Don Gaetz

TALLAHASSEE — Front Porch America could learn a lot from watching Washington work, or not work. For our political system's inability to solve its fiscal and economic problems can be traced back to the politically militarized and polarized home...

Dear Mr. Lenny Curry, I don't want to play the cynic here, but your friends over at the Capitol made one heck of a mess last November. As chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, I hope you can help them out. Gov. Rick Scott, the rest of the Cabinet...

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott was following a well-read playbook when he campaigned in 2010 to kick-start the economy in part with deep property-tax cuts. It just didn't come off as scripted. Capping out-of-control property-tax spikes was once a...

Today we're talking about party-switchers, salary-raisers, teacher-trashers and more. We start with Democrats, who are titillated at the prospect of Change-up Charlie Crist running for governor. The former Republican-turned-independent says he now...

TALLAHASSEE – There's an obvious reason why Florida politicos spend so much time talking about the cleansing effect of transparency without ever hopping in the tub. Whether in war, business or politics, informational advantages are powerful forces...

TALLAHASSEE — Drink up, wayward partisans. Florida lawmakers may be striking a bipartisan tone as of late, but there are too many points of ideological contention for this camaraderie to survive intact beyond the holidays. Democrats are clamoring...

TALLAHASSEE — The Senate has released its Committee list for the 2013 legislative session. In key positions: Senate President Pro Tempore Garrett Richter will head the new committee on gambling. Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, will...

TALLAHASSEE – It's the season for fattening up, and Florida politics is fueling the expansion of some well-placed operatives' wallets. Although the Florida Legislature may tackle campaign-finance reform in the 2013 session, these dollars aren't...

TALLAHASSEE — State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, was officially sworn in as the Senate President for 2012-2014 and promised to make changes in the state leading to stricter ethical guidelines for lawmakers, improved elections and a better higher...

TALLAHASSEE — New Senate President Don Gaetz wants to usher in ethics reform and greater health-care access, but he also pledged Tuesday to get to the bottom of this month's election fiasco — and he is pointing a finger at South Florida...

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Legislature's new class of legislators are taking the oath in Tallahassee today, and a host of challenges await them. All told, 44 new House members and 15 new senators are taking office, some new and some re-treads. In the...

TALLAHASSEE — The two men taking the reins of the Florida Legislature this week are a character-study of shifting political eras. Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford is the epitome of how term limits have accelerated the race to power: The...