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Anitere Flores: Gas stations will be carved out of ‘whiskey and Wheaties’ bill

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Even though the bill sailed through its first committee, state Sen. Anitere Flores Thursday said she would tweak her “whiskey and Wheaties” legislation to make sure it wouldn’t apply to gas station convenience stories. The Senate Regulated Industries committee cleared the bill (SB 106) to repeal the Prohibition-era state law requiring businesses, such as grocery chains and big-box retailers, to have separate stores to sell liquor. After critics and committee members raised concerns, Flores – the Senate President pro tempore – said she…

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State says no to lip balm, sunglasses in Publix liquor stores

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Sorry, Publix customers: You won’t be able to buy “lip balm, sunglasses, gift cards, balloons, mosquito repellant (or) sunscreen” in the supermarket chain’s liquor shops anytime soon. The Lakeland-based chain had sought permission from the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to add those items to those its sells in its separate stores that offer hard liquor. “It is self-evident that balloons are party-type supplies,” its request says, and gift cards, for example, “are a ubiquitous part of party attendance.” Nope,…

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Why I have second thoughts about tearing down the wall between the whiskey and the Wheaties

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For the fourth year in a row, lawmakers will try to tear down the wall that separates tequila from tangelos. Senate President pro tem Anitere Flores has a bill (SB 106) to repeal the Prohibition-era state law requiring businesses, such as grocery chains and big-box retailers, to have separate stores to sell liquor. State Rep. Bryan Avila, a Hialeah Republican, filed a companion bill in the House. However, for the first time in four years, I’m not so sure about this legislation. In Sessions past, I was…

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Wal-Mart outsourcing security issue could make Democrats ‘natural allies’ in whiskey and Wheaties fight

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Chinese philosopher-general Sun Tzu once wrote: “Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” This could also be valuable advice for Florida unions and Democrats — pick your battles wisely. The recent dust-up between unions and Wal-Mart over outsourcing security in Florida could impact another upcoming fight in the 2017 Legislative Session – the effort to tear down the wall of separation between groceries and liquor stores. Recently, the Tampa Bay Times estimated law enforcement in four Florida counties…

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Salvation Army feeling chill at Red Kettles, donations down this Christmas

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One charity in Florida might be feeling a bit of winter chill, as people in the Tampa Bay area are keeping wallets and purses closed at iconic Salvation Army Red Kettles this season. As the holidays approach, Salvation Army donations are down by more than 12 percent across the Tampa Bay Area, according to Capt. Andrew Miller, Area Commander for The Salvation Army of Tampa and Hillsborough County. “With less than three weeks left before Christmas, we’re hoping that shoppers will…

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It’s “whiskey and Wheaties” all over again

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For the fourth year in a row, lawmakers will try to tear down the wall that separates tequila from tangelos. Senate President pro tem Anitere Flores on Monday filed a bill (SB 106) to repeal the Prohibition-era state law requiring businesses, such as grocery chains and big-box retailers, to have separate stores to sell liquor. Beer and wine already are sold in grocery aisles in Florida. “As legislators, we shouldn’t burden businesses with archaic regulations when they must be more innovative and…

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Halloween is brought you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations

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The witching hour is upon us. Ghosts and ghouls fill the streets. Zombies walk side-by-side with princesses and superheroes. Their mission the same: Spook and scare their neighbors in hopes of scoring enough candy to sustain them for the next year. Total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $8.2 billion in 2016, according to the National Retail Federation. The annual survey expects consumers will spend an average of $82.93, up from $74.34 in 2015. The National Retail Federation predicts…

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