Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 26, 2016

A bill that would extend protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in Florida was to be debated and voted in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. However, time considerations precluded that from happening so it will come back before the same committee next week. “We’re going to dedicate up to […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 21, 2016

The Florida Competitive Workforce Act will finally see the light of day, after what has been a long road to be heard by any committee in the Florida Legislature. Miami Republican Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla placed Senate Bill 120, sponsored by Boynton Beach Democrat Sen. Joe Abruzzo, on the schedule for his Judiciary Committee. […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 19, 2016

An effort to add liability language to the state law governing drone aircraft is moving through the state Senate, now without a contentious clause calling for joint and several liability. On Tuesday, the Senate commerce and tourism committee approved a measure (SB 642) related to drones. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 17, 2016

Miami Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez said he was eyeing a Senate run last week, and fellow Democrat Antonio J. Diaz didn’t waste any time filing to take over for the two-term representative in House District 112. Diaz is best known for leading a recall campaign against Miami Mayor Carlos Jiminez and for his own campaign […]

Jim RosicaDecember 30, 2015

Julie Jones: The head of the embattled state Department of Corrections has been making headlines since her appointment this January, and 2016 promises a no less busy year. Reports of inmate deaths and abuses and criminal activity behind bars have been unfortunate staples of prisons coverage. Earlier this year, Republican state Sen. Greg Evers grew so concerned […]

Jim RosicaDecember 21, 2015

A bipartisan show of support for Israel has been filed in the Florida Legislature. State Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a Miami Republican, and state Rep. Lori Berman, a Lantana Democrat, filed their respective bills (SR 1184/HR 1001) last week. The resolutions are intended as ceremonial shows of support from each chamber, to be sent […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 15, 2015

A key difference between the Senate campaigns of Rep. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera: the endorsements they roll out. DeSantis has been heavy on big national names, whereas Lopez-Cantera’s list has been heavy on local and state Republicans, as seen with Tuesday morning’s rollout of endorsements from people who arguably know him best: Republicans […]

Jim RosicaNovember 18, 2015

In the ongoing saga over state Senate redistricting, everything old is new again. The state Senate on Wednesday disclosed its proposed fix for its gerrymandered districts, a mash-up of two previous maps: One was passed by the Senate, another was drawn but not voted on in the recent Special Session. Because lawmakers couldn’t agree, it’s now […]

Jim RosicaNovember 17, 2015

Legislation that would protect one’s “digital assets” after death easily cleared its first review committee on Tuesday. The Senate Judiciary committee unanimously OK’d the bill (SB 494) on a 9-0 vote. Under the bill, someone of your choosing could have access to and control your financial accounts, social media and anything else you have online after your death. […]

Jim RosicaNovember 5, 2015

The Legislature’s two redistricting chairs hastily agreed Thursday on a map the House passed earlier this week as the one lawmakers should adopt to redraw the state’s Senate districts. It’s the same map that senators already had rejected to force this week’s conference process between House chair Jose Oliva and his Senate counterpart, Bill Galvano. In a one-and-a-half-minute long […]

Tag: Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
Sen. Ashley Moody (right) fields questiosn about the space program during a town hall in Melbourne. Image via Ashley Moody.

Time runs out before Senate panel can vote on LGBT rights bill

After long road, Florida Competitive Workforce Act gets first Senate committee hearing

Drone legislation advances in Senate

Antonio Diaz wastes little time filing another candidacy, this time HD 112

Jim Rosica’s 5 people to watch in state government in 2016

South Florida lawmakers file bills supporting Israel

Carlos Lopez-Cantera rolls out big South Florida/Miami-Dade endorsements

Senate submits proposed redistricting map

Digital assets bill breezes through first committee

Redistricting chairs agree to go back to House-approved map