Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaOctober 26, 2015

The Florida Senate’s second-ranking Democrat has filed five more plans for consideration in the ongoing Special Session to redraw the state’s 40 senatorial districts. The chamber’s redistricting web page shows that state Sen. Oscar Braynon II of Miami Gardens filed the maps Sunday. Braynon, the Democratic leader pro tempore, also is vice chair of the Reapportionment Committee. Its […]

Jim RosicaOctober 23, 2015

The Florida Senate’s panel on redistricting on Friday narrowly cleared a new map resetting the boundaries of the state’s 40 senatorial districts. The committee’s recommended map (S9090) next will be heard on the Senate floor Tuesday. It was approved on a 4-3 party-line vote. Committee chair Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican, said all senators will almost certainly be […]

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 […]

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

Screen-Shot-2015-10-22-at-6.32.30-PM-1024x1024.png

Making the Tampa Bay region look like a game of Twister, Senate Rules Chairman David Simmons late Thursday filed his own proposed map redrawing the state’s Senate districts. For instance, Simmons’ map creates a 16th District that takes in about the same area currently represented by GOP Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater, not by jumping the bay, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 22, 2015

Although a legislative proposal to put an end to permanent alimony died in the Regular Session this year, it’s coming back in 2016, and a women’s group opposing the proposal is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to put a stop to it if reaches his desk. UniteWomen.Org FL is opposing SB 250, a bill sponsored by Brandon Republican state […]

Associated PressOctober 21, 2015

Amid a deepening rift that has split top Republicans, the Florida Senate may require voters in 2016 to pick senators for all forty of the state’s current Senate districts. The move may end a growing and contentious debate that has threatened to derail the 19-day special session that started this week. The GOP-controlled Florida Legislature […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

Screen-Shot-2015-10-21-at-6.37.25-PM-1024x1024.png

State Sen. Bill Galvano has filed a proposed new Senate district map for his Reapportionment Committee, meaning there will be one “base map” going forward to discuss and amend. Galvano posted the map to the Senate’s redistricting website at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Among other things, it contains a district that crosses Tampa Bay – the 19th, […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

The head of the Senate’s redistricting panel said he plans to file a bill for the Senate’s new district boundaries by late Wednesday and begin to discuss it by Friday. Despite seemingly little headway made during an hours-long meeting earlier in the day, State Sen. Bill Galvano said redistricting legislation could be on the floor […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

State Sen. Tom Lee has emerged a lone voice of Republican dissent over the ongoing effort to redraw the Senate’s district map. Lee, a Brandon Republican and former Senate president, sits on the chamber’s redistricting panel that is meeting Wednesday. The morning part of the meeting was slowed down with technical and legal explanations. Essentially, however, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2015

Last week in Tallahassee, we heard Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli say sort of a remarkable thing. Referring to the conflict between his House of Representatives and the Senate that has dominated Florida politics in 2015, he said it was a “extraordinary” that anything gets passed between the two bodies. The latest fissure between the House and […]

Tag: Tom Lee
Image via AP.

Oscar Braynon files five more Senate maps

Senate panel barely clears new redistricting map

Mitch Perry Report for 10.23.15 – Friday follies

David Simmons files map for Senate redistricting

Women’s group calls on Rick Scott to reject Tom Lee’s proposed alimony bill

Florida Senate may require senators to be on 2016 ballot

Bill Galvano files proposed Senate redistricting map

Bill Galvano says Senate redistricting could be on floor by early next week

Tom Lee’s dissent grows over Senate redistricting effort

Mitch Perry Report for 10.20.15 -Friction begins immediately between House and Senate in special session