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Staff ReportsDecember 18, 2018

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. On: In the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Cindy Kynoch is staff director. Jamie DeLoach and Ross McSwain are deputy staff directors. McSwain worked previously as staff director of Regulated Industries. Off and on: Elizabeth Ryon became deputy staff director for the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 17, 2018

Judge Laurel Lee, wife of Florida State Sen. Tom Lee, has been asked to recuse herself in the lawsuit seeking to overturn the Hillsborough transportation sales tax voters approved last month. Sen. Lee has been a vocal critic of the sales tax, giving his wife an apparent conflict of interest in the case. A defendant […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 17, 2018

Monday is the deadline for defendants in the All For Transportation sales tax lawsuit to request that the presiding judge take herself off the case. The question remains: Does Hillsborough Circuit Judge Laurel Lee have too big a conflict of interest to oversee the case in an impartial and unbiased manner? The 1 percent transportation and transit sales […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 11, 2018

The judge named to preside over a lawsuit against several local governments and constitutional offices that will receive revenue from the recently approved transportation sales tax will make the ultimate decision whether she takes the case. Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Laurel Lee was assigned to hear Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White’s lawsuit aiming to overturn the […]

Phil AmmannDecember 5, 2018

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements — both on and off — of the legislative merry-go-round in the Florida Senate. Off and on: Andrew Liebert and Jae Williams became legislative assistants, and Karen Whaley became district secretary for Republican Sen. Ben Albritton of Bartow. Williams previously worked for former Sen. Denise Grimsley. Whaley worked with […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 7, 2018

Floridians failed to support Amendment 1, which would have increased the state’s homestead exemption by $25,000. Thus far, the proposal is poised to receive less than 60 percent support, meaning it will not meet the threshold needed to pass. It was the only one out of 12 amendments on the ballot to not break the three-fifths threshold. […]

Drew WilsonOctober 16, 2018

The Florida Retail Federation on Tuesday endorsed nine incumbent Republican state Senators and one incumbent Democrat for re-election in the fall. Making the trade association’s general election list were Republican Sens. Dennis Baxley, Aaron Bean, George Gainer, Tom Lee, Kathleen Passidomo, Keith Perry, Wilton Simpson, Kelli Stargel, and Dana Young, as well as Democratic Sen. […]

Jacob OglesOctober 4, 2018

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Democratic state Senate candidate Kathy Lewis says it stunned her to see Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller on a host committee for her opponent, incumbent Tom Lee. “It’s one thing to not be for me,” Lewis said, “but he’s actively working against another person in his own party.” For his part, Miller says his relationship […]

Jacob OglesSeptember 24, 2018

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Faith Olivia Babis and Kathy Lewis attended the same conferences for advocates for the disabled before either became a political candidate. Now the two hope to join forces in the state Senate. They face long odds — both Democrats running in heavily Republican districts — but a challenge never stopped these women before. “People tell me […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 16, 2018

State Senate President Bill Galvano, Majority Leader Wilton Simpson and Fort Myers Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto will be in Tampa next Friday to help four area Senate candidates boost their campaign accounts ahead of the November general election. The Sept. 17 event will be held in the Snowy Egret Room on the second floor of the […]

Tag: Tom Lee

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Judge Laurel Lee, wife of Sen. Tom Lee, asked to recuse herself from transportation tax lawsuit

Tom Lee’s wife still has All For Transportation lawsuit amid more ties to his opposition

Transportation tax critic’s wife could decide not to recuse herself

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round (Senate version)

Voters reject homestead exemption-raising Amendment 1

Florida Retailers endorse 10 incumbent senators for re-election

Kathy Lewis irked at Les Miller for promoting Tom Lee’s campaign

Enabled, not disabled: Candidates run to raise disability rights awareness

Top Senate Republicans raising cash for Tampa Bay candidates on Monday