Democratic lawmakers want to raise the cigarette tax, and some Republicans are warming to the idea. Gov. Charlie Crist says he hasn't. ...more

December 11, 2008

The family of former Gov. Lawton Chiles said they will sue state leaders if they decide to raid the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund for children and seniors in an attempt to balance the budget. ...more

December 7, 2008

The bad economic news just keeps getting worse. Last year, Florida legislators learned the state would lose about $1 billion in revenue. Before they could act on that news, it turned out the state had actually lost $2 billion. ...more

December 5, 2008

PLANT CITY The Hillsborough County legislative delegation will hear public testimony this morning on a bill designed to crack down on predatory towing companies. The legislation would give Hillsborough's Public Transportation Commission enforcement powers over towing companies that target cars on private business property without the owner's written permission. ...more

December 2, 2008

Every year, city and county government officials and civic groups make pitches to Hillsborough County's state legislators for money. They come with requests for road, water and redevelopment projects, and seeking state tax dollars for local issues. ...more

November 28, 2008

It happens in every election; the candidates spend eye-popping amounts of money to get in - or remain in - an office that pays a relatively small salary. ...more

November 23, 2008

The politically charged investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is over, and its conclusions are stinging. But the fallout, if any, might not come until Election Day. ...more

October 12, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The politically charged investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is over, and its conclusions are stinging. But the fallout, if any, might not come until Election Day. ...more

October 11, 2008

It has been more than three decades since Louis de la Parte Jr. represented us in Tallahassee. Yet his passing last week, against the backdrop of today's political swamp, serves as a reminder of the possibilities that government service once was and can be again. ...more

October 5, 2008

A powerful state senator who served time in federal prison has died in a Jacksonville nursing home. ...more

September 27, 2008