Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryMarch 4, 2016

Undoubtedly, we’ll hear in the next week (and into the fall) about how Florida is so important nationally because it’s a “Purple State” that reflects the views of our nation about diversity. Yet on far too many issues our state is severely conservative, to quote Mitt Romney. Take its laws on how we decide who qualifies […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 28, 2016

In a few days from now, or perhaps a few weeks, Democrats in Hillsborough County may rise to announce that they’re challenging Republicans in two nearly created opportunities where analysts believe they have a decent shot at winning in a presidential election year. But that’s not the case today. With a new Senate seat created as part […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 26, 2016

We’ve heard a lot about illegal immigration on the campaign trail. Most of the GOP candidates decry it but say they embrace legal immigration. Like the H-1B visa. The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields […]

Mitch PerryDecember 3, 2015

Wednesday’s mass gun shooting in San Bernadino is just the latest such incident in America, and Yolie Capin has had enough. The Tampa City Councilwoman was given the opportunity to address the audience who gathered at City Hall on Thursday for the council’s weekly meeting, and she used it to denounce the lack of gun control […]

Mitch PerryNovember 20, 2015

The Tampa City Council rejected a proposal from Mayor Bob Buckhorn‘s administration that would have made a serious dent in alleviating the city’s epic problems with stormwater runoff yesterday. The plan wasn’t cheap — $251 million, and it certainly left open a lot of questions about how fair it was for everyone to pay the […]

Mitch PerryOctober 12, 2015

For several years, it’s been a given that Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn would try to take his brand of leadership to a new level in 2018 by seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. Facing just token opposition in his re-election bid, Buckhorn won with nearly 96 percent of the vote in March, setting himself up […]

Mitch PerryApril 23, 2015

Tampa police Chief Jane Castor spoke to Tampa City Council Thursday morning for nearly an hour, discussing the issues concerning the disproportionate number of citations written against black city residents. An investigation by the Tampa Bay Times brought the situation to light in a story published this past weekend. The charges have prompted Castor and […]

Mitch PerryApril 21, 2015

The uproar over a Tampa Bay Times report over the weekend that the Tampa Police Department has been targeting low-income black bicyclists over the past decade continues to reverberate, with Chief Jane Castor facing the strongest criticism in her nearly five year tenure, just weeks before she steps down after a distinguished 30-year career with the department. […]

Mitch PerryApril 16, 2015

They’ve already declared their support for a Cuban consulate to be housed in Tampa, and now they want any major agreement between the Cuban and U.S. governments to be signed here as well. By a 5-0 vote, the Tampa City Council on Thursday passed “The Tampa Accord,” a resolution proposed by Councilwoman Yolie Capin that […]

Mitch PerryApril 15, 2015

It was eight years ago today, April 15, 2007, when Barack Obama made his first appearance ever in Tampa. Obama appeared at the Cuban Club in Ybor City on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, giving a speech from the outdoor plaza after the famed Florida A&M marching band opened the program. But according to Tampa City […]

Tag: Yolie Capin
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Mitch Perry Report for 3.4.16 — After being forced, Legislature finally moves on death penalty law

More Tampa Democrats indicate no interest in open legislative seats in Hillsborough County

Mitch Perry Report for 1.26.16 — Not the Happiest Place on Earth?

Yolie Capin kicks off Tampa City Council meeting by saying “we are in a gun out of control state”

Mitch Perry Report for 11.20.15 – Buckhorn stormwater tax plan gets killed. Now what?

Bob Buckhorn still considering 2018 run for governor

Jane Castor strongly disputes biking-while-black story at Tampa City Council meeting

“Biking while black” in Tampa story not going away

Tampa City Council votes for any major agreement between U.S. & Cuba to be signed in Tampa

Tampa City Council poised to vote on requesting city hosts U.S.-Cuba signing ceremony