Town Hall 2013

Winners And Losers From Florida's Legislative Session

Elaine Chen — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Join us for The Florida Roundup today at noon for a special look back at the 2013 state legislative session and a follow-up with participants from our WLRN-Miami Herald Town Hall in February.

What To Do About The Rising Cost Of College Tuition

Christine DiMattei — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Throughout the 2013 legislative session, we've been posing questions to Tallahassee lawmakers that were raised at a WLRN-Miami Herald News Town Hall last February.

Among the topics is the rising cost of higher education in Florida.

Are You A Dirty Politican? Play Our Ethics Game

Elaine Chen — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:00:42 +0000

Everyone loves to complain about political corruption. But would you do any better? Play our interactive game, Tallanasty, and find out if you would be a cleaner Florida politician.

Campaign Contributions Bill Touches A Nerve That Lawmakers Are Already Addressing

Rick Stone — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida House and Senate are taking ethics and elections seriously this year. Bills to widen voting opportunities by restoring pre-2011 early voting days and hours are making their way through both chambers.

But there's a bill in the House that would originally have increased campaign contribution limits from their current $500 to $10,000.

The Best App To Keep Tabs On Your State Legislators

Elaine Chen — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

It would be nice to know more about state politics. But who can keep track of all those committees and subcommittees, you say. And all the House and Senate bills with long names and random numbers – and who is my legislator anyway?

You could go to the official state websites to find your legislators and proposed laws.

Tragic Sinkhole In Tampa Sheds Light On Florida's Geological Predicament

Tricia Woolfenden — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:02:40 +0000

The news last week of a Hillsborough County man who disappeared into a sinkhole that opened up beneath his bedroom has sparked a renewed national interest in the Florida sinkhole phenomenon.

Why Florida's Stand Your Ground Law Isn't Budging

Elaine Chen — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

On The Florida Roundup, here's what we're talking about from this week's news:

Talk To Us: Florida Legislators & A Session 2013 Sneak Peak At WLRN - Miami Herald Town Hall

WLRN Staff — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Redistricting, property insurance, Medicaid expansion and political transparency were among the topics covered during this week’s Town Hall event on Session 2013 of the Florida Legislature hosted by WLRN and the Miami Herald. The second annual forum marks the beginning of WLRN's coverage of Session 2013, which convenes March 5 and continues through May 3.

Environment Back On The Table This Legislative Session, Says Senate Majority Leader

Tricia Woolfenden — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:07:47 +0000

Tough economic times put environmental issues on the Florida Legislature's back burner in recent years, but this session should be different, according to Sen. Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater), who sat on the panel at Monday night's Town Hall Session 2013 hosted by WLRN and the Miami Herald.

Local Legislative Leaders Talk Priorities For Florida's Session 2013

Phil Latzman — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:40:33 +0000

What's on state lawmakers agenda for the upcoming session? Sen. Anitere Flores (R-Miami) and Sen. Maria Sachs (D-Boca Raton) discuss what's on their list with WLRN's Phil Latzman.

For Republican Anitere Flores, there's little hesitation when she's asked what she'll be working on first when the session begins.

"The most important issue that I'll be tackling this year," she says, "is Citizens Property Insurance."

The State Of Florida's Union: Thirsty Marco Rubio And Spanish As A Second Language

Elaine Chen — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

On the Florida Roundup, we take a look at the week in news in our region and state:

As President Obama addressed the Congress and the nation, how is the state of Florida’s union? From voting and gun rights to climate change, we take a look at what resonated here from the President’s speech.

Veteran Tallahassee Lobbyist Says His Profession Gets A Bad Rap

Elaine Chen — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:00:58 +0000

The job of lobbyists is to improve the image of their clients. But lobbyists themselves could use some PR.

Carl Adams, who was a Tallahassee lobbyist for 35 years and founded the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, thinks that the system - campaign finance laws and the prohibition on private deliberation - is flawed, not the people.

We asked Adams why his profession is so maligned.

Ask Us Anything: Archive Of Our Online Chat With Citizens Property Insurance

Elaine Chen — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:25:12 +0000

The price of property insurance in Florida keeps going up -- such that some homeowners are getting second mortgages or dropping coverage all together. The state created Citizens Property Insurance to be the insurer of last resort for Florida homeowners.

Do You Know Who Your State Legislators Are?

Elaine Chen — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

The state Legislature, perhaps more than Congress, passes laws that have a direct impact on the day-to-day life of a Floridian: how much you pay in sales tax, how much time you have to vote, how you obtain a gun.

Tallahassee is in our lives every day. It's only 480 miles away. And yet, for many in South Florida, it might as well be on another continent.

Limericks Inspired By Florida's Muddy Politics

Elaine Chen — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Politics can be quite the poetic muse - especially statehouse politics, it turns out.

We recently challenged members of the Public Insight Network to write about politics in the Sunshine State - in a limerick.*

Is Florida Driving Us Crazy?

Elaine Chen — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000

On the Florida Roundup: From immigration reform to gay rights, we’ll discuss how the president’s inauguration speech resonated here.

Online Chat On Jan. 22, 4pm: Who Runs Tallahassee?

Elaine Chen — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:17:32 +0000

To kickstart our Town Hall project, we start with the question: Who runs Tallahassee?

Our guests are: The Miami Herald's Tallahassee bureau chief Mary Ellen Klas and Dan Krassner, executive director of Integrity Florida, an ethics watchdog group, which proposes the unconventional idea we can make the government more accountable if we get rid of limits on state campaign donations.

Join us on this site on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 4pm or tweet us at #FL2013. To read more about the Town Hall project, click here.

Happening Tonight: Help Us Make Tallahassee Accountable At Session 2013 Town Hall

Elaine Chen — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:42:53 +0000

Tallahassee may be hundreds of miles away, but WLRN a