The Florida Chamber of Commerce today released the actual grades earned by all members of the House and Senate on the Florida Chamber’s 2014 Legislative Report Card. For the Panhandle region, six…
Category: State & National News
House Aide: Giving maps to consultant was ‘a mistake’
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida An aide to former House Speaker Dean Cannon admitted Tuesday that he made a mistake by secretly feeding redistricting plans to a Republican political…
Trial puts redistricting under microscope
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida A high-stakes trial that could decide the future of the state’s congressional districts began Monday in Tallahassee, as a Republican political consultant testified that…
Juvenile Justice, Foster Care Issues Gain In 2014 Session
by Margie Menzel The News Service Of Florida The 2014 legislative session saw major gains for juvenile justice issues in Florida while also seeking to bolster the independence of foster children. Lawmakers…
Gaetz: Northwest Florida Fares Well In State Budget
Northwest Florida priorities were big winners in the state’s budget approved Friday by the Florida Legislature. Often the stepchild to a state government that tends to look east and south, the Panhandle…
Victory for RayAnn Moseley and Caring Florida
“Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014” On Friday May 2, Senate Bill 1030 ER passed the Senate floor with veto-proof majorities. SB 1030 was approved by a vote of 30-9 in the…
Senate passes ‘Charlotte’s Web’ bill
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida As an 11-year-old Panhandle girl who helped change the minds of leery lawmakers looked on, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a proposal Monday legalizing a…
Crist strategist: ignore the polls
Six months ago, Republican strategists working for Gov. Rick Scott told supporters to ignore the polls that gave newly-minted Democrat Charlie Crist a double-digit lead over the governor. Now it is the…
U.S. Supreme Court turns down Scott on worker drug testing
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida In a blow to Gov. Rick Scott, the U.S. Supreme Court today said it would not take up his appeal of a ruling that…
Buzz: Gov. Scott appears to oppose ‘Charlotte’s Web’ bill
The word out of Tallahassee is Gov. Rick Scott will oppose the bill that would legalize “Charlotte’s Web,’ the strain of marijuana that would help children suffering from severe epileptic seizures. At…
What will Florida Legislature discuss today
PANEL TO CONSIDER CHILD-WELFARE OVERHAUL: The House Appropriations Committee will take up three bills, including a wide-ranging proposal (HB 7169), sponsored by Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, that would make changes in the…
Weekly State Roundup: Pondering where things stand
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida The Capitol fell largely silent this week, as lawmakers, lobbyists and some reporters took time to relax after the opening month and a half…
Head of BP cleanup operations allegedly used inside knowledge to unload BP stock days after explosion
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged yesterday Keith A. Seilhan, a former 20-year BP employee and a senior responder during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with insider trading in BP securities…
Sink will not seek rematch against Jolly
Alex Sink, who lost this past March a special election for U.S. House District 13, sent this email to her supporters: I have made a very personal decision not to run for…
A Punishment That Fits the Crime: FL Reviews Sentencing Law for Juveniles
By Stephanie Carroll Carson, Florida News Connection Today the Florida Senate is scheduled to consider a bill that would bring the state in compliance after two Supreme Court decisions determined the state’s…
Patrick Gonzalez conviction upheld by Florida Supreme Court
In a murder case that drew widespread attention, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday turned down an appeal by a Death Row inmate who was convicted of killing an Escambia County couple…
TaxWatch says reduced sentences will reap significant savings
Florida could save significant corrections costs by reducing prison sentences for nonviolent offenders, according to data analysis in a new report from Florida TaxWatch. The report, Overcriminalization In Florida, calls for the…
Clash brewing over bid to revive vouchers
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida The sponsor of a Senate measure that would help parents pay for education services for disabled children suggested Wednesday that she was not interested…
Scott campaign is data driven
When Gov. Rick Scott met last month with his supporters at The Fish House, his deputy campaign manager, Tim Saler, said the governor’s re-election campaign was going to be data driven. Saler…
School Vouchers are back
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida An attempt to revive a sweeping expansion of the state’s de facto voucher system passed a House subcommittee on a party-line vote Friday, setting…
