Tom Lee

After the Great Recession took a bite out of tax revenues in Florida, state lawmakers had an easy answer if their constituents complained about spending cuts: The deficit made me do it. But working with the first surplus in five years — enough...

Florida citizens, this is no time to take your eyes off the Legislature in Tallahassee. For those who have political fatigue after the frenzied past two years of endless presidential campaigns, remember: Tallahassee is where Florida's future and our...

With only a week to go in this year's Legislative session, you have a lot at stake. We're talking about bills that affect everything from your wallet to your health. Let's run through some of them. Money for you. I want to start with some good news:...

Regarding the April 18 story "Alimony law in Florida changes drastically under new bill:" Writing as a divorced, alimony-paying, retired university divorce researcher, I urge Gov. Rick Scott to sign the alimony reform legislation currently sitting on his...

TALLAHASSEE – An attempt to give the Miami Dolphins the ability to make stadium improvements morphed Tuesday into a catch-all sports incentive package that could provide tax dollars for everything from Major League Soccer in Orlando to spring...

TALLAHASSEE – While advancing some grandiose ethics and elections reforms this year, Florida lawmakers also want to give themselves some wiggle-room under the last major shakeup to Tallahassee’s political culture – the ban on gifts...

TALLAHASSEE – A Senate panel advanced its own campaign-finance bill (SB 1382) Monday in an attempt to provide more transparency to fundraising and crack down on lawmakers' perceived abuses of political slush funds. The House and Senate are playing...

Ah, springtime in Florida. Azaleas and hyacinths explode like fireworks in displays of brilliant color. The sweet smell of honeysuckle begins to waft through the air. And up in Tallahassee, lawmakers begin an equally reliable annual ritual: their...

TALLAHASSEE — Telecom companies, Malaysian casino-builder Genting, sugar concerns, and an Internet sweepstakes cafe company led the crop of corporations and interests that poured $212 million into lobbying Florida government last year, new reports...

TALLAHASSEE — A Florida Senate panel is fast-tracking a sweeping ethics proposal that would crack down on politicians' lavish lobbyist-funded living, their revolving-door jobs and even their paychecks in cases when they don't pay ethics fines. The...

TALLAHASSEE — In the wake of national backlash, Secretary of State Ken Detzner told lawmakers Tuesday that much of the fault for Florida's apparent snail's pace in counting ballots last month belonged with five “under-performing”...

TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Don Gaetz has just named his leadership team for the next two years. Majority Leader — Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers Deputy Majority Leader and Whip — Former Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon...