Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryFebruary 27, 2018

Ever since legislation calling for consolidating the University of South Florida System was unveiled in mid-January, officials from the St. Petersburg community have raised serious objections. The bill, sponsored by Estero Republican Ray Rodrigues (HB 423), would make USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee operate separately from the main campus in Tampa under its own accreditation. […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 25, 2018

A group supporting a wave of first-time candidates for elected office took out a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of the Sun-Sentinel calling on Floridians to run against NRA-backed state lawmakers in 2018. The Run for Something ad states “The NRA is killing our kids” at the top and then includes an sheet with […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 2, 2018

Two Democratic lawmakers are calling for “meaningful dialogue” before moving on legislation to consolidate the University of South Florida campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee with the main Tampa campus. State Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Ben Diamond, who represent St. Petersburg in the Legislature, sent a joint letter Friday to USF Board of Trustees President Brian Lamb. It is just […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 27, 2018

What looks like a loss at first blush is a win for John Morgan in his legal effort to overturn the state’s ban on smoking medical marijuana. A Tallahassee judge on Friday granted the state’s motion to dismiss as to People United for Medical Marijuana, the association-plaintiff, saying it didn’t have the legal standing to […]

Jim RosicaDecember 18, 2017

A Tallahassee judge will hear argument on whether to throw out Orlando attorney John Morgan‘s lawsuit over the ban on smoking medical marijuana. Circuit Judge Karen Gievers scheduled a Jan. 25 hearing on the state’s motion to dismiss, court records show. The suit originally was filed in July by People United for Medical Marijuana, the political committee behind […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 17, 2017

A select group of lawmakers will be focused on specific, hurricane-related policy recommendations over the next two weeks. Each member of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness on Friday was assigned a specific area of focus. Chair Jeanette Nuñez, a Miami Republican, grouped the issues into categories following the five educational meetings held […]

Jim RosicaNovember 15, 2017

A litany of lawsuits continues to jam up the state’s medical marijuana licensure process, the state’s top marijuana official told House lawmakers Wednesday. Christian Bax, executive director of the state Health Department’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, gave the House Health Quality Subcommittee an overview of his work, including the latest tally of legal challenges. “(Our) position […]

Jim RosicaNovember 2, 2017

As much as he perhaps would have liked to avoid it, House Republican Leader Ray Rodrigues fielded a “sex” question at Thursday’s AP Day at the Capitol. Rodrigues, filling in for previously scheduled House Speaker Richard Corcoran, was asked about Corcoran’s comment on a “wall of silence” in the Senate to news that Democratic Sen. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 26, 2017

On Thursday, the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness heard about issues affecting Florida during Irma, including petroleum supplies and electric utilities. This informational meeting set the table for the future of the committee, with no action items Thursday. Wes Maul, the interim director of the Division of Emergency Management, addressed fuel shortages. […]

Jim RosicaOctober 10, 2017

Democrats and Republicans from both sides of the Capitol rotunda came together Tuesday to back Sen. Dana Young‘s latest try to ban fracking in Florida. Also known as hydraulic fracturing, the drilling technique involves shooting water and chemicals deep underground, breaking up rock to get at oil and natural gas that’s unreachable by conventional drilling. “Advocates […]

Tag: Ray Rodrigues
Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zeleneskyy, Vladimir Putin. Image via AP

Last-hour effort to delay USF System consolidation fails

Run for Something ad highlights unopposed Florida lawmakers with NRA ties

Darryl Rouson, Ben Diamond worry of ‘unintended consequences’ in USF consolidation

Judge allows medical marijuana ‘no smoke’ case to go forward

Judge sets hearing in ‘no smoke’ medical marijuana case

Focus areas doled out for hurricane committee

Legal challenges bog down medical cannabis process

Awkward: Ray Rodrigues on sex and the Capitol at AP Day

House hurricane committee mulls what went wrong during, after Irma

Dana Young will try for fracking ban again