Carol Browner, who headed the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation under Gov. Lawton Chiles, is leaving her post at the White House, where she ran the Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy.
Reports are out that Browner, who also headed up the Environmental Protection Agency under President Bill Clinton, was miffed that she would not be in line for either of two deputy chief of staff positions that were opening up, though Browner denied that was why she is leaving Florida Democrats clearly think they have a winning issue in defending the two constitutional amendments approved by voters in November concerning redistricting. While the Republican leadership in the House continues to take aim at the amendments backed by Fair Districts Florida, two prominent Florida Democrats are swinging back. Both newly installed Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith and Rep. Perry Thurston of Plantation hammered the Republicans on Monday for looking to thwart the will of the people Two Democratic rivals who clashed in a 2010 primary, former Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson and former U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, will be the guests of honor at an awards dinner hosted by Capital Area Community Action Agency on Thursday
Gov. Rick Scott visited the headquarters of Publix Supermarkets on Wednesday in Lakeland before holding a reception that night in the Governors Mansion for Enterprise Florida board members who were having their quarterly meeting. Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll met with the board members earlier in the day With the Jacksonville mayoral race heating up, some of the leading Republican candidates in the race are starting to take off the gloves. Audrey Moran and Rick Mullaney clashed at a meeting of the Duval County Republicans this week -- with Mullaney claiming Moran will raise taxes and Moran bashing Mullaneys experience Speaking of Jacksonville, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica, the new chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will be speaking at JaxPorts annual convention in March
Heroic Media, a group which runs pro-life messages on billboards across the nation, will be bringing former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who moved to Florida last year, to Orlando for a speech. Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and may do so again in 2012, will be speaking at Rosen Shingle Creek on Feb. 15 Republicans across Florida continue to take aim at high-speed rail in the state as Senate President Pro Tem Mike Bennett of Bradenton came out against it this week Jennifer Green of Liberty Partners of Tallahassee was chosen to serve as board chairwoman for the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists for the next two years
While reports on ethical issues continue to plague him, even getting national attention and Democrats insist he willbe in office for only one term, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. David Rivera continued a busy January, his first month in Congress. At a White House reception for new members of Congress on Monday, Rivera took Cary Roque, a former political prisoner in Cuba, to meet President Barack Obama The Legislature will once again tackle gay rights issues in 2011. Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, introduced a measure on Wednesday for the state to recognize all committed domestic partnerships While U.S. Senate colleagues Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson garnered attention for sitting together during the State of the Union address on Wednesday, they were not the only Floridians who had bipartisan seating arrangements. Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart sat next to Democrats U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires of New Jersey.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
