Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryFebruary 10, 2016

The executive director for the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission told Florida lawmakers on Wednesday he’s OK if they ban his agency from regulating ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. Kyle Cockream came before the House Economics Committee to speak in support of the bill, sponsored by Republican Dana Young from Tampa and Plant City’s Dan […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2016

A local bill (HB 1439) to regulate ridesharing companies in Hillsborough County failed to earn unanimous approval from the entire local delegation late last year, but it sailed through the House Local Government Affairs Subcommittee on Monday morning in Tallahassee. Tampa Republican Dana Young told the committee that the legislation was “substantially similar” to the major ridesharing […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 15, 2016

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In November a group of legislators reviewing the first-ever audits of lobbying firm income started to wonder why they were doing it. “I don’t understand how the public’s interest is advanced by this exercise,” said state Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who sits on the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. “I just don’t see how this information is relevant” […]

Jim RosicaNovember 30, 2015

The last committee week before the 2016 Legislative Session means — what else — a post-Thanksgiving cornucopia of fundraisers. The Republican Party of Florida sent an email last week listing all the events, coinciding with the December committee week, the last one before session begins Jan. 12. In chronological order, here are the events, subject to change and […]

Jim RosicaNovember 2, 2015

A panel of state lawmakers going over the first-ever audits of lobbying firm income on Monday started bringing up a common question: Why are we doing this? “I may be an outlier … (but) I don’t understand how the public’s interest is advanced by this exercise,” said state Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who sits on the Joint […]

Mitch PerryOctober 8, 2015

(UPDATED) Last month, Florida Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Brandes and Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commissioner (PTC) Victor Crist discussed their opinions on how to regulate Transportation Network Companies like Uber and Lyft. They met at Shula’s Steakhouse in Tampa’s Westshore district, and both have said they enjoyed themselves and came to common cause on several […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 16, 2015

That local bill to regulate Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as Uber and Lyft that the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission has proposed has been drafted and was placed on the PTC’s website on Wednesday. The bill, to be sponsored by Plant City House Republican Dan Raulerson, will be introduced before the local Hillsborough County local delegation […]

Phil AmmannMay 12, 2015

Voting in Florida state races is now just under 18 months away, with a June special session and the 2016 Regular Session thrown in for good measure. Nevertheless, political campaigns statewide are starting to gear up, as the campaign cash begins to flow in earnest. Here’s where things stand through April 30 in fundraising races […]

Phil AmmannMarch 2, 2015

Whip out those checkbooks, Tallahassee lobbyists and PAC chairs, as the clock ticks down on pre-session legislative fundraisers. Florida law prohibits legislators from raising money during session, so the final hours before the 2015 Legislative Session – which starts Tuesday – means a last-minute whirl of fundraising receptions, many of which in the shadow of […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 16, 2015

Whip out the checkbooks, Tallahassee lobbyists and PAC chairs, as a new week begins with a handful of legislators’ re-election fundraisers. State law prohibits legislators from raising money during session, so every week leading up to the 2015 Session will offer a number of fundraising receptions. Many of them are mere steps from the Florida Capitol. […]

Tag: Dan Raulerson

Hillsborough PTC chief tells House committee he still wants ride-share drivers fingerprinted

House Committee approves Hillsborough ridesharing bill

Bills would delete lobbying-firm audit requirement

Email insights: More House GOP fundraising

Auditing panel muses whether lobbyists should be audited

Hillsborough Republican lawmakers mixed on PTC future

Hillsborough PTC unveils their bill to regulate Uber and Lyft in Florida

Where fundraising races stand in Tampa Bay area 2016 contests

Get your checkbooks ready this week for pre-session political fundraisers

Get your checkbooks ready this week for several political fundraisers