Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Diane RobertsFebruary 10, 2016

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE — They call us the Sunshine State, but Florida’s government prefers to operate in the shadows. Like vampire bats, cockroaches and mold spores. If you can’t see what the government is doing, you can’t fight it. That explains the 74 public records exemption bills before the Legislature this Session. Yes, 74 new attacks […]

Diane RobertsFebruary 9, 2016

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE — They call us the Sunshine State, but Florida’s government prefers to operate in the shadows. Like vampire bats, cockroaches and mold spores. If you can’t see what the government is doing, you can’t fight it. That explains the 74 public records exemption bills before the Legislature this session. Yes, 74 new attacks […]

Scott PowersJanuary 30, 2016

The buildings and land occupied by the Orlando Sentinel have been put up for sale by Tribune Media, the company that formerly owned the newspaper and still owns the real estate, according to GrowthSpotter. GrowthSpotter, a business news service that’s a sister publication of the Sentinel, cited anonymous sources “with direct knowledge” in reporting Saturday […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 26, 2016

We’ve heard a lot about illegal immigration on the campaign trail. Most of the GOP candidates decry it but say they embrace legal immigration. Like the H-1B visa. The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 21, 2016

Pinellas County Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly‘s proposal to ban federal officeholders from directly seeking campaign contributions has been getting an ambivalent reception across the region and the country. His legislation would affect only elected federal officials: the president, vice president and members of Congress. The change would not apply to candidates for federal office who […]

Jim RosicaDecember 9, 2015

The Orlando Sentinel’s loss is Florida Politics’ gain. Scott Michael Powers, a veteran reporter who has worked at the Sentinel the past 15 years, is joining the Florida Politics roster of writers, publisher Peter Schorsch announced Wednesday. Powers – who for the past five years has covered government, politics, NASA, Kennedy Space Center and business – also will be leading […]

Associated PressNovember 23, 2015

One of Florida’s most iconic landmarks has been restored. The giant orange has weathered many of the ups and downs of the state’s citrus industry. The orange came to Lake County in 1971 when the industry was booming and more than 130,000 acres were dedicated to citrus farming. Many roadside citrus stands at the time […]

Guest AuthorOctober 25, 2015

It’s already been a sad week for black bears in Florida. On Saturday, the first day of the big Florida black bear hunt, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stopped the hunting in Central Florida after 99 bears were killed, just one under the quota for that region’s weeklong season. Statewide, 207 bears were […]

Guest AuthorOctober 15, 2015

Many of Florida’s public officials must be enjoying the slow death of the state’s once powerful newspapers. In the 1990s, a skeptical reporter would be asking exasperating questions every time a politician or bureaucrat made a controversial decision. The painful shrinking of Florida’s papers continues, though. Last week Tribune Publishing offered another round of buyouts. […]

Guest AuthorOctober 14, 2015

Many of Florida’s public officials must be enjoying the slow death of the state’s once powerful newspapers. In the 1990s, a skeptical reporter would be asking exasperating questions every time a politician or bureaucrat made a controversial decision. The painful shrinking of Florida’s papers continues, though. Last week Tribune Publishing offered another round of buyouts. […]

Tag: Orlando Sentinel

Diane Roberts: Legislature works hard to keep us in the dark

Diane Roberts: Legislature is working hard to keep citizens in the dark

Tribune Media puts Orlando Sentinel property up for sale, report says

Mitch Perry Report for 1.26.16 — Not the Happiest Place on Earth?

Kathy Castor says David Jolly’s campaign finance idea doesn’t go far enough

Political reporting veteran Scott Powers joining Extensive Enterprises Media

Landmark of Florida citrus industry restored

Michael Sainato: Black bears, good science on losing end as hunt begins

Tom O’Hara: Floridians lose when struggling newspapers reduce staff

Tom O’Hara: Floridians lose when struggling newspapers reduce staff