Free Republic

When Sen. Jim King took questions during a recent appearance at the Jacksonville Meninak Club, he could have been asked about anything. But tort reform was an issue that he knew would come up. “I had a feeling I’d be asked about that one,” said King, after an audience member asked him what the state legislature would be doing this year on the issue. The legislature and Florida’s Supreme Court are still wrestling with the implementation of three ballot initiatives passed in 2004 that affected medical malpractice torts. One limited lawyer fees in the cases, another made past malpractice information...

TALLAHASSEE - The Republican Party of Florida will pay a gambling company $48,000 in hopes of sparing four lawmakers a possible ethics problem after they took a two-day trip to Toronto at the company's expense. The GOP said it will pay $48,000 to Magna Entertainment Corp., which chartered a jet from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport on July 12 and whisked the four lawmakers to its company headquarters in Canada. Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who urged the party to act, promised an inquiry by Senate lawyers. Two Pinellas lawmakers were on the trip: Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, and Rep. Frank...

TALLAHASSEE - It was billed as the 11th annual tribute dinner to state Sen. Jim King, the Jacksonville Republican and veteran legislator who is former president of the Senate. The event, held last week at the Four Seasons luxury hotel in Dallas, attracted nearly a dozen lawmakers, including three state senators who will be responsible for helping craft legislation that regulates the use of slot machines at three Broward County racetracks and a jai-alai fronton. And who picked up the tab for the dinner? A cadre of Tallahassee lobbyists, many of whom represent the same tracks and other gambling interests...