Did $1-a-pack tax get smokers to quit — or get more creative? -- Cigarette sales have fallen sharply across Florida since Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $1-a-pack tax increase this summer, plunging nearly 50 percent in some counties. +Read More

Legislature Needs Sunshine -- The political process in Tallahassee is broken. It is time to fix it. It is time to amend the Florida Constitution to require the Legislature's most important work be done in the light of day rather than in secret meetings. We should also end the practice of hurriedly approving massive bills in the final days of the legislative session that elected officials have not been given adequate time to read, study and debate.

Take the budget process. The Legislature is entrusted with the critical job of spending the hard-earned tax dollars of Florida's citizens and businesses. Citizens need to believe that their elected officials are making deliberate decisions for the permanent interests of the people, but now they cannot.

From The Herald Tribune, September 16, 2009. + Read More

Fighting for Unemployment Compensation -- On August 24, 2009, the fund that Florida uses to pay unemployment benefits officially ran dry, a victim of the recession and the highest unemployment levels in three decades.

Today, thousands of workers have already exhausted their benefits. And what’s worse, the numbers of laid off workers no longer eligible for unemployment insurance payments could soar in the remainder of the year. Florida House Democrats fought to extend a helping hand to those who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn.

Using $2 billion in federal economic stimulus approved by Congress and President Obama, the Legislature extended the length of time that unemployed workers receive assistance and increased the weekly benefit. + Read More

Economic Recovery and Florida’s Future -- On Friday (July 17), Florida received more staggering news that our unemployment rate reached 10.6 percent in June—the fifth highest in the nation. Florida has lost 392,800 non-agricultural jobs over the year, and some economists predict even higher unemployment in the next few months.

During these challenging times, Florida House Democrats recognize that citizens want solutions and not political posturing. Florida’s challenges need more than one-party solutions.

Thousands of people have lost their places of residence due to home foreclosures. Nearly every property owner has seen deep dips in home values. Uncertainties abound about families’ ability to finance their children’s college education. Many are frightened by having seen their retirement accounts wither. And, shamefully, millions of Floridians -- perhaps a fifth of those who live here -- are without health coverage. + Read More