Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaMay 4, 2017

State Sen. Tom Lee on Wednesday filed an amendment for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles bill that would regulate the operations of ridebooking services like Uber and Lyft. The language would prohibit local governments and governmental bodies, including airport authorities, from cutting deal with “transportation network companies” (TNCs) to operate exclusively in their […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 21, 2017

A House bill to ban red-light cameras cleared its final committee Tuesday and is ready for a floor vote when the 2017 Legislative Session kicks off next month. The House Government Accountability Committee approved HB 6007 with a 13-3 vote; the only no votes came from Democratic Reps. Joe Abruzzo, Carlos Guillermo Smith and Clovis Watson. Last month, the bill had made […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 6, 2017

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When it comes to crashes at Florida’s controversial red-light camera intersections, all may not be what it seems. As Florida lawmakers gear up for battle once again over the use of red light cameras statewide, a new report by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles offers a decidedly mixed bag for both sides […]

Jim RosicaOctober 24, 2016

The state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) will ask lawmakers next session to consider legislation to “allow law enforcement to use drones for traffic crash management.” The proposed bill is part of a “legislative concepts” package Executive Director Terry Rhodes plans to present at Tuesday’s Florida Cabinet meeting. The state law governing drones, the Freedom […]

Jim RosicaAugust 2, 2016

Steven Fielder has been appointed chief of staff for the state’s Department of Corrections. The department announced the move Tuesday. Fielder, who begins Aug. 19, comes from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (DHSMV), where he was most recently director of administrative services, the department’s press release said. Fielder started at DHSMV in 1992, serving in several high-level roles. That experience […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 7, 2016

On Nov. 16, 2015, the Orlando City Council approved a Consent Agenda item authorizing the largest-ever expansion and extension of the city’s red-light contract with American Traffic Solutions. The justification for the expansion was based on dubious safety claims and skewed data. After further investigation, based on responses to public records requests received from the […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 4, 2016

According to an analysis conducted by the Miami Herald last year, most driver’s license suspensions in Florida occur because of a failure to pay fees for traffic violations, not because of unsafe driving practices. The failure to pay fees accounted for 77 percent of all license suspensions in Florida between 2012 and 2015, according to an analysis […]

Phil AmmannNovember 17, 2015

Rob Fields, chief information officer of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, is joining One Eighty Consulting, a Tallahassee-based governmental affairs consultancy firm. Fields, a 14-year-veteran of Florida state government, has been a top adviser to several senior government leaders on a variety of issues: health care, banking, insurance, motor vehicle and […]

Guest AuthorNovember 16, 2015

The city of Orlando has a very important item on its Consent Agenda for Monday. That item is an amendment to the city’s red-light camera contract with American Traffic Solutions (formerly known as Lasercraft), and it’s very important because it calls for a contract extension of five years along with an expansion of up to […]

Peter SchorschApril 21, 2015

I want to go on record saying that I have the deepest respect, regard and admiration for those brave souls who serve in our nation’s military. I sincerely recognize that the threat to global stability is real and, yes, we definitely want and need them on that wall. With that said… There are two bills […]

Tag: DHSMV

Tom Lee quietly files amendment affecting Uber, Lyft

Red-light camera ban clears final House committee

Actually, crash data shows mixed bag

State’s DHSMV seeking permission to use drones

Personnel note: Steven Fielder heads to Corrections

David Shaw: Breaking down Orlando’s questionable red-light camera data

Event aiming to reinstate suspended drivers licenses set in Hillsborough

Personnel note: Veteran state CIO Rob Fields joins One Eighty Consulting

David Shaw: Orlando using skewed data to boost red-light camera program

Overseas online voting: what could possibly go wrong?

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.