Florida Republican leaders who gathered this weekend in Tampa believe they can hold back a Democratic wave in November to keep the “Trump agenda alive.”

But to retain congressional and legislative majorities and to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, that means ramping up messaging about economic growth, boosting turnout, particularly among voters who request absentee ballots, and countering what the GOP describes as “mainstream media” narratives of looming Democratic victories.

On June 16 in Orlando, when the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Awards are presented to some of the world's finest journalists, five of the winners will owe part of their 2017 professional celebrity to once-prominent, perhaps now infamous Florida Democrat and child welfare executive, George Sheldon.

It’s almost showtime for the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a somewhat-obscure but powerful group that can have a major impact on the state’s future.

The commission is obscure in the sense that it meets only every 20 years. But it is very powerful in its unique authority to place proposed constitutional changes before voters on the November ballot.

A program to distribute federal disaster aid to Florida farmers hit by Hurricane Irma will be set up within the next 100 days, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Friday.

“USDA (the U.S. Department of Agriculture) is working as quickly as possible to develop procedures and a system by which affected producers can access disaster assistance,” Perdue said in a prepared statement.

The announcement added that “sign-up for the new program, authorized by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, will begin no later than July 16,” about 100 days from now.

On Friday, a leading national pundit offered its take on this year’s congressional races and found no changes in any of the contests in Florida. 

The Cook Report shifted the odds in 13 races across the country in its latest look at House races but did not change any of the races in the Sunshine State. 

From a ban on offshore oil drilling to new ethics standards for public officials, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission will consider a dozen ballot proposals for the November general election.

The commission’s Style and Drafting Committee on Thursday finalized the list, which includes 12 ballot proposals that incorporate 24 potential changes to the Florida Constitution. All of the proposals were initially endorsed by the commission.

Gov. Rick Scott overlooked $109.2 million when making budget vetoes, according to Florida TaxWatch, which, for the second time in three years, was beaten to the punch by the governor in releasing its annual “Budget Turkey” list.

TaxWatch this week released a list of 87 projects --- collectively worth $147.5 million --- that were pushed by individual lawmakers and that the non-profit group argued should not have been included in the $88.7 billion state budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

With the 2018 legislative session done and dusted, the Florida Chamber of Commerce on Thursday released grades earned by all members of the Florida House and Senate on the Florida Chamber’s 2018 Legislative Report Card.

Here is the statement distributed to media outlets:

The next leader of the Florida House is taking a step up in national politics as incoming Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami, is taking a leadership role with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC).

Oliva was one of 22 officials from 18 states who will serve on the RSLC’s executive committee for its Future Majority Project initiative which is being chaired by Governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Lieutenant Governors Jenean Hampton of Kentucky and Evelyn Sanguinetti of Illinois. 

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., doubled down on his opposition to taxpayer funds going to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday, urging the U.S. State Department to cut off all support. 

Buchanan wrote acting U.S. Sec. of State John Sullivan on the matter on Wednesday, noting that the Palestinian Authority was still financially backing terrorists.