Background checks seen as possible answer to mass shootings

TALLAHASSEE — After three hours of testimony from experts on Monday, the Republican head of a Florida Senate panel looking into mass violence and white…

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Sen. Broxson and other senators file Triumph Gulf Coast bill

State Sen. Doug Broxson, along with Senators Bill Montford and George Gainer, have a filed a bill that would appropriate $300 million in BP oil…

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Podcast: Broxson picks up another endorsement and defends record

State Rep. Doug Broxson picked up the endorsement of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national construction industry trade association that represents nearly 21,000 corporate…

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Florida Senate revamps, reduces Gov. Scott tax-cut package

By JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott’s request for $1 billion in tax cuts, which the House initially sought to match,…

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Anti-corruption, ethics and accountability: Always the toughest bills to pass

State Sen. Don Gaetz this afternoon sent out this email to his constituents. The Anti-Corruption has been passed by all the appropriate House and Senate…

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Weekly State Capital Roundup: Hoping for a happy ending

By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Budgets have been approved. Committee meetings are dropping off. And the major differences between the House and…

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Details on $1B budget gap between Florida House and Senate

The Appropriation Committees of the Florida House and Senate passed their proposals to fund the state government for FY 2016-17. The gap between the two…

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Uber has a battle in Florida Senate

By JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA The Senate isn’t ready to match a House proposal that would prevent local governments from regulating popular…

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Fur flies on Florida Senate floor on redistricting vote, Latvala v. Gaetz

Notes from the News Service of Florida on today’s meeting of the Florida Senate: CONVENED: The Senate convened at 10 a.m., President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando,…

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Florida deals with 17 redistricting amendments today

Today, state senators will face a slate of 17 amendments when they meet to consider a new set of lines for the chamber’s 40 districts….

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Senate removes Confederate flag from seal

By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Without a formal vote, the Florida Senate on Monday agreed to strip the Confederate battle flag from…

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Panel votes to remove Confederate flag from Senate seal

By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA Lawmakers took a step toward removing the Confederate battle flag from the Senate’s official seal Thursday, as…

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Scott undermines Senate health care plan

Senate Appropriations Committee is tired of the games the Scott administration is playing in the legislative battle over health care. On Monday, state Medicaid director…

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Gaetz hopeful lawmakers will hammer out health care solution

Don Gaetz is hopeful that the Florida House and Senate will hammer out a budget in June. The biggest sticking point is how the state…

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Senate scuttles Conscience Protection bill

A controversial bill that would allow private adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples appears ready to die Friday with the end…

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Breaking news: Florida House flips out Senate, adjourns

From News Service of Florida: Amid a bitter impasse with the Senate about the budget and health-care issues, the House adjourned “sine die” about 1:15…

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Gaetz leads floor debate for adoption incentives, repeal of gay adoption ban

This morning I received a text from Ryan Wiggins, political strategist and regular guest on Pensacola Speaks. She was watching the Florida Senate debate on…

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Florida lawmakers talk with feds about health care coverage

By DARA KAM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA With a $5 billion health-care budget breach between the House and Senate halfway through the legislative session,…

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Bipartisan health care bill praised

A Healthy Florida Works, a bipartisan coalition of business leaders, chambers of commerce, statewide business organizations and concerned individuals, today released an ad thanking Senate…

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Gaetz Greyhound Protection bill passed unanimously by Florida Senate

The Florida Senate opened the 2015 legislative session with unanimous passage of bi-partisan legislation to better protect greyhounds by requiring more accountability from the greyhound…

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