Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryMay 20, 2015

As state lawmakers prepare to complete their unfinished business in a Special Session next month, among the Legislature’s most important members said Wednesday he’s not exactly sure what to expect. The 120-member Legislature returns to Tallahassee in 12 days to hammer out a budget agreement. “We really don’t know how this is going to play […]

Mitch PerryMay 19, 2015

Tampa icon Helen Gordon Davis passed away yesterday after being in poor health for awhile. She was 88. Reading about her life and political history again last night, I realized how much this woman kicked some ass working for positive change in Florida. “She was a phenomenal spokesperson for women and human rights,” former USF President and […]

Gary FineoutMay 18, 2015

Florida’s Republican-led Legislature will return to the state Capitol in June and try to do what they couldn’t do during their 60-day session that crashed to a halt. GOP legislative leaders announced late Friday that they have come up with a long list of items they want to tackle during a 20-day special session, including […]

Mitch PerryMay 13, 2015

The Florida leader of Americans for Prosperity sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott Wednesday urging him to ignore calls to consider a tax incentive package for film and television production during next month’s Special Session. It came two days after Film Florida penned a letter to legislative leaders saying the opposite. AFP also has […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 12, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott‘s idea that Florida hospitals share profits to brace for the loss of a $2.2 billion health care financing program is not being warmly received by the the Legislature, which is in charge of allocating Medicaid funding. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli said in a statement Monday that there are “other solutions available that […]

Mitch PerryMay 11, 2015

After being passed over for funding during the past couple of legislative sessions, members of the film, television and digital media community in Florida crossed their fingers long before the 2015 session started. They hoped this would be the year the state’s film tax incentive program would be replenished. It used up all of its funding a […]

Peter SchorschMay 8, 2015

The picture to the right is of the dock in front of the beach house where the Griswolds, er, the Schorsches are vacationing this week. This was supposed to be a recuperative, post-session retreat, and although it has been an enjoyable time here in St. Augustine, it feels like just a break before the next […]

Mitch PerryMay 8, 2015

Ever since Ed Homan was termed-out of his House District 60 seat in North Tampa in 2010, it’s bounced back and forth in terms of political affiliation over the three subsequent elections. Republican Shawn Harrison won in the big Republican years of 2010 and 2014, and Democrat Mark Danish took it in 2012, the same year […]

Ryan RayMay 7, 2015

After a deafeningly loud interim of silence in which Gov. Rick Scott was left with no bills subject to his review for either approval into law or veto, the Senate has just cranked up the legislative volume: The upper chamber on Thursday afternoon dropped all 68 bills it passed during 2015 regular Session on the governor’s desk. […]

Christine Jordan SextonMay 7, 2015

Just 231 bills passed in the the dysfunctional 2015 session. Most of them, legislative reports show, remain in the Legislature. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner have been slow to release bills to Gov. Rick Scott. The House passed 154 bills, memorials, and local bills that require gubernatorial action. One hundred fifty […]

Tag: Steve Crisafulli

Tom Lee on Tallahassee budget impasse: “We don’t know how this is going to play out”

Mitch Perry Report 5.19.15 – RIP, Helen Gordon Davis

ICYMI: Legislators agree to do budget, health care during session

AFP urges Rick Scott to not include film incentives in Special Session

Rick Scott’s profit-sharing idea gets no love from Legislature, hospitals

Film Florida wants incentives bill included in Special Session

Takeaways from Tallahassee, er, St. Augustine

Mike Reedy aims to put HD 63 back in Democratic column

Senate drops 68 bills at Rick Scott’s door, with 15 days to OK or veto

Rick Scott has no bills in his office to sign or veto