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Jim RosicaFebruary 24, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday suggested, with as much subtext as he could muster, that lawmakers need to come around on his two main budget goals for 2016-17: $1 billion in tax cuts and $25o million for business incentives. After all, legislative leadership passed their priority bills early on, which Scott happily signed. The message was […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 24, 2016

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After a debate that included mentions of monsters, Robert A. Heinlein and the Tampa Bay Rays, the Florida House of Representatives Wednesday passed its 2016 business and economic incentives package, including the framework for Gov. Rick Scott‘s proposed $250 million Florida Enterprise Fund. As bill sponsor Jim Boyd reminded members, it still has no funding: “This is a structure bill, […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 23, 2016

House lawmakers spent nearly two hours Tuesday setting up the chamber’s 2016 business and economic incentives package, which will likely be debated and voted on by that chamber on Wednesday. A line of Democrats barraged sponsor Jim Boyd, a Bradenton Republican, with questions on the measure (HB 1325) before it was finally rolled over to a third […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 15, 2016

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Richard Corcoran, Speaker-designate of the Florida House, already is flexing his political muscles with a call-to-action email sent to supporters Monday. The intransigence of the Florida Senate gave him no choice, he told FloridaPolitics.com, explaining that the House’s priorities are languishing in the upper chamber. For example, a measure calling for term limits of 12 years for the […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2016

With the Florida Legislature already powering through a third of their nine-week regular legislative session, board members with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit agency (HART) expressed concerns on Monday regarding their chief legislative budget request for 2016. That would be a regional fare box system and smart card system — which would provide a uniform bus payment […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 27, 2016

For one night, Florida’s Capitol Press Corps took a break from making state lawmakers squirm and instead did its best to make them — and several hundred other spectators of The Process — laugh. The Skits took over the Tallahassee music venue The Moon on Tuesday. Better than last year’s event, the “sometimes annual” rite […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 21, 2016

A proposal that would amend the Florida Constitution to limit Supreme Court justices and appellate judges to two six-year terms was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday. “I think it’s a great bill,” said an enthusiastic Richard Corcoran, the House Budget chairman who hails from Pasco County. He said that there are only two […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 14, 2016

(UPDATE) Shortly after 8:30 a.m., the Oscar nominations will be announced from Hollywood, and yes, I actually give a fig. As an inveterate moviegoer, I still get excited about what the Establishment thinks about the product it puts out every year. Interestingly, while the Oscars are still among the most viewed television broadcasts globally every year, […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 14, 2016

Florida House Speaker-Designate Richard Corcoran called out the political system during a speech at Florida Chamber of Commerce Capitol Days, saying it’s part of the reason GOP hopeful Donald Trump is faring so well in the polls. “We are the problem. We are absolutely the enemy and the reason Donald Trump has risen,” said Corcoran, […]

Ryan RayJanuary 14, 2016

A controversial new ethics proposal backed by the Gannett chain of newspapers has just scored an advancement in its quest to become law. The so-called “anti-corruption” bill that would hold government contractors to standards now applied to many elected officials has just been adopted as part of Sen. Don Gaetz‘s SB 686, an omnibus ethics reform […]

Tag: Richard Corcoran
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Rick Scott calls session “successful” – but still hasn’t got what he wants

House passes incentives measure desired by Rick Scott

House members grapple with incentives funding process

Richard Corcoran criticizes state Senate for “going nowhere”

HART members contemplate WWJD – What will Jack Latvala do on fare box plan?

Press Skits tease lawmakers, tickle Tallahassee

Democrats object, but proposal to term limit appellate judges advances in House committee

Mitch Perry Report for 1.14.16 — And the nominees are?

Richard Corcoran on Donald Trump’s rise: “We are the problem”

Gannett public corruption bill now attached to broader Senate ethics package