Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschOctober 31, 2017

The witching hour is upon us. Ghosts and ghouls fill the streets. Zombies walk side-by-side with princesses and superheroes. Their mission the same: Spook and scare their neighbors in hopes of scoring enough candy to sustain them for the next year. Total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $9.1 billion in 2017, according to the […]

Drew WilsonOctober 30, 2017

Consumer confidence may be down, but shoppers won’t be spooked on Halloween according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation. NRF, the parent group of the Florida Retail Federation, expects 179 million Americans to spend a combined $9.1 billion this year on all things Halloween — that’s 8 million more trick-or-treaters and $700 […]

Jim RosicaMay 25, 2017

Saying it could hurt job creation, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a contentious bill that would have removed the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. Scott filed his veto letter of the measure (SB 106) on Wednesday night, his deadline to act on the bill. It’s the first veto of a bill from the 2017 […]

Jim RosicaMay 21, 2017

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Costco now is joining Wal-Mart, Target and others in one last push to get Gov. Rick Scott to sign a bill to remove the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. Their Floridians For Fair Business Practices coalition on Friday released a tranche of letters sent to Scott encouraging him to OK the legislation (SB […]

Associated PressMay 8, 2017

Owners of small, independent liquor stores in central Florida are asking customers to support their efforts urging the governor to veto a bill allowing the sale of spirits in grocery stores. A proposal nicknamed the “Whiskey and Wheaties Bill” (SB 106) would allow grocery stores, big box retailers and other stores to sell liquor alongside […]

Jim RosicaMay 3, 2017

The Governor’s Office now has received nearly 500 emails asking Gov. Rick Scott to veto a contentious bill that allows retailers to sell distilled spirits in the same store as other goods. A tally shows 491 emails urging a veto and none in support of the measure (SB 106), according to Scott spokesman McKinley Lewis. The bill passed […]

Jim RosicaApril 27, 2017

The reaction to the Florida Legislature’s repeal of the state’s “booze wall” law continued long after Wednesday’s vote. The House, on a close vote of 58-57, passed the Senate’s bill (SB 106) to allow retailers to remove the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. (Full story here.) The legislation now heads to Gov. Rick Scott. If signed […]

Jim RosicaApril 26, 2017

The Florida Legislature has voted to tear down the booze ‘wall.’ The House, on a by-a-nose vote of 58-57, Wednesday passed the Senate’s bill (SB 106) to allow retailers, at least those who choose to do so, to remove the ‘wall of separation’ between hard liquor and other goods. The legislation now heads to Gov. Rick Scott. […]

Jim RosicaApril 25, 2017

A bill to allow retailers to sell hard liquor in the same store as other goods is one step closer to passing the Legislature. On Tuesday, the House decided to take up the Senate’s version of the “whiskey & Wheaties” legislation (SB 106) out of a “spirit of compromise,” said bill sponsor Bryan Avila, a Hialeah Republican. After two and […]

Jim RosicaApril 24, 2017

A troubled measure to undo the requirement that retailers sell distilled spirits separately from other goods is back on the House calendar for this week. But a number of amendments were filed Friday night that could continue to muddle the legislation’s path to passage. The House on Tuesday will again consider the “whiskey & Wheaties” bill (SB […]

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Halloween is brought you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations

NRF survey predicts another record-setting Halloween for retailers

The hangover: Rick Scott vetoes ‘whiskey & Wheaties’ bill

Big-box chains, others make one last push for ‘whiskey & Wheaties’

Independent liquor stores fight ‘Whiskey and Wheaties Bill’

Opponents of ‘liquor wall’ bill have begun veto effort

Interests for and against ‘liquor wall’ legislation react to passage

Legislature votes to tear down the ‘liquor wall’

Liquor ‘wall of separation’ could fall in Florida

Is this ‘whiskey & Wheaties’ last hurrah for 2017?