Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 6, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner, who began the session by saying the state needed to have a “discussion” about Medicaid expansion, explained in a memo to senators why he was pushing ahead with a bill that would extend coverage to 800,000 Floridians. The Thursday memo was accompanied with a detailed breakdown of the lengthy bill that […]

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 6, 2015

Senate President Andy Gardiner, who began the session by saying the state needed to have a “discussion” about Medicaid expansion, explained in a memo to senators why he was pushing ahead with a bill that would extend coverage to 800,000 Floridians. The Thursday memo was accompanied with a detailed breakdown of the lengthy bill that […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 9, 2015

You might recall that in August of 2012, thousands of Republicans and journalists flooding Tampa for the Republican National Convention were greeted with a billboard that read,” “Welcome to Tampa! Where the mayor and all city council members are DEMOCRATS.” It was the Cigar City’s time to shine, and a point of pride for a state party […]

Ryan RayFebruary 5, 2015

As Lake Worth Sen. Jeff Clemens taught us once again last week by announcing his bid for Senate Democratic leader in 2018, there’s no such thing as ‘too soon’ in the term-limited game theory of the Florida Legislature. In that spirit, Republican state Sen. Tom Lee has filed to run for his Hillsborough County-based District 24 seat […]

James CallJanuary 22, 2015

State Florida’s economy will produce an extra billion dollars for state budget writers but the state’s chief economist says the windfall is just slightly ahead of growing expenses. Twice in the past six months state economists have adjusted their revenue forecast for next year by hundreds of millions of dollars. And although that produced a […]

Mitch PerryDecember 16, 2014

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In a close election, Hillsborough County Republicans on Tuesday night chose former state Representative Deborah Tamargo to be their new party chair, defeating former party chair Debbie Cox-Roush on a 110-80 vote. She succeeds Brandon state Senator Tom Lee, who has led the local party for the past two years. Tamargo had been running for […]

Ryan RayDecember 13, 2014

The political committee of state Senator Tom Lee has taken in more than $214,000 since mid-November. That’s when SaintPetersBlog first forecasted that Lee would ultimately assume the reins of one of the legislature’s most powerful posts, the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Now that he has, there’s little reason to believe the contributions will slow down much. The […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2014

In a speech that virtually screamed of presidential ambition, Marco Rubio said today that while he is not anti-Wall Street, it’s time for the GOP to become the party for a struggling middle class who now believe that the American dream is something that may no longer be attainable. “They feel this way because despite […]

Peter SchorschDecember 4, 2014

For a moment there, it looked like it was time to pull the plug. It was time to call the priest and ask him to deliver the last rites. For a moment there, state Sen. Jack Latvala’s ambitions to be president of the Florida Senate in 2016-18 were in their death throes. This past November, […]

Peter SchorschDecember 2, 2014

As we forecasted last month, Senate President Andy Gardiner today appointed Senator Tom Lee as Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Gardiner also appointed Senator Anitere Flores as Chair of the Senate Committee on Fiscal Policy. Senator Lee previously served in the Florida Senate from 1996-2006, including a two-year term as President of the […]

Tag: Tom Lee
Image via AP.

Senate President Andy Gardiner memos members: "We have the obligation to make coverage affordable …"

Senate President Andy Gardiner memos members: “We have the obligation to make coverage affordable …”

FDP goes after GOP Tampa City Council candidates

Tom Lee gears up for 2018 re-election campaign

State on track for billion-dollar budget windfall but will have little money for new spending

Hillsborough Republicans choose Deborah Tamargo to be their new party chair

Committee tied to Tom Lee raking in the bucks since he was named Approps chairman

Marco Rubio makes the case for middle class populism in Tampa

Peter Schorsch: State Sen. Jack Latvala’s ambitions to become Senate president still have life

Sen. Prez Andy Gardiner taps Tom Lee for Appropriations Chair, Anitere Flores as Fiscal Policy Chair