Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonJuly 30, 2018

Fort Myers police officer Adam Jobbers-Miller died Saturday, one week after Wisner Desmaret allegedly shot him while Jobbers-Miller was answering a call at Marathon gas station. The shooting, now killing, has turned into a flashpoint that cuts across many political issues, namely immigration, mental health and pretrial release. Desmaret, 29, is a Haitian immigrant who […]

Scott PowersMay 14, 2018

Struck with reports that a glaring glitch is preventing mental health records from quickly entering the state’s firearms purchases background system, Gov. Rick Scott today asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to seek a federal grant to hire people to overcome the glitch. The money would be spent through a federal pilot program to hire […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 21, 2018

House Speaker Richard Corcoran told a group of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students Wednesday “how guns are treated is absolutely on the table” for bills that are in the works. Corcoran, a Land O’ Lakes Republican, and other House members met with dozens of teens who attend the Broward County high school in a midday meeting […]

Scott PowersFebruary 16, 2018

Declaring that Republican leadership in Tallahassee has “transformed Florida into a petri dish of experimentation for the NRA” and “utterly failed to address public health and mental health care,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King said Friday he would fight the gun lobby, veto their bills, and seek to expand coverage and ban assault weapons. The […]

Scott PowersJanuary 11, 2018

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed into law the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017, a bill pushed in part by U.S. Rep. Val Demings to help address issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by law enforcement officers. Demings, a Democrat who formerly served as Orlando police chief, introduced the bipartisan measure […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 5, 2018

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RJ Myers, an established veteran of politics and The Process, is taking his experience to Suskey Consulting, the Florida government affairs firm announced this week. Myers, who will serve as a Government and Community Affairs Consultant, will be based in the firm’s St. Petersburg and Tallahassee offices. He most recently was Deputy Political Director for Republican Rick Baker‘s […]

Ana CeballosNovember 6, 2017

Republican Sen. Rene Garcia, who chairs the Committee on Children, Families and Elders Affairs, said Monday that legislators need to “stop ignoring” mental health in the state even more so after the massacre that killed more than a dozen churchgoers in Texas. “We can no longer move on as a society until we start addressing […]

Staff ReportsNovember 3, 2017

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The Florida Bar said it was creating three new committees “to study and develop recommendations … on supporting attorney mental health and wellness, advancing Florida’s mental health laws, and improving representation for children and families in the courts.” The Bar announced the moves in a Thursday press release. “Promoting mental health and wellness for Florida attorneys, […]

Scott PowersOctober 31, 2017

State and federal cuts in funding for mental health services are hamstringing funding for Orange County’s primary center to deal with people in crises because of mental health issues, officials told the Orange County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. A 40 percent federal cut in grant money used by local mental health diversion centers means a […]

Scott PowersAugust 17, 2017

Speaking before a crowd of mental health and substance abuse treatment professionals, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Latvala promised more money for their causes and lashed out at Speaker Richard Corcoran and House Republicans for neglecting them. Latvala, the Republican state Senator from Clearwater who chairs the Appropriations Committee, said Florida has neglected mental health and […]

Tag: mental health
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Fort Myers shooting highlights cracks in patchwork pretrial release system

Rick Scott seeking $1 million to help close gun background check gap

Richard Corcoran to teens: Gun legislation ‘on the table’

Chris King releases post-Parkland proposal to address mental illness, ban guns

Val Demings bill addressing law enforcement mental health becomes law

Personnel note: RJ Myers heading to Suskey Consulting

Rene Garcia urges legislators to ‘stop ignoring’ mental health issues

Florida Bar creates panels for mental health, children and families

State cuts in mental health funding hamstring Orange County center

Jack Latvala vows more mental health, substance abuse money, rips Richard Corcoran