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

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

The Senate accepted the House’s offer on funding for the Transportation and Economic Development budget silo, but with a catch – that the two chambers must still work out proviso language on two transportation programs. One of those two programs, which provide services to the transportation disadvantaged, was particularly important to Sen. Audrey Gibson, a Democrat from […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

The Senate presented its first offer on funding for the government operations segment of the budget Saturday morning. Budget writers sounded conciliatory during the meeting, but the two chambers’ proposals remained $10.9 million apart. The biggest difference between the Senate and House offers, according to Legislative IQ powered by LobbyTools, is that the Senate would […]

Ryan RayFebruary 27, 2016

After the initial meeting of 2016 legislative budget conference Friday evening, senior budget writers – in particular House Budget Chairman Rep. Richard Corcoran – told reporters the Legislature had so far more or less ignored two of Gov. Rick Scott‘s key priorities Corcoran said their current proposal contains “zero” towards a $250 million dedicated Florida Enterprise Fund for […]

Ryan RayFebruary 26, 2016

House and Senate budget writers met Friday night to organize the 2016 Budget Conference process. They plan to meet through the weekend as they negotiate how to reconcile the $1 billion gulf between their spending plans as they allocate taxpayers’ money to keep Florida’s government running. Rep. Richard Corcoran, House budget chief, said after the […]

Ryan RayFebruary 26, 2016

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A newly pugilistic Marco Rubio showed Americans his skill with slings and arrows at Thursday night’s GOP debate in Houston, calling Donald Trump a “con artist” and giving Trump a taste of his own vicious medicine by repeatedly interrupting and ridiculing him. But, as Jeremy Peters of The New York Times wrote Friday, Rubio may have just been warming up: […]

Ryan RayFebruary 26, 2016

Senate budget chair Tom Lee has added a pair of potentially momentous gaming bills to the Appropriations Committee’s agenda for its meeting Tuesday. SB 7072 would expand slot machines beyond South Florida and reduce the effective tax rate on the machines. It would allow slots in six counties where voters already have approved the form of gambling […]

Ryan RayFebruary 25, 2016

George Gainer blasted the Legislature and his Senate District 1 opponent Rep. Matt Gaetz in an email appeal to supporters on Thursday, contending a pair of measures considered this year amount to a “power grab” by state government. Gainer, a Republican and longtime Bay County Commissioner, said bills on so-called “fracking” and local taxes aim at “stripping authority […]

Ryan RayFebruary 25, 2016

Reaching across the aisle and fresh off her barnstorming North Florida Farm Tour, U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham is dropping an agriculture bill along with fellow North Floridian U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho. The bill would create a pilot “AgShare” program, which aims to free up farming equipment being held by the federal government for use by farmers. The […]

Ryan RayFebruary 24, 2016

Sen. Dwight Bullard this week joined a multistate call by chairmen of black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian caucuses from across the nation in urging President Barack Obama to reform federal public-private mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make home ownership more accessible to minorities. “With African-American homeownership rates declining to their lowest in decades, and with a […]

Ryan RayFebruary 24, 2016

A bill to provide funds for a “proper burial” for boys who died at the infamous Arthur Dozier School for Boys passed the Florida Senate on Wednesday. The bill also authorizes the Department of State to “preserve historical resources, records, archives, and artifacts” related to the site. The Dozier school is said to be the site […]

Ryan Ray
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

House, Senate agree on TED budget proposal

House, Senate gov’t ops budget proposals still nearly $11 million apart

Rick Scott’s office claps back at budget chiefs after priorities snubbed

Budget conferees begin weekend of negotiations

Marco Rubio goes for the jugular against Donald Trump

Senate budget chief Tom Lee adds gaming bills to Appropriations panel agenda

Email Insights: George Gainer decries “Tallahassee power grab” in 2016 Session

Gwen Graham introduces “AgShare” legislation with Ted Yoho

Dwight Bullard, minority caucus leaders urge increased affordable housing

Dozier school relief bill passes Senate unanimously