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Mitch PerryMarch 13, 2017

St. Petersburg Republican Jeff Brandes has amended his ridesharing bill (SB 340) that has been moving its way through the Florida Senate. Among those changes include authorizing seaports to impose pickup fees on rideshare drivers when picking up or dropping riders from seaports, as long as they do not exceed what that particular port is charging […]

Mitch PerryMarch 12, 2017

Broward Democrat Jeremy Ring isn’t officially a candidate for Chief Financial Officer, but he talked the part during a stop in Tampa on Friday. Speaking at the Oxford Exchange as part of the Cafe Con Tampa weekly event, the former Yahoo executive introduced himself to the audience by humble-bragging about his private sector background, describing himself […]

Mitch PerryMarch 7, 2017

Speaking to an audience in her home district of Tampa last month, House Minority Leader Janet Cruz feels Florida doesn’t have a spending or revenue problem. Tallahassee has a “priority problem,” the House District 62 representative said. She maintains that attitude going into the 2017 regular Legislative Session, which officially kicks off Tuesday. “The Republicans have continued […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 22, 2017

Last year in the Florida Legislature, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill to create statewide regulations regarding ridesharing, but the bill died ignominiously in the state Senate. Similar bills are winding their way through committees in both chambers already in 2017, and on Wednesday, the group Floridians for Ridesharing Coalition announced their support for […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 21, 2017

A bill to create statewide regulations for ridesharing companies easily advanced in its last committee stop Tuesday in the Florida House, but not without some dissent from a handful of Democrats on the panel. The bill (HB 221) is sponsored by Tampa Republican Jamie Grant and Palm Harbor Republican Chris Sprowls, and officials with Uber and Lyft are hoping that this is finally the […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 8, 2017

A Florida House committee advanced a bill Wednesday to implement statewide regulations on ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Sponsored by Republicans Chris Sprowls of Palm Harbor and Jamie Grant of Tampa, HB 221 addresses issues that have been vexing state lawmakers for the last three Sessions. If passed, drivers would need to carry insurance coverage worth $50,000 for […]

Rosanne DunkelbergerFebruary 7, 2017

With former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden sick at home, wife Cindy Gruden stepped in to stump for Moffitt Cancer Center‘s request for increased funding at the Capitol. Gruden was one of more than 75 representatives of the Moffitt Cancer Center, who came by bus and bicycle — doctors, patients, caregivers, community leaders, and researchers — […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 6, 2017

Tampa GOP state Representative Jamie Grant has filed a bill (HB 647) that would eliminate the controversial Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. “With new information being made public every day, it becomes increasingly clear that this agency needs to be abolished,” Grant said in a statement. “Everything that has come to light has confirmed what we knew […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2017

Tampa Bay’s Legislative Delegation, with state lawmakers representing the area’s eight counties, spent two hours Wednesday in Clearwater discussing how to begin addressing the region’s myriad transportation issues. According to a new white paper prepared by the D.C.-based Enos Center for Transportation for the Tampa Bay Partnership, a regional structure for transportation planning, operations and decision-making is […]

Mitch PerryDecember 15, 2016

November 8 was a pretty great night for Florida Republicans. For the first time since 2004, the Sunshine State went red in the presidential race; Marco Rubio easily won re-election in his race for the U.S. Senate. And despite the redistricting of every state Senate seat, the GOP lost no seats in the Legislature’s upper chamber. One not so […]

Tag: Jamie Grant
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Jeff Brandes amends ridesharing bill in Florida Senate

In Tampa, potential CFO candidate Jeremy Ring tells his story

Janet Cruz is ready to lead her caucus during what’s expected to be a raucous Session

Floridians for Ridesharing Coalition pushes for statewide bill to get passed this year

Ridesharing bill advances 21-1 in House committee

House advances bill for statewide ride-sharing regulations

Cindy Gruden at Capitol to support boosting cigarette tax for Moffitt Cancer funding

At long last, Jamie Grant files bill to kill Hillsborough PTC

Tampa Bay Legislative Delegation attempts to find answers for regional transportation fix

Deb Tamargo battles Jonny Torres for future control of Hillsborough County Republican Party