Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaMarch 4, 2016

The Florida House of Representatives “temporarily postponed” consideration of this year’s troubled gambling legislation, suggesting last-minute whip counts showed a lack of votes to pass the bills. Friday’s move signals that any possibility of legislative approval of the state’s new gambling agreement, or Compact, with the Seminole Tribe of Florida is dead for the session, which […]

Jim RosicaMarch 3, 2016

Screen-Shot-2016-02-29-at-4.43.02-PM-1024x1024.png

The House’s lead negotiator on the Seminole Compact has filed another strike-all onto the troubled gambling legislation. State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, the Miami Republican who chairs the House Regulatory Affairs Committee, filed his amendment Thursday, the day before the House is scheduled to begin its consideration of gambling legislation for 2016. Diaz was in the […]

Jim RosicaMarch 2, 2016

You can’t keep a good bill – or a bad bill, depending on your viewpoint – down in the Florida Legislature. Wednesday night, the House of Representatives quietly put its rewrite of the Seminole Compact and a proposed constitutional amendment on voter control of gambling on the agenda for Friday’s floor session. The legislation is on the […]

Jim RosicaMarch 2, 2016

If lawmakers fail to act on the Seminole Compact, the Tribe will pursue its own nuclear option, laying off 3,700 workers statewide at its casinos, Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday. The governor spoke to reporters after a meeting of the Florida Cabinet. “My responsibility was to work to get a Compact done,” he said. “My […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2016

Their lips were saying “not dead yet” but House leadership otherwise made clear that the Seminole Compact and gambling legislation are goners for this Legislative Session. “I’m not ready to declare it dead yet,” said state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, the Miami Republican who shepherded the bills through the process this year. Diaz spoke after […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2016

Echoing a Seminole Tribe attorney earlier in the day, Senate budget chief Tom Lee opened the possibility that provisions added to the Seminole Compact to placate the state’s pari-mutuels were a “ransom” that tanked the legislation. Lee, the Brandon Republican who chairs the Appropriations Committee, spoke to reporters after his panel finished its Tuesday meeting. As the […]

Jim RosicaMarch 1, 2016

If the Seminole Compact and related legislation don’t pass this session, lawmakers will have no one to blame but themselves, the tribe’s Tallahassee-based attorney said Tuesday. Barry Richard, who represents the Seminole Tribe of Florida, blamed the apparent Tuesday morning collapse of the 2016 gambling bills on lawmakers bending over backward to appease the state’s dog […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 29, 2016

Gambling interests have lined up in the State Capital, lobbying for their long-held dream of remaking Florida in the image of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. As the Florida Legislature considers their requests for more and bigger casinos, I would caution the following: Not so fast. Any action the Legislature may take to expand gambling […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 29, 2016

One mystery was solved after a House panel cleared the latest version of this session’s gambling legislation: state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz said language on fantasy sports play was inserted into his chamber’s bill because Gov. Rick Scott wanted it there. Diaz, a Miami Republican, spoke to reporters Monday after the Finance and Tax Committee OK’d on […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 29, 2016

A 122-page “proposed committee substitute” that dropped Sunday night on the House’s 2016 gambling legislation would keep intact the guts of the proposed Seminole Compact, while allowing for expanded gambling opportunities throughout the state. The measure, set for consideration in the House Finance and Tax Committee Monday, makes proposed revisions to the new gambling deal (HB […]

Tag: Seminole Tribe of Florida

Seminole Compact dies (again) in Legislature

Jose Felix Diaz files more changes to Seminole Compact

House throwing a “Hail Mary” with Seminole Compact?

Rick Scott says legislative inaction on Compact will cost jobs

House all but declares defeat on Seminole Compact, gambling legislation

Gambling concessions to pari-mutuels same as “ransom,” Tom Lee says

Effort to appease pari-mutuels is killing Seminole Compact

John Sowinski: Gambling proposals may violate Florida Constitution

Fantasy sports language in gambling bill because of Rick Scott, lawmaker says

Lawmakers file 122 pages of changes to Seminole Compact