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Associated PressJanuary 28, 2015

Sketching the outlines of their legislative agendas, Florida’s top Republicans pledged Wednesday to press for a bevy of tax cuts, more education spending and a review of controversial student testing in this year’s legislative session. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner outlined their proposals during the annual legislative planning meeting hosted by […]

Phil AmmannJanuary 27, 2015

Attorneys for the Florida Legislature are calling on the Florida Supreme Court to reject proposed redistricting maps submitted by voting-rights groups. Their argument: the maps are a product of influence by Democratic “partisan operatives and political consultants.” In a court filing on Monday, lawyers representing the House and Senate are asking to discard the maps […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 26, 2015

Pensacola’s business community made its pitch for the 2015 legislative session. Now it will be time to let the chips fall where they may in Tallahassee. At the recent Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Legislative Luncheon, chairman of the board of directors Justin Beck said the group had three broad areas of interest as […]

Adam WeinsteinJanuary 26, 2015

Four years ago, John Thrasher did something incredibly brave. As chairman of the Florida Senate’s Rules Committee and one of the state’s most powerful Republicans, he bucked his entire party and one of its most powerful lobbying partners in 2011 to kill a bill that would have let Floridians carry guns openly on school campuses, […]

Adam WeinsteinJanuary 25, 2015

Four years ago, John Thrasher did something incredibly brave. As chairman of the Florida Senate’s Rules Committee and one of the state’s most powerful Republicans, he bucked his entire party and one of its most powerful lobbying partners in 2011 to kill a bill that would have let Floridians carry guns openly on school campuses, […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 25, 2015

Jeffrey Hernandez, “whiz kid,” Jeffrey Hernandez, evil genius, Jeffrey Hernandez, testing guru, Jeffrey Hernandez, miracle principal – all contradictory but all attitudes held by different factions in the tumultuous year of his reign as Chief Academic Officer of the Palm Beach County school system in 2009-10. At the distance of 5 years, I wonder if […]

Dan GelberJanuary 20, 2015

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Baileygate took a foul turn Sunday from bad political optics to something much more ominous. And the Florida Cabinet and Legislature need to respond accordingly. Longtime cop and FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey was fired by Gov. Rick Scott staffers last month. Initially it was reported that during his reelection campaign, Scott political campaign staffers had […]

Dan GelberJanuary 19, 2015

Baileygate took a foul turn Sunday from bad political optics to something much more ominous. And the Florida Cabinet and Legislature need to respond accordingly. Longtime cop and FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey was fired by Gov. Rick Scott staffers last month. Initially it was reported that during his reelection campaign, Scott political campaign staffers had […]

Daniel TilsonJanuary 19, 2015

Our worst worries about Florida Gov. Rick Scott were well-founded. The bombshell of BS he unintentionally dropped in a press conference early last week has exploded in his face, revealing just what a bloody mess his governorship really is. By repeatedly pressuring highly esteemed, veteran Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Gerald Bailey to […]

Jac VerSteegJanuary 19, 2015

In his commentary this week for Context Florida, the Rev. H.K. Matthews draws parallels between the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama and the current effort, including a march Rev. Matthews led, in support of Florida’s corporate tax credit scholarships – also known as school vouchers. Rev. Matthews’ parallel is unseemly and […]

Tag: Legislature
Lake Mary’s team celebrates in the eighth inning of the Little League World Series Championship game against Taiwan. Florida won in eight innings 2-1. Image via AP.

Florida GOP leaders promise tax cuts and education spending

Re-redistricted maps are a product of Democratic meddling, Legislature tells court

Shannon Nickinson: Health care, taxes top business legislative list

Adam Weinstein: Is John Thrasher brave enough to thwart campus guns?

Adam Weinstein: Is John Thrasher brave enough to thwart campus guns?

Catherine Martinez: Unleash the power of school protests

Dan Gelber: Baileygate takes an ominous turn

Dan Gelber: Baileygate takes an ominous turn

Daniel Tilson: Independent counsel needs to probe Scott administration

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Parallel between Selma, school vouchers is strained