Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersDecember 5, 2017

Note: An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the vote of state Rep. Chris Latvala. After facing down Democrats’ harsh questioning of the bill’s intentions, a Florida House committee voted nearly along party lines Tuesday to approve a measure to require most public employees’ unions to meet a dues-paying threshold or face recertification. The […]

Mitch PerryNovember 8, 2017

Legislation that forces local governments to hold sales tax referendum only on the date of a primary or general election was approved by a House committee in Tallahassee. Sponsored by Spring Hill Republican Blaise Ingoglia, the bill (HB 317) is similar to other proposals to come before the Legislature in recent years but failed to […]

Scott PowersApril 24, 2017

More than a dozen Democratic Florida House members have formed the Progressive Legislative Caucus, with firebrand state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando elected as its first chair. The caucus held its organization meeting last week with Smith becoming chair, state Rep. Amy Mercado of Orlando vice chair, and state Rep. Joseph Abruzzo of Boca […]

Mitch PerryMarch 21, 2017

Legislation banning sanctuary city policies moved through another Florida House committee Tuesday. Yalaha Republican Rep. Larry Metz‘s bill (HB 697) would force any “sanctuary city” or county in Florida to remove all formal or informal policies shielding undocumented immigrants from federal custody. It passed the House Subcommittee on Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs on a 9-5 vote on Tuesday. The […]

Staff ReportsMarch 6, 2017

The 2017 Session starts Tuesday, but some legislative hopefuls are already thinking about the next election cycle. State elections records show dozens of members of the House and Senate have filed to run in 2018. Rep. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican, filed to run for re-election in House District 6 in 2018. First elected […]

Peter SchorschJune 14, 2016

More shake-ups in South Florida’s legislative races may be coming down the pike. According to a top South Florida Democratic political consultant, Andrew Korge may jump into the Senate District 40 race. That decision would set up a three-way Democratic primary between Korge, Dwight Bullard, and Ana Rivas Logan. Korge is currently running in Senate […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 14, 2016

Irv Slosberg has his sights set on the Florida Senate. Slosberg, a Boca Raton Democrat, filed to run Monday for the state Senate. He’ll challenge Kevin Rader in state Senate District 29. Slosberg’s decision is the latest in a series of shake-ups in South Florida’s Senate districts. Slosberg was first elected to the Florida House in 2000, […]

Peter SchorschJune 8, 2016

Democrat Maria Sachs will not run for another term in the Florida Senate, Sachs confirmed Wednesday after Florida Politics reported that multiple sources, including two of her Senate colleagues, said she had told them she wasn’t running. Sachs told John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post that she has formed a nonprofit organization called the Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2016

Monday saw the Florida Senate Finance and Tax Committee pass the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill that would allow a referendum authorizing the half cent Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax to be extended until 2060, to pay off Jacksonville’s unfunded pension liability. Ahead of the committee meeting, Lenny Curry lobbied committee members, via private January meetings with Curry […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 5, 2016

On Friday, the Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce (FBCW) coalition delivered a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of its Monday hearing. The letter provides information on why SB 120 by Sen. Joe Abruzzo and HB 45 by Rep. Holly Raschein must be heard in committee. Among other assertions the letter makes: Polling indicates 68 percent […]

Tag: Joseph Abruzzo

Public union dues-or-recertification bill passes House panel

Bill limiting local tax referendums passes House committee

House forms first-ever Legislative Progressive Caucus

Bill to eliminate sanctuary cities in Florida moves through another House committee

More legislative hopefuls file to run in 2018

The latest musical chairs in play in South Florida’s legislative races

Irv Slosberg files to run in Senate District 29

Maria Sachs confirms she is not running for re-election

Jacksonville “pension tax” bill clears 2nd Senate committee

State business coalition urges Senate panel to hear statewide human rights bill