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Jet fuel tax changes looking poised to pass Senate

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A proposal by state Sen. Anitere Flores to bring some finality to a long-simmering legislative food fight between major airline carriers like United Airlines and Delta and their smaller upstart rivals operating in Florida is getting closer to taking off from the Capitol Building and landing in the Governor’s Mansion to await the approval of Gov. Rick Scott. The legislation — which seeks to end an existing exemption to state taxes on jet fuel consumption — is currently in for a layover…

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Will 1030 or 7066 put medicinal marijuana in the ground?

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Growers, investors, and patient advocates are reading state Rep. Matt Gaetz’s words on medicinal marijuana as if they were ancient tasseographers reading tea leaves. They are trying to discern whether medicinal marijuana will become available under SB 1030, approved in 2014, or SPB 7066, which is moving through the Florida Senate. “What are they doing in Tallahassee? Where are we going with this?” asked Kerry Herndon, a Central Florida grower interested in one of the licenses authorizing the cultivation of medicinal…

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Gwen Margolis’ ‘palcohol’ ban progresses in Senate

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A bill to prohibit the sale of powdered alcohol — known in industry lingo as ‘palcohol’ — before it has even arrived at Florida retailers passed another test in the Senate on Thursday. The ban was unanimously approved by the Rules Committee. State Sen. Gwen Margolis’ SB 998 now awaits a vote by the full Senate. Brandon state Sen. Tom Lee spoke for a lot of casual observers as well as his panel-mates when he asked Margolis — like Lee, a former Senate president…

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Mitch Perry Report for 4.2.15 — Florida Republicans and immigration

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There’s lot of stories in the news this week about the Republican Party and social issues. Both Mike Pence in Indiana (considered a 2016 presidential possibility) and Asa Hutchison in Arkansas have asked for tweaks in their Religious Freedom Restoration Act bills, after the firestorm it’s created nationally, particularly amongst business groups. Another issue that the Republicans have had to dance with carefully on is immigration, where there has always been a schism between the business side of the party and…

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Pam Bondi goes to Nevada

Drawing on lessons learned after a nightclub massacre last year in Orlando, Attorney General Pam Bondi and members of her

Senate passes language preventing Pam Bondi suit against feds, takes it back

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Florida’s so-called “dreamers”- undocumented youth who were brought to this country as children – received a rude April Fools joke from the Senate majority this afternoon. Sen. Darren Soto introduced an amendment to SB 2500, better known as the Senate budget proposal, that would have prevented Attorney General Pam Bondi from pursuing a lawsuit against the Obama administration. Bondi has joined Republican attorneys general in 25 other states in challenging the President’s recent executive action to halt deportation of Dreamers who have not…

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Pam Bondi goes to Nevada

Drawing on lessons learned after a nightclub massacre last year in Orlando, Attorney General Pam Bondi and members of her

With Senate budget amendments teed up, calls flood senators

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Amendment 1 supporters on Tuesday were flooding senators with calls urging them to support funding for land-buying in advance of Senate floor action on the state budget on Wednesday. In November, 75 percent of voters statewide supported the water and land conservation funding initiative that provides an estimated $741 million in the 2015-16 state budget. The proposed Senate budget provides $2 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program and another $20 million for land acquisition for Kissimmee River restoration. On…

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Fracking bills pass Senate committee with DEP support

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Bills dealing with oil and gas hydraulic fracturing in Florida passed their first Senate committee stop on Tuesday after a state environmental official said they would provide needed regulation for the industry. SB 1468 by state Sen. Garrett Richter, a Republican from Bradenton, requires the state to develop rules for permitting “high-pressure well-stimulation,” which includes hydraulic fracturing — also called fracking. SB 1582 provides for a public records exemption for fracking “trade secrets.” Paula Cobb, the Florida Department of Environmental…

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