Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 3, 2016

Ahead of the Committee of the Whole meeting on Thursday, anti-HRO activists from Florida Family Policy Council planned a press conference ahead of the event. One problem, however: facilities problems. With rain forecast for Jacksonville for Thursday afternoon, a press conference in Hemming Park was out of the question. The question, from there was a presser […]

Melissa RossOctober 26, 2015

In an email to supporters and media outlets, the Florida Family Policy Council is urging Governor Rick Scott to follow Texas’ lead in defunding Planned Parenthood in the state. “Texas has done exactly what we are asking Governor Rick Scott to do in Florida: namely completely defunding Planned Parenthood and stopping any more taxpayer funds from […]

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

It’s been a busy year for Sara Johnson. Since joining the anti-gambling expansion No Casinos team in early January, Johnson has spoken to more than 35 civic groups, radio shows and political clubs, along with a bevy of community leaders. The 21-year-old got an early introduction to hectic paces. At 14, she attended her first TeenPact Leadership class and learned […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 21, 2015

A seemingly unlikely coalition of progressive groups, conservative organizations and businesses now have coalesced to support an anti-discrimination bill that historically hasn’t found traction in the Legislature. The bill (HB 45/SB 120), known as the “Florida Competitive Workforce Act,” aims to prohibit employment, retail and other discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, amending the state’s […]

Mitch PerryJune 26, 2015

Rick Santorum isn’t the only social conservative Republican comparing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Friday effectively legalizing same-sex marriage to the Dred Scott decision. The 1857 ruling by the high court that found that blacks were not American citizens. “Regardless of how it appears, today’s decision is not the final word on marriage,” John Stemberger […]

Mitch PerryJune 11, 2015

It took him awhile, but Florida Governor Rick Scott today signed HB 7013, an adoption bill that offers financial incentives for qualifying employees of state agencies who adopt a child from the child welfare system. The measure would provide $5,000 payments to government workers who adopt foster children, with the payments increasing to $10,000 for adopting children […]

Mitch PerryJune 11, 2015

The Tampa Bay Times lead Thursday is a story that we touched upon briefly Wednesday because the Legislature is now half-way through its Special Session in Tallahassee: There are fears among Tampa leaders that state funding for a USF College of Medicine building ($17 million) and accompanying USF Heart Institute ($15.75 million) is in peril. […]

Mitch PerryJune 10, 2015

The Jeb Bush-Marco Rubio mano-a-mano duel for the Republican nomination has certainly split Florida Republicans, though a majority of the establishment GOP has tended to side with Team Jeb. Then there are those who choose to remain neutral, such as John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, one of the leading social conservative organizations […]

Mitch PerryMay 13, 2015

Florida’s presidential primary election doesn’t take place until March, but as the nation’s largest swing state, it’s never too early to begin handicapping the candidates. That’s the attitude apparently at John Stemberger‘s Florida Family Action group. It announced Wednesday that it will host an analysis/straw poll of the GOP candidates next week in Maitland. Among […]

Mitch PerryMay 8, 2015

Hillsborough County Commissioners (and Administrator Mike Merrill) are gung-ho on having the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) explore an opportunity to move its facility into downtown Tampa. There it could be a part of Jeff Vinik‘s grand plans to redevelop the Channelside area, even though there are serious questions about how productive such a move […]

Tag: John Stemberger

Anti-HRO presser hits scheduling snag

Email insights: Florida Family Policy Council says follow Texas’ lead, defund Planned Parenthood

Meet Sara Johnson, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Anti-discrimination bill makes strange political bedfellows

John Stemberger latest conservative to compare gay marriage ruling to Dred Scott decision

Rick Scott signs bill that repeals gay-adoption ban in Florida

Mitch Perry Report for 6.11.15 — Picking winners and losers in Tallahassee

Report puts John Stemberger favoring Marco Rubio in presidential contest

Florida Family Action holds GOP presidential straw poll next week

Mitch Perry Report for 5.8.15 — The MOSI-USF Football stadium dilemma