Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJanuary 23, 2018

Darryl Block, a lawyer and former social worker from Lake Mary, has filed to run in the Florida House District 29 race, the second Democrat to enter seeking to challenge incumbent state Rep. Scott Plakon of Longwood. Block, 37, a lawyer with Ownby Law who serves as a mediator and was a social worker, pledged […]

Staff ReportsJanuary 15, 2018

Legislation expanding workers’ rights is being pushed by a pro-free market, limited government spending watchdog this Session. Americans for Prosperity-Florida recently launched a new direct mail piece encouraging Florida voters to support recent bills that would require unions to hold regular elections and obtain 50 percent of their actively paying dues members in order to […]

Scott PowersDecember 14, 2017

Five Central Florida candidates for the Florida House each raised more than $10,000 for their campaigns in November, including incumbent Republican state Reps. Bobby Olszewski, Rene Plasencia, David Santiago, and Bob Cortes along with first-time Democratic candidate Anna Eskamani. Olszewski of Winter Garden, who took his seat after winning a special election in October, reported raising […]

Scott PowersDecember 5, 2017

Note: An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported the vote of state Rep. Chris Latvala. After facing down Democrats’ harsh questioning of the bill’s intentions, a Florida House committee voted nearly along party lines Tuesday to approve a measure to require most public employees’ unions to meet a dues-paying threshold or face recertification. The […]

Scott PowersNovember 9, 2017

The results of Tuesday night’s elections for the Longwood City Commission – with three new commissioners elected to office – has spurred state Reps. Scott Plakon and Bob Cortes to file a bill that would strip cities from having any approval of cardrooms at pari-mutuel facilities such as dog tracks. Longwood is home to the […]

Scott PowersOctober 16, 2017

State Rep. Bob Cortes went to Puerto Rico Monday to oversee a disaster relief effort arranged by Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and coordinated by him and other members of the Seminole County Legislative Caucus. Cortes, a Republican from Altamonte Springs, is overseeing delivery of about four tons of supplies headed for the hard-hit eastern part […]

Scott PowersSeptember 26, 2017

State Reps. Rene Plasencia and Bob Cortes announced the creation of a bipartisan legislative team starting with two dozen Florida lawmakers seeking ways to assist Puerto Rico in its recovery from Hurricane Maria. Besides Cortes and Plasencia, Central Florida Republicans who both have Puerto Rico heritage, the “FL2PR Response Team” also includes Republican David Santiago […]

Scott PowersSeptember 19, 2017

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Duke Energy not only missed its deadlines for restoring power in Seminole and Orange counties and elsewhere but glitches in its information system provided little and often wrong information to customers, leading its lobbyist to apologize and promise better to Seminole’s lawmakers Tuesday morning. Duke, once faced with 1.3 million customers without power following Hurricane […]

Scott PowersSeptember 18, 2017

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Seminole County Florida lawmakers have sent a protest letter to Duke Energy for not meeting its electricity restoration goals and state Rep. Bob Cortes has asked Duke officials to attend a county delegation meeting Tuesday to look into delays. “Eight days after Hurricane Irma blew through our districts, the struggle for residents and businesses to […]

Scott PowersSeptember 7, 2017

State Rep. Bob Cortes raised more than $26,000 for his re-election campaign in Florida House District 30 in August, more than doubling his campaign fund for the 2018 election. Cortes, a Republican from Altamonte Springs who hosted a major fundraiser on August 1, increased his re-election campaign fund to $49,960 in donations, with $4,892 in […]

Tag: Scott Plakon

2nd Democrat files in HD 29 to challenge Scott Plakon

AFP mailer: Support workers’ rights legislation

Bobby Olszewski, Rene Plasencia, Anna Eskamani, lead Central Florida House campaign gains

Public union dues-or-recertification bill passes House panel

Longwood city election spurs bill to strip cities of control of cardroom gambling

Bob Cortes heads for Puerto Rico on relief mission organized through speaker’s office

Bipartisan Florida for Puerto Rico legislative effort assembled

Duke Energy acknowledges problems, apologizes in Seminole County

Seminole County lawmakers want response from Duke Energy

Bob Cortes raises $26K in August, tops among Seminole County house candidates