Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 6, 2017

Monday morning saw the first of three Jacksonville City Council committees approve the latest attempt to expand the Human Rights Ordinance. The vote was 4-2. The measure would extend protections in housing, public accommodations, and employment on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. As well, the bill offered in its original form […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 10, 2017

After an agenda full of bills that met little opposition in committees, the Jacksonville City Council turned its attention Tuesday evening to a familiar question: the HRO, which was up on first read with a planned vote on Valentine’s Day. For the third time in five years, Jacksonville legislators heard pros and cons of expanding […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 4, 2017

On Wednesday, Jacksonville City Council members and community leaders met in a packed conference room in city hall. The subject: expanding Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance to include members of the city’s LGBT community. The bill is expected to be filed by 3 p.m. January 4, with an eye toward committees and a full council vote […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 4, 2017

A prominent Jacksonville pastor who teamed up with Pastor Ken Adkins to oppose the 2016 version of the Jacksonville Human Rights Ordinance expansion was cleared by the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee to serve on the JEA Board Wednesday. Despite two of the HRO co-sponsors, Jim Love and Tommy Hazouri, serving on Rules, no questions were asked of Newbill […]

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. GancarskiOctober 11, 2016

The post-Matthew blame game has started in Jacksonville, as the initial rush of emergency preparation has devolved into finger-pointing and excoriation. At the center of the storm is the local utility, which was criticized heavily during Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council for sewage spills and restoration timeframes that turned out to be fictional. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 4, 2016

On Tuesday morning, one Jacksonville City Council panel issued a rebuke to the Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission fast-tracking a decision to weaken water quality standards, to where increased amounts benzene and other carcinogenic chemicals can be released in Florida waterways. On Tuesday afternoon, the Rules committee unanimously approved Councilman Jim Love‘s resolution asking the EPA to consider Jacksonville, in a […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 4, 2016

In July, the Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission fast-tracked a decision to weaken water quality standards, allowing more benzene and other wastewater chemicals to be released in Florida waterways. In October, a Jacksonville City Council committee (Public Health and Safety) approved unanimously a resolution to express opposition and urge reconsideration of the recommendations sent to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. In doing […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 15, 2016

The big news coming out of Jacksonville’s 24th annual mayor’s environmental luncheon was that Mayor Lenny Curry wasn’t present. The yearly event, designed to honor the area’s “finest and most creative environmental stewards,” saw representation from the mayor’s office, via Dr. Charles Moreland, who often serves as a proxy for such events. Many attendees were dismayed by […]

Tag: Jim Love

Amended HRO expansion bill clears first Jacksonville City Council committee

HRO reboot dominates Jacksonville City Council meeting

Jacksonville human rights ordinance expansion push begins … again

Jacksonville City Council Rules panel OKs Fred Newbill to JEA Board

Neighborhood events bill clears second Jacksonville council panel

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

JEA CEO lambasted by Jacksonville City Council for hurricane performance

Second Jacksonville City Council panel rebukes state for lax surface water standards

Jacksonville council panel pushes back on relaxed state surface water quality standards

Lenny Curry misses mayor’s environmental luncheon