Incoming Gov. Rick Scott continues his inaugural appreciation tour of the state with a whirlwind trip across Florida Wednesday.
Joined by incoming Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and their spouses, Scott starts the day in Fort Walton Beach before heading to Panama City and then off to Jacksonville. Scott and Carroll close the day with an event in Miami Scott continued meeting members of the Legislature Tuesday as he touched based with legislators from the Tampa Bay area. Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, who represents parts of Hillsborough and Polk counties, was pleased with the event, noting on his Twitter account that it was a great dialogue with our delegation Here is something you dont see every day -- a defeated congressional candidate acting in a movie. Thats precisely what Dr. Rudy Moise is doing. Moise ran for the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. He placed second in a crowded Democratic primary behind Frederica Wilson, who will be joining Congress in January. Moise is appearing in Trapped: Haitian Nights, which stars former Miss U.S.A. Kenya Moore and features Vivica A. Fox
Candidates looking to be the next chairman of the Republican Party of Florida are ramping up their efforts as the race heats up. Joe Gruters left his base Tuesday in Sarasota County to head up to the Panhandle to stump for support. Former Rep. Dave Bitner unveiled a website for his own campaign to replace Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, who is stepping down from the position Yet another familiar face wants to head back to Tallahassee: Former Rep. Michael Grant, who served two terms in the House before losing to Nancy Detert in a primary when he attempted to jump to the Senate, appears ready to head back to the House. Grant is planning on running in 2012 for the seat currently held by Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, who is term-limited. The seat represents all of DeSoto County and parts of Charlotte and Lee counties. The seat Grant held, representing pats of Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties is currently held by Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte While he may be headed for the sidelines when the new administration takes over, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp penned an op-ed that appeared in the Sun-Sentinel expressing his optimism in Floridas economic future. With U.S. Rep. Connie Mack looking to move up to the Senate, Kottkamps name is generating some whispers as a candidate to replace the congressman
Former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez announced Tuesday that he is joining the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness -- an issue he has experience with during his time as Orange County mayor as well as U.S. HUD secretary Community activists in Tampa came up short in their bid to forward a ban on roadside panhandling to voters in the March elections. During the two-week window they had, they were not able to garner the 18,000 signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot. While the City Council can bring the initiative to the ballot, they have already rejected a similar measure Former Plantation City Councilman Rico Petrocelli will be taking over as the executive director of the Broward County Republicans. Hell start in his new post Jan. 3 ...
Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole last week. Bilirakis noted that he had major concerns about illegal items getting through checkpoints in airports across the U.S. and called for Pistole to examine the TSAs new procedures and scanners to ensure that they are working correctly Bilirakis is not the only Florida Republican in Congress taking aim at the TSA. U.S. Rep. John Mica, who is about to take over the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, called for major reforms to the TSA in an op-ed Sunday run by the Orlando Sentinel The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation revealed last week thatit would be awarding a $3 million grant to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida for technology topromote public engagement, including online courses and fellowships.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
