Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryMarch 15, 2016

Tampa/St. Petersburg Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced on Monday that she has been asked by President Obama to join him and the First Lady on his historic trip to Cuba, which begins on Sunday. “This monumental and historic step is needed to help turn the page on a failed policy of isolation and move forward with greater engagement […]

Jim RosicaMarch 11, 2016

The Bradenton trial judge who accepted baseball tickets from a law firm representing a woman whose personal injury case he was presiding over has resigned from the bench. Circuit Judge John F. Lakin resigned Monday from the 12th Judicial Circuit. It serves DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Lakin, elected in 2012, was facing a judicial conduct inquiry by the state’s Judicial […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 24, 2016

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After a debate that included mentions of monsters, Robert A. Heinlein and the Tampa Bay Rays, the Florida House of Representatives Wednesday passed its 2016 business and economic incentives package, including the framework for Gov. Rick Scott‘s proposed $250 million Florida Enterprise Fund. As bill sponsor Jim Boyd reminded members, it still has no funding: “This is a structure bill, […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 1, 2016

A Bradenton trial judge was charged Monday with accepting baseball tickets from a law firm representing a woman whose personal injury case he was presiding over. Circuit Judge John F. Lakin was accused of violating the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct by the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC), which said he demonstrated “a present unfitness to serve.” […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 18, 2016

Happy MLK Jr. Day, everybody. We’re 30 years into this day being a national holiday, and yet not even 40 percent of American businesses give the day off to their employees. Last night (at the very inconvenient hour of 9 p.m.) the three Democratic contenders for president debated in Charleston, South Carolina, two weeks before the […]

Peter SchorschNovember 4, 2015

Tuesday’s slate of elections in St. Petersburg certainly provided a list of winners and losers, and I’m not just talking about the candidates. Here’s my list of the real winners and losers coming out of Tuesday’s elections. Let me know if I missed anyone. Winners Ed Montanari – Lost in the three City Council races that were […]

Mitch PerryOctober 23, 2015

Will Iowa voters be getting trashed again by Donald Trump today? (Or by one of his interns?) We saw the unprecedented action of a Trump apology yesterday, after he re-tweeted a tweet from one of his interns who wrote, “#BenCarson is now leading in the #polls in #Iowa… Too much #Monsanto in the #corn creates issues in the brain? @realDonaldTrump #GOP“ That came after the […]

Mitch PerryOctober 22, 2015

Today could be an interesting day locally and nationally, or it could just another day of unfulfilled hype: The St. Pete City Council gets together once again to decide on proposals that would allow the Tampa Bay Rays to talk to officials in Hillsborough County, a subject we’ve been down more than a few times […]

Mitch PerryOctober 12, 2015

Good morning….Well, it’s Columbus Day, one of those weird federal holidays which most people in the private sector don’t enjoy (similar to next months’ Veterans Day). In typical fashion, our Congress is not only taking the day off to make the holiday, but the entire week. This, despite the fact that the House GOP is supposed […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 25, 2015

The saga of where the Tampa Bay Rays search for a new home is going on eight years now. It was in November of 2007 that the Major League Baseball franchise held a news conference at the site of Al Lang Field to talk about building a 34,000 seat facility on the waterfront. As we […]

Tag: Tampa Bay Rays

Kathy Castor joining President Obama in trip to Cuba next week

Judge who took Rays tickets from law firm quits bench

House passes incentives measure desired by Rick Scott

Judicial conduct panel charges Bradenton judge over Rays baseball tickets

Mitch Perry Report for 1.18.16 — Clinton and Sanders clash in Charleston

Winners & losers coming out of St. Petersburg’s City Council elections

Mitch Perry Report for 10.23.15 – Friday follies

Mitch Perry Report for 10.22.15 – Freedom Caucus hearts Paul Ryan?

Mitch Perry Report for 10.12.15 – Does Joe Maddon have the mojo this post-season?

Mitch Perry Report for 9.25.15 – At least 1 MLB team wants to play in St. Pete (in the spring)