Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2016

Florida Department of Environmental Protection head Jon Steverson was formally confirmed in his position by members of the Senate’s Ethics and Elections Committee on Wednesday. That affirmation, though, came only after he was grilled by the panel about controversial decisions or statements made under his watch the past year. The Senate refused to confirm him in last year’s regular […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 14, 2016

Hours after the House moved its own legislation reining in the state’s oversight body for high school athletics, the Senate on Thursday heard its own versions, moving forward two competing reforms. The PreK-12 Education Committee, chaired by GOP state Sen. John Legg, approved both SB 1026 and SB 684, both aimed at changing the way the Florida High School Athletic Association […]

William MarchJanuary 13, 2016

The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed legislation expanding aid for students with intellectual disabilities and named the program for Senate President Andy Gardiner, who has made what he calls “people with unique abilities” the signature issue of his tenure as president. The bill (SB 672) increases funding from $55 million to $73 million for $10,000-per-year […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 13, 2016

The sausage-making began in earnest Wednesday morning, as the Florida Senate teed up nine bills for final approval and passed a sweeping $95 million educational policy bill and a water protection measure desired by House Speaker Steve Crisafulli. The education bill (SB 672) was sponsored by GOP state Sen. Don Gaetz of Niceville, a former schools superintendent. Among other […]

Jim RosicaDecember 3, 2015

A Senate panel has cleared a bill that would classify computer coding as a “foreign language” for purposes of getting high school credit. The PreK-12 Education Committee approved the legislation (SB 468) on Thursday. The measure is sponsored by state Sen. Jeremy Ring, a former Yahoo! executive. Ring, a Margate Democrat, made clear his bill would not force […]

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

The Florida Senate looks committed to moving ahead with two proposed remedial maps for its districts: One that keeps the current numbering system and another in which districts would be numbered randomly. Still left undecided, though, is the bigger question of whether senators will have to run for re-election if their district lines change. Senate […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

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State Sen. Bill Galvano has filed a proposed new Senate district map for his Reapportionment Committee, meaning there will be one “base map” going forward to discuss and amend. Galvano posted the map to the Senate’s redistricting website at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Among other things, it contains a district that crosses Tampa Bay – the 19th, […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

The head of the Senate’s redistricting panel said he plans to file a bill for the Senate’s new district boundaries by late Wednesday and begin to discuss it by Friday. Despite seemingly little headway made during an hours-long meeting earlier in the day, State Sen. Bill Galvano said redistricting legislation could be on the floor […]

Jim RosicaOctober 20, 2015

Two more state Senate maps were submitted late Tuesday as part of the ongoing Special Session to redraw the districts, which the chamber previously admitted were gerrymandered to benefit Republicans. State Rep. Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican, and state Sen. Jeff Clemens, a Lake Worth Democrat, each filed their own map. A cursory […]

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

There’s no doubt Cesar Fernandez stays plenty busy, but he’s happy to have turned in the Red Bull and cold pizza of his campaign days for more comfortable digs now that he works for Uber. Managing up to a half dozen “conversations” about transportation network companies at any one time with myriad Florida cities and counties, things still […]

Tag: Jeff Clemens

Jon Steverson grilled on fracking, timber harvesting, hunting in state parks by Senate panel

Competing high-school athletics bills moving in Senate

Senate passes disabled children bill; now it moves to House

Senate passes education, water bills

Senate panel OKs classifying computer coding as “foreign language”

State Senate moving forward with redistricting maps

Bill Galvano files proposed Senate redistricting map

Bill Galvano says Senate redistricting could be on floor by early next week

2 more maps filed for Senate redistricting

Meet Cesar Fernandez, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics