Author

Mitch Perry

Mitch Perry

Mitch Perry has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades. Most recently he is the former politics reporter for Bay News 9. He has also worked at Florida Politics, Creative Loafing and WMNF Radio in Tampa. He was also part of the original staff when the Florida Phoenix was created in 2018.

Jose_Javier_Rodriguez_Senate_Photo

A state senator from Miami tries again for a Florida ban on “conversion therapy”

By: - November 26, 2018

A Democratic state legislator is trying once again to pass legislation to ban the highly controversial practice of “conversion therapy,” which attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Miami state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez has filed legislation for the 2019 session that would prohibit licensed professional counselors from practicing or performing conversion […]

voting booth

More than a quarter of Florida voters are disenfranchised – and it’s not who you might think

By: - November 21, 2018

About 3.5 million Floridians were disenfranchised this past election –  and we’re not talking about convicted felons. They are “No Party Affiliation” voters – people who don’t want to register as Democrat or Republican. They are Florida’s fastest growing political group – more than a quarter of the state’s registered voters. Florida law locks them […]

Kionne McGhee

In Florida’s Republican-majority Legislature, a progressive speaks

By: - November 20, 2018

With a solid majority of Republicans gathered together Tuesday for an organizational session of the new, post-election Florida Legislature, a progressive grabbed a rare opportunity to take the floor. He was state Rep. Kionne McGhee, a 40-year-old Miami-Dade County attorney and college adjunct professor who has served in the Legislature since 2012. On Tuesday, he […]

marijuana plant

Democrat Charlie Crist & Republican Matt Gaetz team up in Congress to help veterans get medical weed

By: - November 20, 2018

An independent poll commissioned by the American Legion last year showed that 22 percent of veterans are currently using cannabis to treat a medical condition. Now two members of Florida’s congressional delegation are teaming up to protect veterans’ access to medical pot. St. Petersburg Democrat Charlie Crist and Panhandle area Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz announced last week that they are […]

Ron DeSantis on Fox & Friends, Nov. 19

Ron DeSantis says he would have dumped Brenda Snipes if she hadn’t resigned

By: - November 19, 2018

Shortly after Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes submitted her office’s official numbers in Florida’s hand recount Sunday afternoon, she announced her resignation from office, effective in January. That’s a good thing, says Florida Governor-Elect Ron DeSantis, who told Fox News Monday that if she hadn’t done so, he would have terminated her when […]

Bill Nelson Rick Scott

Using his personal fortune and millions more from outsiders, Republican Gov. Rick Scott wins U.S. Senate seat in Florida

By: - November 18, 2018

In what’s being called the most expensive race for U.S. Senate in history, Republican Gov. Rick Scott has defeated three-term incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida. Of more than 8 million votes in November, Scott garnered 10,033 more votes than Nelson, according to Sunday vote counts, ending Nelson’s longtime public […]

Janet Cruz

Janet Cruz apparent winner in Florida’s most expensively fought state Senate seat, flipping it from red to blue

By: - November 16, 2018

With the hand recount completed in the Hillsborough County Senate District 18 contest, former Democratic Florida House Minority Leader Janet Cruz is declaring herself the winner in her hard-fought battle against Republican incumbent Dana Young. With only overseas and military ballots yet to be counted, Cruz leads Young by 376 votes, a margin of .17%. […]

Galvano

Incoming Florida Senate President says lawmakers will look at ‘modifications’ regarding elections

By: - November 16, 2018

With Florida becoming “the laughing stock of the world,” according to a federal judge tied up in election lawsuits, the new president of the Florida Senate says election reform will be addressed when the Legislature convenes in 2019. “We’ve had too many problems through too many cycles,” said Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who is […]

Bill Nelson Rick Scott

Florida U.S. Senate race now goes to hand recount with Rick Scott still leading, while Bill Nelson fights on

By: - November 15, 2018

With a machine recount complete in most counties, the U.S. Senate race between Rick Scott and Bill Nelson will now move into the next stage – a statewide hand recount that must be completed by this Sunday. Scott now leads by 12,603 votes, or 0.15%. Those totals are a disappointment to the Nelson campaign, as […]

Ron DeSantis

A Ron DeSantis win for Florida governor: How will he govern? And what’s in store for Floridians?

By: and - November 15, 2018

It may not be official yet, but it looks like Florida has a new governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, based on the most recent tallies that included machine recounts in Florida’s tumultuous general election. As of the state’s 3 p.m. deadline today, Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum hadn’t garnered enough votes to move on to a manual […]

Bill Nelson

Judge denies Nelson’s request to extend recount deadline in Palm Beach

By: - November 15, 2018

A federal judge in Tallahassee has denied a request by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s campaign to extend the deadline for the machine and hand recounts in his election contest against Republican Rick Scott. The decision came from federal  Judge Mark Walker from the Northern District of Florida. Nelson trails Scott in the race for U.S. […]

Voting booths in Leon County

Federal judge sets new Saturday deadline for voters with disputed mail-in ballot signatures to fix the problem

By: - November 15, 2018

A federal judge ruled that Floridians who had their vote-by-mail ballots rejected in last week’s election because the signature on their ballot doesn’t match the one on file now have until 5 p.m. on Saturday to correct the problem, a move that could affect between 4,000 to 5,000 voters. The announcement comes hours before today’s […]