Five of today’s top Florida political stories at your fingertips:

Pitbull, Gov. Rick Scott, announce expansion at SLAM! Academy – Christian Perez, aka Pitbull, kicked off his birthday celebration with a special announcement regarding future expansion at the Sports Leadership and Management Academy charter school (SLAM!) in Miami which he helped  co-found. Pitbull was joined by Gov. Rick Scott, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and others, along with SLAM! Academy charter school students for the announcement Thursday. As part of the day’s festivities, Mr. 305 also received gifts from students as well as the keys to the city. Read more

Mayor wants S. Florida city to get country’s first ‘Barack Obama Highway’ – The mayor of a South Florida city wants to name one of his city’s main streets after Barack Obama. And the best part is, it’s not even his street to name. According to Gossip Extra, Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters wants to change the name of Old Dixie Highway, which under various names runs north-to-south along the whole east coast of Florida, to Barack Obama Highway. Read more

Florida congressman to give Tea Party’s rebuttal of Obama – A Florida Republican eager to challenge President Obama on the basketball court is getting a different venue to vent his frustrations. Rep. Curt Clawson will deliver a rebuttal Tuesday night to Obama’s State of the Union Address on behalf of Tea Party Express, which bills itself as the nation’s largest Tea Party political action committee. Clawson’s remarks will come after the official GOP response from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Taylor Budowich, executive director of Tea Party Express, hailed Clawson as the face of a “new, conservative vision for America’s economic renewal.” Read more

Miami Rep. Carlos Curbelo will deliver Spanish-language GOP response to State of the Union – U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo has been tapped by the Republican Party to deliver the Spanish-language response to President Obama’s State of the Union address later this month. The speech will be a translated version of the remarks new Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa will make in English, House Republicans said in a news release. “Carlos Curbelo is a fresh voice with a positive vision for a future of opportunity and prosperity,” Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. “He is exactly what Washington needs, and the person Americans should hear from in this time of challenge and opportunity for our country.” Read more

Americans for Prosperity unveils its modest agenda for 2015 legislative session – Eliminate the corporate income tax and end all tax subsidies and exemptions. Do not expand Medicaid. And continue to offer up school choice. Oh, and examine and eliminate “burdensome regulations and licensing laws.” If that’s a modest prescription for what the Florida Legislature should do when it convenes in March, then so be it. The fact of the matter is that the reason the Koch Brothers-funded Americans for Prosperity wish list for state lawmakers isn’t more ambitious is that with a far-right leaning legislature already in place, there’s not a whole lot for a conservative activist group to ask for. Read more

Bonus laugh for the day: DOGGONE IT! Sheriff’s office busted with ‘In DOG we trust’ rugs  

For more Florida political news, visit BPR’s FLORIDA NEWS page

• Author
• Recent Posts

Cheryl Carpenter Klimek

Administration
[email protected]

Latest posts by Cheryl Carpenter Klimek (see all)

• Florida Five: DWS draws serious primary opponent, Legislators haul in $28.5 mil. pre-session - January 18, 2016
• Florida Five: Trump’s ‘Freedom Kids’ take Internet by storm, Miami seeks help with Cuban migrants - January 15, 2016
• Florida Five: Trump rallies ‘noisy as hell majority’ in Fla., Senate passes historic water bill - January 14, 2016

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.