Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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 […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2017

Tampa Bay’s Legislative Delegation, with state lawmakers representing the area’s eight counties, spent two hours Wednesday in Clearwater discussing how to begin addressing the region’s myriad transportation issues. According to a new white paper prepared by the D.C.-based Enos Center for Transportation for the Tampa Bay Partnership, a regional structure for transportation planning, operations and decision-making is […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 29, 2017

Donald Trump’s executive order suspending the entry of all refugees into the United States for 120 days inspired a crowd of several hundred (maybe a thousand?) to gather in Centennial Park in Tampa’s Ybor City on Sunday afternoon. The people were united in sharing their extreme disapproval of Trump’s decision, creating the second day of national protests against […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 27, 2017

Tampa Democrat Sean Shaw has submitted his first appropriations request for the 2017 Legislative Session. The freshman lawmaker is requesting $1 million for rehabbing the historic Cuban Club in Ybor City. According to the budget request, the facility has damaged structural support columns, beams and floor slabs on all four floors that would be removed and replaced in order to achieve the structural stability of […]

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 […]

Mitch PerryDecember 20, 2016

At a town-hall meeting in Tampa’s Ybor City, newly-elected Senate District 19 Democrat Darryl Rouson said he feels that, finally, a serious attempt at criminal justice reform is going to take place in the Florida Legislature in 2017. “It’s my intention to change the Black Caucus this year so that all 28 members … really stand up […]

Mitch PerryDecember 2, 2016

Viewed from a certain angle, the Democratic Party resembles a smoking pile of rubble in the wake of last month’s general election. Not only will Donald Trump become president in less than two months, but the Senate and House (and soon the Supreme Court) are in Republican control. Instead of giving up, however, there appears to be […]

Tag: Sean Shaw

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

Tampa Bay Legislative Delegation attempts to find answers for regional transportation fix

Citizens come together in Ybor City to protest Donald Trump’s executive order on refugees

Sean Shaw files legislation to get funds for Cuban Club and Florida Community Catalyst Project

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

At town hall in Ybor City, Darryl Rouson says climate is good for “true” criminal justice reform

By-law change adds controversy to Monday night’s Hillsborough DEC election