By: Kevin Derby
| Posted: February 7, 2011 3:55 AM
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, started his bid to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 with a bang Thursday, bringing in around $1 million at a fund-raising event in Orlando.
Less than three months into their legislative careers, four Republican freshmen House members are already jockeying to become speaker of the House in 2016.
By: Kevin Derby
| Posted: December 18, 2010 4:05 AM
Some big names will be helping to usher in Rick Scott as Florida’s 45th governor. While famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan, best known for his versions of “God Bless America” during Yankees games, will be singing, the selection of evangelical leader Chuck Colson to serve as the keynote speaker for Scott’s prayer breakfast has raised some eyebrows.
By: Kevin Derby
| Posted: December 8, 2010 4:05 AM
Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, named more chairmen and vice chairmen of House committees Tuesday, committees that will shape legislation and laws in Florida for the next two years.
With three weeks to go until the primary, Attorney General Bill McCollum is looking to reach out to Hispanic voters in an effort to catch up with health-care executive Rick Scott, front-runner for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
With more than 70 bills on the calendar when it convened, the House kicked off the last week of the legislative session by meeting all day Monday and focused on redistricting measures that Floridians will vote on in November.
The House voted to add a new constitutional amendment measure on redistricting, joining two other measures already on the ballot. Introduced by Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, the amendment would have the state follow existing federal guidelines when creating new congressional and legislative districts. The measure passed on a 74-42 vote.
With less than two weeks to go in the legislative session, the Florida House spent the better part of Wednesday debating national matters and passing memorials to Congress.
The House passed a measure asking Congress to hold trials of captured terrorists and enemy combatants in military tribunals instead of in a civilian courtroom. The measure passed on an 83-28 vote with some Democrats, including incoming House Minority Leader Ron Saunders of Key West joining Republicans in voting for it.
