Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorNovember 6, 2014

Now that Amendment 2 on medical marijuana has been defeated and relegated to the trash pile of poorly worded constitutional amendments, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Well, not really. You see, John Morgan, the lawyer who spearheaded the drive to adopt Amendment 2, can’t stay silent even for a nano-minute. It’s just […]

Associated PressNovember 3, 2014

The unprecedented wave of television ads airing in Florida’s bitter contest for governor has been paid by a wide array of interests ranging from casino owners, unions, electric utilities, and even the incumbent himself. Campaign reports filed late Friday show that Gov. Rick Scott and his wife donated $12.8 million to the Republican Party of […]

Bruce RitchieOctober 2, 2014

California became the first state in the nation this week to ban disposable single-use plastic shopping bags. The ban is needed, supporters said, to reduce litter and protect birds and sea life from becoming entangled in bags. The ban also prevents bags from clogging storm drains or winding up in landfills. That new law prompted […]

Martin DyckmanSeptember 14, 2014

The widely denounced Citizens United decision that did a great disservice to the nation and disgraces five Supreme Court justices is only the tip of a hulking iceberg. An urgent effort to melt that iceberg began in the U.S. Senate last week. You probably didn’t hear about it. The foundation for Citizens in 2010 was […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 8, 2014

Labor Day is at least a week into the rearview mirror, so the white pants should be closeted away until next June. The kids are back at school, football has returned to the tube, and, even in Florida, the temperature has dropped a degree or two. In other words, elections are less than two months away. […]

Daniel TilsonAugust 6, 2014

“Let’s Keep Florida Beautiful” is the name of Gov. Rick Scott’s new environmental plan unveiled this week on his website and in multiple public appearances. Team Scott took a “timing is everything” approach to the proposal, introducing it just as news was breaking that billionaire businessman and climate change activist Tom Steyer is targeting the […]

Martin DyckmanJuly 13, 2014

Amidst the national obsession over whether a hugely overpaid athlete is returning to a city he once deserted, something immensely more important happened in Washington Thursday. Scarcely anyone noticed. You most likely did not see it in your newspaper or hear it on TV. It was reported by the “Voice of Russia” but not by […]

Guest AuthorJune 29, 2014

A great little three-letter word sums up most of my feelings these days. It’s “meh,” a word made famous by “The Simpsons” to describe indifference, apathy, the I-don’t-give-a-hoot feeling that often descends on us as we are blanketed by Florida’s summer heat. We just yearn to cuddle up to a frosty air-conditioner and sip a […]

Peter SchorschJune 9, 2014

J. Stanley Marshall, former president of Florida State University (1969-76) and founder of the James Madison Institute, died Sunday at 91. “Ol’ Stan Marshall puts his pants on one leg at time,” the barber said as he trimmed the back of my head, which may have been trembling too much for him to cut in […]

Guest AuthorJune 3, 2014

Republicans have just discovered poverty and income inequality — a remarkable revelation, considering they have caused so much of it. The Tea Party GOP has declared Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” a failure. And with the 2014 elections looming, following the advice of their pollsters and word-testers, Republicans are trying to remake themselves as sympathetic […]

Tag: Marco Rubio
Anna Maria Island home after Hurricane Milton.

Barney Bishop: Some unsolicited advice for Amendment 2 crusader John Morgan

Big Florida election brings money from all sides

Bruce Ritchie: Florida won’t follow California on bag ban because of 2008 law requiring study

Martin Dyckman: Media must report nascent efforts to curb power of money in politics

Peter Schorsch: Five critical political questions leading up to November’s election

Daniel Tilson: Rick Scott’s 2014 environmental self-protection plan

Martin Dyckman: Vote to curb political contributions didn’t get proper coverage

Mark O’Brien: In Florida summer, ‘meh’ sums up my feelings about many issues

Peter Schorsch: On the death of J. Stanley Marshall: Florida has lost a giant

Stephen Goldstein: Republicans ‘discover’ how to end the poverty they created