Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaNovember 4, 2017

“Izzy Reyes is on there, he’ll listen to me.” That’s what Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga can be heard saying to Justice Barbara Pariente right after Wednesday’s oral argument in a lawsuit over the governor’s judicial appointments power. A lawyer named Israel U. Reyes is a member of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC). The […]

Jim RosicaOctober 27, 2017

A proposed constitutional amendment would ensure that future governors could appoint new judges and justices up to their last day in office. But John Stemberger, the member of the Constitution Revision Commission who filed the amendment Thursday, said he was temporarily withdrawing the proposal to correct a drafting error. The amendment would make certain that judicial terms […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 20, 2017

An appellate court on Wednesday ordered satellite-television companies to pay legal and other costs in a long-standing tax case they lost earlier this year. After DirecTV and Dish Network sued, the Florida Supreme Court in April decided satellite TV can be taxed at a higher rate than cable TV. The case was remanded to the 1st District […]

Jim RosicaAugust 25, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case against Gov. Rick Scott over whether he has the authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. The court on Friday set argument for 9 a.m. Nov. 1. For now, the matter will be heard by the court’s seven justices, […]

Jim RosicaJuly 31, 2017

The progressive groups suing Rick Scott will get till next Thursday to respond to his request to toss out a lawsuit that aims to stop the Republican governor from appointing three Supreme Court justices on his last day in office. The Florida Supreme Court gave the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF) and Common Cause till Aug. 10 […]

Jim RosicaJune 22, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday granted Gov. Rick Scott‘s request for 14 extra days to respond to a lawsuit claiming he doesn’t have authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. Scott general counsel Daniel Nordby filed the request Wednesday, asking to move the deadline to July 19. “Multiple extensions […]

Jim RosicaJune 16, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court has asked Gov. Rick Scott to respond to a lawsuit claiming he doesn’t have authority to appoint three new justices on the last day of his term. The court on Friday gave Scott till July 5 to file a response, with the League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVF) and Common Cause having a […]

Jim RosicaJune 14, 2017

When Gov. Rick Scott appointed a conservative jurist to the state’s Supreme Court in December, he made clear he wasn’t done. “I will appoint three more justices the morning I finish my term,” he said, referring to the mandatory retirement in early 2019 of the court’s liberal-leaning triumvirate of Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy A. Quince and […]

Jim RosicaApril 13, 2017

Satellite-television service can be taxed at a higher rate than cable TV, the Florida Supreme Court decided Thursday. Satellite companies had challenged the state’s 16-year-old Communications Services Tax (CST), which now taxes cable service at 4.92 percent and satellite at 9.07 percent. Those concerns, led by DirecTV, said that difference was unconstitutional and asked for a refund. But […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 18, 2017

The Florida Education Association (FEA) vented its “frustration” Wednesday after the Florida Supreme Court declined to take up a suit challenging the constitutionality of what’s been called “the nation’s largest private school choice program.” The court decided not to hear a challenge to the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, created in 2001, though – as one former judge noted – its […]

Tag: Peggy A. Quince
A nice warm evening in Tallahassee on a very busy street while taking this shot.

Supreme Court justices caught on ‘hot mic’—but about what?

Proposal would assure governor’s power to name justices

Court to DirecTV, Dish: Pay up in taxing case

Supreme Court orders argument in judicial appointments case

Groups get more time to respond in suit over Supreme Court justices

Rick Scott gets more time to respond to judicial appointments lawsuit

Rick Scott asked to respond to judicial appointments lawsuit

Progressive groups sue over Rick Scott’s judicial appointment power

Supreme Court OKs taxing satellite TV higher than cable

Teachers’ union: “Who can challenge the Legislature on voucher program?”