Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannApril 29, 2017

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Budget language filed in the Florida House Saturday morning would OK a controversial state audit of Tampa International Airport. As reported by Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida, Brandon Republican Sen. Tom Lee unexpectedly filed an amendment last week on the Senate floor, which proposes an audit of TIA’s renovation master plan. Lee’s amendment raised concern […]

Scott PowersApril 20, 2017

A bipartisan bill banning the use of steroids on greyhound racing dogs was approved Thursday by the Florida House of Representatives. House Bill 743, cosponsored by Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando and Republican state Rep. Alex Miller of Sarasota, was approved in the house by a vote of 84 to 32, despite strong […]

Mitch PerryApril 19, 2017

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With just over two weeks left in Florida’s regular Legislative Session, a group of over 100 members of the business community released a statement Wednesday indicating support for a statewide fracking ban. “If something goes wrong, I know that will have an impact on us,” said Mark Amis, the owner of Little Tommie’s Tiki located at […]

Peter SchorschApril 18, 2017

Perhaps they’ve been reading the rash of vitriolic emails and op-eds from Florida for Care, or the equally brutal reporting and editorializing from the Tampa Bay Times this past weekend. Maybe it was the litany of emotional public comment at Tuesday’s hearing. Whatever it was, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee – led by the […]

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 […]

Tag: Dana Young
Donald Trump. Image via AP.

House considers contentious Tampa International Airport audit

Ban on steroids for greyhound racing dogs passes House

With weeks left in Session, small-businesses rally for statewide fracking ban

House Democrats wake up on weed

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