Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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 […]

Associated PressNovember 17, 2016

Patrons trapped in an Orlando nightclub as a gunman carried out the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history begged 911 operators to send help in audio recordings released Wednesday. The 150 or so calls were the last batch of recordings made public by the city after a court fight with media companies, and they […]

Larry GriffinNovember 14, 2016

The City of Orlando’s plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub and turn it into a memorial were originally scheduled for Monday’s City Council meeting, but have now been delayed until the Dec. 5 meeting. The reason given by Mayor Buddy Dyer is that the city wants more time to formulate a plan moving forward to […]

Scott PowersOctober 24, 2016

Democrats are investing heavily in the idea that Florida voters want to see some gun law changes, and the Democrats’ latest is a statewide mailer declaring “Senator Marco Rubio letting guns fall into the wrong hands.” The mailer, from the Florida Democratic Party, hits Rubio, Florida’s Republican U.S. Senator, on donations his campaigns have taken […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterOctober 10, 2016

Floridians think banning the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons would be a step in the right direction. Almost half (49 percent) of Floridians view a ban of the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons as a move in the right direction, according to the 2016 USF-Nielsen Sunshine State Survey. Thirty-seven percent said they thought a ban […]

Associated PressSeptember 20, 2016

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is asking the FBI to share more information with local agencies offering assistance to victims of Orlando’s gay nightclub shooting, according to a letter released Tuesday. The letter Rubio wrote last month to FBI Director James Comey requested reforms and said some victims had their assistance delayed because the FBI didn’t […]

Associated PressSeptember 19, 2016

A battle over whether 911 calls from a mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub will be made public may hinge on a technicality over how lawsuits are filed at the courthouse. The City of Orlando and news media groups are in court Monday for the first of two hearings this week on the matter. […]

Larry GriffinSeptember 19, 2016

Marco Rubio introduced a bill Monday that would help victims of terrorist attacks, such as the one at the Pulse nightclub earlier this year, with deferments on their student loans so they could move on from the trauma at their own pace and continue living the lives they were trying to before the attacks. Although the […]

Associated PressSeptember 12, 2016

An assistance center for victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre should remain open for several more years, according to city officials. The Orlando Sentinel reports the city council voted Aug. 29 to pay the Heart of Florida United Way over $123,000 to staff the Orlando United Assistance Center through early November. City officials said they’ll […]

Associated PressSeptember 7, 2016

The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its legal case against the release of 911 calls from the massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida, saying Wednesday that withholding the recordings is no longer necessary to the federal investigation. The reversal by federal prosecutors keeps the freedom of information fight in state court. About two […]

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

911 calls capture Pulse patrons desperately waiting for help

City of Orlando delays decision on buying Pulse nightclub until Dec. 5

Democrats betting on gun control in new anti-Marco Rubio mailer

Nearly half of Floridians think assault weapons ban is step in right direction

Marco Rubio asks FBI to share assistance info after Pulse shooting

Orlando and media continue fight over Pulse 911 calls

Marco Rubio introduces bill to help victims of terrorist attacks with student loans

Orlando officials want to keep Pulse assistance center open

DOJ drops fight over release of 911 calls from club massacre