Hillsborough County would be the only school district in the state exempted from a proposed law that ties teacher pay to student performance on end-of-year assessment tests. ...more

March 20, 2010

Republican legislation that would decouple adoptions from gun ownership gave Democrats a forum Tuesday to lambast the state ban on adoption by gay and lesbian couples. ...more

March 16, 2010

Capitol lore abounds with tales of closed-door meetings and hushed-up deals, most of them recalled fondly over drinks after hours by legislators who insist such skullduggery could never happen today. ...more

March 14, 2010

The Legislature is fast-tracking a proposed change to the state constitution that would remove firm caps on class sizes that voters approved in 2002. ...more

March 5, 2010

The end game at hand, President Barack Obama took command today of one final attempt by Democrats to enact bitterly contested health care legislation, calling for an "up or down vote" within weeks under rules denying Republicans the ability to kill the bill with mere talk. ...more

March 3, 2010

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday held its hearing for Frank Sanchez of Tampa, nominated for a high-level trade position in the U.S. Department of Commerce, with what sounded like a positive outcome for the nominee. ...more

March 3, 2010

The Senate Finance Committee Tuesday held its hearing for Frank Sanchez of Tampa, nominated for a high-level trade position in the U.S. Department of Commerce, with what sounded like a positive outcome for Sanchez. ...more

March 2, 2010

Overhauling of the state agency that regulates utilities took a first step toward passage this week. ...more

February 7, 2010

Overhauling of the state agency that regulates utilities took a first step toward passage this week. That would prevent last September's controversy surround the exchange of confidential telephone text messages between aides to PSC members and utility representatives, Giordano said. The proposed changes would restrict departing PSC officials and staff from taking jobs as lobbyists for regulated utilities for up to two years after leaving the state agency. ...more

February 6, 2010

Editor's note: The following letter was written to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and is reprinted here at the author's request. ...more

January 28, 2010