Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannMarch 10, 2016

A variety of healthcare-related bills made their way through the Legislature on the penultimate day of the 2016 Regular Session. LobbyTools reports that the House passed House Bill 1241, which allows advanced nurses and physician assistants to order medications for patients at health facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Another amended bill (House Bill […]

Phil AmmannMarch 7, 2016

When people think of Florida, they picture the Florida Keys with its clear water, warm sand and the quintessential laid-back lifestyle. But, the Keys are much more than that, as it is home to the world’s third-largest barrier reef, a national marine sanctuary, national and state parks, wildlife refuges, state aquatic preserves, and unique marine […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 28, 2016

I have spent almost 25 years studying alimony and if I have learned anything, it’s that alimony is complex. Reform can have unintended consequences and so should be the product of a careful, deliberative effort to understand and improve the law rather than a one-sided push to protect people who pay alimony by kicking recipients […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 28, 2016

It looks like there’s one more chance this year for the Legislature to decide whether to sensibly regulate hydraulic fracturing in Florida and it will happen Tuesday at the Senate Committee on Appropriations. For those who view the failure of these bills as some kind of victory, you’re fooling yourselves. A “no” vote on Senate […]

Diane RobertsFebruary 24, 2016

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE — This is what the Florida Constitution says, right up top, Article I, Section 1: All political power is inherent in the people. I’m guessing most Florida legislators have never read it. Either that or they don’t give a good goddamn. For the second year in a row, they are misappropriating — stealing, […]

Julie DelegalFebruary 24, 2016

The Florida Senate has the chance to repair the state’s death penalty statutes in a way that won’t invite years of litigation. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declared Florida’s death penalty procedures unconstitutional. Until the Legislature acts, the state’s prosecutors have no legal avenue for pursuing death penalty cases. House Bill 7101 is a […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 17, 2016

Sen. Joe Negron’s SB 832 declares that “fantasy contests” — meaning endeavors such as DraftKings and FanDuel — “involve the skill of contest participants and do not constitute gambling, gaming or games of chance.” Negron, R-Stuart and a Senate-president-to-be, would regulate this non-gambling via a newly created Office of Amusement. It’s not “gambling,” it’s an […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 17, 2016

If you think drug misuse and abuse doesn’t affect everyone, think again. It’s an escalating problem spreading to all corners of our communities and across all socioeconomic levels, ethnicities, and ages. The business community in Florida is no different, and has been severely affected by prescription opioid abuse in particular. Prescription opioid abuse and addiction […]

Dominic CalabroFebruary 15, 2016

The cornerstone of our constitutional democratic republic is protecting citizens’ right to full and public notice when their elected officials are discussing or making decisions that could affect everyone’s daily lives. As a non-partisan research taxpayer research institute that focuses on promoting government accountability and transparency, Florida TaxWatch supports the use of public notices in […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 12, 2016

For almost a decade, Florida has been ground zero in the nation’s struggle against prescription drug abuse. So-called “pain clinics” became a common part of the Florida landscape, leading to an epidemic of the misuse and abuse of opioids. The Florida Legislature responded to the proliferation of pain clinics with new regulations and from 2010 […]

Tag: Legislature

Health care bills advance in Legislature

Anitere Flores and Holly Raschein: Legislature must provide money to protect The Florida Keys

Cynthia Lee Starnes: Rick Scott should block alimony reform, appoint task force

Greg Preble: Legislators should approve bill that regulates fracking

Diane Roberts: Legislators are stealing the money meant to protect the environment

Julie Delegal: Legislature’s death penalty “fix” is flawed

Jac VerSteeg: Fantasy sports aren’t gambling? How amusing

Julio Fuentes: Legislature must approve medication that is tough for patients to abuse

Dominic Calabro: Citizens need access to government public notices from a variety of sources

Michael Ruppal: Legislature must authorize use of abuse-deterrent opioids to save lives