Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonSeptember 11, 2015

Lake City Republican Rep. Elizabeth Porter has drawn a Democratic challenger for her House District 10 seat, dashing her chances of going a third cycle in a row without major party competition. Fredrick “Rick” Schutte IV filed Friday to run for the seat. The Live Oak resident and Army veteran has been working as a […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 9, 2015

State Rep. Frank Artiles soon will be literally ‘loaded for bear’: His name is on the state’s list of permit holders for next month’s black bear hunting season. A list provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Wednesday after a public-records request shows Artiles’ name among the 2,055 who have received […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 7, 2015

Amid the parades and barbecues, the meaning of Labor Day often gets lost on contemporary Americans, particularly in Florida, where unions scarcely carry political or cultural clout outside of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. But as we celebrate the holiday, let’s take a moment to honor those who persevered through dangerous working conditions and violent […]

Guest AuthorAugust 25, 2015

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On the opening day of the 2014 Session in the Florida House of Representatives, then-Speaker of House Will Weatherford spoke at length about an issue that few leaders in government talk about: generational poverty. During his remarks, Weatherford noted, “There will always be poverty — the kind that results from temporary setbacks: job loss, foreclosures, […]

Guest AuthorAugust 25, 2015

On the opening day of the 2014 Session in the Florida House of Representatives, then Speaker of House Will Weatherford spoke at length about an issue that few leaders in government talk about — generational poverty. During his remarks, Speaker Weatherford noted “There will always be poverty — the kind that results from temporary setbacks: […]

Ryan RayAugust 11, 2015

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Miami-based governmental affairs firm Gomez Barker took in an estimated $230,000 during the second quarter of 2015, according to recently submitted compensation reports. The firm’s three-lobbyist team — composed of Fausto Gomez, Manny Reyes, and William Helmich — represented 29 clients between the months of April and June, all for legislative work. The roster of interests was heavily South Floridian: […]

Associated PressJuly 29, 2015

Psssst … Need a phony ID? A fraudulent tax refund? Insurance money from a sham car crash? Florida may have just what you’re looking for. Since the first settlers hacked their way into the mangrove tangles and drained much of the swampland, sunny South Florida has been virtually synonymous with shady deals and scams. Over […]

Associated PressJune 16, 2015

People caught with small amounts of marijuana could soon get a civil citation instead of a jail term in Florida’s largest county, which may become the first in the state to treat marijuana possession as a non-criminal act. The Miami-Dade County Commission is considering a proposal to let police issue $100 civil citations for possessing […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorJune 5, 2015

Getting thrown in jail for possessing pot in Miami-Dade County could soon be a thing of the past. A county commission committee is set to consider a proposal that would give law enforcement the option to issue a civil citation rather than slap marijuana-users with a criminal charge. The plan has support from the Miami-Dade Police […]

Guest AuthorJune 3, 2015

For students of Big Sugar and its control of Florida, sub-section county government, Tuesday’s discussion and vote on a resolution proposed by Miami-Dade County Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava and Rebeca Sosa was a master class. The resolution, aimed at lawmakers now in special session, from the outset seemed innocuous but doomed. Instead, it passed. Here, […]

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Elizabeth Porter draws Democratic challenger for House District 10 race

Frank Artiles’ name on list of bear hunting permits

Labor Day Weekend, brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political organizations

Jeff Kottkamp: Boys & Girls Clubs help break cycle of generational poverty

Jeff Kottkamp: Breaking the cycle of generational poverty

Gomez Barker firm pulls in $230K in Q2 lobbying fees

By nearly any measure, sunny South Florida is tops in fraud

Largest Florida county proposes citations for pot possession

Miami-Dade set to consider marijuana civil citation program

Alan Farago: How Big Sugar's shadow fell across a simple Miami-Dade resolution