Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMarch 11, 2016

The six way GOP primary to replace Lake Ray in HD 12 had a number of interesting fundraising developments in February. Money leader Richard Clark, who has raised $50,500 on the strength of money raised before he got his job as a six-figure lobbyist for Jacksonville Transportation Authority, again raised no money. His former colleague on the […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 5, 2016

Jacksonville is one of the keys to Marco Rubio‘s narrow path to the GOP nomination, and the road show came to the Morocco Temple Saturday. Rubio, who arrived in Jacksonville en route from an earnest, well-received address at CPAC in DC, has to win urban areas like Jacksonville to win the state. On Tuesday night, he […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2016

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Just hours after the final Senate committee OK’d the bill Wednesday, the Florida House overwhelmingly approved the (HB 1297) Discretionary Sales Surtax bill, the key to Jacksonville defraying its unfunded pension liability. The surprising thing about the process: how smoothly the proverbial “heavy lift” went. Senior staff in the mayor’s office expected resistance from the House […]

Ryan RayFebruary 23, 2016

A group of international business leaders heard the Florida gospel from a cadre of state officials as part of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Annual International Days on Tuesday. Among the top talking points business professionals from around the world heard: Gov. Rick Scott‘s aggressive economic development efforts, Florida’s easygoing tax and regulatory regime, and, of […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2016

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The Florida House held a second reading Tuesday of Jacksonville’s “pension tax” bill, which would facilitate a referendum to extend the current half-cent sales tax 30 years and devote it to paying off Jacksonville’s $2.6 billion of unfunded pension liability. The debate before the full House went well. Going into the House session, those familiar […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 19, 2016

There are mystery candidates. And then there is Mark Black, the latest entrant in the state House District 12 GOP demolition derby of a primary to succeed Lake Ray. He doesn’t have a Facebook page. He doesn’t have a website. Operatives for the other campaigns have never heard of him. FloridaPolitics.com caught up with Black by telephone […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2016

(Updated)In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November, Florida Gov. Rick Scott joined more than two dozen other governors across the country to say he doesn’t want refugees fleeing war-torn Syria coming into his state. He also said that the federal government isn’t providing him any information about who was coming in, or where they […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 10, 2016

On Ash Wednesday, the Florida House moved one step closer to allowing Jacksonville to pay its public pension penance, via the State Affairs Committee reporting favorably on a bill to allow a referendum authorizing an extension of the current half-cent sales tax used for Better Jacksonville Plan projects. This was the second and final House […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 5, 2016

The First Coast News story about HB 1095, state Rep. Lake Ray‘s “Prevention of Acts of War” bill, had an interesting headline: “Bill would let governor use military force against refugees.” While the prospect of Gov. Rick Scott leading a “Red Dawn”-style counter-insurrection against rogue refugees makes for a fun imaginative exercise, Ray immediately took to social […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 29, 2016

Northeast Florida legislators have their share of local projects and asks in the House budget. Prominent areas, as one would expect, include education on all levels, as well as social services, and a couple of infrastructural projects. These aren’t splashy asks; they are quality of life requests, and in some cases (especially that of Lake […]

Tag: Lake Ray

HD 12 money race has interesting February developments

Even in Jacksonville, Marco Rubio faces enthusiasm gap

Florida House OKs Jax Pension Tax bill 86-23

Foreign business leaders hear from lawmakers at Florida Chamber’s International Days

Jax pension tax bill passes 2nd major House hurdle

Mark Black, “just a common guy,” files in HD 12 GOP Primary

State House committee passes bill that aims to ban Syrian refugees

After pushback, Jax pension tax bill clears final House committee

Lake Ray talks media reaction to refugee legislation

Education, social services top Northeast Florida House members’ budget requests