Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaFebruary 15, 2016

Companies seeking to influence the Florida Legislature paid a median of $31,213,000 for the last quarter of 2015, according to data released Monday by the state. That’s a $531,000 increase over the preceding quarter, but still less than the $34,890,000 paid in the first quarter and $35,696,000 during the second. The 2015 Legislative Session overlapped those two quarters, and […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott, who may or may not be running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson three years from now, continues to add hundreds of thousands of dollars to his political action committee, Let’s Get Back to Work. Last month, $425,350 flowed into the PAC. The biggest contributors were U.S. Sugar Corp., which gave $100,000 […]

Ryan RayAugust 18, 2015

The up and coming firm of Smith Bryan & Myers had themselves a healthy second quarter this year, a legislative year so far defined by lawmakers – and lobbyists – spending a lot more time in Tallahassee than anyone thought was likely when 2015 began. According to estimates based on recently submitted compensation reports, SBM […]

Mitch PerryJuly 12, 2015

The Republican Party of Florida raised over $1.9 million for the second quarter of this year, according to reports listed on the Florida Division of Elections website and posted on Friday night. Officially the party under new chairman Blaise Ingoglia brought in $1,919,327. Ingoglia was elected party chair back in January, ousting incumbent Leslie Dougher, Rick […]

Guest AuthorJune 3, 2015

For students of Big Sugar and its control of Florida, sub-section county government, Tuesday’s discussion and vote on a resolution proposed by Miami-Dade County Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava and Rebeca Sosa was a master class. The resolution, aimed at lawmakers now in special session, from the outset seemed innocuous but doomed. Instead, it passed. Here, […]

Ryan RayApril 28, 2015

A small clutch of activists gathered on a foggy Tuesday morning to deliver petitions to Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders. Executive Director of Audubon Florida Eric Draper was handed a bottle of water infused with a blue-green algae bloom beforehand, FedExed straight from Central Florida the afternoon before. The green, murky water came from Lake Okeechobee and is […]

Sally SwartzApril 26, 2015

The emails are puzzling. They are misleading. They are sneaky. The subject lines, in lower case letters, are nondescript, such as “funding” or “need this finished.” The sender – the Economic Council of Martin County – does not want to explain them. The emails do not ask readers to back what the Council website lists […]

Diane RobertsMarch 19, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE–When the Death Mermaid shows up, pay attention. Back in 1881, she appeared to Hamilton Disston, warning him against trying to drain the Everglades. Old Ham, never the most emotionally stable of multimillionaires, shut his eyes tight and swore on his mother’s grave he’d stop drinking cologne. In 1969, she scared the feds into […]

Diane RobertsMarch 17, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE–When the Death Mermaid shows up, pay attention. Back in 1881, she appeared to Hamilton Disston, warning him against trying to drain the Everglades. Old Ham, never the most emotionally stable of multimillionaires, shut his eyes tight and swore on his mother’s grave he’d stop drinking cologne. In 1969, she scared the feds into […]

Sally SwartzJanuary 30, 2015

In the world of water politics, people are not always who they seem to be. On the Treasure Coast, One Florida Foundation Inc. (OFF) isn’t exactly the “clean water advocacy” group it claims to be, either. Instead, it promotes sugar industry and agriculture agendas. Nyla Pipes, who lives in Port St. Lucie, and Don Voss, […]

Tag: U.S. Sugar
Helene, early Sept. 27. Image via NOAA via AP.

AT&T, HCA, U.S. Sugar in top three for lobbying expenses

Rick Scott adds $425,350 to PAC in October

Smith Bryan & Myers collects nearly $1 million in Q2 lobbying fees

Florida GOP raises over $1.9 million in second quarter

Alan Farago: How Big Sugar's shadow fell across a simple Miami-Dade resolution

Everglades Trust delivers petitions urging Rick Scott to buy U.S. Sugar land

Sally Swartz: Martin Economic Council misleads with sugar-flavored emails

Legislators, ignore the Death Mermaid at your peril

Diane Roberts: Legislators, ignore the Death Mermaid at your peril

Sally Swartz: One Florida Foundation not the clean water group it claims