Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryDecember 1, 2016

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Motorists driving on some of Florida’s expressways and turnpikes have probably seen the message shown on the same electronic scoreboards that give AMBER alerts over the past year that say, “No texting while driving — it’s the law.” Except it’s really not, which is something that Weston Democratic state Rep. Richard Stark wants to address with his […]

Mitch PerryApril 7, 2016

Progress Florida has unveiled their “Champions of Florida’s Middle Class” for 2016,” consisting of 14 House Democrats and four Senate Democrats. There are no Republicans on the list. The progressive activist group is celebrating these Democrats for their stances on fracking bans (HB 191/SB 318), public schools (HB 7029), reproductive health care (HB 1411/SB 1722), guns on campus […]

Jim RosicaOctober 7, 2015

A bill filed in the Legislature Wednesday would erase the state’s hodgepodge system of taxing cigarettes and instead impose a standard $2 surcharge on each pack sold in Florida. It would also end the practice of allowing manufacturers to give away free sample packs of cigarettes. The legislation (HB 335), brought by Democratic state Rep. Richard Stark of Weston, […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 28, 2015

Five state representatives are endorsing Jupiter Congressman Patrick Murphy in his contest for the Democratic nomination for Senate in 2016. Amanda Murphy (D-New Port Richey), Mia Jones (D-Jacksonville), Reggie Fulwood (D-Jacksonville), Cynthia Stafford (D-Miami), and Richard Stark (D-Weston) all came out in support of Murphy on Monday. “It is a great honor to endorse my friend and fellow Democrat […]

Ryan RaySeptember 23, 2015

Sen. Thad Altman filed a bill on Tuesday that would allow Florida law enforcement to pull drivers over solely for texting while driving. Under current law officers may only cite drivers for doing so as a secondary offense, not warranting a traffic stop on its own. State statute 316.305 provides that enforcement of the state’s texting-while-driving prohibition “must […]

Mitch PerryJuly 16, 2015

As Michael Kinsley writes in the current Vanity Fair, all politicians say they are going to work to help the middle class. In a new report from Progress Florida, the progressive group says that there were 12 Democrats in the state Legislature who were “champions” for the middle class, based on their votes during the […]

Ryan RayMay 22, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott — as part of an avalanche of bills he granted final approval to go onto the books Friday — signed into law SB 7028 on Thursday afternoon. The bill, carried by the Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Committee and its chairman Republican Sen. Thad Altman in the Senate and Broward Democratic Rep. Richard […]

Ryan RayMarch 24, 2015

Rep. Bryan Avila faced pointed scrutiny in the House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday, as he shepherded a bill that would circumscribe the way cities and local governments can use red-light cameras to detect traffic infractions at intersections. HB 7071 seeks to limit the amount of infraction-based revenue cities get to spend on […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 11, 2015

Shacking up in Florida can cost you. Living in sin is a crime that, if found guilty of, can show up on an employment background screening and can be used in child visitation procedures. Unmarried cohabitation has been in the state’s lewd-and-lascivious laws since the 1860s. The crime was included in the state’s Level II […]

Tag: Richard Stark

South Florida House Democrat wants to toughen penalties for texting while driving

Progress Florida names 18 Democrat lawmakers as “Champions of Florida’s Middle Class”

Bill would standardize state cigarette tax

Patrick Murphy wins the endorsements of 5 Florida House Democrats in Senate contest

Thad Altman seeking stricter rules on texting while driving

Progress Florida hails 12 House Democrats as championing “Middle Class Champs”

Rick Scott signs into law an educational boost for veterans

House red-light camera bill rolls through committee stop

Lewd and lascivious? Senate panel to reconsider living-in-sin ban