Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannSeptember 14, 2015

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With a tip of the hat to Legislative IQ powered by LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. On: Luke Strickland is a new legislative assistant in the Senate Majority Office. Off: Christine DonFrancesco is no longer a legislative assistant for Wellington Democrat Sen. Joseph Abruzzo. Off: Katie Martin is no longer […]

Phil AmmannJuly 14, 2015

Florida’s leading law enforcement association recognized 10 legislators this week for providing significant advancements in 2015 to the state’s overall public safety. Florida Sheriffs Association is a for-profit corporation representing Florida Sheriffs, as well as nearly 3,500 business leaders and 70,000 Floridians. The association released its annual list of Legislative Champions on Monday night during the group’s Summer Conference […]

Mitch PerryJuly 9, 2015

The battle over Medicaid expansion in the Florida Legislature was an intense, emotional issue for many in Tallahassee this year. It was an internecine battle, as House Republicans fought Senate Republicans over expanding health care coverage and a Senate fix to the Low Income Pool program. At times the battle got personal, with some ascribing less than […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 14, 2015

There’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The National Federation of Independent Business Florida wants to tuck “Small Business Saturday” between those days and has been advancing a proposal that would give shoppers a tax break for shopping locally-owned, independent businesses. The tax holiday was in the House tax reduction package HB 33A, and economists predicted it […]

Staff ReportsJune 11, 2015

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed a $400 million tax package reduction, absent the direction of Chairman Sen. Tom Lee who was preparing for a noon budget meeting with House counterpart Richard Corcoran. HB 33A was placed on the Senate Special Order Calendar so it will be on second reading Friday, the end of […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 10, 2015

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center — included in the list of hospitals with some of the highest Medicare charges in the nation — could get a $1 million gift from the Florida Legislature. House and budget health care conferees on Tuesday made their best and last offer to settle differences between the House and Senate […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

After making quick progress early on Saturday, legislative health care budget writers announced at 4 p.m. they won’t meet again until Sunday. House and Senate legislative leaders have agreed to pour $400 million in recurring general revenue into hospitals in an attempt to absorb the loss of $1 billion in supplemental Medicaid funding known as […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 6, 2015

Budget conferees have agreed to target $400 million in recurring general revenue to hospitals and, as of Saturday morning, to not fund graduate medical education. Eliminating the funding — a $100 million concession for the Florida Senate — is a “work in progress” Sen. Rene Garcia said. Rep. Matt Hudson quickly agreed. “It’s certainly not off […]

Ryan RayJune 1, 2015

Health care committees in the House and Senate on Monday discussed the same proposal to expand health care access to the uninsured–SB 2A–in Florida. But it might not have sounded like it. In a “Tale of Two Cities”-esque tableau, the Senate discussed the bill for one hour before unanimously agreeing to pass it with sponsor […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 11, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s blue ribbon health care and hospital commission meets in two weeks but the governor’s office remains quiet on the appointments. Scott created the commission via executive order this past week. The order doesn’t mention how many members would be on the commission or whether any would be lawmakers but it did note […]

Tag: Rene Garcia

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Florida Sheriffs Association picks Legislative Champions for 2015

Jack Latvala calls attacks on state senators, spouses in health care “reprehensible”

Senate says no to Small Biz Saturday tax break

Senate panel OKs $400 million tax package; budget chairs meet at high noon

NW Florida hospital with high Medicare mark-ups could get $1 million from Legislature

Rick Scott’s office on health care funding: “We are continuing to watch the process”

Chambers agree to $400 million in general revenue to hospitals, zero for doctor training (for now)

Dueling committee presentations on FHIX plan show merits of health care expansion all in the eye of the beholder

Hospital meeting 2 weeks away; still no word on Rick Scott’s appointments