Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJuly 10, 2017

A Brevard County commissioner is taking on Puerto Rico, in a confrontation that is rumbling through Central Florida’s Puerto Rican population and bound to lead to a showdown Tuesday night at the county commission meeting. John Tobia, a Republican former member of the Florida House of Representatives who now represents southeast Brevard on the county […]

Peter SchorschJuly 5, 2017

Republican Rene Plasencia picked up a Democratic challenger this week in his 2018 House District 50 re-election campaign. Recent college graduate Kyle Walcott filed for the Orlando seat June 28 and, so far, is the only candidate running against Plasencia, who shifted over to HD 50 in 2016. In an interview with LobbyTools, Walcott said […]

Scott PowersJune 21, 2017

The race for the special election to fill Florida House District 44 got off to a big start Tuesday, the day five candidates qualified for the ballot, as Republican John Newstreet‘s campaign held a fundraiser aides say pulled in almost $20,000 and attracted a bevy of influential elected supporters. Newstreet, executive director of the Kissimmee/Osceola […]

Scott PowersMay 26, 2017

State Rep. Rene Plasencia, a former public school teacher, was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott as one of the state’s board members on the Southern Regional Education Board, a 16-state compact. “I am a firm believer we need to start reducing some of the high-stakes testing that we offer,” Plasencia told POLITICO Florida. “I want […]

Scott PowersApril 28, 2017

Republican state Rep. Rene Plasencia and his family are starring in a new promotional internet video released Friday by the vacation rental home marketing giant Airbnb. The minute, 41-second video shows interviews with Plasencia, his wife Marucci Guzman, and her daughter [his stepdaughter,] in scenes at vacation homes they have rented through Airbnb in Georgia […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 28, 2017

The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee passed its version of the public school recess bill, setting lawmakers on two very different paths when it comes to free play. The committee approved a committee substitute for the bill (HB 67) that would allow school boards to include free-play recess for students in kindergarten through third grade as […]

Les NeuhausMarch 23, 2017

The Florida House advanced a bill that would allow school administrators to pray in public schools throughout the state if students initiate those prayers. HB 303 unanimously passed the House Education Committee Thursday. The measure would violate the decades-old federal provision separating church and state, and may likely be challenged at some point. However, at the […]

Drew WilsonMarch 13, 2017

Bills to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity would boost Florida’s economic output by more than $5 billion over the next 10 years according to a study touted by Florida Competes. The anti-discrimination advocacy group pointed to the study as part of their push for bills banning discrimination against LGBT individuals. According to […]

Scott PowersMarch 10, 2017

Republican candidate David Smith has started his run for Florida House District 28 with a personal $25,000 loan to his campaign. Smith, of Winter Springs, is running to replace state Rep. Jason Brodeur, who is term-limited out in 2018, in a district that covers east Seminole County. The former Marine colonel and modeling and simulation […]

Mitch PerryMarch 3, 2017

Although it may be difficult to believe now that same-sex marriage is the law of the land, the fact is that it’s still legal in most states to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations. It’s legal to discriminate against the LGBT community in Florida, which is why […]

Tag: Rene Plasencia
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Brevard resolution opposing statehood outrages Central Florida Puerto Ricans

Rene Plasencia draws Democratic challenge in HD 50 re-election bid

Republican HD 44 candidate John Newstreet fundraiser claims $20K

Rene Plasencia appointed to Southern Regional Education Board

Rene Plasencia stars in Airbnb promotional video

House panel approves scaled back version of school recess bill

‘Religion in school’ bill moves past House education committee

Florida Competes says anti-discrimination bill would boost state economy by $5B

David Smith starts Florida House run with $25K loan; David Santiago, Mike La Rosa raise $21K

Florida Competitive Workforce Act now has 36 co-sponsors