Tallahassee

Sun Life Stadium Renovation Bill Passes Senate, Looks Likely to Get House Vote

Hey, Miami-Dade voters: Looks like you'll have a chance after all to decide whether the Dolphins -- and their billionaire owner, Stephen Ross -- deserve tax dollars to help renovate Sun Life Stadium. With bills to approve a hike in bed taxes stalled in Tallahassee, the NFL flew out its big gun: Comm ... More >>

Early Voting on Dolphins Stadium Referendum Begins Today, but Election May Still Be Cancelled

Polling sites will open today in Miami-Dade for an election that might not actually come to pass. Yes, you can head to several early-voting sites beginning today to cast your ballot on the contentious Dolphin Stadium renovation referendum, but the election might end up just getting cancelled.

Proposed "Revenge Porn" Bill Would Make Releasing Your Sex Tape a Felony

Ever think about uploading that sex tape you made with your ex to the Internet?  Well, you might want to think twice about it if you live in Florida, because victims of "revenge porn" soon may not have to take it, uh, lying down anymore. There's a bill working its way through Tallahassee t ... More >>

Bill Filed That Would Repeal "Stand Your Ground"

While one Democrat in Tallahassee has already filed a bill that would significantly alter Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law, another one of his colleagues has now put forward a bill that would repeal the law completely.

Florida Republicans' Ballot Fraud 2012

"Leaked": Charlie Crist's 2014 Gubernatorial Platform

With rumors swirling that Charlie Crist may run for governor as a Democrat in 2014, many are wondering how a former conservative Republican can run as a Democrat. Others believe he's a political opportunist that would say and do anything to get elected. Well, Riptide has exclusively uncovered his ne ... More >>

Your Guide To The Mysterious Political Committees Raising Big Bucks For Miami Candidates

Read "Carlos Gimenez Collects Half-A-Million Bucks In First Round of Fundraising" and "Carlos Gimenez Has Raised Nearly Twice As Much As Challenger Joe Martinez."With one day left before the primary, we're going to miss the proliferation of groups with cryptic, yet patriotic, monikers spreading misi ... More >>

Diaz de La Portilla Brothers Set Their Sights On State Legislature

Tallahassee, be very afraid. If all goes according to their plan, not one, not two, but all three Diaz de la Portilla brothers will be members of the state Legislature come November. They're already one-third of the way there. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla did not draw a challenger for his state Senate ... More >>

Obama Has a Chance: Federal Judge Blocks Florida Voting Restrictions

A federal judge in Tallahassee this afternoon blocked some of the most severe restrictions of a voter registration law passed last year by the Republican Florida legislature. The law has been severely criticized by opponents as an attempt to limit minority participation this fall's election. It was ... More >>

Florida Senate: Ping Pong Balls Lack Gravitational Integrity

​A Senate Committee in Tallahassee played redistricting bingo late yesterday. The idea: Shout so loud the Florida Supreme Court might actually accept its new plan. B-I-N-G-O. They used one of those wire rollers with a handle and a bunch of ping pong balls.Senators who drew white balls got four-yea ... More >>

Miami Port Deep Dredge Gets Green Light in Tallahassee, Environmentalists Outraged

​Carlos Lopez-Cantera is having a helluva week in Tallahassee. On Monday, the Miami-based state rep requested an amendment to Florida law so that the City of Miami wouldn't have to pay taxes on the new Marlins Stadium parking garages -- never mind that such an exemption is probably unconstitutiona ... More >>

Pit Bull Ban Could Go to a County Vote, Undercutting Tally Move To Kill It

​A Tallahassee proposal to force Miami-Dade to end its 23-year ban on pit bulls took a major hit last night when a group of county commissioners supported giving Dade voters a say in whether to keep the prohibition. The House bill's sponsor said he'd withdraw his legislation if the ban went to a c ... More >>

Rick Perry's New Florida Co-Chair Pam Olsen Believes Gay Marriage Causes Tornadoes

​Rick Perry hopes to make a big showing in Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll, and is quickly snapping up supporters in the state. In fact, he's recently named Pam Olsen as his new Florida co-chair.You might not have heard of the Tallahassee resident, but she has a history of making outlandish quot ... More >>

Rick Scott Promises Not to Screw Unions as Bad as Wisconsin's Scott Walker Wants To

​On Sunday, The New York Times editorial board slammed Rick Scott's decision to kill Florida's federally funded high-speed rail system and suggested he was caught up in some high-speed race to out-pander to Tea Partiers faster than other Republican governors. Though, there's one governor Scott app ... More >>

Rick Scott's Budget is a Political Mess

​Rick Scott introduced his budget this Monday to cheers at a Tea Party event inside a Eustis, Florida, church. Back in the reality of Tallahassee, though, the new governor's plans haven't been greeted with much enthusiasm. Even Republican lawmakers aren't sure it's a workable budget. Scott is faci ... More >>

Alex Sink Picks Up Endorsement From Every Major Newspaper in the State

In an age when the broadsheets are struggling and anyone can make their own mini-endorsements on Twitter or Facebook, do newspaper endorsements still matter? The Democratic Governor nominee better hope so. She's walked away with the support of every major newspaper's editorial board in the state. Th ... More >>

