Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaApril 29, 2017

Don’t expect any movement in the budgets for Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA at the conference committee level. “I’m authorized to negotiate quite a few things in this budget and there’s a few things I’m not, and those would be among the things I’m not,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, the St. Petersburg Republican chairing the […]

Jim RosicaApril 28, 2017

Ken Lawson, CEO of the embattled VISIT FLORIDA, again pleaded with lawmakers to fully fund his agency, saying jobs depend on it. Lawson appeared before the Legislature’s tourism and economic development budget conference on Friday as Gov. Rick Scott left the state to attend a National Rifle Association meeting in Atlanta. Meantime, Scott’s political committee, Let’s […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 27, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott is continuing his push for money for Visit Florida, releasing a new digital ad hitting lawmakers over proposals to cut funding for the state’s tourism marketing agency. In the 60-second spot, released by Scott’s political committee Let’s Get to Work, the Naples Republican is shown saying “Florida’s been winning, now a group […]

Michael MolineApril 26, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has issued another missive urging full financial support for Visit Florida. This one is a memo written to Scott by Christian Weiss, in-house economist to the governor, who warns that cutting the tourism-development program by $50 million — as House and Senate budget negotiators are considering doing — would result in a […]

Staff ReportsApril 26, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott, while on a trade mission to Argentina, urged the Florida Legislature to include his economic incentives programs when finalizing the next state budget. “Lawmakers cannot be shortsighted at the expense of Florida families by cutting funds for tourism marketing and economic development,” Scott said in a written statement distributed by his office. “I would be […]

Staff ReportsApril 25, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has distributed a letter by Ben Watkins, director of the Division of Bond Finance, to the House and Senate budget chairmen, warning that cutting Visit Florida could damage the state’s credit rating. The letter, dated Tuesday, addressed to Jack Latvala in the Senate and Carlos Trujillo in the House, warns that cutting […]

Peter SchorschApril 25, 2017

Updated 2:45 p.m. — The House has sent over an offer and the Senate is reviewing, according to staffers in both chambers. — After teetering toward a late-session meltdown, the bones of a roughly $83 billion 2017-18 state budget are in place, according to three sources close to Gov. Rick Scott‘s office and several lobbyists familiar with […]

Joe HendersonApril 20, 2017

The damage wrought by state Sen. Frank Artiles’ racist rant has ripples that extend far beyond the seats of power in Tallahassee. All it took to confirm that was to type his “Senator Frank Artiles” into Google. Within seconds, a collection of stories popped up that confirms how much impact the bile from his bigoted […]

Jim RosicaApril 18, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott went once more unto the breach Tuesday, pressing his case for full funding of the state’s VISIT FLORIDA tourism marketing agency. The Republican governor—surrounded by VISIT FLORIDA’s CEO Ken Lawson, board chairman William Talbert, and others—spoke with reporters outside his Capitol office. The GOP-majority House of Representatives, which at first wanted to eliminate […]

Scott PowersApril 13, 2017

While attending the ribbon cutting of a new high-tech center new Kissimmee that has at least $75 million in state and local taxpayer money behind it, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum praised such incentives and two embattled state entities, Enterprise Florida and VISIT Florida, as tools that cities need. Gillum, the Democratic mayor to Tallahassee, was […]

Tag: Visit Florida

Top line tourism, economic development money closed out, chair says

Ken Lawson on VISIT FLORIDA funding: ‘Protect our people’

Rick Scott calls proposed cuts to Visit Florida ‘irresponsible’ in new web ad

Continuing sales pitch for Visit Florida, Rick Scott warns of hit to state revenues

From Argentina, Rick Scott keeps up the chatter for economic incentives

Rick Scott enlists state bonds chief in fight for Visit Florida funding

State budget deal struck? Jack Latvala says, ‘no,’ but…

Joe Henderson: What damage could follow as Frank Artiles’ rant reverberates around the globe?

Rick Scott pushes ahead for VISIT FLORIDA funding

Andrew Gillum sees Enterprise Florida, VISIT Florida as ‘tools’ cities need