Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Guest AuthorFebruary 5, 2014

When a politician breaks ranks and looks past the surface of an issue to take a stand that his party might not initially approve, that gets my attention. We live in an age of sound bites and tweets that offer little room for in-depth analysis or thoughtful reflection. Most would rather avoid the fight. State […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 30, 2014

Any closed door can be opened. Such is the case of medical marijuana and the State of Florida. Twenty states have legalized medical marijuana in the past few years, while the conservative Florida Legislature ramped up its war against the drug. It is ironic that Florida is known throughout the country as THE destination for […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 19, 2014

Supporters of a medical marijuana initiative had two big reasons to cheer last week. But the real good news might not be what you suspect. The group People United for Care, which is leading the drive to get the medical marijuana question on the November ballot, announced last week that it had collected more than […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 11, 2013

There is a major barrier blocking legislators from Tallahassee to Washington D.C. from doing their job. It is the statement that government benefits normally go to “able-bodied” people who would rather game the system and kick back at home, playing “Grand Theft Auto,” as Rep. Matt Gaetz contends. His father, the president of the state […]

Tag: Rep. Matt Gaetz

Rick Outzen: Charlotte’s Web bill: Rep. Gaetz to the rescue

Gary J. Stein: Legislation, a constitutional amendment open door to medical marijuana in Florida

Andrew Skerritt: Good news for supporters of medical marijuana

Gary Stein: Where are all the couch potatoes and welfare queens?