Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannJanuary 13, 2017

A new video produced by the Florida House seeks to remind citizens of the Sunshine State that lawmakers, who will soon convene for the 2017 Legislative Session in March, are united in service to all Floridians. In the clip from Speaker Richard Corcoran’s First Principles Production, group of Florida House members show that — despite […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 12, 2017

The head of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Thursday defended the state’s handout of economic incentives, but said they were only ever meant to stoke job creation in a targeted way. “In very, very limited cases, incentives are in play,” said Mark Wilson, the organization’s president and CEO. “We shouldn’t be using incentives for every job we create. In fact, […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 12, 2017

The Senate’s gambling legislation for 2017 will be filed Thursday, according to state Sen. Bill Galvano. Bet on a lot of talk about it: The Regulated Industries Committee has set aside four hours to discuss it at its next meeting. A tentative schedule posted Wednesday on the Senate’s website shows its Jan. 25 meeting beginning at 2 p.m. […]

William PatrickJanuary 11, 2017

Florida’s state economic development efforts are “underperforming,” according to a new legislative report. An undesirable label by any standard, critics and lawmakers already skeptical of providing taxpayer support for private businesses are likely to seize on the bureaucratic euphemism and underlying findings to bolster their anti-incentives position ahead of the March state legislative session. The Office […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 10, 2017

Matilde Miller will take the helm of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — at least temporarily. Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday Miller was named the interim secretary of DBPR, replacing former Secretary Ken Lawson. “Matilde has spent many years at DBPR serving in numerous leadership positions and understands how important it is to […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 10, 2017

A Senate spokeswoman on Tuesday said the chamber’s legislative package on gambling should be ready for hearing later this month. A meeting of the Regulated Industries Committee, which oversees gambling policy, had been set for this Thursday but was cancelled. “Based on conservations with Sen. (Bill) Galvano, President (Joe) Negron anticipates having a bill ready to […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJanuary 10, 2017

The House Commerce Committee is poised to tackle everything from assignment of benefits to economic incentives, but it’s the most narrowly defined subcommittee that could be the busiest in the months leading up to, and during, the 2017 Legislative Session. The full House Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, met Tuesday morning to […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2017

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran may abhor the influence of lobbyists in Tallahassee. But Jacksonville and its independent agencies have them anyway, as do other regional entities in Northeast Florida. The calculus is not complicated for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who parlayed $150,000 last year into a sustained and successful lobbying effort helmed by the Fiorentino Group and […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 4, 2017

Over the weekend, the Times’ Rick Danielson and Sue Carlton shared a byline online where they essentially discussed the Bob Buckhorn Experience in Tampa, close to six years after he was elected mayor. Although the initial thrust of the story was how the Mayor wasn’t above looking a little silly on occasions to sell a particular program or […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2017

Now that 2017 is all but upon us — after a tumultuous 2016 electorally — what’s next for Northeast Florida politics? One assurance: unlike in 2016, with a massive electoral turnover in the region’s Washington and Tallahassee delegations, as well as in both the state attorney and public defender offices, 2017 won’t see that. With […]

Tag: Richard Corcoran

New video from Richard Corcoran boasts ‘We are One House’

Florida Chamber head still bullish on incentives (with an explanation)

Senate to set marathon 4-hour hearing on gambling bill

Florida’s economic development efforts are ‘underperforming’

Rick Scott selects Matilde Miller to serve as interim DBPR secretary

Senate readies this year’s gambling bill

Seminole Compact, other gambling issues expected to be top priority in House Commerce committee

The Fiorentino Group helms Northeast Florida lobbying efforts again in 2017

Mitch Perry Report for 1.4.17 — Waitin’ on the man

A.G. Gancarski’s 10 predictions for Jacksonville politics in 2017

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.