Sen. Jim Norman could still face fines for failing to disclose a $500,000 Arkansas home his wife purchased with the help of the late Tampa businessman Ralph Hughes, the Tampa Bay Times reported this weekend. According to the paper, the Florida Commission on Ethics on Friday found probable cause to investigate his failure to disclose the home, but cleared [...]
When the 2012 legislative session started, it would have been safe to predict that redistricting would be the most-difficult — and politically divisive — issue to resolve. But with House votes Friday, the Republican-dominated Legislature is close to finalizing its redistricting plans. The maps likely will face court challenges from Democrats and other critics, but [...]
From a new research paper in PS: Political Science & Politics: “Many reformers continue to argue for a de-politicization of the redistricting process, claiming that partisan redistricting is responsible for declining electoral competition and increasing legislative polarization. Our analysis of evidence from state legislatures during the last decade suggests that the effects of partisan redistricting on [...]
Mark Sharpe was prepared for the news Friday afternoon from Tallahassee. He suspected the new political district maps for congressional and legislative races would pass the state House, and he knew what it would mean to his plan to run for Kathy Castor’s District 11 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. So he didn’t [...]
A controversial bill to allow mega-resort casinos in Florida appears dead this year, after the House sponsor scrapped a vote Friday by a subcommittee that likely would have rejected the idea, reports Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida. Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, announced he was pulling back the bill (HB 487) as the [...]
Mike Fasano’s 2011 Farm Share feeds 500 families
Bob Graham, Alex Sink campaigning for Keith Fitzgerald
The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi asking Rep. Darryl Rouson to ‘pee in a cup’
Jeff Brandes fundraiser at BayCities in Tampa
Rep. Dana Young receives ‘Defender of Liberty’ award from ACU’s Al Cardenas
AG Pam Bondi campaigning for Jim Frishe
