee March 22. The daylong event will bring many of the county’s most beloved attractions and traditions to the capitol for Florida lawmakers to enjoy, while showcasing all that the community has to offer. Visitors to the State Capitol […]

Mitch PerryMarch 16, 2017

Since the Congressional Budget Office said the Republican health care plan would raise the ranks of the uninsured by 14 million people next year earlier this week, Gov. Rick Scott has been silent. Florida House Democrats are now calling him out for his sudden reluctance to weigh in on a subject he’s never been shy about talking about […]

Tag: Janet Cruz
United States election confusion and Community vote or voting crisis concept as hands holding votes casting ballots in a tangled American flag as voters confused with 3D illustration elements.

Janet Cruz latest Democrat to call for Frank Artiles resignation

Carlos Frontela chastened by 2016 mistakes, is fired up for House District 62 bid

Evan Jenne’s ‘tipping point’: A run for House Democratic Leader

House amends Senate’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ bill

Janet Cruz’s ‘tough haul,’ frustrations of the Democratic House caucus

Dana Young, environmentalists still hold hope for fracking ban in 2017

T-shirts cause clothing kerfuffle in House

Vote-by-mail ballots fix passes House

Pirate invasion to mark Hillsborough Day at Capitol

House Democrats demand Rick Scott speak up on CBO’s scoring of GOP health care plan