Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 4, 2017

After the bloody assault at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando nearly a year ago resulted in the deaths of 49 people, 13 members of the Florida Legislature — 12 Democrats and Miami GOP state Sen. Anitere Flores — were on the losing side of a request to hold a special session on gun regulations. Despite that attitude at the Capitol, Michelle Gajda, the […]

Mitch PerryMay 19, 2017

As House Minority Leader Janet Cruz notes, the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation works “as a united front” when representing their community in Tallahassee. That’s true on issues like the eleventh-hour move by the Florida Senate to push the University of South Florida out of pre-eminent status under a conformity education budget bill that passed in the […]

Mitch PerryMay 18, 2017

For the tenth year in a row, Florida lawmakers raided the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund to balance the budget that currently sits on Governor Rick Scott‘s desk. One state Representative says that needs to stop. Democrat Sean Shaw says he will file legislation for the 2018 Legislative Session to block what has become an annual ritual of the […]

Mitch PerryMay 16, 2017

A host of political and education issues came together Tuesday in West Tampa to trash the massive $419 million public education bill that GOP lawmakers unveiled and passed in the final days of the Legislative Session. “This is the mother of all education bills, ” said Rep. Sean Shaw. The Tampa Democrat was referring to House Bill 7069, […]

Scott PowersApril 20, 2017

Five Democratic lawmakers led by Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon are preparing to file a brief with the Florida Supreme Court in support of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala in her effort to challenge Gov. Rick Scott‘s power to take cases away from her. Braynon, state Sens. Jeff Clemens, Perry Thurston, and Gary Farmer, and state […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 12, 2017

The Florida House rebuffed an attempt to include proviso language in the budget for a report on the “imposition and execution of capital punishment” in Florida. The amendment, put forward by Rep. Sharon Pritchett, called for the state to use money to fund a report from the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability […]

Jim RosicaApril 7, 2017

Anti-abortion activists took to the microphone early and often at Friday’s Constitution Revision Commission hearing in Boca Raton. The 37-member panel, which convenes every 20 years to review and rewrite the state’s governing document, is now on a listening tour, holding public hearings around the state. A series of speakers Friday urged the commission to amend the […]

Mitch PerryApril 4, 2017

Legislation that would bring new measures of accountability to Florida’s Public Service Commission passed a House Committee on Tuesday. Pinellas Republican Kathleen Peters’s bill (HB 7071) would create performance-based incentives for utilities by rating their reliability, customer service, power plant performance and costs. It also would bar lawmakers from serving on the commission within six years of […]

Jim RosicaMarch 23, 2017

The leader of Florida’s black lawmakers Thursday said Gov. Rick Scott would not have stripped Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala of the Markeith Loyd murder case had she been a white Republican. “Absolutely not,” Sen. Perry Thurston, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, told reporters at a news conference in the Capitol. Ayala, a Democrat, is black. Members of […]

Mitch PerryMarch 15, 2017

Under current Florida law, those who are convicted of any felony lose the right to vote, the right to sit on a jury, the right to hold public office, and the right to possess a firearm, unless they are granted the restoration of their civil rights by the state Office of Executive Clemency. Legislation being […]

Tag: Sean Shaw
Reps. Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira Salazar. Image via X.

In Tampa, public officials call for common sense solutions to end gun violence epidemic

Hillsborough state legislators clash in Tampa Chamber Session review

Sean Shaw bill for 2018 would stop raiding of Sadowski Housing Trust Fund

In Tampa, public officials blast education bill, urge Rick Scott veto

Oscar Braynon, four other Democrats, set to file in support of Aramis Ayala

House votes down budget amendment calling for report on cost-effectiveness of Florida’s death penalty

Abortion at issue in latest constitutional review hearing

Bill to reform public utilities advances in House committee

Legislative Black Caucus says it supports Aramis Ayala

Sean Shaw and Darryl Rouson attempt to deal with Florida’s ban on voting rights for ex-felons on the front end