Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 9, 2016

U.S. Sugar officials are pushing back after a guest editorial in a Southwest Florida newspaper said sugar producers are part of the reason why efforts to build reservoirs south of Lake Okeechobee have been postponed. “At no point has anyone representing U.S. Sugar ever said anything about opposing scientifically and technically proven storage projects throughout […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 1, 2016

Lizbeth Benacquisto is calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to step up its efforts to ensure clean water is flowing through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers’ estuaries. In a letter to DEP Secretary Jon Steverson, the Fort Myers Republican urges the agency to work with the South Florida Water Management District and other […]

Ryan RayMarch 3, 2016

In a swift 15-minute meeting Thursday night, the full bicameral Budget Conference Committee closed out all remaining differences in the chambers’ massive health care and general government budget silos, swapping tens of millions of dollars and making significant progress towards reconciling their respective $80-plus billion proposals. “We could go huddle up for 30 seconds and […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 24, 2016

It’s not surprising that David Guest and his radical Earthjustice group would use a true weather-related crisis – record rain and flooding across Central and South Florida – to level yet another mean-spirited and false assault on local farmers living and working in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Guest’s statement regarding the state and federal government’s […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 15, 2016

With much of the nation embroiled in the 2016 presidential campaign, it’s almost understandable that some things in Florida have escaped widespread notice. For those of paying attention, however, they have no doubt been aware of the release of excess water from Lake Okeechobee, a result of historically high El Niño rainfall in South Florida. […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 3, 2016

Florida senators are divided over a proposal taking money out of the state park system for a pilot program to help reroute discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and estuaries. LobbyTools reports on a meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday, where Stuart Republican Joe Negron proposed amending the Senate […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 1, 2016

A soggy January has some officials concerned over how the wet weather will affect the state’s agriculture industry. “South Florida farmers are reeling from biblical proportions of rainfall and flooding over the past few days, weeks and months of the results of El Niño,” said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. “With record amounts of rainfall over […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 28, 2016

A bill that would fund Everglades restoration efforts with up to $200 million a year cleared the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Thursday with a unanimous vote. “Today we are making great strides toward finishing a task that is important to all Floridians,” committee chairman and Bartow Republican Rep. Ben Albritton said. “By protecting […]

Peter SchorschDecember 8, 2015

Industry “food fights” are nothing new, with a few running battles that go on for so long, opponents forget what the fight was originally all about. What they know is they just don’t want the other guys to win. Disputes over the Seminole Compact (or other gaming bills for that matter) rarely pass the Legislature […]

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

Pete Antonacci, the new head of the South Florida Water Management District, doesn’t have a conflict of interest just because his lawyer wife has clients with matters before the district. That’s the opinion of Florida Commission on Ethics staff, which will be considered for approval by commission members at their meeting Friday morning, according to […]

Tag: South Florida Water Management District

U.S. Sugar pushes back over claims cane industry is to blame for postponed water projects

Lizbeth Benacquisto addresses water quality concerns in letter to DEP

House and Senate close out health care, general gov’t budget silos

Phillip Roland: Environmental activist’s claims about Everglades water and farmers don’t square with facts

Beyond the pale: Enviro activist calls for “death of thousands” in Lake O discharge controversy

Senators divided over using state park money to control Lake O discharges

Adam Putnam warns above average rainfall could be “devastating” to South Florida agriculture community

Everglades restoration bill unanimously passes House committee

Are environmental groups becoming the new gaming interests?

Board will consider Pete Antonacci ethics opinion