Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiApril 18, 2017

Tuesday afternoon, the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government was the latest successful stop for Sen. Dana Young‘s craft beer bill, bringing small-batch brewers one step closer to self-distribution. SB 554 allows craft breweries producing under 7,000 kegs a year to distribute kegs (not bottles or cans) to other Florida craft breweries. That applies as long as […]

Mitch PerryApril 17, 2017

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Tom Lee insists he never wanted to air any “dirty laundry” about Tampa International Airport when he attempted to introduce an amendment to the Florida Senate’s budget last Wednesday that would have the airport independently audited. But the Brandon Republican says that there are too many unanswered questions about how the airport is being run for him to […]

Mitch PerryApril 12, 2017

Sparks flew on the floor of the Florida Senate Wednesday between Tampa Bay-area Republicans after Tom Lee stated that “potential public corruption” is taking place at Tampa International Airport. The Brandon Republican then proposed inserting an amendment to the Senate budget calling for the Auditor General to review spending at the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which is […]

Mitch PerryApril 1, 2017

House members now say the possibility of a fracking ban is dead for the 2017 Legislative Session. Sen. Dana Young thinks it’s premature to administer last rites, at least just yet. “You never say never, but now we’re saying it looks like that will be next year,” Rep. Mike Miller, an Orlando Republican, told the Naples Daily […]

Mitch PerryMarch 31, 2017

Advocates of Amendment 2, which legalized medical marijuana in Florida, have been expressing disdain for HB 1397, moving through the Legislature this Session, sponsored by Fort Myers Republican Ray Rodrigues. “Folks, this bill is bad,” wrote Ben Pollara, head of United for Care, the organization that campaigned for the constitutional amendment that passed with more than 71 […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 28, 2017

A House panel approved legislation Tuesday that would implement the 2016 medical marijuana constitutional amendment, despite concerns from some advocates the proposal doesn’t honor the spirit of the amendment. The House Health Quality Subcommittee voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill (HB 1397) that would implement the 2016 constitutional amendment. Sponsored by House Majority Leader Ray […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 22, 2017

Sen. Rob Bradley indicated he is willing to support opening up the medical marijuana market more than he first proposed, but continues to believe vertical integration is the right system for Florida. Bradley, an Orange Park Republican, filed one of five medical marijuana implementing bills this Legislative Session. His proposal (SB 406) would, among other […]

Peter SchorschMarch 21, 2017

Besides, maybe, New York City or Washington, D.C., there really is no better place from which to write about politics than Tampa Bay. One reason is that there are so many competitive congressional and legislative seats in the region. And what’s spent to win those seats is oftentimes as much as the amount spent to […]

Mitch PerryMarch 20, 2017

Bob Buesing may be looking for a rematch. One of the most bitter races in all of Florida politics last year took place in Hillsborough County’s Senate District 18, where Democrat Buesing faced Republican state Rep. Dana Young and independent Joe Redner. Although Democrats believed Young was vulnerable to a serious opponent she ultimately defeated Buesing 48 to 41 percent. […]

Associated PressMarch 19, 2017

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Citing unresolved health concerns, Florida lawmakers are weighing the fate of a measure that would ban fracking across the state. Legislators are pushing the bill to safeguard Florida’s clean water supply, which is the drinking water source for 90 percent of Floridians and a major player in the state’s economy, from agriculture to tourism. If […]

Tag: Dana Young
Image via AP.

Dana Young craft beer bill clears Senate subcommittee

Tom Lee not backing down on claim of questionable spending at Tampa International Airport

Sparks fly with Tampa Bay GOP senators over Tom Lee’s call for Tampa International Airport audit

Dana Young, environmentalists still hold hope for fracking ban in 2017

Unless legislation is changed, Joe Redner says he’ll sue over Legislature’s medical marijuana

House Health Quality Subcommittee approves medical marijuana implementing bill

Senate begins discussion of medical marijuana implementing legislation

Here’s where sh*t stands in Tampa Bay politics — the ‘this place is the best’ edition

Bob Buesing contemplates 2018 rematch versus Dana Young

Republicans lead fight to ban fracking in Florida