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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 […]

Scott PowersApril 12, 2017

Surrounded by what’s billed as the world’s new center for tennis but yet also almost in the shadow of a failed medical research center, Gov. Rick Scott brought his plea for salvation for Enterprise Florida and VISIT Florida to Orlando’s Lake Nona community Wednesday – urging pressure on the mostly-Republican group of lawmakers set to […]

Jim RosicaApril 11, 2017

With the House seemingly intent on gutting VISIT FLORIDA and eliminating Enterprise Florida, Gov. Rick Scott suggested he won’t stop counterpunching. The governor, who spoke to reporters after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, has been openly warring with House Speaker Richard Corcoran. He’s been out to kill state government’s business incentives programs. Corcoran counts Enterprise Florida (EFI), the […]

Mitch PerryApril 10, 2017

With less than a month to go for the Florida Legislature Regular Session, several major issues remain unresolved. No issue is more entertaining — on a purely political basis — than the debate among Republicans on the viability of Enterprise Florida. That’s the public-private partnership between Florida’s business and government leaders where recent records show has […]

Staff ReportsApril 5, 2017

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Cynthia Hefren is coming home: She will be VISIT FLORIDA‘s next chief financial officer, President & CEO Ken Lawson announced Wednesday. Hefren most recently was Assistant State Audit Supervisor for the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor. But she’s a Florida state government veteran, previously serving as: — Director of Auditing for the Florida Department of […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2017

When it comes to Gov. Rick Scott and Northeast Florida, is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? For the fourth time since the beginning of March, Gov. Scott was in Jacksonville Tuesday, as Scott held another “business roundtable” with Mayor Lenny Curry and other Jacksonville notables, including former mayor and UNF President […]

Tag: Visit Florida

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

Rick Scott brings Visit Florida, Enterprise Florida pitch to Lake Nona

Rick Scott won’t end fight for economic development, tourism funding

St. Petersburg officials make the case for Enterprise Florida

Personnel note: Cynthia Hefren named CFO of VISIT FLORIDA

Encore performance: Rick Scott messages economic incentives in Jacksonville