Bobbie Bean Speaks: Senate Candidate Clarifies Porcupine Position, Mallet-Waving Video

via Bobbiebean.comOutsider Senate candidate Bobbie Bean on his melon farm near Sebring.​Yesterday Riptide had some fun with Bobbie Bean, the mallet-waving, melon-farming outsider Senate candidate who snagged a spot on the ballot above Gov. Charlie Crist. Bean hadn't returned our call, so we didn't ... More >>

Blast From the Past: Baccone Dolce's - Barbecued Cats

Just as delicious as the horns... and then some!​ Baccone Dolce Barbecued Cats (Moon Ska Records) www.moonskaworld.com Aspeta un minuti ... or don't. It isn't so much as the delicious Italian treat as it is a bygone era where the Floridian peninsula ruled the ska-airwaves. And (apparently re-eme ... More >>

News Roundup

In order to move forward on that wonderful "Slot Machines in the Airport" idea, the County Commission ok'd the Airport's pursuit of getting a horse racing permit. [SFBJ]Burn Notice star Jeffrey Donovan traveled to Tallahassee yesterday to ask that the government facilitate the filming of more televi ... More >>

Eager Marcelo Llorente Declares 2012 County Mayor Aspirations

via MarceloLlorente.comIf you're already tired of 2010 election news, well get ready for 2012. State Rep. Marcelo Llorente officially announced his intentions today to run for Mayor of Miami-Dade County. Currently Mayor Carlos Alavarez won't be vacating the position for more than three yea ... More >>

Dan Gelber "Steps Back" From Senate Race

The notion of any real divisive, state-wide primaries in Florida seems to be dead, as state Sen. Den Gelber has announced that he's "stepping back" from the US Senate Race. Which more or less means he's out. He made the annoncement on his blog: It makes little sense -- when we do face t ... More >>

Charlie Crist Expected To Announce Senate Bid Tomorrow

In the past month the idea that Charlie Crist would run for Senate has gone from hot political rumor to almost foregone conclusion, and news broke this weekend that it is indeed fact. Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer told the Pensacola News Journal last night that Crist will annou ... More >>

Hats The Musical Starring Senator Frederica Wilson

State Senator Frederica Wilson has Practical hats. She has dramatical hats. She also has pragmatical hats, fanatical hats, oratorical hats, delphioracle hats, skeptical hats, dispeptical hats, romantical hats, pedantical hats, critical hats, parasitical hats, and so on and so forth.Herald/Times  ... More >>

Jesus License Plate Has Died for Your Sins, and No, a Brotha Can't Get a Plate

The state has important issues to deal with. Yet the legislature is spending lots of time grappling with the pressing problem of license plate aesthetics and appropriateness. Jesus plate-gate will apparently soon come to an end, though. Sen. Gary Siplin (D-Orlando) has basically said the plate featu ... More >>

State Senate Unanimously Votes To Raise Cigarette Tax

Because people in Tallahassee are a collective mass of "dumb," they're still dealing with a giant budget crisis. So, they went the easiest route and started seriously discussing a $1 tax on each and every pack of cigarettes. They'll talk a good game, "Oh, this is to save people's lives, oh, what's t ... More >>

Bestiality May Actually Become Illegal

still from The ShiningLet's take a look at Florida's laws. Gay marriage? Banned in the constitution. Gay adoption? Illegal. Bestiality? Technically legal. Yep, Florida is one of 16 states that doesn't ban inter-species sexual contact. Though, usually bestiality practitioners get charged with animal ... More >>

News Roundup

In perhaps the most important news ever, Riptide and all its sister blogs got some work done. Everyone knows you've gotta go under the knife once in a while in this town to keep up.Obama promises to close Gitmo, sometime. No sure when, but he'll get around to it. [CBS4]Charlie Crist gets mixed mid-t ... More >>

Budget-Slashing Session Takes Aim at Education

Florida's capitol has been completely controlled by Republicans for the past ten years, and with that regime has come tax cut after tax cut after tax cut. Jeb Bush cut taxes by $12.2 billion during his terms, with half of those savings going toward the wealthiest 4.5 percent. Charlie Crist earlier t ... More >>

And What of The State Legislature?

Toke It Easy

Snap out of it, 4/20 revelers: Florida legislators want to stomp on your buzz.

Wait, Let Me Change Hats

Senator Geller does costly deals but shuns the L word.

A Crawl for Gay Rights

Gossip 101

"How many times can you rank the hottest sororities? It just gets meaner and meaner."

Blitzen Trapper at Langerado

Trust the Voters, Help the Greyhounds

The Cake Also Rises

Baby Calendar

City of Gold

Miami's musical past is mined and polished by an archival label

The D Word

Say anything you want, but just don't call them Democrats

A Tale of Two Menus

Royal Blues

Musical monarch continues his reign

BEST POLITICIAN

Julio Robaina

Blasting Down the House

Rock miners try to pull a fast one on local legislators

The Untold Story

Guess who's coming to vote? Guess again.

Better Lake Than Never?

Officials insist the Lake Belt created by limestone mining in Northwest Miami-Dade will be an eco-panacea. Critics say that's all wet.

Where's the Beach?

The true story behind the beach erosion explosion is politics as usual

You Say Cemetery, Miami Says Deadbeat

The city's surfeit of tax-exempt properties costs tens of millions

Dialing Your Dollars

You say you haven't got a cellular phone? Heck, you own hundreds of 'em! And right now some local bureaucrat is using one to make a hairdressing appointment.

No Butts?

With state lawmakers renewing their threats to ban au naturel sunbathing, local nudists are undressing for battle