Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Adam WeinsteinJanuary 25, 2015

Four years ago, John Thrasher did something incredibly brave. As chairman of the Florida Senate’s Rules Committee and one of the state’s most powerful Republicans, he bucked his entire party and one of its most powerful lobbying partners in 2011 to kill a bill that would have let Floridians carry guns openly on school campuses, […]

Marc YachtJanuary 25, 2015

Hollywood-created assassin action actor Liam Neeson claims there are too many guns in America. Not shying away from the “F” word, he cites 320 million citizens and 300 million guns. Neeson, whose screen body counts approach that of Sylvester Stallone, mentions the all-too-frequent school killings that have taken innocent lives. The gun manufacturer PARA USA, […]

Diane RobertsNovember 24, 2014

It’s happened again: a sick person goes to a college campus, pulls out a gun, and starts firing. And again, the ignorant or just plain vicious people who think the answer to gun violence is more guns squeal that if every Florida State University student, professor, groundskeeper, manager, lunchroom lady, electrician, janitor, ticket taker and […]

Peter SchorschNovember 13, 2014

Imagine you are a Vietnam veteran, a hunter, and an NRA member. And imagine that in your retirement you set up a remote homestead and you buy – yes, you buy – 60 acres of solitude where you can live peacefully and raise your horses and dogs. Sounds like you found your own slice of heaven. But […]

Adam WeinsteinAugust 4, 2014

I’ve been trying to catch up with Marion Hammer, the former president of the NRA and top lobbyist for the pro-gun group here in Florida, for years. I’m a lifelong gun owner, but she’s never accepted my offers to meet up for a range day. So I was glad to see she’s writing here at […]

Guest AuthorJuly 29, 2014

Among the country’s lower 48, Florida was a land of almost unequaled promise. Surrounded by navigable waters, the peninsula’s unique geography and pristine natural beauty beckoned all to visit and emigrate–and thrive. Mother Nature shined on the state, along with women like Marjory Stoneman Douglas (who saved the Everglades) and Barbara Capitman (who saved South […]

Guest AuthorJuly 27, 2014

There are three types of politicians: The first works mostly on behalf of the people they serve, by far the rarest of the lot; the second works chiefly on behalf of their own interests, by far the vast majority. The third tries to impose an ideology on others, an aggressive minority. Florida Attorney General Pam […]

Marc YachtJune 1, 2014

The American tragedy continues with six collegians killed in the sleepy college town of Isla Vista, Calif. The deranged murderer then took his own life after a shooting and stabbing rampage. The father of one of the victims lashed out at the NRA, politicians and all those who impede gun restrictions. In Florida, bullets sent […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 16, 2014

Though the firearm crime rate in America has steadily decreased since 1993, America remains awash in guns — legally purchased as well as illegally obtained. An estimated 6.6 million guns were transferred in 2012 without a federal background check. The Internet has opened up a vast marketplace of weapons — some from licensed dealers, many […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 6, 2014

Guns. We are awash in them and words about them. Some of the latest came from Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal, which ruled that the University of North Florida could not ban students from keeping guns in their on-campus cars. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Florida Carry, a gun […]

Tag: NRA

Adam Weinstein: Is John Thrasher brave enough to thwart campus guns?

Marc Yacht: Pistol-packing actor Liam Neeson could switch to kung fu

Diane Roberts: Mixing guns and college kids is a really dangerous idea

Peter Schorsch: The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s inexplicable refusal to stop deer-dog hunting where Florida families reside

Adam Weinstein: NRA and its “Docs vs. Glocks” law treat gun owners like children

Stephen Goldstein: 17 sensible initiatives to make Florida world-class

Stephen Goldstein: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is out for herself

Marc Yacht: Blame mass killings on lax gun laws, poor mental-health care

Ben Kirby: Illegal guns are not welcome in St. Pete

Doug Clifton: With all the slaughter, how does gun lobby continue to win?