Illinois State Senate
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Recent News About Illinois State Senate
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Florida lawyer joins prominent law firm GrayRobinson
TALLAHASSEE -- George T. Levesque, who is known as one of the top lawyers for the Florida Senate, recently joined the GrayRobinson law firm in Tallahassee. His practice areas include administrative and regulatory, appellate, government, government relations and lobbying, and litigation services for the firm. -
Horton and Diaz face off in Florida House District 120 Democratic Primary
KEY LARGO – In today’s vote in the Democratic Primary for District 120 of the Florida House of Representatives, candidates will be deciding between two young attorneys - Daniel Horton, age 31, or Kevin Diaz, age 28. -
Dist. 112 state House candidate cautiously optimistic
KEY BISCAYNE – Mike Davey, the Republican candidate for the Florida state House seat being vacated by Rep. José Javier Rodríguez (D-Miami), said today he is cautiously optimistic going into tomorrow's primary election. -
Chamber staffer: Workers’ comp increase will be ‘significant burden’ to small business
TALLAHASSEE – Florida's Chamber of Commerce doesn't know how the state's Office of Insurance Regulation will decide on a 20 percent workers' compensation insurance rate hike request but has a good idea how such an increase will affect small businesses, a chamber official said during a recent interview. -
Karlinsky: Assignment of benefits bills not approved in session, still a 'major issue'
ORLANDO – Fred Karlinsky, co-chair of the insurance regulatory and transactions practice at Greenberg Traurig, discussed noteworthy insurance-related measures before the legislature as part of his presentation at the recent Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund’s (FHCF) annual Participating Insurers Workshop. -
Florida Supreme Court weighs grandparent visitation rights
TALLAHASSEE – In a case that highlights the continuing debate over the rights of grandparents, the Florida Supreme Court is reviewing the case of a mom who has refused her late husband's parents the chance to see their grandchildren even though a Colorado court had previously awarded them three weeks of visitation a year. -
Former lawmaker Rivera appeals ethics violations, challenges House speaker’s power
TALLAHASSEE – A lawyer for former state lawmaker and U.S. Rep. David Rivera has argued before the Florida District Court of Appeals that it is unconstitutional for the Florida House speaker to penalize Rivera with fines for ethics violations while serving as state legislator from 2002-2010. -
All 40 state Senate seats up for grabs with redrawing of district map
Residents of Monroe County will be represented by a new Senator in the State Congress come November elections, when that latest Congressional redistricting goes into effect. -
Residency requirements a focus in Lake County race
TAVARES – Election controversy has reached Lake County as Tim Sullivan, who is running for re-election as commissioner, is facing residency accusations that could severely impact his campaign moving forward. -
Supreme Court Sides with local attorney in judicial seat contest
TALLAHASSEE – Following a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court, Palm Beach voters will be making their choice for an open county judge vacancy in August. -
First Amendment Foundation launches right-to-know exemption tracker
ST. PETERSBURG – Florida’s First Amendment Foundation recently added a ticker on its website that tracks exemptions in the state to the Right to Know Act and two new controversial exemptions related to trade secrets will be added in the fall. -
State Senate District 34 candidates raise nearly $1 million
Three candidates vying for one seat in the state Senate from Florida’s ocean-side District 34 have tipped the scales in terms of campaign fundraising to date, and political pundits are scurrying to connect the dots. -
Congresswoman takes Florida redistricting fight to U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON – In the latest chapter in the state of Florida’s redistricting saga, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) appealed her redistricting case to the U.S. Supreme Court. -
House subcommittee to hear testimony on bill seeking to curb ADA lawsuit abuse
WASHINGTON–The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice will hold a hearing today on the ACCESS (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services) Act, which aims to protect small businesses from the widespread abuse of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). -
Bill that would have amended Florida Sunshine Law dies on its way to the House
TALLAHASSEE – State Senate Bill 1220, which amended the Florida Sunshine Law to say that judges must award attorney fees unless the court determined that the public-records request “was made primarily to harass the agency,” passed the Senate 30-0 but died on its way to the House. -
BP settlement money going nowhere until Florida legislature reconvenes
TALLAHASSEE – The first payment of $300 million from a settlement reached with BP Oil to cover economic damages to northwest Florida caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill is due, but distribution of the funds will have to wait until the next legislative session. -
Federal courts panel eyes third-party litigation funding
PALM BEACH – During a meeting in Palm Beach last week, members of the U.S. Federal Courts Advisory Committee on Civil Rules learned that two U.S. senators are probing the practice of third-party litigation financing (TPLF). -
Daubert vs. Frye: Florida Supreme Court sets oral arguments over expert testimony standard
TALLAHASSEE - Oral arguments have been set for Sept. 1 to decide the standard Florida courts will use to approve expert testimony in civil and criminal cases. -
Black Lives Matter Tampa lambasts new juvenile detention predisposition law
TALLAHASSEE – An appeals court recently issued a ruling that would have meant a number of Florida counties had to pay the state as much as $100 million in predisposition costs before underage offenders were sentenced, but recent legislation signed into law at the end of March by Gov. Rick Scott made the court case a moot point. -
Florida judicial term limits proposal quietly dies; Proposal faced tough opposition among attorneys
TALLAHASSEE – A joint House and Senate initiative to make judicial term limits part of Florida's constitution seems to have quietly died, but it was the wrong approach and a counter proposal won't be made, a Florida Bar Association chairman recently said.