Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersDecember 9, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump is returning to Orlando next week on his victory tour, appearing at the spot he spoke at just a few days before winning Florida and the presidency. Trump will be joined this time by vice president-elect Mike Pence, for a “U.S.A. Thank You Tour” rally at the Central Florida Fairgrounds at 7 […]

Larry GriffinDecember 6, 2016

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appeared before a crowd at the Bob Carr Theater to deliver his annual State of Downtown address, which focused not so much on new ideas as it did on refinement of old ones. Namely, he spent most of the speech focused on the betterment of the Parramore neighborhood, long an area of […]

Larry GriffinDecember 5, 2016

The owner of the Pulse nightclub, Barbara Poma, has decided not to sell the building to the City of Orlando – or anyone else for now, she said. In a release issued by her lawyers, Benitez Law Group, Poma says the Pulse nightclub simply means too much to her to sell to anyone else. “Pulse […]

Steve SchaleDecember 5, 2016

It is time for one last big data piece on Florida 2016. For about 18 hours a day over 2+ weeks, I found myself living and breathing early voting data. So now that all the data have been reported from counties, I wanted to look back at some assumptions, and compare them to the actual […]

Scott PowersDecember 2, 2016

Orlando has been named “Gay City of the Year” by the gay travel site GayCities.com, which praised the City Beautiful for its outpouring of compassion and unity following last summer’s horrific massacre at the Pulse nightclub and then noted Orlando had been a strong city for gays all along. “GayCities honors the city & community […]

Scott PowersDecember 2, 2016

The horrific Pulse nightclub massacre, the specter of Zika virus, and the uncertainty of politics and national policies aren’t slowing down tourists coming to Orlando. At least not enough to hurt. The Orange County Tourist Development Council received sparkling reports Tuesday showing record receipts from tourist taxes in the past fiscal year and forecasts that […]

Associated PressNovember 28, 2016

When Randall Baker began renting out a pair of College Park cottages through Airbnb, he says he thought he had done everything right. He had a business license through the state and tax receipts from the city and county. But after a neighbor complained, Orlando code enforcement determined Baker was violating zoning rules. Though he […]

Scott PowersNovember 23, 2016

As Orlandoans gather round dinner tables with family and close friends, let us start by being thankful that those of us who can be are there to gather. Let’s give thanks for a community that found comfort, faith, and strength in each others arms during the dawn following our darkest day, and for the commitment […]

Scott PowersNovember 22, 2016

As one of his last acts on behalf of the state of Florida, outgoing Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner arranged a moment of silence Tuesday for those killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting just outside his district on June 12. Gardiner, the Orlando Republican who now is a private citizen, did so on the request […]

Associated PressNovember 19, 2016

A woman hiding in a closet described gunman Omar Mateen spraying bullets throughout a Florida nightclub during the worst mass shooting in recent U.S. history, according to 911 call transcripts released Friday. The transcripts were the last batch of 911 calls from last June’s massacre at Pulse to be made public by the city of […]

Tag: Orlando

Donald Trump bringing victory tour to Orlando next week

Buddy Dyer at State of Downtown address: ‘We have one downtown’

Owner of Pulse changes mind on selling club to City of Orlando

Steve Schale: Florida early vote, a retrospective

Orlando named ‘Gay City of the Year’ by gay travel site

Orange County and Orlando get rosy tourist numbers, forecasts

Orlando grapples with Airbnb, other rental networks

Orlando’s cornucopia of thanks runneth over for area leaders

Andy Gardiner, Linda Stewart arrange moments of silence for Pulse victims

Pulse 911 calls: ‘I’m shot!’ Then silence.