Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ana CeballosMarch 6, 2018

The 41 Democrats of the Florida House unanimously voted Tuesday morning to take a caucus position against a proposed program that would arm school staff with guns. Rep. Joe Geller of Aventura made the motion to do so, and on a voice vote the move was approved. But when another motion was made to take […]

Ana CeballosMarch 3, 2018

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After leading the charge to oust Broward Sheriff Scott Israel in the wake of Florida’s worst school shooting, Republican state Rep. Bill Hager tried to gut funding from a program run by the Sheriff’s Office. Hager oversees the House’s criminal justice budget, which gives him large sway over funding for law enforcement-related projects and issues. […]

Ana CeballosMarch 1, 2018

In a rare political move, Gov. Rick Scott and the father of a 14-year-old Parkland shooting victim jointly addressed the House and Senate floors on Thursday and asked legislators to set aside differences and ensure schools are safe sans armed teachers. “I want to make sure there is law enforcement in our schools,” Scott told […]

Joe HendersonMarch 1, 2018

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Say this for Adam Putnam: he knows how to get attention. He put out a terse news release Wednesday, ripping a state Senate proposal to use $10 million from the concealed weapons license fee to reimburse trauma centers for costs related to the Parkland murders. It was kind of a “get off my lawn” moment […]

Ana CeballosMarch 1, 2018

After a criminal justice bill sponsored by Senate budget chief Rob Bradley was zeroed out Wednesday in early negotiations, he said he will kill it to help fund plans to harden schools and fund for mental health services. “I have killed my own bill,” Bradley told Florida Politics. The move to abandon the bill took Sen. […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 28, 2018

The Florida Legislative Black Caucus announced Wednesday evening it will “hold a press conference to announce (its) opposition to legislation moving through the Florida House and Senate that would provide incentives to arm schoolteachers in Florida.” The news conference is 11:30 a.m. Thursday, on the 4th floor rotunda of the Capitol. In a statement, Democratic […]

Joe HendersonFebruary 28, 2018

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Some good ideas about gun control came out of the Legislature this week. Arming teachers isn’t one of them, though. The proposal in the House Appropriations Committee to spend $400 million and put resource officers in every school, beef up mental health treatment, and reinforce buildings to make them safer – all good. As always […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 27, 2018

As the Florida Legislature on Tuesday turned its focus to proposals crafted in the wake of the state’s deadliest school mass shooting in Parkland, a measure that would give law enforcement officers more power to investigate deadly threats made on social media cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube, who on Monday […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 26, 2018

A sit-in protest over gun-control legislation erupted inside and outside the Senate Rules Committee on Monday as senators considered three contentious proposals rolled out in the wake of the deadly Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Clad in bright orange shirts, gun control advocates wielded signs slamming the National Rifle Association. They yelled, “this is […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 23, 2018

House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron on Friday released what they called a “sweeping new school safety reform package.” “I was moved by my conversations with some truly brave and remarkable students this week,” Corcoran, a Land o’ Lakes Republican, said in a statement. “Their commitment to ensuring no school ever endures another […]

Tag: Parkland shooting
Paula Stark is hosting Buenaventura Lakes' 'first-ever' event to honor veterans.

House Dems take caucus position against arming school staff

Bill Hager’s battle with Broward Sheriff spills over into Florida budget talks

In impromptu Capitol visit, Rick Scott reiterates: don’t arm teachers

Joe Henderson: Maybe Senate should have asked Adam Putnam first

Rob Bradley kills his criminal justice bill to ‘fund school safety initiatives’

Black lawmakers plan presser to oppose arming teachers

Joe Henderson: Arming teachers is bad, bad, bad idea

Florida cops could soon have more power to investigate social media threats

Protest erupts in Senate Rules Committee as gun proposals are considered

‘Game changer’: Lawmakers roll out post-Parkland response