Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorJune 30, 2018

There is a term in the Florida Administrative Procedure Act for when a state agency goes rogue and refuses to follow a legislative statute: “an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority.” There are other terms for it, but I prefer the plainest: flaunting the law. If it’s a high-profile agency (no names, please), the legislature […]

Phil AmmannOctober 18, 2017

School choice is again under attack, with private schools facing a renewed onslaught of well-worn, tired and inaccurate claims. But the worst bias against Florida’s popular school scholarship programs runs throughout an new Orlando Sentinel series (“Schools Without Rules,” which debuted Wednesday) that seeks to relitigate the questionable case against well-proven private schools: weak oversight, […]

Peter SchorschJuly 7, 2017

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Kim McDougal, Gov. Rick Scott‘s former chief of staff, is joining GrayRobinson‘s Tallahassee office as a Senior Director of Government Affairs, the law firm announced Friday. “Kim brings tremendous insight and invaluable experience to our firm, and will also substantially increase our expertise in the education policy and appropriations areas,” said Jason Unger, managing partner of the Tallahassee office. “The […]

Guest AuthorMay 2, 2017

Facing yet another drug overdose epidemic, the Florida Legislature has an opportunity to move the needle in the right policy direction — finally. As members of the Florida House and Senate are poised to pass new criminal violations, this time for trafficking in fentanyl and synthetic drugs, the heat is on to include policies that […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 17, 2017

An ongoing debate in Florida has revolved around whether foster care or group care is the best way forward for the kids who need it. This question, as is the case with so many “safety net” questions, depends on who you ask and how the question is framed. In the last ten years, the usage […]

Martin DyckmanFebruary 22, 2017

Is Florida’s judicial ethics commission about to become collateral damage in a battle over the independence of the courts? House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the Land O’Lakes Republican, appears to have targeted the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) along with the courts themselves in his campaign to curb the independence of the judiciary. The JQC and the […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 24, 2017

A recent study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability into how effective managed care plans are at providing dental care appeared to be inconclusive, agency officials said this week. OPPAGA was tasked with looking into how effectively managed care plans are at providing dental care under a contentious 2016 law. The […]

William PatrickJanuary 11, 2017

Florida’s state economic development efforts are “underperforming,” according to a new legislative report. An undesirable label by any standard, critics and lawmakers already skeptical of providing taxpayer support for private businesses are likely to seize on the bureaucratic euphemism and underlying findings to bolster their anti-incentives position ahead of the March state legislative session. The Office […]

Mitch PerryNovember 24, 2015

If you’re a reporter, you didn’t have to be in Jacksonville Monday to learn the details of Gov. Rick Scott‘s $79 billion budget. That’s because the governor’s press office helpfully sent out email after email to highlight aspects of the vast budget throughout the day, where the highlights include $1 billion in tax cuts and cutting […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2015

There’s been an increasing rise in reforming civil asset forfeiture laws around the country, with conservatives and libertarians (such as the Cato Institute) leading the cause in many cases. Civil asset forfeiture is the legal practice that allows law enforcement officials to seize private property and money that is suspected of aiding, or resulting from, […]

Tag: OPPAGA

Bob Holladay: The Department of Education is flaunting the law

In latest attack on private schools, Orlando Sentinel works ‘without rules’

Personnel note: Kim McDougal joins GrayRobinson lobbying team

Jason Pye, Sal Nuzzo: Mandatory minimum reform needed in overdose epidemic

Group homes, foster care concern Senate panel

Judicial ethics watchdog could suffer in fight for independent Florida courts

House panel gets update on dental carve out law

Florida’s economic development efforts are ‘underperforming’

Mitch Perry Report for 11.24.15 — Did Rick Scott release something Monday?

State report on civil asset forfeiture laws in Florida suggests reforms are needed