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Brian Avila

House whiskey and Wheaties bill stumbles in second committee

in Statewide by
whiskey and Wheaties

The House version of the “whiskey and Wheaties” bill stumbled and then face planted in its second committee hearing Tuesday afternoon. The Walmart-backed HB 81, sponsored by Hialeah Republican Rep. Bryan Avila, would allow grocery stores and other retailers to sell liquor, rather than keeping up the so-called “liquor wall.” The issue is a top priority for Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores and a boatload of retailers, but conservatives in the House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee wanted nothing to do with it.…

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Baseball commissioner: Rays stadium is about location, location, location

in Sports by

Another year has almost passed and, so far as we know, nothing much has happened to lead anyone to believe the Tampa Bay Rays are anywhere close to securing a new stadium. But there were two developments this week that seemed to be forces pulling in the opposite direction. That’s never good. On Monday, as the Tampa Bay Times reported, baseball Commissioner Ron Manfred told reporters that the No. 1 priority for a stadium is location, location, location. “I think…

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Red-light camera crackdown stalls in Senate, gets green light in House

in Top Headlines by

Efforts to put the brakes on the use of red-light cameras by municipalities stalled in the Florida Senate on Tuesday, but is continuing to cruise in the House. State Sen. Jeff Brandes and state Rep. Brian Avila say the money the cameras raise in fines should be used for public safety programs. An OPPAGA report found that most of the revenue generated by the fines, $119 million in 2013, is used as part of local governments’ general revenue fund. “If public safety is…

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