Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaFebruary 22, 2016

State Rep. Jared Moskowitz on Monday began filing last-minute amendments to the House’s judicial term-limits bill. The measure (HB 197) likely will be dead on arrival when it gets to the Senate. Indeed, the Senate version of the (SB 322) has yet to be heard with three weeks left in the 2016 Legislative Session. Under the legislation, pushed […]

Bill RuftyFebruary 21, 2016

State Rep. John Wood, a Winter Haven Republican, endorsed U. S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida’s Republican junior senator, for president on Saturday. A recent statewide Florida Southern College opinion poll showed Rubio running second to Donald Trump heading toward Florida’s March Presidential Primary. In the South Carolina Republican Primary, Rubio made a strong showing. Wood, […]

Bill RuftyFebruary 15, 2016

Ed-Smith-Polk-County-Commissioner-Large-e1455572885627-1024x1024.jpg

Polk County Commissioner Ed Smith, a Lake Alfred Republican, has pulled out of the Republican Primary for Florida House District 41, and has entered the nonpartisan race for Polk County School Board against incumbent Dick Mullenax. Smith said his decision to switch to run for a local office is based “solidly on the health of […]

Bill RuftyFebruary 13, 2016

Hopes that the Florida Legislature would give the city of Winter Haven enough money to buy the unused Nora Mayo Hall from the state are gone for this year. The reason is a lack of support from Gov. Rick Scott, members of the Polk County Legislative Delegation said. Although the purchase won’t happen this year […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 4, 2016

A measure that would impose term limits on Florida’s appellate judges has cleared its last House committee, despite critics’ warnings that it will cause a brain drain on the bench. The bill (HB 197) cleared the Judiciary Committee Thursday by a vote of 11-6, sending it to the full Florida House of Representatives. To take effect, it must […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 21, 2016

A proposal that would amend the Florida Constitution to limit Supreme Court justices and appellate judges to two six-year terms was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday. “I think it’s a great bill,” said an enthusiastic Richard Corcoran, the House Budget chairman who hails from Pasco County. He said that there are only two […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 21, 2016

A bill that would remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith from Florida’s place in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C., advanced in the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday. Momentum to remove Smith from the congressional collection began this past summer shortly after the South Carolina Legislature voted to remove the Confederate battle […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 20, 2016

Ed Smith has gathered enough petition signatures to qualify for the House District 41 race, the Bartow Republican announced Wednesday. “The campaign has got momentum,” Smith said. “I thank everyone who signed a card for me and I have enjoyed meeting new friends along the way.” The former Winter Haven police officer is the first […]

Ryan RayJanuary 19, 2016

A House panel on financial issues got deep in the weeds of health care policy Tuesday as lawmakers took up a controversial proposal to change the way insurers are reimbursed by hospitals and other providers when patients receive care beyond their insurance network. The deceptively simple 11-page bill was the subject of over an hour […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 18, 2016

When the Florida Legislature convenes Tuesday to begin the second week of the nine-week Legislative Session, the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee will consider a proposal that divides the Tampa and Polk County legislative delegations. House Bill 815, sponsored by Tampa Republican Shawn Harrison, would move the 2nd District Court of Appeal from Lakeland to the Tampa […]

Tag: John Wood

Jared Moskowitz still trying to amend judicial term limits bill

Winter Haven state Rep. John Wood endorses Marco Rubio

Ed Smith leaves Florida House race for school board

State: No to Nora Mayo Hall … for now

Judicial term limits OK’d by final House committee

Democrats object, but proposal to term limit appellate judges advances in House committee

House panel OKs bill to replace state’s Confederate statue in U.S. Capitol

Ed Smith submits enough signatures to qualify for HD 41 race

Balance billing measure moves ahead despite reservations

Bill to move 2nd District Court to Tampa riles Polk legislators