Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2017

With the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday morning, it was predictable that Northeast Florida pols would post thoughts on the event. Some thoughts were sanguine, such as those from Mayor Lenny Curry and former State Rep. Lake Ray. “It’s a beautiful day,” Curry Tweeted Friday morning. Ray had more to say. “The peaceful transition of power […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry addressed the latest downtown shooting at the Jacksonville Landing, which has already seen one gunshot victim declared dead. Curry, who ran on a public safety platform in 2015, has seen his rhetoric undermined by not only an uptick in gunplay and homicides, but an uptick at high-profile events downtown this month, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry called a press conference Tuesday to announce “Project Green,” the latest in a series of job creation pressers. “Project Green”: code for an agreement with Formativ Health, which offers management services for doctors’ offices. Formativ expects to bring 500 jobs to Jacksonville in 18 months. Dennis Dowling, the company’s CEO, said that […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 13, 2017

Friday saw Jacksonville’s stakeholders convene at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday breakfast. The second of these breakfasts for Mayor Lenny Curry, his prepared remarks were focused on service. However, the city is working through a number of active civil rights issues. Among them: expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance to include LGBT people, and a […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 13, 2017

Close Call: On Wednesday evening, the reports trickled in from Washington, D.C. Rep. John Rutherford had suffered a medical episode in the U.S. House of Representatives, one which led him to require hospitalization through Thursday. The fear expressed by many: a massive heart attack. That speculation went out on Twitter, and the hours between the incident […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2017

Northeast Florida Democrats were incensed last year at being disenfranchised in closed GOP primaries for state attorney and public defender. Now, one of their own — House District 13 Rep. Tracie Davis — has filed a bill in the Florida House to remedy that condition. And her political mentor, Sen. Audrey Gibson, filed the Senate version. House […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

On Wednesday morning, the city of Jacksonville enhanced its pension/benefits offer to the police union. Wednesday afternoon saw a similar conversation with the fire union. Just as with the police union negotiations, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry was on hand at the fire union. The tone was more genial, with Curry and Wyse joking about some matters ahead […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

The city of Jacksonville and its police union resumed collective bargaining for the first time since November on Tuesday, with the sides starting far apart. The daylight between labor and management was significant as last year closed. There’s less daylight after the Wednesday session. The city made an improved offer, one which offers a bigger city […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 9, 2017

The year 2017 has started off with people trying to pressure Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry into positions he thus far has resisted. Social liberals want the mayor to offer the kind of full-throated support of expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance that thus far has proven elusive. And the city’s unions, especially police and fire, want […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2017

Emails between senior staff in the Jacksonville mayor’s and sheriff’s offices offer a unique look at how legislation is nurtured through the process. The subject of the emails: the ShotSpotter technology that Jacksonville leaders have touted as a possible corrective to the hail of gunshots in high-crime areas. Ordinance 2016-795 will, among other things, “appropriate $435,001 […]

Tag: Lenny Curry

Northeast Florida reacts to ‘beautiful day’ of Donald Trump inauguration

Lenny Curry addresses MLK day shootings, plans to meet with Melissa Nelson

HRO expansion looms over Jacksonville job creation presser

The “long game” of the civil rights struggle looms over Jacksonville MLK breakfast

Jacksonville Bold for 1.13.17 — Close call

Florida House bill seeks non-partisan elections for state attorneys, public defenders

Jacksonville, fire union make conceptual progress in pension reform talks

Lenny Curry sweetens pension offer to Jacksonville police, gives 30 days to respond

Lenny Curry previews 2017 agenda at Meninak meeting

Jacksonville mayor, sheriff’s office prepare for ShotSpotter legislation