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Today on Context Florida: SB 1030, alimony reform, New Urbanist and SNL

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Today on Context Florida: Ben Pollara says Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli is right: no one has really made the case that the statutory language of SB 1030, legalizing low-THC medical marijuana, is flawed; but it absolutely is and must be fixed legislatively. Two groups have largely driven conversations surrounding 1030: advocates like Pollara, who have criticized the law as weak and industry players like Costa Farms and the Stanley Brothers, who have focused their energies (and lobbying/legal teams) on creating…

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Veteran lobbyist Ron Watson offers some perspective in advance of the 2015 Legislative Session

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A lot of times what one sees at the state capitol depends on one’s point of view. A spectator’s voter registration card can very well indicate whether he’s watching a war on public education or an attempt to improve student’s learning gains. It’s a bit like the adage about a glass of water. Every now and then though you come across someone like Ron Watson who asks,”Why are we using a glass? Maybe a saucer would be better.” “We get…

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Immigration activists, Tampa City Council members at odds on driver’s license issue

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Pro-immigration activists are pushing for the Florida Legislature to support a bill granting driver’s licenses to qualified Florida residents regardless of immigration status, saying it will spur economic growth and make the streets safer. In Tampa, those activists have been trying to build up grassroots support for the measure by having the City Council pass a resolution showing their support. Marisol Marquez with the group Raíces en Tampa said she met with six of the seven council members last year about…

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Gov. Rick Scott suspends 11th grade English test

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Gov. Rick Scott is officially suspending a standardized test that the state’s 11th graders were supposed to take this spring. Scott on Tuesday signed an executive order that directs Education Commissioner Pam Stewart to suspend the test. The governor last week said that there was too much testing going on in Florida’s schools. He said then he planned to use his executive power to stop the administration of the English language arts test for high school juniors. The test is…

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Antsy for new “House of Cards” season? Let this “Sesame Street” parody tide you over

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It’s not quite as funny as censoring the Count in this Sesame Street “counting” song that makes it sound dirty instead of sounding like the innocent learning ditty that it really is. But this Sesame Street take on House of Cards is pretty epic, whether you’re a fan or not. The House of Bricks parody of the scandalous political drama takes the timeless story of the Three Little Pigs by portraying Frank Underwood as the Big Bad Wolf, Frank Underwolf. True…

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Mitch Perry Report for 2.24.15 — It’s Bush and Clinton in Tampa (fundraisers, that is)

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There are a couple of fundraisers in Tampa Tuesday night supporting what some hope (and others fear) will the presidential matchup in 2016: Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton. You’ll have to shell out a minimum of $1,000 to get in the door tonight for the fundraiser for Right to Rise at the Grand Hyatt. That’s the leadership PAC formed by Bush this past month that allows him to raise money, hire staff, travel across the country, and donate to candidates…

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The day ahead in Florida politics — Feb. 24

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The Florida Education Association will hold a news conference Tuesday morning. President Andy Ford and Vice President Joanne McCall will discuss how Florida uses standardized tests to measure student and school performance. The teachers union has been engaged in a losing battle with the Republican majority that has controlled the state Capitol since then-Gov. Jeb Bush announced plans in 1998 for a school-grading system. The release announcing the media availability with Ford and McCall referred to the state’s toxic testing system. The FEA has argued…

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