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Ryan Ray - page 12

Ryan Ray has 632 articles published.

Ryan Ray writes about campaigns and public policy in Tampa Bay and across the state. A contributor to FloridaPolitics.com and before that, The Florida Squeeze, he covers the Legislature as a member of the Florida Capitol Press Corps and has worked as a staffer on several campaigns. He can be reached at [email protected].

New PPP poll: Charlie Crist leading Eric Lynn 71%-11% in CD-13 primary

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

New data from Public Policy Polling released Thursday shows former Gov. Charlie Crist leading former Obama administration official Eric Lynn by 60 points in a Democratic primary race for the open 13th Congressional District seat in Pinellas County. Crist leads Lynn by a margin of 71 percent to 11 percent among likely Democratic voters polled on March 8-9, with 18 percent undecided. The poll results also show a staggering name ID advantage for Crist, who represented liberal-leaning Pinellas in the state Senate beginning in the 1990s as…

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Uber delivers to Andy Gardiner thousands of pro-ridesharing petition signatures

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

A representative for Uber personally delivered what he said was 32,588 petitions to Senate President Andy Gardiner on Thursday morning, continuing the intensifying fight between Senate leadership and the ride-hailing industry over insurance regulations and the preemption of local ordinances. The two parties are locked in a heated debated over whether the Senate should vote on a House-approved pro-“ridesharing” plan sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, or whether to take up a more modest bill that would settle outstanding sticking points on insurance crafted by Senate…

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Legislature passes new strictures on abortion clinics

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that critics say would curtail women’s access to safe and legal abortions, while supporters say it simply “gets Florida out of the abortion business.” The measure to increase medical requirements on abortion clinics, sponsored by Lakeland Republican Sen. Kelli Stargel, passed 25-15 after nearly half an hour of debate. After the Senate removed language pledging the state’s commitment to an “unborn child’s right to life,” which many legal observers could have added further constitutional complications,”…

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Senate passes abridged public corruption bill

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The Florida Senate passed a shorter alternative to an omnibus anti-corruption bill to tighten ethics standards and make it easier to prosecute corruption on Wednesday, amid a flurry of bill action. The proposal, HB 7071, passed on a 39-0 vote. The measure lowers a legal threshold for prosecution from “with corrupt intent” to “knowingly and intentionally” engaging in a corrupt act. Senate sponsor Sen. Don Gaetz had also introduced a more expansive version that would strengthen financial reporting requirements, add restrictions on private…

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Free & charitable clinics: Thanks for the funding, please don’t veto it

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

When the Legislature’s final budget hit the desk Tuesday afternoon, it included a line item containing $10 million to fund free and charitable clinics for underserved and uninsured Floridians. Around the same time, the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics issued a statement expressing their gratitude, along with a heartfelt request: please, Gov. Rick Scott, allow us to actually use those funds instead of sending it to the cutting room floor. “By funding free and charitable clinics, the Florida House and Senate…

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Adam Putnam thanks lawmakers for helping crack down on gas pump “skimmers”

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The House on Tuesday passed a bill designed to stop thieves from using “skimmers,” devices that steal consumer’s credit card information when they swipe their cards to pay for gas at the pump. The measure –  SB 912 – was top priority this Session for Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and he expressed his gratitude to sponsor Sen. Anitere Flores and House companion sponsor Majority Leader Dana Young in a statement Tuesday. “Protecting consumers from identity theft at gas pumps requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. I thank Senator…

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Lawmakers close out budget with $123 million in new, sprinkle projects

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

The Budget Conference Chairs held their final meeting Monday night, finalizing all remaining differences between House and Senate proposals and approving “supplemental funding issues” paid for with money from what is informally known as the “bill pot” or more informally still as — sprinkle money. Chair Rep. Richard Corcoran and Vice Chair Sen. Tom Lee wrote into the budget a mixture of fixes for projects unintentionally not funded until now and last-minute items favored by legislative leadership, though too controversial to make it in otherwise. An…

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