Blogs from around the state

PolitiJax Ander Crenshaw's subcommittee to hold IRS hearing

@MDixon55

Jacksonville Republican Ander Crenshaw is joining the growing list of House Republicans planning hearings to investigate the Internal Revenue Service's acknowledged targeting of conservative groups seeking tax exempt status.

PolitiJax It's budget "turkey" day (A.K.A Joe Negron's least favorite day)

@Mdixon55

Business-backed Florida Tax Watch Thursday unveiled its annual budget “turkey” list.

This year’s release comes as the list is facing increased scrutiny from lawmakers who say it unfairly portrays the budget process.

“Just because something was added in conference or not requested by an agency… it was requested by us,” Senate Budget Chief Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said on the Senate floor May 3.

St. Petersburg Personnel note: Sandi Copes Poreda joins uber-smart firm, Taproot Creative

Taproot Creative today announced a new addition to its public relations strategy team. Sandi Copes Poreda joins the agency to focus on communications strategy, specifically crisis management. Poreda brings with her nearly a decade of communications experience with the state of Florida. 

St. Petersburg TaxWatch raises concern with Coast-to-Coast Connector but doesn’t call it a “Turkey”

For those who share the dream of waking up to an Atlantic sunrise and biking across the state to enjoy a Gulf Coast sunset, the funding and completion of Florida’s Coast to Coast Connector is highly anticipated. The multi-use Connector trail would stretch 275 miles from Titusville to St. Petersburg, filling in gaps between approximately 200 miles of existing stretches of trail.

St. Petersburg RNC seeks to counter Pantoja’s party-switch by pointing to job search

Pablo Pantoja made news recently by going from Republican Hispanic outreach director to Democrat. The GOP counters today (via BuzzFeed and the News Service of Florida) that he was very recently seeking a job at the RNC. Pantoja responds: “In this career and livelihood many of us in this process seek to grow and network for other jobs usually within the same circles.

Naked Politics Florida TaxWatch bags 107 budget 'turkeys' worth $107 million

Florida TaxWatch finds 107 line-item projects in the new state budget totaling $107 million that it says Gov. Rick Scott should veto because they bypassed the Legislature's own standards for transparency and competitiveness.

Post on Politics Business-backed Florida TaxWatch spots $107 million in budget turkeys

Florida TaxWatch, the business-backed non-profit that calls itself a “government watchdog,” has targeted $107 million “turkeys” they’re suggesting Gov. Rick Scott red-line as he ponders the state’s $74.5 billion spending plan.

TBO - Fresh Squeezed Politics Emily’s List again backs Ehrlich

Emily’s List, a national fundraising group that backs pro-choice women candidates for political office, is again backing Democrat Jessica Ehrlich in her campaign against U.S. Rep. Bill Young.

Ehrlich, a St. Petersburg lawyer who has worked as a congressional staffer, lost in 2012 to the 22-term Republican from Indian Shores;…

Political Pulse Central Fla projects made 'turkey' budget list

TALLAHASSEE -- The business-backed fiscal watchdog Florida TaxWatch pinpointed 107 projects in the state budget that it's urging Gov.

Florida Politics Insurance, gaming, Everglades interests tip the lobbying scales

TALLAHASSEE -- Insurance carriers, sugar growers pushing to lessen their pollution costs, telecommunications giant AT&T, and an Internet cafe software company dominated spending on lobbyists to influence the Florida Legislature over the first three months of 2013.

Political Pulse Insurance, gaming, Everglades interests tip the lobbying scales

TALLAHASSEE -- Insurance carriers, sugar growers pushing to lessen their pollution costs, telecommunications giant AT&T, and an Internet cafe software company dominated spending on lobbyists to influence the Florida Legislature over the first three months of 2013.

Florida Politics TaxWatch pinpoints Broward, PB budget 'turkeys' for vetoes

TALLAHASSEE -- The business-backed fiscal watchdog Florida TaxWatch pinpointed 107 projects in the state budget that it's urging Gov.

St. Petersburg Florida TaxWatch identifies “only” $106.8 million in budget turkeys as legislators show “restraint”

Lawmakers doled out the second-largest number of budget “turkeys” since 2007 in the spending plan for the coming fiscal year, Florida TaxWatch said, s the amount of money dedicated to the pet projects increased in the face of improving economic conditions.

