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House gambling bill teed up for next week

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The Florida House of Representatives quietly released its gambling overhaul for 2017 Thursday afternoon, setting it for a hearing next Thursday. As expected, the 81-page bill (PCB TGC 17-01) includes a renewed blackjack deal, or “compact,” between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, as first struck by Gov. Rick Scott. No Casinos, the gambling expansion group, soon tweeted: “Still analyzing bill, but at first blush @MyFLHouse seems to have found a way to renew compact without turning FL into Vegas/Atlantic…

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Mark Wilson calls House push to eliminate Enterprise Florida ‘a political conversation about ideology’

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Addressing what he called the “obvious elephant in the room,” Florida Chamber President Mark Wilson criticized Florida House members who backed an effort to end economic incentive programs, calling the move political. “I want to be blunt for a few minutes,” said Wilson. “This is not a Legislature trying to seek how to diversify the economy and how to grow trade. This is a political conversation about an ideology that frankly is silly.” Wilson made his comments during the 2017…

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Richard Corcoran already vexed by Senate gambling plan

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House Speaker Richard Corcoran is saving the profanities—for now. At a Thursday press availability, Corcoran was asked about comments by a lobbyist involved in this year’s gambling legislation, which the Senate has taken the lead on with an omnibus bill (SB 8). The person was overheard in a Capitol corridor saying he had spoken with the Speaker about the bill: “He’s not going for this free-for-all … He is going to let [the Senate] have their kitchen-sink charade for now.” “Those aren’t words that…

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Bills would restrict local regulation of vacation rentals

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Proposals from state Rep. Mike La Rosa and state Sen. Greg Steube would restrict how local governments may regulate vacation rentals, a move that could help preserve that market for the rapidly-expanding Airbnb phenomenon and similar home-sharing services. On Tuesday La Rosa introduced House Bill 425. Like Steube’s Senate Bill 188, introduced earlier, it would prevent cities, towns and counties from adopting local laws, ordinances and regulations of vacation rentals, leaving their oversight largely to the state. Both La Rosa’s…

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Lawmakers get ready for Seminole Compact, gambling debate

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The chair of the House’s gambling policy panel Thursday made clear what the elephant in the committee room would be this legislative session. “Everything we do is connected to this gaming compact,” said state Rep. Mike La Rosa, referring to the pending renewal of an agreement between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.  Indeed, the Legislature’s real work on gambling won’t start till the Senate files its gambling legislation for 2017, expected later today (Thursday). La Rosa, a St.…

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Seminole Compact, other gambling issues expected to be top priority in House Commerce committee

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The House Commerce Committee is poised to tackle everything from assignment of benefits to economic incentives, but it’s the most narrowly defined subcommittee that could be the busiest in the months leading up to, and during, the 2017 Legislative Session. The full House Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, met Tuesday morning to get an overview of topics expected to come up in the upcoming 60-day legislative session. “So it begins,” said Diaz. “We’re going to be busy.…

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More than a dozen lawmakers file for re-election in 2018

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The number of lawmakers prepping for another run keeps on growing. State elections records show dozens of members of the state House and Senate have filed to run for re-election in 2018. Many of those are incumbents who faced little-to-no opposition in 2016, while others ran hard fought battles to win their spot in the Florida Legislature. Sen. Tom Lee filed to run for re-election in Senate District 20 on Dec. 29. The Brandon Republican was re-elected in June 2016,…

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