Nancy Smith

Let's hope lawmakers whose heads are turned by the Everglades Foundation's "buy the land" bus tour and petition drive also saw Thursday's South Florida Water Management District news.

For the second time during Election 2016, the Republican Party of Florida rose to protect the vote in the Sunshine State -- and won.

My bet is, U.S. Rep. John Mica is about to be vindicated. You might remember the Republican congressman from Central Florida took it on the chin after he questioned FBI Director James Comey during a July 9 House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing. 

This column is a vehicle for a number of items in a bits-and-pieces, strictly opinion, sometimes irreverent format. Look for "Just Sayin'" to run once a week in this spot.

Florida would be crazy to lose Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. I mean really crazy.  

It's not so bad, says the Obama administration. So what if health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act are going up in 2017? No biggee. Most people affected will get increased subsidies to make up the difference. Problem solved.

A trial challenging the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering's recognition of a new horsemen's group at Hialeah is set to begin in Tallahassee Tuesday. Those close to horsemen's issues in Florida have said the under-the-radar trial in the courtroom of Administrative Law Judge Lawrence P. Stevenson could have state and national implications.

This column is a vehicle for a number of items in a bits-and-pieces, strictly opinion, sometimes irreverent format. Look for "Just Sayin'" to run once a week in this spot. Consider this a pilot.

How does a millionaire's kid lacking credentials or accomplishment launch a political career virtually overnight? In Patrick Murphy's case, easy.

No wonder Florida has a national reputation as a judicial hellhole. For better or worse, more and more lawyers are the ones making the laws in this state. And for worse, more and more trial lawyers.

You know how I feel about hypocrites. Thanks to Jose Lambiet, I can now introduce you to one of the most prominent ones. 

So many partisan shenanigans to get the right voters registered. Now the judge who extended Florida's voter registration deadline is trying to sort out a second voting rights case in another lawsuit brought by Democrats, who want the courts to give more protection to mail ballot voters with signature problems.

If ever there was a tainted and misleading candidate endorsement, it's Wednesday's Bull Sugar (Bullsugar.org) endorsement of Democratic Senate candidate Patrick Murphy. Maybe you saw it.

Donald Trump's vulgar video last week and the release of more Hillary Clinton campaign WikiLeaks Monday are perfect examples of why Florida needs to dump early voting and return to Voting Day. 

What an apt moment for a presidential debate, coming after the release of a video showing the shockingly vulgar comments of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, and after more signs of a party implosion.