Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayFebruary 2, 2016

A week after Florida State University finally settled the legal matter surrounding its handling of allegations against Jameis Winston, the school’s annual FSU Day at the state Capitol went on as usual on a dreary Tuesday afternoon. FSU President John Thrasher gave the benediction amid spirited brass and fanfare, keeping his remarks short and sticking mostly to athletics. […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2016

With the Florida Legislature already powering through a third of their nine-week regular legislative session, board members with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit agency (HART) expressed concerns on Monday regarding their chief legislative budget request for 2016. That would be a regional fare box system and smart card system — which would provide a uniform bus payment […]

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 […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 29, 2016

Among the items Hillsborough County legislators are requesting in the just-unveiled 2016-2017 House budget, none looms larger than the $22.5 million sought for the USF Morsani College of Health Heart Institute. In February 2015, USF’s request to relocate its new Morsani College of Medicine and USF Heart Institute to downtown Tampa was approved, and in […]

Ryan RayJanuary 28, 2016

The Florida Senate approved a bill Thursday to allow Floridians to break into a vehicle in order to rescue distressed people or animals left unattended. The upper chamber passed the proposal 38-0, a day after the House gave its unanimous approval too. The bill — HB 131 by Republican Rep. Dana Young — now moves on to […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 28, 2016

In a few days from now, or perhaps a few weeks, Democrats in Hillsborough County may rise to announce that they’re challenging Republicans in two nearly created opportunities where analysts believe they have a decent shot at winning in a presidential election year. But that’s not the case today. With a new Senate seat created as part […]

Drew WilsonJanuary 25, 2016

A bill that requires gas stations to toughen up security and increases penalties for fuel pump fraudsters cleared its first Senate panel Monday. Senate Bill 912 would require gas stations to secure fuel pump credit card readers to defend against data theft devices, known as “skimmers,” that capture credit and debit card information. The bill also ups the […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 25, 2016

It’s not likely that anyone would actually know this, but Florida state law requires that any restaurant that serves alcohol must be at least 2,500 square feet in size. In Hillsborough County, however, state law says that restaurants that sell booze must be at least 4,000 square feet. Attempting to rectify that anomaly, Tampa Republican Dana Young is pushing a local bill […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 25, 2016

Tampa state House Democrat Janet Cruz will not run for the newly created state Senate seat in Hillsborough County, POLITICO Florida is reporting. “It would cost $4 million,” Cruz tells POLITICO’s Matt Dixon. “I could win it this year, but it’s a two-year seat I would have to raise $4 million for again and probably not hold.” Cruz has served […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 22, 2016

Who says that Donald Trump doesn’t bring people together? In what could very well be something The Nation magazine might publish next January if Trump runs the table to become our 45th president, the National Review’s newest edition contains a scathing editorial blasting the GOP front-runner, calling him a “menace to conservatism,” and contains short essays by […]

Tag: Dana Young
State Sen. Vic Torres at U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost event before the collapse. Photo via Jacob Ogles.

John Thrasher addresses the faithful at FSU Day

HART members contemplate WWJD – What will Jack Latvala do on fare box plan?

House Committee approves Hillsborough ridesharing bill

USF Heart Institute is largest request from Hillsborough House members

Good Samaritan vehicle-rescue bill gets final OK from lawmakers

More Tampa Democrats indicate no interest in open legislative seats in Hillsborough County

Bill to combat gas pump “skimmers” passes Senate panel

House advances bill that would OK smaller restaurants in Hillsborough to serve alcohol

Janet Cruz won’t run for new Tampa state Senate seat

Mitch Perry Report for 1.22.16 – Conservative intelligentsia makes last-ditch effort to dump Trump