Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2018

Jacksonville City Council committees on Monday and Tuesday approved changes in collective bargaining for fire and police employees that could change health plans. Ordinances 2018-756 and 2018-757 would allow the unions to separate from the city health care plan in 2020. They were passed without opposition in both committees of reference (“Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2018

Earlier this year, a suspect shot and killed Fang, a 3-year-old Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9. The German Shepherd chased the suspect into the woods, and that was his last chase. A 9 mm handgun saw to that. JSO and the larger community grieved. And now, via area state Sen. Aaron Bean, a legislative remedy: A bill […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 15, 2018

For those interested in the intersection of public policy and civil liberties, such as they are, the Florida Times-Union/ProPublica “Walking While Black” investigation and follow-ups were a revelation. The article confirmed what many already knew: African-Americans are, compared to their size of the population, disproportionately ticketed for jaywalking and related pedestrian violations. Fifty-five percent of the […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2017

Sen. Jack Latvala is no longer a factor in Tallahassee; his resignation Wednesday sealed that, ending what accusers in two separate independent reports called “decades” of sexual harassment and quid pro quo coercion. However, Jacksonville politics saw prominent players on both sides of the Latvala scandal – and those players will have to deal with each other […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 11, 2017

As the midnight hour approached Tuesday in Jacksonville, its City Council heard public comment — and much of that comment centered on a Councilor. Councilwoman Katrina Brown ran afoul of the head of the local Fraternal Order of Police, Steve Zona, after accusing officers of “racial profiling” during a stop of yet another Councilman, Reggie Gaffney. Brown pulled […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 28, 2017

The case of Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Gaffney and his troublesome license plate rages on, a full ten days after he was pulled over by police officers for driving with a license plate he had previously reported stolen. Since then, Gaffney has profusely apologized for his conduct during the stop — first at the front of […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 23, 2017

Just days before the Jacksonville City Council is set to approve a budget giving the city 100 new police officers, two Councilors are in the news for an altercation with current cops. As WJXT first reported, Councilman Reggie Gaffney was pulled over Monday night for driving with a tag that he’d reported stolen a year before. Gaffney […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 8, 2017

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In the wake of a springtime clash between anti-Trump protesters and Jacksonville police officers, a very public clash soon ensued on Facebook between Jacksonville Ethics Commission nominee Leslie Jean-Bart and Fraternal Order of Police head Steve Zona. That clash — which involved, among other things, Jean-Bart defending protesters using the inflammatory phrase “f— the police” by posting […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 18, 2017

In 2016, State House candidate Leslie Jean-Bart pulled no punches when describing what she saw as a pre-ordained process of endorsement in her race from the local Fraternal Order of Police. “They knew weeks ahead of time that they were going to endorse Kim Daniels. They have a relationship with her … [maybe] someone in particular […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 11, 2017

The city of Jacksonville on Saturday struck a historic, revolutionary (and still tentative) pension accord with the Fraternal Order of Police and the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. And not a moment too soon: Feb. 11 was the city’s “deadline” for the unions to take its offer. The deal offers long-delayed raises to current employees (a […]

Tag: Steve Zona
Image via AP.

Health care plan changes loom for Jacksonville fire, police

Fang death inspires Aaron Bean to protect police K-9s, horses

Freaky Friday: Jacksonville’s power elite takes on the local paper

‘Family is everything’: Will Jack Latvala fallout affect Jacksonville politics?

Police union heads refute Jacksonville council member’s accusation of racial profiling

Jacksonville Sheriff, State Attorney talk Reggie Gaffney’s ‘Plategate’

Jacksonville police union chief to City Councilors: Apologize or resign

Controversial Jax Ethics commission nominee pulled from consideration

Jax police union head, ethics commission nominee spar over police brutality

Jacksonville strikes historic, tentative pension accord with police, fire unions