Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersSeptember 18, 2018

Brightline, the operator of the private passenger train service in South Florida with approval for high-speed trains into Orlando and longer-term vision to Tampa, announced Tuesday it is buying the project of a proposed high-speed train to link Las Vegas and Southern California. Brightline, long known as All Aboard Florida, announced Tuesday it has reached […]

Scott PowersAugust 29, 2018

All Aboard Florida received state approval Wednesday to sell $1.75 billion in federal private equity bonds to extend its private, high-speed, Brightline passenger train system from South Florida to Orlando. Meeting in Orlando, the Florida Development Finance Corp. board voted unanimously to grant state permission for the financing after more than three hours of public […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 17, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott‘s finances continue to be a focus this summer, as the Governor runs for Senate. The latest revelations came from the Miami Herald this week, which reported that Scott, who killed Florida’s chance at federally funded high-speed rail early in his term, has investments in a credit fund run by the parent company of All […]

Scott PowersAugust 1, 2018

The organization at the center of opposition to All Aboard Florida’s plans to extend a higher-speed passenger train railway from South Florida to Orlando announced Wednesday it is designating U.S. Reps. Brian Mast and Bill Posey as “champions” after grading politicians on their positions regarding the train. Citizens Against Rail Expansion – Florida gave both […]

Scott PowersJuly 19, 2018

Martin and Indian River counties and Citizens Against Rail Expansion Florida are asking a federal judge to vacate the federal approval that would allow All Aboard Florida to sell $1.15 billion in private activity bonds to finance the railway expansion to send higher-speed Brightline passenger trains between Souh Florida and Orlando. In a federal case […]

Scott PowersJune 4, 2018

The next few months could go a long ways toward determining whether the privately-run, higher-speed passenger train Brightline will travel between South Florida and Orlando by 2021. With a seven-month extension granted Thursday by the federal government, All Aboard Florida now has until the end of the year to sell $1.15 billion in tax-exempt private […]

Scott PowersMay 31, 2018

The federal government has granted a seven-month extension for All Aboard Florida to sell the $1.15 billion in private equity bonds it intends to use to finance the proposed higher-speed rail expansion that could roll private Brightline passenger trains between South Florida and Orlando. The extension comes in the nick of time, as the company’s […]

Scott PowersMay 24, 2018

State Rep. Erin Grall is charging that an All Aboard Florida representative made “misrepresentations” in congressional testimony supporting the department’s approval of tax-exempt bonds to finance the company’s Brightline higher-speed passenger train proposal to connect Miami and Orlando. Grall, among Florida lawmakers from the Treasure Coast who are opposed to the train, sent a letter […]

Scott PowersMay 22, 2018

A bipartisan group from Florida’s congressional delegation, along with the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, are offering a counterpunch to the jab thrown in Washington D.C. by opponents of the Brightline private passenger railroad in Florida. In a letter Monday, U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, the Pennsylvania Republican chairing the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and […]

Scott PowersMay 22, 2018

Contending that there are statutory problems with the federally authorized bonds All Aboard Florida intends to use to finance its Orlando Brightline train expansion, U.S. Reps. Brian Mast, Bill Posey, Ron DeSantis and Matt Gaetz are urging the federal government to suspend the authorization. At issue is $1.15 billion worth of private activity bonds that […]

Tag: All Aboard Florida
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Brightline buying Las Vegas-California high-speed train project

Brightline gets state approval to sell construction bonds

Rick Scott says conflict of interest claims regarding All Aboard Florida are ‘absurd’

Anti-rail expansion group extolls Brian Mast, Bill Posey, others

Martin, Indian River counties ask federal judge to stop Brightline’s bonds

Brightline’s Orlando line could be settled in next few months

Feds approve seven-month extension for Brightline train bonds

Erin Grall charges All Aboard Florida with ‘misrepresentations’

Florida’s congressional Brightline supporters come to train’s defense

Brian Mast, Bill Posey, others urge feds to suspend bonds for Brightline