Don Gaetz

Today we're talking about party-switchers, salary-raisers, teacher-trashers and more. We start with Democrats, who are titillated at the prospect of Change-up Charlie Crist running for governor. The former Republican-turned-independent says he now...

TALLAHASSEE – There's an obvious reason why Florida politicos spend so much time talking about the cleansing effect of transparency without ever hopping in the tub. Whether in war, business or politics, informational advantages are powerful forces...

TALLAHASSEE — Front Porch America could learn a lot from watching Washington work, or not work. For our political system's inability to solve its fiscal and economic problems can be traced back to the politically militarized and polarized home...

TALLAHASSEE — The Senate has released its Committee list for the 2013 legislative session. In key positions: Senate President Pro Tempore Garrett Richter will head the new committee on gambling. Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, will...

Dear Mr. Lenny Curry, I don't want to play the cynic here, but your friends over at the Capitol made one heck of a mess last November. As chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, I hope you can help them out. Gov. Rick Scott, the rest of the Cabinet...

By Brandon Larabee, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Senators looking into the state's efforts to make budget information available online are expressing skepticism about Transparency 2.0, a site developed under a $5.5 million no-bid...

TALLAHASSEE — Drink up, wayward partisans. Florida lawmakers may be striking a bipartisan tone as of late, but there are too many points of ideological contention for this camaraderie to survive intact beyond the holidays. Democrats are clamoring...

TALLAHASSEE – It's the season for fattening up, and Florida politics is fueling the expansion of some well-placed operatives' wallets. Although the Florida Legislature may tackle campaign-finance reform in the 2013 session, these dollars aren't...

TALLAHASSEE — House Speaker Will Weatherford said Tuesday he didn't think the Senate's proposals to shape up campaign-finance abuses of lawmaker-controlled slush funds went far enough. So, the House will go a leaping step further, and propose to...

It’s the one vote that candidates for the Florida Legislature can cast even before they are elected: Whom to support for the powerful posts of speaker of the House or president of the Senate. And some of the Republican candidates in Central Florida&...

TALLAHASSEE – On the heels of another major economic incentive deal gone bust, two top Florida senators are blocking an attempt by Gov. Rick Scott's job-creation agency to take over monitoring of the millions paid out to companies for creating jobs....

TALLAHASSEE — While the game is a sellout, there is apparently room for some like-minded and deep-pocketed Republicans to watch Saturday night's much-hyped Florida State-Clemson football game alongside some of the Legislature's most powerful...