Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterNovember 8, 2016

Presidential races get all the attention, but it’s the folks down ballot that make the real decisions. In the Sunshine State, there’s no shortage of high intensity — and sometimes high drama — battles for office. And we aren’t talking about the races for state House and Senate. There have been allegations of election fraud in a […]

Ryan RayApril 20, 2016

A new study out Wednesday shows serious problems with dozens of city and county pension programs around the state. The LeRoy Collins Institute report, called “The Financial Challenges of Retiree Healthcare Subsidies in Florida Cities and Counties,” showed that out of more than 150 of the largest local governmental pension programs, Eight percent of all […]

Guest AuthorApril 18, 2016

The most popular tourist game in Key West these days is searching for that single, illusive parking spot. Top down on the signature rented orange Camaro, there they go around the block, the one riding shotgun pointing to, oops, not that one. If locals talk ceaselessly about traffic, they can come to blows over parking […]

Guest AuthorApril 13, 2016

Seriously? We are arguing about sharing bathrooms again? Didn’t we get that out of our collective political systems in the five years it took to kill the Equal Rights Amendment? On March 22, 1972, Congress sent the simply worded, proposed 27th amendment to the states for approval. Congress gave the states seven years to ratify […]

Phil AmmannMarch 7, 2016

When people think of Florida, they picture the Florida Keys with its clear water, warm sand and the quintessential laid-back lifestyle. But, the Keys are much more than that, as it is home to the world’s third-largest barrier reef, a national marine sanctuary, national and state parks, wildlife refuges, state aquatic preserves, and unique marine […]

Staff ReportsDecember 15, 2015

Extreme high tides have turned streets into canal-like swamps in the Florida Keys, with armies of mosquitoes and the stench of stagnating water filling the air, and residents worried rising sea levels will put a damper on property values in the island chain. On Key Largo, a tropical isle famous for snorkeling and fishing, the […]

Drew WilsonDecember 14, 2015

Rep. Holly Raschein drew a Democratic opponent in her re-election campaign for House District 120, though the Key Largo Republican shouldn’t have too much trouble vaulting the competition to secure her third term. Retired schoolteacher Artie Leichner filed for the seat in mid-November, and brought in a single $100 check during his first two weeks […]

Phil AmmannDecember 1, 2015

A Florida Senate committee approved Tuesday a $25 million per year investment, lasting 10 years, for water quality, restoration and protection of the habitat surrounding the Florida Keys. The Senate Committee on Community Affairs passed Senate Bill 770, known as the Florida Keys Stewardship Act, which seeks to protect the water supply in and around […]

Ryan RayOctober 29, 2015

A working group of engineers, researchers, and municipal officials from four South Florida counties has amended their short- and long-term projections on the severity of rising sea levels Thursday, saying they expect six to 10 inches of sea level rise by 2030, and between 28 and 57 inches by 2100. The four-county Southeast Florida Regional […]

Associated PressJuly 17, 2015

Florida’s unemployment is dropping slightly. The June unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, compared with 5.7 percent the month before. The state added 7,000 jobs last month, according to figures released Friday by the Department of Economic Opportunity. The state’s jobless rate remains higher than the national rate of 5.3 percent. There are about 529,000 unemployed […]

Tag: Monroe County
Supporters celebrate the opening of a wheel-chair accessible playground at Anastasia State Park. Image via Florida State Parks Foundation.

More than just the presidency: 10 down ballot races in Florida to watch on Election Day

Study: Local Florida pension funds still in trouble

Linda Cunningham: Parking in paradise ain’t pretty

Linda Cunningham: Yet again, we’re arguing about sharing bathrooms

Anitere Flores and Holly Raschein: Legislature must provide money to protect The Florida Keys

As Florida Keys flood, property worries seep in

Holly Raschein draws Democrat in HD 120, but not much challenge

Senate panel OKs Florida Keys Stewardship Act, funding water quality, protection

Southeast Florida regional climate group amends sea level rise projections

Florida’s unemployment rate drops slightly in June