Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

As they threatened to do, the environmental movement in Florida is not abiding by the the state Legislature’s failure to comply with Amendment 1, the Water and Land Conservation Initiative in the Florida Constitution approved last fall by voters. A lawsuit was filed in Leon County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon by the Earthjustice group on behalf […]

Phil AmmannJune 20, 2015

No rest for the weary Florida lawmaker. Make that about 80 days of rest. Even as the Sine Die hanky fell on the 2015A Special Legislative Session, and ink dries on a $79 billion budget sitting on Gov. Rick Scott’s desk, plans for next year’s session are already well under way. A joint memo released […]

Mitch PerryJune 17, 2015

Jeb Bush has been traveling the nation making campaign and fundraising stops since the beginning of the year, all under the guise of “exploring” the possibility of running for president. That distinction that has allowed him to raise unlimited amounts of cash for his political action committee called Right to Rise. According to a new […]

Ryan RayJune 16, 2015

At a final budget conference meeting that began at the tender hour of 11:05 p.m. and ran until nearly midnight, state budget writers failed to fully address new state funding for hospitals — the primary impetus for the June special Session to begin with. But they did find time to load up the budget with […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 15, 2015

House Republicans earlier this month rejected a Senate proposal to extend health coverage after a bitterly divisive debate that last nearly seven hours. House leaders such as Rep. Jason Brodeur and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli contended a better way was to fix other problems with the state’s health care laws. The answer from the Senate? […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 12, 2015

Legislative leaders on Friday said the House and Senate budget chairs would continue to work over the weekend in order to bring the General Appropriations Act in for a landing. The goal is for a copy of the budget to be on lawmakers’ desks by Tuesday so they can wait the mandated 72 hours before […]

Christine Jordan SextonJune 12, 2015

Budget chairmen Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Richard Corcoran came to terms early Friday on what was the biggest stumbling block during the 2015 session and what Lee called the “linchpin” of the budget: supplemental Medicaid funding. After working for days, the House made a Low Income Pool offer to the Senate that takes advantage […]

Staff ReportsJune 11, 2015

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed a $400 million tax package reduction, absent the direction of Chairman Sen. Tom Lee who was preparing for a noon budget meeting with House counterpart Richard Corcoran. HB 33A was placed on the Senate Special Order Calendar so it will be on second reading Friday, the end of […]

Staff ReportsJune 10, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner announced a few programming notes after a more or less pro forma floor Session late Wednesday morning. Among them: The 6 o’clock rule — which has been broken a handful of times this conference season, including an 8:45 meeting of the Education budget panel — remains in effect whether budget chiefs Richard Corcoran and Tom Lee come to […]

Ryan RayJune 9, 2015

The presiding officers of the Legislature’s two chambers, Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, made a show of unity Tuesday after a turbulent beginning to 2015 Special Session A. They issuing a joint statement early Tuesday afternoon saying they will allow budget conference subchairs to continue to work out their differences rather than have leadership […]

Tag: Steve Crisafulli

Environmental groups sue Legislature for failing on Amendment 1

No rest for the weary: 2016 legislative committee meeting schedule announced

GOP state lawmakers give generously to Jeb Bush’s super PAC

In last-minute budget talks, lawmakers add some $300+ million in new spending in dark of night

Steve Crisafulli downplays Senate rejection of House health care proposals

Everybody’s working over the weekend, really

House, Senate agree on new LIP model

Senate panel OKs $400 million tax package; budget chairs meet at high noon

Andy Gardiner lays out Senate schedule for rest of Session

Andy Gardiner, Steve Crisafulli agree in joint statement to extend budget conference