Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerrySeptember 29, 2015

Reaction was fierce and accusatory in the immediate wake of the revelations of a Tampa Bay Times story published last month that traced the Pinellas County School Board’s role in resegregating five elementary schools and having them turn into some of the worst performing ones in Florida. St. Petersburg based House Democrat Darryl Rouson called on the […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 28, 2015

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Uber, the hired-car company seeking to secure its presence in Florida, has taken on former Florida-based lobbyist Stephanie Smith to oversee its public policy initiatives in the Sunshine State. Smith will leave her Atlanta-based post as AT&T’s director of public affairs for Florida and Georgia. As part of her job, she’ll have a hand in Uber’s media and public relations […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 24, 2015

Attention Uber fans and critics: there’s no need for you to travel to Brandon on Friday to listen to cheer (or protest) a series of local legislative bills on regulating ridesharing companies in Florida. The Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation meeting slated at the Brandon campus of Hillsborough Community College, has been postponed until Dec. 8. “Due […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 24, 2015

There’s no question that over the past two decades that Florida has become one of the biggest swing-states in the nation that can ultimately determine who our next president is. It may not be the swing-state (arguably you could call Ohio the ultimate swing-state), but it’s crucially important, especially for the Republican Party. Like political […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 23, 2015

Although it may never come to pass, a redrawn Senate District 20 that would have Pinellas County Republicans Jack Latvala and Jeff Brandes competing against each other shows that Latvala would come out on top, and it wouldn’t be close. The St. Pete Poll survey shows that Latvala would defeat Brandes in a primary, 48-23 percent. Nearly […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 23, 2015

The chair of the Senate’s Transportation Committee has filed legislation to create a central fleet management system for the state’s nearly 25,000 vehicles. State Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican, filed the bill (SB 326), which includes an option to privatize management of the state’s fleet if it can be shown it would save taxpayer […]

Ryan RaySeptember 22, 2015

Sen. Jeff Brandes dashed off a flurry of letters to state agency heads on Tuesday asking for more details on Florida’s system of revoking and suspending drivers’ licenses – and the financial strain, even incarceration, that comes with it. Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, which he says will draft a new law […]

Ryan RaySeptember 17, 2015

A day after Sen. Jeff Brandes chaired a committee which spent half its time receiving a presentation on the laurels of electric cars, the St. Petersburg took six groups of reporters and legislators for a demonstration spin around the Capitol in a brand new Tesla on Thursday. The Transportation Committee chairman led an exposition sponsored by […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 16, 2015

That local bill to regulate Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as Uber and Lyft that the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission has proposed has been drafted and was placed on the PTC’s website on Wednesday. The bill, to be sponsored by Plant City House Republican Dan Raulerson, will be introduced before the local Hillsborough County local delegation […]

Ryan RaySeptember 16, 2015

In its first meeting in preparation of the 2016 regular legislative Session, a Senate committee pulled the trigger on two bills to alter Florida’s state gun statutes on Wednesday. On a so-called “campus carry” bill to allow concealed weapons into higher education facilities, a House panel shortly followed suit. First up was SB 130 sponsored […]

Tag: Jeff Brandes
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Darryl Rouson challenged by School Board chair on South St. Pete school crisis

Stephanie Smith to join Uber in Florida

Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation meeting in Brandon canceled

Mitch Perry Report for 9.24.15 – Will the RPOF gamble on having a meaningful primary election?

Jack Latvala would crush Jeff Brandes in speculative SD 20 race

Jeff Brandes wants centralized state car fleet

Jeff Brandes wants answers on “cruel” driver’s license suspension regime

Jeff Brandes, Drive Electric Florida show off Tesla’s new wares at the Capitol

Hillsborough PTC unveils their bill to regulate Uber and Lyft in Florida

Gun bills move forward in early committee action