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Emily L. Mahoney - Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Emily L. Mahoney

Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

I cover Florida’s capital and the politics surrounding it, which means there’s never a slow day. From the Legislative session to state elections, life is fast-paced in the nation’s largest swing state – and I prefer it that way. I hail from Arizona, a state that raised me to love tacos al pastor and the sound of hiking boots hitting the dirt. Now, I’m based in Tallahassee, where the Tampa Bay Times shares a bureau with the Miami Herald, and I’m proud to work for two of the state’s strongest newspapers. When it comes to policy, I focus on education and criminal justice – two areas where government unequivocally shapes peoples’ lives. Want to discuss a story idea? Drop me a line.

  1. Gradebook podcast: What’s next for Florida education policy?
    Dec. 5• Gradebook
    The Florida House Education Committee focuses on early education in its first meeting of the 2020 session. It has met just once more since then.
    Lawmakers have yet to set an aggressive agenda beyond talk of teacher pay as the 2020 legislative session nears.
  2. A former Florida lawmaker’s son is helping the NRA sue the state. Top leaders are mostly mum.
    Nov. 28• The Buzz
    Protesters fill the 4th floor rotunda of the Florida Capitol outside of the House of Representatives demanding more strict gun laws in Florida. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
    The lawsuit is over Florida’s post-Parkland law which raised the gun purchasing age from 18 to 21.
  3. Drugs, guns, crime: Ron DeSantis’ case for immigration bills draws fire
    Nov. 25• The Buzz
    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
    Research shows immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens, but DeSantis still made the case that they pose a public safety threat.
  4. Presos cumplen condenas por drogas que ya no están en la ley estatal
    Nov. 22• CENTRO
    Jomari DeLeon, aparece en el Centro Correccional de Gadsden en Quincy, Florida, el 7 de agosto de 2019. Jomari cumple tres años en una sentencia de 15 años por tráfico de drogas. Vendió 48 tabletas recetadas durante dos días a un oficial encubierto.
    Los legisladores de Florida acordaron que las antiguas leyes estatales de sentencia de drogas fueron demasiado lejos. Pero eso no significa nada para las personas que recibieron su veredicto.
  5. Biden said what? Catch up on the big moments from Wednesday’s Democratic debate
    Nov. 21• The Buzz
    Democratic presidential candidates from left, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., former technology executive Andrew Yang and investor Tom Steyer participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
    Seventeen candidates remain in the race, but only 10 Democrats qualified to make it on stage in Atlanta for the fifth Democratic debate.
  6. DeSantis lukewarm on releasing Florida prisoners with outdated sentences
    Nov. 19• The Buzz
    On the issue of whether to retroactively apply changes in Florida’s sentencing laws to inmates currently in prison, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he prefers to deal with cases using the clemency process.
    Hundreds of Florida inmates are serving sentences no longer in state law, according to new research.
  7. DeSantis’ budget: $1 billion on teacher pay, millions for elections security
    Nov. 18• The Buzz
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing $1 billion in increased teacher pay as part of a $91.4 billion state budget he put forward on Monday.
    The Florida governor also wants to hire hundreds of new corrections officers and spend $1.4 billion on hurricane recovery.
  8. Term limits push Florida lawmakers to secure leaders years in advance
    Nov. 17• The Buzz
    Rep. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, filed a bill, HB 1161, to implement online voter registration in 2018.
    This week, GOP senators rallied support around Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, to become Senate president for the 2023 and 2024 legislative session.
  9. After another shooting, Parkland-inspired group rallies in empty Florida Capitol
    Nov. 14• The Buzz
    Student activists with the March For Our Lives group, founded after the Feb. 2018 Parkland shooting, hold a banner that promotes their new "peace plan" to prevent gun violence, while demonstrating in the rotunda of the state capitol building in Tallahassee. Emily L. Mahoney | Times
    The 18-year-old student director of March for Our Lives Florida said school shootings are so common they are “not shocking” anymore.
  10. St. Petersburg lawmaker files bill to reduce outdated drug sentences for Florida inmates
    Nov. 14• The Buzz
    Florida Senator Darryl Rouson on the floor of the Florida Senate. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
    His office said he had been considering filing the bill, but a Times/Herald investigation published Wednesday prompted them to move more quickly.