Ryan Ray, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayMarch 1, 2016

debate-immigration-marco-rubio-donald-trump-1024x1024.jpg

In an email fundraising appeal to supporters on Super Tuesday, Sen. Marco Rubio apologized for his recent antics attacking GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, but remained firm in his stance that Trump is unserious and unfit for the nation’s highest office. “The media being what it is, most of my back-and-forth with Donald Trump that’s gotten attention this week […]

Ryan RayFebruary 29, 2016

The Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations/General Government Appropriations conference committee held their final meeting of the 2016 Session on Monday, but the late-evening meeting did not bring final closure on several unresolved line items. The House and Senate proposals remained just $6 million apart in terms of bottom-line figures – out of a mammoth $2.7 billion […]

Ryan RayFebruary 29, 2016

The bicameral panel budget charged with writing the state’s budget for courts and law enforcement met for the last time during budget year 2016-17 on Monday. House and Senate leaders said they worked to compromise on “99 percent” of the budget, leaving aside just a handful unresolved of line items and proviso language. Conference Committee […]

Ryan RayFebruary 29, 2016

The Committee on Government Operations Appropriations/General Government Appropriation held its fourth and final meeting of the budget conferencing period Monday morning. Chairwoman Rep. Jeanette Nunez and Vice Chairman Sen. Alan Hays closed out “back of the bill” differences, but couldn’t agree on about a dozen line items. They will be “bumped up” for consideration by chief budget writers […]

Ryan RayFebruary 28, 2016

An obscure but heated battle over a state contract potentially worth hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money is at stake as budget conferees continue to hammer out differences between House and Senate proposals. At issues is the radio equipment law enforcement agents use to communicate. Problems with communication gear have led to the deaths of several […]

Ryan RayFebruary 28, 2016

House and Senate budget conferees remain some distance away from reconciling their varying budget proposals, with a nominal $8 million and several line items standing between lawmakers and a unified budget proposal to send to Gov. Rick Scott. The elephant in the room? Neither proposal circulating in the Conference Committee on House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations/Senate […]

Ryan RayFebruary 28, 2016

House and Senate justice budget writers appear within striking range of a deal to reconcile their proposals, which sat at $3.5 million apart after two meetings on Saturday, one-10th of 1 percent over the overall budget. As of Sunday afternoon the gap was narrowed to about $441,939 in general revenue, though the way the money […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

Legislative budget writers moved the needle during their second conference meeting Saturday night, narrowing the discrepancies between House and Senate proposals to just $3.5 million dollars, about 0.1 percent of the $4.1 billion proposed criminal and civil justice budget. This time it was the Senate’s turn to make an offer, and committee Vice Chairman Sen. Joe […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

The Government Operations/General Government budget conference held its second meeting Saturday, as the sub-chairmen for each chamber – Rep. Jeanette Nunez and Sen. Alan Hays – continued to wrangle spreadsheets as they inched closer to squaring the $10 million in differences between their respective proposals. This time it was the House’s turn to respond to a Senate offer from […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

The conference committee on the state justice budget appeared Saturday afternoon to be going smoothly, with the House accepting the Senate position on more than two dozen line items, but making different offers on many others. In all the differences totaled nearly $10 million, about $5 million of that in recurring general revenue dollars and some $5 million […]

Ryan Ray
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Marco Rubio: Sorry for the “silly stuff,” but Donald Trump is no joke

Ag & Natural Resources budget panel wraps up talks

Justice budget writers wrap up conference talks, agree on “99%” of priorities

Government ops budgets inch closer but law enforcement radios dispute remains

State police radio replacement dispute becomes budget conference sticking point

House, Senate TED budget writers still unresolved on DEO funding

Budget writers nearing deal on courts, legal funding

Justice budget writers closing out differences; House, Senate $3.5 million apart

Government operations budgets inch toward reconciliation

Justice budgets growing closer together, though $10 million in differences remain