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Staff ReportsMarch 12, 2018

The Florida Chamber of Commerce wanted to see the cost of living for Floridians reduced this Session, but after lawmakers’ focus turned to the Parkland school massacre, the measures passed by the Legislature did not impress the organization. “Rightly so, the last three weeks of Session were focused on school safety following the Parkland tragedy,” […]

Ana CeballosMarch 12, 2018

The superintendent for Pinellas County public schools is slamming the proposed state budget that lawmakers are poised to pass Sunday because he says it will leave his school district with a nearly $3 million funding deficit. “It’s clear that the additional safe schools and mental health funding has come on the backs of teachers and […]

Peter SchorschMarch 11, 2018

Nobody expected a tragedy like Parkland to suck all the oxygen out of the Legislature’s 2018 Regular Session. Lobbyists were left scrambling to save their clients’ priorities as lawmakers hustled to rejigger the budget to accommodate hundreds of millions of dollars for school safety and mental health initiatives. Some survived, many did not; although that’s […]

Staff ReportsMarch 10, 2018

The 2018 Legislative Session came and went, and Brian Pitts of the advocacy group Justice 2 Jesus was nowhere to be found. One of the last times he was spotted was November at the Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee. It was the last meeting for former state Rep. Neil Combee and after he said farewell, […]

Michael MolineMarch 7, 2018

As the House debated the post-Parkland bill Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott refused to commit to signing it. “As you know, the bill is still being debated. When the bill makes it to my desk, I’m going to do what they don’t seem to be doing in Washington. I’m going to review the bill line by […]

Scott PowersMarch 7, 2018

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine‘s campaign and political committee combined to raise $450,000 and he added another $800,000 of his own, bringing his total funds raised to more than $10 million, he announced Wednesday. Levine, the former mayor of Miami Beach, contended that he now leads his nearest competitor in the Democratic primary race by […]

Jim RosicaMarch 7, 2018

The House began debate Wednesday on the Legislature’s school safety bill, hastily crafted in response to the Valentine’s Day shooting at Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed 17 lives. The day before, the Republican-controlled chamber beat down a slew of amendments on the measure (SB 7026), including one aimed at deleting a ‘guardian program’ […]

Scott PowersMarch 7, 2018

An attempt by Orlando Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith to get the state to provide $1 million to help build a Pulse nightclub memorial in Orlando drew some crossover votes from Republicans (including many from Central Florida) but failed in the House Tuesday night. The proposed amendment, which would have added $1 million for […]

Peter SchorschMarch 7, 2018

Last night, I tweeted a .gif about Senator Anitere Flores and how capitol insiders are not surprised that it is the portion of the budget that she helps write that is forcing the Legislature into overtime. It was an easy, lazy criticism of Flores. Of course health care spending, specifically hospital spending, is what’s holding […]

Scott PowersMarch 6, 2018

Expressing frustration with what the Florida Legislature is doing with guns and schools, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine is placing another nearly $2 million buy for statewide TV commercials this month, his campaign announced Monday. The commercials will continue for a while with his “We Will” spot that launched in late February on a $750,000 […]

Tag: Parkland
Gabrielle Russon

Florida Chamber sums up likes, dislikes this Session

Pinellas schools superintendent slams proposed funding for public education

Winners and losers emerging from the 2018 Legislative Session

Takeaways from Tallahassee — Where is Justice 2 Jesus?

Rick Scott refuses to be pinned down on school safety legislation

Philip Levine raises $450K in February, adds his own $800K check

School safety bill up for vote in House

Carlos Smith’s $1M Pulse memorial amendment draws some Republicans, but fails

It’s really not hospital spending holding up the budget; it’s the politics of Parkland

Philip Levine placing another nearly $2 million in TV ads