Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 16, 2017

It was a tough room for House Speaker Richard Corcoran. Speaking before an unfriendly crowd of public school supporters in Tampa, Corcoran doubled down on his support of an education bill that creates a new system of charter schools to replace underperforming public schools. On Thursday, Corcoran stood beside Rick Scott in Orlando as the Governor signed the controversial […]

Scott PowersMay 19, 2017

Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart is urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto the late-passed education bill, charging its new funding formula would cut public school budgets in a non-recession year for the first time in memory. “This bill has a consequential, negative impact to our state’s school system, and not only hurt our state’s children, […]

Scott PowersMay 15, 2017

Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto said Monday he intends to sponsor legislation to protect the Kissimmee River with a designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Such a move, if it were to be approved, would enact broad protections for the river, which starts in Osceola County’s Little Lake Tohopekaliga and, at least in […]

Mitch PerryApril 19, 2017

A modified proposal to protect black bears in Florida won support Wednesday in the Senate committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation. But SB 1304 was measurably reduced in scope from Orlando Republican Linda Stewart‘s original bill. Stewart’s initial proposal would have banned bear hunting in Florida for 10 years. The amended bill calls for no such action. The proposal came […]

Scott PowersApril 17, 2017

Saying that conservationists’ efforts apparently are dead this year to get funding routed for preservation as Amendment 1 voters expected, Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart said she’s organizing support now for next year. That begins with state Sen. Rob Bradley, the Orange Park Republican who chairs the SenateAppropriations Subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources, she […]

Scott PowersMarch 22, 2017

State Sen. Linda Stewart is pushing the creation of an “Orlando United” specialty license plate to commemorate the city’s unity in the wake of last summer’s Pulse nightclub massacre, and to raise funds for mental health organizations. Stewart, the Orlando Democrat who introduced Senate Bill 1232, will get her first chance to present it today […]

Michael MolineMarch 10, 2017

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Legislation beginning to work its way through the House and Senate would help businesses voluntarily comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act — and possibly avoid “drive-by lawsuits” targeting noncompliance. “The ADA was taken away from Americans with disabilities by a handful of law firms — most out of South Florida — that have filed […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2017

As state Rep. Amy Mercado declares, Florida’s now-annual black bear hunt has become a “slaughter.” Mercado and fellow Orlando Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart laid out bills Wednesday to ban the hunts for 10 years, as well as steps to keep bears happy enough in the forests and stop raiding neighborhoods. “The bears, we’ve encroached […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 21, 2017

On Tuesday, the Florida Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee heard from the Agency for State Technology. The AST, legislated into existence in 2014, appears on the outside to be in flux. A recent audit of the AST hammered it for a lack of internal controls. Meanwhile, CIO Jason Allison is on his way out the […]

Scott PowersFebruary 3, 2017

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Citing email obtained through open-records requests, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer declared the League of Women Voters of Florida as “Florida’s newest gun ban organization,” working in secret. “The League of Women Voters is not who you think they are. The Florida League of Women Voters is Florida’s newest gun ban organization,” Hammer wrote in a letter […]

Tag: Linda Stewart

In Tampa, Richard Corcoran faces hostile crowd angry about school bill

Linda Stewart urges Rick Scott to veto education bill

Darren Soto to push bill to declare Kissimmee River ‘Wild and Scenic’

Senate panel OKs modified bill to protect black bears

Linda Stewart gathering support for Amendment 1 funding next year

Linda Stewart pushing ‘Orlando United’ specialty license plate

Measures would promote ADA compliance — and, with luck, discourage litigation

Linda Stewart, Amy Mercado introduce bills to protect bears, their food and habitat

Agency for State Technology gets softballs in Senate committee

NRA declares League of Women Voters as ‘gun ban organization’