All Stories | Sunshine State News | Florida Political News

Newt Gingrich Showcases Support of Religious Conservatives

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 15, 2012 - 10:47am

Sinking in the polls at the national level and in upcoming primary states, Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich looked to stress his social conservatism on Wednesday by announcing his Faith Leaders Dream Team.

Comments are now closed.

Random Drug Testing of State Employees Rejected in House

Submitted by Anonymous on February 15, 2012 - 10:41am

Random drug testing of state employees --an effort Gov. Rick Scott sought to impose after he was inaugurated last year --failed to receive the backing of the House Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday.

Committee members, even some who voted for the bill, expressed concerns about the constitutionality of conducting drug testing without cause as a condition of state employment.

Comments are now closed.

Rick Santorum Launches New Ad Attacking Mitt Romney

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 15, 2012 - 10:20am

Leading in the polls in Michigan, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is taking aim at GOP primary rival Mitt Romney. In a new ad hitting Michigan, the Santorum slam attempts to portray Rombo as a candidate who is trying to hide his liberal record by launching attacks at his rivals.

Comments are now closed.

South Florida Removed from Bill to Allow Oil Exploration on State Lands

Submitted by Anonymous on February 15, 2012 - 10:05am

A bill that would allow public-private partnerships to seek oil or natural gas on state lands may be limited to the western Panhandle.

The House Committee on Appropriations gave its backing Wednesday to HB 695, which would authorize a state land-management agency to enter the public-private partnerships on state-owned lands after an amendment was added to limit the search area to lands west of Tallahassee.

Comments are now closed.

Execution of Longtime Inmate Remains On Schedule

Submitted by Anonymous on February 15, 2012 - 9:38am

Robert Waterhouse, who has been on death row for three decades, is scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. today (Wednesday) at Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Waterhouse, 65, was out on lifetime parole for second-degree murder in New York when he killed a St. Petersburg woman, Deborah Kammerer, in 1980.

Comments are now closed.

Rick Santorum Now Leads Mitt Romney in Ohio

Submitted by Kevin Derby on February 15, 2012 - 8:43am

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday finds Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has moved ahead of Mitt Romney in the pivotal state of Ohio, which holds its primary on March 6.

The poll of likely primary voters has Santorum on top in the Buckeye State with 36 percent, followed by Romney with 29 percent and Newt Gingrich in third with 20 percent. Ron Paul lags in the single digits, taking 9 percent in the poll. However, Ohio Republicans remain up for grabs -- with 50 percent of those surveyed open to changing their minds before the primary.

Comments are now closed.

Three-day Sales Tax Holiday Approved by House

Submitted by Anonymous on February 15, 2012 - 7:29am

Florida consumers may again get a three-day back-to-school sales tax holiday this year.

The House set the dates for HB 737, which would lift local option sales taxes, from Aug. 3-5 on clothing, footwear, wallets and bags that cost $75 or less, and school supplies that are priced below $15.

The move was to accommodate high-performing schools that start earlier in the month.

Comments are now closed.

Four Inducted into Ag Hall of Fame

Submitted by Anonymous on February 15, 2012 - 7:27am

The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation inducted four during the Florida State Fair in Tampa on Tuesday.

The 2012 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees were chosen not only because of their commitment to improving their own craft through technology and innovation, but also because of their willingness to share these advancements with the industry as a whole, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam stated in a release.

This years inductees are:

Comments are now closed.

Corporate Tax Exemptions Spark Partisan Spat on House Floor

Jim Saunders News Service of Florida

February 13, 2012 - 6:00pm

Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to expand corporate tax exemptions touched off a partisan fight on the House floor Tuesday, with Republicans linking the extra tax breaks to nonunion businesses.

Democrats filed a series of politically tinged amendments aimed at placing conditions on the exemptions. For example, Democrats proposed offering the extra breaks to businesses that provide health insurance benefits to employees' spouses and domestic partners, provide contraceptive coverage in insurance policies and do not discriminate against hiring veterans.

Gus Bilirakis, Darrell Issa Reload on Eric Holder's 'Fast and Furious'

Submitted by Anonymous on February 14, 2012 - 7:15pm

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, said Tuesday that congressional Republicans are turning up the heat on Attorney General Eric Holder and the Fast and Furious gun-walking debacle.

The Justice Department continues to deny access to thousands of documents and requests to interview attorneys that may have knowledge of the scandal. We have to keep up the pressure on Attorney General Eric Holder and keep digging into what exactly the Justice Department has to hide, Bilirakis told Sunshine State News.

Comments are now closed.

Pages