Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMay 15, 2015

As Florida lawmakers continue to face off over the multibillion dollar issue of whether to expand Medicaid, one of the fiercest critics of those opposed to such a plan is a prominent former member. Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano does not hide the fact that he is, at the very least, upset with those members […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 1, 2015

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli late Thursday night apologized for a controversial Twitter post made by Rep. Matt Gaetz. Crisafulli said he “does not condone the Tweet by @MattGaetz. He is an agitator, yes, but not a racist. Please accept my apology to those offended.” Gaetz started a Twitter war Thursday afternoon after remarking that the Senate Democrats […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 1, 2015

Regulations for pain management clinics are set to expire in January, but the Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would keep the requirements intact indefinitely. Sponsored by Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, SB 450, passed unanimously and without any debate or controversy. A companion bill, HB 4017, has cleared all the committees of reference and […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 20, 2015

Mike Fasano represented Pasco County in the Florida Legislature 19 years before being appointed tax collector in 2013 by Gov. Rick Scott. Having spent almost an equal amount of time between both chambers, he says there’s a vast gulf of difference between the two GOP-controlled bodies in Tallahassee as far as independence, philosophy, and temperament. “In […]

Christine Jordan SextonJanuary 23, 2015

State Sen. Mike Fasano is considered the father of Florida’s pill mill laws, having worked tirelessly in 2009, 2010, and 2011 on the issue. The former senator was shocked to hear on Thursday that portions of Florida’s law expire in January 2016 unless the Florida Legislature passes a bill to keep them intact. “That amazes […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 21, 2015

As I meet with dozens of Florida lawmakers, legislative staffers, and lobbyists in Tallahassee, inevitably the question is raised, “What is going on over there?” There being the Governor’s Office and its inexplicable courses of action as it struggles through the start of Rick Scott’s second term. What I say to these politicos is, […]

Mitch PerryDecember 10, 2014

The CIA and its supporters are in full pushback mode today, a day after the publication of a summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the use of torture (or as the CIA euphemistically refers to it as, “enhanced interrogation tactics”). Like so many other things that come out of Washington, the political establishment […]

Mitch PerryDecember 9, 2014

Appearing before the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano entertained the centrist-to-liberal audience with his outspoken criticism of the way that business is conducted in Tallahassee, slamming on Governor Rick Scott for failing to speak out against Duke Energy and for Medicaid expansion during the recent […]

Peter SchorschNovember 6, 2014

When a candidate loses an election, there’s a tendency to ask what could have been done differently. Coulda, woulda, shoulda is a natural part of the post-election period. But when a candidate loses by a margin as tight as Charlie Crist fell short against Rick Scott — 48.2 to 47.1 percent — there’s an obligation […]

Peter SchorschJune 18, 2014

By the time whoever is chosen to serve as Speaker of the Florida House in 2020-21, there will be a new occupant of the White House and a new governor of Florida. The Sunshine State’s population is expected to be over 21 million by the time of the next census. By 2020, there will be two […]

Tag: Mike Fasano
Donald Trump in Manhattan. Image via AP.

Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano, one of the loudest critics of Florida House’s health care position, STILL employed by Florida Hospital Tampa

Steve Crisafulli apologizes for Matt Gaetz’s “disgraceful” tweet

Senate keeps pain clinic regulations intact

At Tampa Tiger Bay, Mike Fasano says GOP leadership’s rein too tight on state House

Pill mill law expiration catches former lawmaker Mike Fasano by surprise

Say what? Rick Scott responds to Cabinet concerns about ousting FDLE commish with request to guillotine agency heads

Mitch Perry Report for 12.10.14 – The politics of torture

Despite his actions, Mike Fasano is not leaving the GOP

Peter Schorsch: Here are 16 factors that contributed to Charlie Crist’s loss

Peter Schorsch: Here’s everything you didn’t know about the 2020-21 Speaker race