Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ana CeballosNovember 2, 2017

In the wake of a sex scandal that rattled the state Capitol last week involving Senator Jeff Clemens and his extramarital affair with a lobbyist, Senate President Joe Negron on Thursday defended the process in which sexual harassment complaints are reported in the Senate. “I don’t think it would be fair to say that in […]

Drew WilsonOctober 30, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday that he will ask lawmakers to include $50 million to fast-track repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee in the 2018-19 state budget. In a Monday press release Scott thanked President Donald Trump for his “commitment to accelerating critical repairs” to the dike but said Trump green-lighting a […]

Peter SchorschOctober 30, 2017

Two female state senators Monday issued a powerful joint statement on sexual misconduct in the Capitol, the same day Senate President Joe Negron agreed to reconsider his new hard-line harassment reporting policy. Sens. Lizbeth Benacquisto, a Fort Myers Republican and Rules Committee chair, and Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat and chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and […]

Staff ReportsOctober 25, 2017

Sen. Dorothy Hukill has filed a bill to “support the over 800,000 full- and part-time students of Florida’s nationally-recognized college system,” she said in a Wednesday press release. Her legislation (SB 540), known as the “Community College Competitiveness Act of 2018,” would “expand credit transfer options … , requir(e) student and faculty representation on the new […]

Lloyd DunkelbergerOctober 23, 2017

Sen. Bill Galvano, a 51-year-old lawyer from Bradenton, will be designated Tuesday by Senate Republicans as the next president of the Florida Senate. The Republican lawmaker will lead the 40-member Senate for two years after the November 2018 general elections, assuming the Republicans hold their majority — now at a 24-16 margin — in the […]

Drew WilsonOctober 17, 2017

Former lawmaker Ed Hooper is looking to rejoin the Legislature via Senate District 16 next year, and in the past couple days he’s landed endorsements from the two men who would serve as Senate President during his first term. “Ed Hooper is a committed public servant dedicated to working for his neighbors. As a firefighter […]

Scott PowersOctober 12, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence is slated to be the keynote speaker at the Republican Party of Florida’s annual Statesman Dinner during their November state conference in Orlando. Pence – with “special guest” U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio – is to highlight the dinner set for Thursday, Nov. 2 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, kicking […]

Peter SchorschOctober 12, 2017

State Sen. Gary Farmer was taken off the chamber’s Banking and Insurance Committee, but Senate President Joe Negron told Florida Politics there was “nothing nefarious” about the removal. Capitol insiders buzzed that Senate leadership was looking to exact revenge on the trial bar because of its financial support of Annette Taddeo, the Democratic opponent of […]

Peter SchorschOctober 12, 2017

Session hasn’t even started, and we already have a winner for “Legislative Nice Guy of 2018″—Senate President Joe Negron. Negron, who we’ve already reported as having found a new gear as he enters his last year in leadership, gave up his primo parking spot in the Capitol garage so that his colleague, Dorothy Hukill, can […]

Peter SchorschOctober 11, 2017

The main committee supporting GOP state Senate campaigns went into overdrive last quarter according to new fundraising reports filed with the Florida Division of Elections. The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee raised more than $3.2 million from July through the end of September. Those numbers are way up from the April to June reporting period when FRSCC […]

Tag: Joe Negron

Joe Negron defends Senate sexual harassment policy, again

Scott wants $50M to speed up Lake O dike repairs

Lizbeth Benacquisto, Lauren Book issue statement on sexual misconduct

Dorothy Hukill files ‘college competitiveness’ bill

Bill Galvano brings policy skills to top Senate post

Ed Hooper lands Wilton Simpson nod on the heels of Bill Galvano endorsement

Mike Pence to keynote Republicans’ conference in Orlando

Joe Negron: ‘Nothing nefarious’ in Gary Farmer’s reassignment

Joe Negron’s class act: ‘Here, Dorothy Hukill, take my spot’

Bill Galvano leads Senate campaign arm to record-breaking Q3 haul