Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonApril 21, 2015

Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee said Tuesday that he had a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Rick Scott Monday night, the first of the session focusing on the substantive difference between the Senate and the governor’s office on the health care financing impasse. Lee told reporters that Scott initiated the meeting and that he went down […]

Mitch PerryApril 20, 2015

In Tallahassee on Monday, a state Senate committee postponed a vote on a controversial bill that would allow private adoption agencies in Florida to turn away same-sex couples based on religious and moral beliefs. The fate of the legislation is now in question. Senate Rules Committee Chairman David Simmons said he would confer with Senate President […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 17, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner has scheduled a Tuesday workshop for senators to brush up on the Medicaid issues that have brought the session to a standstill. In a Friday memo to senators, Gardiner said he asked Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Lee to use the first portion of his all-day meeting to discuss Low Income […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 16, 2015

Borrowing the governor’s often-used slogan “let’s get to work” House Democrats on Thursday said it’s time for House Republicans and Gov. Rick Scott to work on finding a solution to the impasse on health care that has brought the 2015 legislative session to a grinding halt. At an early morning press conference on Thursday House […]

Bruce RitchieApril 15, 2015

There has been no action publicly in the Legislature this week on Amendment 1 spending or bills dealing with water policy but those issues are being worked on, Sen. Tom Lee, the Senate’s chief budget writer, said Wednesday. Amendment 1 is the water and land conservation funding initiative approved by voters in November. The measure is expected […]

Ryan RayApril 15, 2015

a-conversation-with-florida-senate-president-don-gaetz-1c8bb35c-1024x1024.jpeg

A lengthy debate over a lobbying ethics reform bill ended with with former Senate President Don Gaetz moving to TP his own bill. The proposal — Gaetz’s SB 1372 — would tighten many restrictions on lobbying in Florida. Most notably, it would hold Gov. Rick Scott‘s brainchild — Enterprise Florida Inc., housed within another Scott innovation in […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner made an appearance at the A Healthy Florida Works press conference on Tuesday, joining a group of business leaders supporting his chamber’s plan to draw down Medicaid dollars and provide access to health care for as many as 800,000 uninsured Floridians. With less than three weeks left in the 2015 regular […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 9, 2015

Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee said Thursday night he’s beginning to plan how to bring the 2o15 Session in for a landing if lawmakers can’t resolve the budget impasse between the House and Senate. Lee said the chambers must reach an accord by “the middle of next week or thereabouts and then we are out […]

Ryan RayApril 9, 2015

A bill to prohibit the sale of powdered alcohol — known as Palcohol — before it has even arrived in Florida retailers passed another test in the Senate on Thursday. The ban was unanimously approved the Rules Committee. Sen. Gwen Margolis’ SB 998 now awaits a vote by the full Senate. Brandon Sen. Tom Lee spoke for many […]

Guest AuthorApril 6, 2015

If there was any doubt that House Appropriations Chairman and Speaker-In-Waiting Richard Corcoran is a conservative crusader whose commitment to his principles leaves him indifferent to comity, convention and the nuances of legislative diplomacy, that doubt was laid to rest last week when he went on a rampage through the legislative china shop. It began […]

Tag: Tom Lee
Stock image via Adobe.

Health care impasse taints national Republican Party image, Tom Lee says

Senate panel postpones vote on gay adoption ban

Andy Gardiner calls for meeting on Medicaid funding options

House Dems say “Let’s get to work” on Medicaid expansion

Amendment 1, water spending work going on, Tom Lee says

Lobbying ethics bill stumbles in Senate Rules

Andy Gardiner: Senate will talk Medicaid, health care with “anybody at any time”

Tom Lee says he’s planning how to bring bumpy Session in for a landing

Gwen Margolis’ Palcohol ban progresses in Senate

Jack Stevenson: House will pay for Richard Corcoran’s Medicaid rant