Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 3, 2015

Happy Passover/Good Friday to everyone. I don’t think about it often, but a quasi-holiday like today makes me sympathetic to all those in media land who have to produce a full television or radio broadcast on a day that doesn’t portend to contain a lot of news, at least not domestically. When I was producing an […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 3, 2015

It didn’t take long for House Appropriation Chairman Richard Corcoran‘s speech to be heard down the halls in the Florida Senate. As the chamber finished its work on Wednesday and recess for the Easter holiday Senate President Andy Gardiner told senators that the chamber wasn’t going to “rant and rave” but would focus its efforts […]

James CallMarch 26, 2015

This day at the Florida Capitol the House Regulatory Affairs Committee held a four-hour workshop on gambling. Surprisingly, there was something comforting and familiar about spending the morning with a room full of Brooks Brothers suits. A historic review of the Tribal-State Gaming Compact and an overview of the legal relationship between the State and […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 25, 2015

Budget chief Sen. Tom Lee said on Wednesday that tax cuts and member projects will be put on hold in the Senate until there is a resolution of whether Florida will receive additional Medicaid supplemental funding to help pay hospitals, federally qualified health centers and Medicaid HMOs. After a marathon seven-plus-hour meeting where the committee […]

James CallMarch 25, 2015

Wednesday at the state Capitol we learned that when the House and Senate begin talking to each other about a state budget what the focus of the discussion will be. We’ve watched the respective leaders draw lines in the sand. And we’ve seen the positions harden. And now, as we approach the midpoint of the […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 23, 2015

The Senate Health Policy Committee on Monday gave the nod to a bill that would restrict contact lens manufacturers from preventing retailers from selling or advertising contact lenses below a set price. The bill, SB 1400 by Sen. Tom Lee, brought lobbyists from Las Vegas, Utah, and Washington, leading former Senate President Don Gaetz to joke that […]

James CallMarch 18, 2015

Wow, talk about a gaggle. If you want a good understanding of what separates the House and Senate as the session approaches the midpoint check out this exchange between Sen. Tom Lee and a gaggle of reporters including the AP, The Palm Beach Post, The Tampa Tribune and the Times/Herald Capitol Bureau. It’s the best gaggle of the session so […]

James CallMarch 18, 2015

The Senate Appropriations Chairman is drawing a line in the sand. Sen. Tom Lee wants clarity on health care spending before moving forward on building a budget, and both Sen. Aaron Bean and Sen. Renee Garcia are looking for the money to help him produce a balanced spending plan. The federal Low Income Pool program expires in June, and the more than […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 18, 2015

The Senate budget will include nearly $3 billion in Medicaid funding to expand coverage to about 800,000 people as well as an alternative plan to draw down supplemental Medicaid money to help pay hospitals and other providers for treating uninsured patients. That means the Senate and House budgets could be billions apart — a fact […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 18, 2015

The Senate budget will include nearly $3 billion in Medicaid funding to expand coverage to about 800,000 people as well as an alternative plan to draw down supplemental Medicaid money to help pay hospitals and other providers for treating uninsured patients. That means the Senate and House budgets could be billions apart — a fact […]

Tag: Tom Lee
Image via AP.

Mitch Perry Report for 4.3.15 – Does the Florida House agree there's too much "damn testing" going on?

Tom Lee defends budget, says health care is a priority

The day that was in Florida politics — March 26

No supplemental Medicaid dollars? Then no tax breaks says Senate budget chief

The day that was in Florida politics — March 25

Eyeball Wars II: Senate OKs bills letting retailers set price for contacts

The day that was in Florida politics — March 18

Five minutes with Tom Lee — Talk of playing cards while building a budget

Senate budget is chock full o' Medicaid dollars, says Tom Lee

Senate budget is chock full o’ Medicaid dollars, says Tom Lee