Category Florida Legislature
House Democrats holding the line on vouchers
For weeks we have been calling for House Democrats to unite in opposition to the dangerous school “choice” proposals working their way through the chamber’s committee and towards the House floor. Yesterday, committee Democrats stood strong and firm in the Education Appropriations Subcommittee on a revised bill by Chairman Erik Fresen. This proposal was voted […]
House Democratic Caucus divisions largely non-ideological and personality oriented
In recent days we’ve heard a great deal about the divisions in the House Democratic caucus. In many places they have been cast as fights between the “liberal” wing of the party versus the “moderate” wing of the party. But in reality, what is happening is largely personality driven and politically motivated divisions. Earlier this […]
Legislative courtesy and the House Democratic leadership
We’ve discussed at length the floor debate on two bills related to firearms from last Thursday. As we discussed Democratic Leader Perry Thurston offered a repeal to Stand Your Ground as an amendment to one of the bills, HB 89 on the floor. Historically even if members of the minority party plan to support a […]
Democrats fail again on guns while ignoring political realities … Explanations needed
As my colleague Ryan Ray demonstrated again on Friday, the Democrats in the Florida House of Representatives failed on the gun issue once again. The gun lobby year after year finds new creative ways to chip away at any restrictions on ownership or use of firearms in this state, and year after year they find […]
Democratic Unity Essential on Gun Legislation
The extremist Tallahassee gun lobby is now several years into kicking the dead horse of liberalizing our gun laws. Unified Sportsmen of Florida Executive Director/NRA spirit animal Marion P. Hammer and her legislative surrogates in the Republican majority have ensured that gun control is off the table since the Jeb Bush administration, if not before. […]
Casino Gambling: The Vegas story
Two years ago Ross Hancock, a friend of our site was running for State House against Rep. Erik Fresen. During the campaign he visited Las Vegas to give us a preview of what Florida may face if large-scale gaming is passed here. Ross’ campaign fell just short losing in November 2012 by about two percentage […]
House Democrats must hold the line on school “choice” legislation
Last Thursday, the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee voted along party lines to expand the school voucher program in an unprecedented and quite possibly unconstitutional manner. The measure which has been pushed by big-money interests and shady outside groups is likely to sail through the House though Senate passage is in serious doubt. Before the bill […]
Casino Gambling: Florida’s last resort?
Last week, the Senate Gaming Committee workshopped a major casino gaming bill, SPB 7052. The 453-page proposal would overhaul Florida’s gambling laws by authorizing two “destination resort” casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade; establishing a Department of Gaming Control with 5 Governor-appointed members (usurping the authority of the Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation and further injecting politics into casino oversight); and […]
HB 209: More Gunshine State madness from Republican Tallahassee
Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-22) and House companion bill sponsor Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen (R-78) are joining Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-4) this Session in carrying water for the extremists at the NRA and United Sportsmen of Florida, their crazier Tallahassee cousins. Back in October she filed HB 209, which would legalize unlicensed firearm possession during mandatory evacuations during […]
School “choice” proponents continue shady tactics and big spending
As Republican legislators gear up once again to expand school “choice” in the state of the Florida, the Miami Herald’s Kathleen McGrory has exposed the movement once again as far from being organic and grassroots oriented as the proponents of these odious proposals often claim. The Herald had reported late last session that the group “Sunshine Parents” […]
The Florida Squeeze 