If Rand Paul is the most interesting man in politics (as he was labeled last fall by Time magazine), then Jeff Brandes is definitely on the short list for the most interesting lawmaker in Tallahassee.
Though he skews right (sometimes extreme right, as when he was the only state senator who opposed the Joe Negron “hybrid” proposal on Medicaid expansion in 2013), he’s also got a strong libertarian bent that distinguishes himself from the majority of his GOP brethren.
He seems to be involved in just about every interesting issue in Tallahassee that engages the average voter — issues like Uber, driverless cars, medical pot, the “Right-to-Try,” guns, addressing civil asset forfeiture and the abuse of the legal process.
As chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Brandes will be instrumental in trying to pass legislation that gets ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to come into full compliance with state law — or change state law so that they become compliant.
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For a complete explanation of how this list was created and who comprised the panel that assembled it, please read here.
