Florida delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland are still rolling out superlatives, still winding down from a four-day experience they claim was one of the best of their l
After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton
You probably can't imagine how much fun I've had at Sunshine State News over the last 10 years. I don't think anybody could.
November 1, 2019 - 6:00am
Politics
Columns
A little cooperation is going a long way. If only the two federal agencies with such colossal power over Everglades restoration had talked to each other sooner ...
The main purpose of the modern political convention is to produce four days of televised propaganda.
Attention, Donald Trump supporters. If you can stop trashing Ted Cruz over his speech at the Republican Convention Wednesday night for just a second, I'd like to call your attention to the one person in the Donald Trump camp who ISN'T trashing Ted Cruz.
The Haitian people must be allowed to elect a president, without further arbitrary delays, who can govern the country effectively, responsibly and democratically. Haiti’s current environment of political instability has allowed rival groups to use violence to intimidate the National Assembly and prevent it from doing its duty to replace the de facto government with an interim head of government with the sole mandate of completing the electoral cycle that was disrupted by violence earlier this year.
Political conventions are echo chambers designed to generate feelings of invincibility, sending forth the party faithful with a spring in their steps and hope in their hearts. Who would want to be a wet blanket at such moveable feasts?
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but plagiarism, not so much.
Marco Rubio might not be in Cleveland this week, but CNN managed to track him down in Washington Tuesday and involve him in the first major controversy of the 2016 Republican National Convention --
If it's an election year, you can bet it's time for Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher to contribute to our amusement.
And sure enough.
Raising the minimum wage doesn’t matter. I can hear the screams now. “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Fifteen dollars an hour is way better than seven.” Sure it is, but the conversation needs to be about a living wage and frankly, fifteen dollars an hour is not a living wage.
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By Kevin Derby
From his perch on the U.S. House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., announced he was co-sponsoring a bill to ending mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) requirements on meat products. The World Trade Organization (WTO) noted earlier this week that COOL requirements violate trade agreements and Canada and Mexico have threatened to retaliate against the U.S., leading to a possible trade war.
By Kevin Derby
Honoring Cuban Independence Day on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., slammed the Obama administration for trying to normalize relations with the Castro regime.
By Kevin Derby
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., a co-chair of the Congressional Nepal Caucus, included a tribute to the six Marines and two Nepali soldiers killed on May 12 in a helicopter crash as they were helping out in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake that impacted Nepal, killing more than 8,000.
By Kevin Derby
Former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2016 and a possible contender for the U.S. House if U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., opts for a Senate bid, offered his take on the stalemate over Medicaid expansion in the Florida Legislature. On Monday, Gaetz sent out a message to his constituents and he jabbed Gov. Rick Scott on the matter.
By Kevin Derby
Florida TaxWatch thinks Central Florida could see a boom in advanced manufacturing jobs and opportunities.
On Tuesday, Florida TaxWatch showcased the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (FAMRC) which will open in Orlando come 2017 and praised the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR), a private-public partnership focused on changes in the industry.
By Kevin Derby
Continuing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., showcased his efforts in Iowa, home of the first presidential caucus, on Monday.
Rubio showcased a Web video of his campaigning in Iowa that was released at the end of last week.
The Iowa caucuses are the first opportunity for voters to weigh in on who they want our presidential nominee to be and that means Ill be making many more visits to the state over the coming months, Rubio emailed supporters on Monday.
By Kevin Derby
At the start of the month, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., teamed up with U.S. Reps. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., to introduce the Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2015 which gives states incentives to crack down on texting or emailing when driving. On Friday, Deutch showcased his efforts and praised a similar push in Tallahassee from Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, and Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Delray Beach.
By Kevin Derby
Gov. Rick Scott announced a solid growth in tourism in the first quarter of 2015. On Friday, Scott noted 28.4 million visitors came to the Sunshine State during the first three months of 2015, up 6.2 percent from the first quarter of 2014, leading to 1,186,900 jobs in Florida, up almost 5 percent from last year. That number includes 1.7 million tourists from Canada and almost 3 million from overseas.
By Kevin Derby
On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill allowing online voter registration access, though he admitted some hesitation in doing so due to security and technology issues. Scott sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner on Friday outlining his rationale and hesitations on signing the bill:
By Kevin Derby
On Thursday, Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF), conservative group Citizens Uniteds PAC, endorsed U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in the Senate next year. Rubio is running for the Republican presidential nomination.
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