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

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

Members of the Senate Health Policy Committee discussed a 2011 law designed to crack down on illicit painkiller prescriptions through “pill mills,” which Chairman Aaron Bean said has sent “the pendulum from one direction to the other.” The law, HB 7095, was spearheaded by a newly elected Attorney General Pam Bondi and then-Sen. Mike Fasano in the midst […]

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

There’s no doubt Cesar Fernandez stays plenty busy, but he’s happy to have turned in the Red Bull and cold pizza of his campaign days for more comfortable digs now that he works for Uber. Managing up to a half dozen “conversations” about transportation network companies at any one time with myriad Florida cities and counties, things still […]

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

Tuesday saw a rapid fire morning for gun legislation in Tallahassee, with pro-Second Amendment groups getting the better of the shoot-out. A pair of bills to expand where and how Floridians can carry firearms – on college campuses and without concealment, respectively – advanced in Senate committees, as did one that strengthens the state’s “Stand Your […]

Ryan RayOctober 20, 2015

Brody Enwright knows Florida politics about as well as anyone at his young age: It’s in his blood. The University of Florida alum and legislative aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano grew up under the tutelage of Enwright Consulting proprietors – and Brody’s parents – Karla and Randy Enwright. Not a bad bloodline to take on the […]

Ryan RayOctober 19, 2015

A group of economists representing the executive branch, both houses of the Legislature and various state agencies identified a handful of sticking points – but few if any definitive solutions – when it comes to the possible economic impact of a 2016 ballot initiative legalizing marijuana. Among the issues discussed by the Florida Impact Estimating […]

Ryan RayOctober 19, 2015

The Florida House of Representatives briefly gaveled into Session Monday and Speaker Steve Crisafulli told his 120-member chamber to expect to take a back seat to the state Senate, who like the House returned to Tallahassee this week for the third time this year. “Since the subject of this session is the Senate map, we’ve established […]

Ryan RayOctober 19, 2015

The House Democrats gathered Monday morning in the Capitol for their pre-Special Session planning period and media availability, where caucus leader Rep. Mark Pafford vowed that he and his 39-strong opposition party will not let up in applying pressure to Republican leaders who have overseen “catastrophic” dysfunction in Tallahassee. Pafford went on to diagnose the problem as a “lack […]

Ryan RayOctober 16, 2015

The office of Republican Majority Leader Sen. Bill Galvano on Friday released a detailed outline of the schedule lawmakers will follow as they redraw Senate maps in accordance with a consent judgement wherein the chamber admitted it violated the state constitution during the decennial redistricting process in 2011. A quick look at the schedule the majority leader wants […]

Ryan RayOctober 15, 2015

U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham performed one of her signature “Workdays” – a tradition she inherited from her father Bob Graham – participating in a controlled burn at the Apalachicola National Forest on Thursday. Graham, along with representatives from U.S. Forest Service and the Nature Conservancy, protected trees housing the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, ignited potentially dangerous underbrush, and extinguished a fire threatening […]

Ryan RayOctober 15, 2015

In what may be the end of a titanic food fight between major state government contractors, an administrative law judge has upheld the state’s award of a massive transportation contract to Xerox, denying Accenture‘s claims that an unusual procurement process yielded the wrong outcome. Administrative law judge J. Bruce Culpepper on Wednesday recommended to the state Department of Transportation […]

Ryan Ray
Image via the Associated Press.

Senators say anti-pill mill law has seen patients’ pain go untreated

Meet Cesar Fernandez, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Controversial gun bills advance in Senate

Meet Brody Enwright, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

State economists deliberate over fiscal impact of medical marijuana amendment

Speaker Steve Crisafulli says Senate will (mostly) take the lead in redistricting Session

Democratic leader Mark Pafford vows to keep pressure on during 2016 Session

Senate Majority Leader outlines proposed schedule for redistricting Session

Gwen Graham prevents forest fires, does Workday at Apalachicola National Forest

Judge upholds Xerox award in massive FDOT procurement case