Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaFebruary 16, 2018

The federal government on Friday said it was opening Florida’s Gulf Coast to “oil and gas exploration and development.” A Interior spokesman, however, soon added that the “small slice available (approximately 944,000 acres) … is more than 100 miles offshore Florida.” A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson also said the proposed area is “currently open to […]

Scott PowersAugust 2, 2017

Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster has joined the Western Caucus in a call for Congress to overhaul the Endangered Species Act, declaring it a failure for endanger species and a “crushing” burden on agriculture. Webster, of Lake County, was one of 30 Republican congressmen to sign a letter Tuesday to congressional leaders calling for them […]

Scott PowersJune 22, 2017

In the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, Orlando’s U.S. Rep. Darren Soto pinned down Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke for assurances that the off-shore drilling ban is “in no real jeopardy.” Soto also pressed Zinke on whether he would support a Wild & Scenic River Program designation for the Kissimmee River, and the […]

Scott PowersJanuary 24, 2017

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, whose district oversees one of the largest and fastest growing Puerto Rican diasporas in the states, has been appointed a seat on a Congressional subcommittee that oversees Puerto Rican affairs. Soto, an Orlando Democrat who is of Puerto Rican descent himself – a first for Florida’s congressional representatives – announced Tuesday […]

Feds announce opening of Florida to offshore oil drilling, but it’s not not as bad as you might think

Dan Webster joins call for overhaul of Endangered Species Act

Darren Soto pins down Everglades, drilling assurances from interior secretary

Darren Soto appointed to subcommittee overseeing Puerto Rico