From The News Service of Florida Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis on Friday ordered the Legislature to submit a revised map of congressional districts by Aug. 15 and required the Secretary…
Category: State & National News
Miller speaks out for VA reform
Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: “The Department of Veterans Affairs is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis caused by corruption, mismanagement and a lack of accountability across…
Gaetz defends his ethics reform laws
Dear Neighbor, We have a bit of good news for those who support holding our elected officials accountable through strong ethics laws. Earlier this week, a circuit court judge in Leon County…
Lawmaker files bill to get around sovereign immunity
Escambia County is hoping that the state’s sovereign immunity laws will limit how much it has to pay to victims hurt in the April jail explosion. There is a way for the…
NRA wins appeal, doctors can not ask patients if they own guns
The United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has ruled that doctors do not have the right to ask patients if they own a firearm when unnecessary to a patient’s…
Smoke ’em if you got ’em: medical pot has huge support
By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Floridians really, really support the legalization of medical marijuana, according to a poll released Monday morning. The poll found that 88 percent of Florida…
Net worth up for most Florida lawmakers
By JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA For most state lawmakers, 2013 was another good year financially, regardless of party. Still, those with an “R” affixed to their names are doing…
Buzz: Crist will be in Pensacola this weekend
Charlie Crist will be in the Pensacola area this weekend. Fred Levin is hosting a big fundraiser for him, and he will be tour area churches on Sunday.
Redistricting clash heats up as hearing approaches
By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Voting-rights advocates and the Legislature squabbled Wednesday about when the state’s congressional elections should be held as both sides prepared for a hearing in…
Poll: Governor’s race still tight, Crist has five-point lead
By JIM SAUNDERS THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA With the campaign dominated by a barrage of back-and-forth attacks, Democrat Charlie Crist’s lead over Republican incumbent Rick Scott has narrowed in the race…
Health Department issues air quality alert for Wedgewood neighborhood
Health Alert: Wedgewood Air Quality Effective immediately, in response to air quality monitoring, the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) is issuing a health alert for the area surrounding the…
Circuit Judge declares marriage ban unconstitutional
Today, Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Luis M. Garcia issued a ruling declaring the state of Florida’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples unconstitutional. The decision, which is the result of a…
Crist taps Annette Taddeo as Running Mate
Charlie Crist, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, today announced Miami businesswoman Annette Taddeo as his nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Taddeo is the working mother of a eight-year-old daughter and…
Wild West Florida: Felons can use ‘Stand Your Ground’
An appeals court Wednesday said a convicted felon could use the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law to seek immunity from prosecution in the shooting of another man. The decision by the…
Putnam: Beware of Giant Land Snails
With inspectors at Los Angeles International Airport confiscating 67 Giant African Land Snails, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam issued a warning Tuesday about the destructive creatures possibly coming into the state through…
Prison Captain fired for failing to report on criminal activity
With the Florida Department of Corrections under heavy scrutiny, Secretary Michael Crews on Tuesday ordered the firing of a Columbia Correctional Institution captain because of allegations the officer failed to report information…
Breaking News: Legislature won’t appeal redistricting map ruling
House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz said this morning the Legislature does not plan to appeal a judge’s ruling that struck down the state’s congressional map drawn in 2012….
Context Florida: Sanity comes to immigration reform debate
My latest column for Context Florida: A political odd couple recently held a press conference in Tallahassee on what has been a hot button issue for conservatives since Barack Obama was sworn…
Judge strikes down Congressional Map
By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA In a highly anticipated ruling, a Leon County judge struck down a map of the state’s congressional districts drawn by the Legislature in 2012,…
Scott earns NRA love
By JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott appears nearly bulletproof right now in the eyes of the National Rifle Association. That assessment of Scott comes as the NRA…
