Sen. Darren Soto is asking questions about the departures this month of four Department of Environmental Protection lawyers, one of whom suggested the firings and resignations were made to the detriment of conservation goals. The Orlando Democrat sent a letter to DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard Wednesday asking for documents related to attorneys Christopher T. Byrd, Kelly L. Russel, Teresa Mussetto, andChristopher…
Read MoreFlorida voters send 160 of their fellow citizens to the Capitol in Tallahassee for 60 days each year. But power and wisdom aren’t apportioned equally among Florida lawmakers. Usually only a handful of them shape events, for good or ill, during legislative sessions, including the one that ended earlier this month. Today we’re grading the performance of…
Read MoreLongtime Orange County Clerk of Courts Lydia Gardner has died. According a source with the Clerk of Courts, Gardner died Wednesday night at Winter Park Hospital. She was 68. Gardner had battled breast cancer for years, the source said. Gardner was first elected to the Clerk’s Office in 2000. She was sworn in for her…
Read MorePotential/likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist is taking some heat for having backed a Florida gay marriage ban during his 2006 Republican primary for governor. Tonight he posted the following on Facebook: Some great news: On Tuesday, Delaware became the 11th state to allow marriage equality. And just a few days ago, Rhode Island adopted a similar…
Read MorePressure is mounting on Florida Gov. Rick Scott to call a special session to end the Legislature’s impasse on Medicaid expansion. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and the 14 Democratic members of the Florida Senate sent separate letters Monday making the request, following House Democratic leader Perry Thurston’s request for one Friday. Scott isn’t likely to…
Read MoreA leading group behind the push for mandatory paid sick time in Orange County is starting an online petition to urge Gov. Rick Scott to veto a bill that would block local governments from adopting such measures. Organize Now started the petition over the weekend using the SignOn.org website, which is run by Moveon.org, a progressive advocacy…
Read MoreThe 2013 legislative session in Tallahassee ended Friday with a lot of bills that didn’t become law. Here is a look at what passed and what didn’t. Click here for the full Tampa Bay Times story
Read MoreState. Rep. Joe Saunders, D-Orlando, has offered up an amendment to exempt Orange County from a bill that would block local governments from adopting mandatory paid sick time benefits for workers. The so-called pre-emption bill is sponsored by House Majority Leader Steve Precourt, R-Orlando, and Saunders’ amendment has little chance of being attached to it. That’s because Orange…
Read MoreMiami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is none-too-happy with House Speaker Will Weatherford, after the team’s attempt for a taxpayer-supported stadium flamed out in the Florida House on Friday. In a statement, Ross blamed Weatherford for killing the deal and said that the House Speaker gave him his word the bill would come up for a vote. Weatherford refuted…
Read MoreOn the final day of session, the Florida Legislature answered the national elections scorn the state absorbed over its long lines and tortoise pace in declaring Barack Obama its 2012 presidential winner. Lawmakers on Friday sent Gov. Rick Scott an elections reform package that undoes some of the restrictions the Republican-controlled Legislature put in place just two years earlier — including, expanding…
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