Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 5, 2018

Hillsborough County now has a funding framework in place to fund half of a new baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. However, the team has yet to say whether or not they are willing to play ball. The plan would leverage private investment to avoid taxpayer subsidies. If the team rejects the deal, there […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 29, 2018

Screen-Shot-2018-11-29-at-2.43.27-PM.png

Veteran 10News reporter Noah Pransky is leaving his post at the Tampa Bay-area news station after the end of this year, he told Florida Politics Thursday. For a decade, Pransky has been doing political reporting and investigative work for the station, also called News Channel 10. Pransky said he hasn’t decided where his professional career […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

Hillsborough County’s transportation referendum passed Tuesday night, with 57 percent of the vote. It’s a huge win for transportation and transit activists who have seen initiative after initiative fail locally at the ballot box. “We are humbled by tonight’s results, which confirm that Hillsborough County is ready to invest in a transportation plan that truly […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 24, 2018

Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays now officially own soccer’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Rays announced Wednesday. The Rays finalized the sale for an undisclosed amount after the 2018 United Soccer League season concluded. Rays leadership said the transition from previous owner Bill Edwards will begin immediately. Edwards announced at the beginning of the month he was selling the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 6, 2018

The All for Transportation campaign raised more than $1 million during the second half of September, according to campaign finance documents filed with Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. All three of the region’s major league sports teams — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Rays — contributed to the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 2, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rowdies will continue playing soccer in the United Soccer League for at least five more seasons, the team announced Tuesday. Owner Bill Edwards is selling the team to the Tampa Bay Rays and made the five year guarantee a stipulation of that sale. Edwards did not disclose his selling price or additional […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 1, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly purchasing the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer franchise and may also buy Al Lang Stadium. “Mr. [Bill] Edwards deserves much appreciation for remaking the Tampa Bay Rowdies and investing in Al Lang Stadium and our community,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. “Similarly, the Tampa Bay Rays’ […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 27, 2018

Angela Birdsong, the Democrat challenging Republican Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, launched an ad Thursday criticizing Hagan for not putting taxpayers first. The ad takes Hagan to task for prioritizing a new Major League Baseball stadium over things like affordable housing and fixing the county’s transportation network. “I’ve spent months meeting with voters and listening […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 14, 2018

The Florida Bar now is seeking to disbar a former judge who accepted baseball tickets from a law firm representing a woman whose personal injury case he was presiding over. Circuit Judge John F. Lakin, elected in 2012, quit the bench in March 2016. He served on the 12th Judicial Circuit, which serves DeSoto, Manatee […]

Joe HendersonSeptember 13, 2018

It is nearly mid-September and the Tampa Bay Rays are playing meaningful baseball games. They still have an outside shot of making the playoffs. Being the wise baseball sage that I am, I certainly saw this success coming after the club ran off all its high-priced talent in an offseason purge that at the time […]

Tag: Tampa Bay Rays

Ybor City Rays stadium deal has a funding plan, but it might not be enough

Award-winning watchdog reporter Noah Pransky to leave WTSP

Hillsborough transportation, education sales tax initiatives pass

Tampa Bay Rays finalize Rowdies purchase; changes in store

Hillsborough transportation initiative rakes in $1 million as pro sports teams go all-in

Tampa Bay Rowdies to play at Al Lang for at least 5 years after Rays buy the team

Tampa Bay Rays to purchase Rowdies, Al Lang Stadium

Angela Birdsong says Ken Hagan puts baseball over people

Rays tickets could lead to disbarment of former Bradenton judge

Joe Henderson: Tampa Bay Rays are winning, fun. Will it matter?