PolitiJax AP: Rick Scott rejects Amazon deal

Gary Fineout, Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has made job creation his top priority since coming into office, has rejected a proposed deal to bring major Internet retailer Amazon to the state.

After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Scott ultimately said no to a deal that would have led to the construction of Amazon warehouses in Florida. The warehouses could have created up to 2,500 jobs in the state.

St. Petersburg Deflating two myths already building about HD 2 GOP nominee Mike Hill

Dude wins a primary in a special election and suddenly Mike Hill, soon to be the only African American Republican in the Legislature, is the second coming of, well, um, Jennifer Carroll.

St. Petersburg Potential investors in Channelside reportedly threaten to cut off hands of representatives of Port of Tampa

It was reported on Wednesday that the investors looking to purchase and redevelop Tampa’s Channelside came to an impasse with the Tampa Port Authority over its proposed purchase of the failing downtown waterfront entertainment and retail complex.

Florida Politics Thursday Morning Reads: Texting while driving, FAU and Rubio

TALLAHASSEE -- Good morning and happy Thursday.

Political Pulse Thursday Morning Reads: Texting while driving, FAU and Rubio

TALLAHASSEE -- Good morning and happy Thursday.

St. Petersburg Injunction remains against new PIP law

The 1st District Court of Appeal has upheld an injunction that keeps the state from imposing key parts of a 2012 personal-injury protection law, as the fight over the auto-insurance overhaul remains in the court system, reports the News Service of Florida.

PolitiJax Florida Morning: Scott takes aim at earmark recipients - damage control Wednesday - staff flips on manufacture tax cut vote

Below is a brief look at today's Florida Morning. Here's the full version.

@Mdixon55

After Scott priority fails to get 80 votes, legislative staff flip-flop on supermajority clause

St. Petersburg Rick Kriseman only mayoral candidate to qualify for ballot by petition

Late Wednesday afternoon, Rick Kriseman became the only mayoral candidate to qualify on the ballot by petition. 

Campaigns often get candidates on the ballot by petition in order to test the strength of the early stages of their organization. 

“I’m proud to qualify on the ballot by petition,” said Kriseman. “I think it speaks to the strength of the grassroots organization we’ve built to get our message out to every voter in St. Petersburg.”

St. Petersburg Did Obama stop the bleeding?

In recent days, Democratic strategists have all but begged President Obama to take control of a deepening public relations disaster that threatens to derail his second-term agenda, Politico reports.

St. Petersburg Key decisions await Rick Scott on education

The biggest battles on the education front in the 2013 legislative sessions have already been fought and largely decided: Educators will get $480 million in pay raises, though not precisely how Gov. Rick Scott had asked, and the Senate killed a bill allowing parents more of a say in the future of failing schools, reports Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida.

St. Petersburg Sunburn for 5/16 — A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics

A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.

Naked Politics After Scott priority fails to get 80 votes, legislative staff flip-flop on supermajority clause

After Gov. Rick Scott’s highly prioritized manufacturing tax cut passed the Florida Legislature without receiving a two-thirds vote majority, legislative staff analysts have had a change of heart and now believe such a supermajority was not necessary. 

St. Petersburg Lobbyists piled up fees in early 2013

When the legislative session started in March, it was prime time for Florida lobbyists.

And newly filed reports show the industry cashed in during the first three months of the year, with at least four lobbying firms collecting more than $1 million — and dozens of others earning hundreds of thousands of dollars, reports Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida.

PolitiJax Jacksonville downtown board asks city to seek proposals for Hemming Plaza 'programming'

Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority agreed Wednesday to ask the city to seek proposals from companies interested in managing Hemming Plaza to make it more attractive to visitors and merchants.

“We have so many people interested in having this happen and getting it done. … I think we have a workable program here,” said authority member Jim Bailey, who was part of an earlier City Council review of the one-block park in front of City Hall.

Naked Politics Safety net hospitals scrambling to prevent $65 million Sott veto

Gov. Rick Scott may veto $65 million in hospital Medicaid funding, although safety net hospitals are mustering all their resources in order to change his mind.

Political Pulse Rubio blames IRS scandal on Obama's 'culture of intimidation'

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama ’s “culture of intimidation” led to the scandalous IRS targeting of conservative groups, U.S. Sen.

Florida Politics Rubio blames IRS scandal on `Obama's culture of intimidation'