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Jose Javier Rodriguez forgoes House term, will run in newly redrawn SD 37

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Miami Democratic Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez announced Monday that he would forego another term in the House to run for the newly redrawn Senate District 37 seat against Republican Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla. “For the last four years, I’ve had the honor of fighting hard for my constituents on property tax and other reforms and leading the battle against special interests to ensure our tax dollars are spent on public education and infrastructure, rather than doled out to…

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House prepares for vote on state’s $82 billion budget

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The Florida House rallied behind the Legislature’s proposed budget Thursday, teeing up the $82.3 billion spending plan up for a vote later this week. State lawmakers debated the budget, shrugging off a structured debate format that has been used in recent years. The reason? Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appeared to support the budget. “I think we need to notice this historic moment,” said Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, a Tallahassee Democrat. “I have a feeling we’re going to…

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House approves $1 billion tax cut package

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The Florida House passed a wide-sweeping tax cut package Thursday, setting the scene for negotiations with the Senate over the tax reductions. The House voted 96 to 17 to support the nearly $1 billion proposal, getting the support of several House Democrats. “Here’s in Florida we’re running counter-culture to many of the decisions that are made to our north and to our west,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, the chairman of the House finance and tax committee. “We’ve made the decision…

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Rick Scott remains mum on how to fix state’s death penalty

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With Florida’s death penalty law in limbo due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Emily Cope on Wednesday described in chilling detail how her father, Keith, was hog-tied and left for dead back in 2009 when she was a teenager. Cope recalled how her father suffered a stroke while he was left bound with rope and duct tape for days and then later died. She pleaded with state legislators to reject a proposal to require that juries unanimously recommend the…

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High court: Florida death penalty system is unconstitutional

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(UPDATED) The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down Florida’s controversial system that allows judges, and not juries, to decide whether or not convicted criminals deserve the death penalty. The high court ruled 8-1 against the current system, with only Justice Samuel Alito dissenting. The court sided with Timothy Lee Hurst, who was convicted of the 1998 murder of his manager at a Popeye’s restaurant in Pensacola. A jury divided 7-5 for death, but a judge imposed the sentence. Under Florida…

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PSC approves FPL’s request to charge customers $34 million in nuclear costs next year

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The Florida Public Service Commission on Monday granted Florida Power & Light Co.’s request to charge its customer base $34.2 million in nuclear power plant projects for 2016. Public utilities can charge their customers in advance of building nuclear power plants thanks to a state law passed in 1996 — but nuclear cost recovery remains extremely controversial in Florida. “Despite overwhelming arguments to the contrary, the Commission again gave FPL what they want at the expense of Florida’s businesses and families for increasingly speculative nuclear reactors…

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House Democrats hire Steve Jackson as political director

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The Florida Democratic Party’s House Victory division — responsible for recruiting, directing and fundraising for Democratic state House campaigns — has hired Steve Jackson to fill the new role of political director. As first reported in the Tampa Bay Times, the move was announced by incoming Minority Leader-designate state Rep. Janet Cruz of Tampa. Jackson comes to the party by way of Obama for America — the president’s campaign apparatus known for mostly bypassing state Democratic parties on its way to victory in 2008…

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