Gov. Rick Scott says proposals to remove a Confederate soldier monument from the Capitol grounds should be handled through the Legislature, where the controversial issue could be discussed early next year.
Former Congresswoman and now Democratic candidate for governor Gwen Graham on Tuesday rapped the U.S. Senate’s proposed Obamacare replacement, saying “if you get quality health care, you can have a miracle.” Graham, speaking to reporters in the state Capitol, was referring to her husband’s recent cancer remission. Steve Hurm was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer last year. Acknowledging that her family has good insurance coverage, “I want that for everyone,” she said. “No one should be put in a position…
Budget negotiations kicked off Friday night after days of will-they-or-won’t-they speculation. But the first meeting unveiled some surprising revelations. That $1 billion tax cut the House passed a few weeks ago? It’s now a $400 million tax cut. The $250 million the Senate set aside for the Florida Enterprise Fund? Nonexistent. House and Senate budget writers are trying to reconcile the $1 billion difference between their two spending plans. But the cuts to Gov. Rick Scott’s top priorities could be setting the stage…
Latest developments in Pope Francis‘ visit to the United States. All times local: 8:05 a.m. Tens of thousands already are gathering on the front lawn of the Capitol to watch the pope’s speech on Jumbotron screens and maybe catch a glimpse of Francis. He is expected to wave from a balcony a few hundred yards away. Libby Miller of Frederick, Maryland, says her friends all told her she was crazy for schlepping to Capitol Hill with her 4-year-old son, Camden,…
The state Capitol is quiet. Usually the 4th-floor rotunda on the last day is packed with lobbyists, lawmakers and staff. The noise of chattering dealmaking bounces off the terrazzo floor and travertine marble columns and walls reaching the decibel level of a steroid-fueled chainsaw in a shouting match with an oncoming steam locomotive. The House left Tuesday. The Senate finished what work it could Wednesday. Then the place went empty and quiet. Thursday, an Orlando bus driver stopped at the…
The call came late Tuesday night. It was from Ana Cruz, the ultra-connected Tampa political consultant helping to direct Congressman Kendrick Meek’s campaign for the US Senate: Would I like to interview Meek for my blog, she asked. She already knew my answer would be a resounding ‘Yes’. I had been e-mailing back-and-forth with Kenneth Quinnell, the progressive blogger who is now leading Meek’s efforts to connect with new media. Congressman Meek would be in Tampa on Wednesday to open…
