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Ross Spano

Rick Scott: I will do ‘everything I can’ to ensure Jimmy Patronis stays CFO in 2018

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

A day after state Sen. Tom Lee indicated he would enter the race for Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Gov. Rick Scott committed to helping current CFO Jimmy Patronis stay in the position. “I’ve known Jimmy for a long time. I appointed Jimmy because I think he’s going to do a really good job as the CFO,” Scott told reporters after holding a press conference touting July jobs number at a Honda dealership in Brandon. “He’ll have about a year and…

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Ross Spano endorses Yvonne Fry in House District 58 contest

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Ross Spano, who represents the Greater Brandon area in the House of Representatives, is endorsing Plant City businesswoman Yvonne Fry in the House District 58 special election. “Yvonne Fry is the most qualified and well-prepared candidate to serve the residents of District 58,” Spano said on Friday. “We share a focus on education and small business issues. While I have been working to address these issues in Tallahassee, she has been hard at work here at home.

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Julianne Holt expresses concerns about Rick Scott’s benching of Aramis Ayala

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

After Rick Scott removed Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala from the case of accused cop killer Markeith Loyd, she announced she would not pursue the death penalty in his or any other case during her tenure. Later, Dover House Republican Ross Spano called on Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren to condemn Ayala’s actions.  Warren refused, saying that he would seek out the death penalty only in “rare cases that are so heinous, atrocious, and undeserving of mercy as to be considered the worst of the worst in our society.” At the Tampa…

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Andrew Warren reacts to Ross Spano’s comment that he should resist following lead of Aramis Ayala on death penalty

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The announcement that Aramis Ayala, the newly-elected state prosecutor in Orlando, would not seek the death penalty in the high-profile prosecution of an accused cop killer is having reverberations around the state. Ayala was taken off the case by Governor Rick Scott after she refused to recuse herself, and prompted Dover Republican Ross Spano to call on Hillsborough County’s State Attorney Andrew Warren to “condemn” Ayala’s actions. “I call on our new State Attorney, Andrew Warren, to resist the political urge to follow the lead of State Attorney Ayala, condemn her actions…

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Legislative hopefuls file to run in 2018, 2020

in Statewide by

More lawmakers are gearing up for a re-election bid. State elections records show dozens of members of the state House and Senate have filed to run for re-election in 2018, and several more are looking ahead to 2020. Sen. Greg Steube is one of those lawmakers who is starting to think about his next race. The Sarasota Republican filed to run for re-election in Senate District 23 on Jan. 10. Steube replaced Sen. Nancy Detert, winning the seat after a…

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Personnel note: Jonathan Rees joins Anheuser-Busch

in Statewide/Top Headlines by
Beer Rees

Jonathan Rees, a member of the 2016 class of FloridaPolitics.com’s “30 Under 30,” will be joining Anheuser-Busch as the state affairs manager for Florida, effective Monday. Rees will be responsible for leading Anheuser-Busch’s legislative agenda, political giving and stakeholder engagement in Florida. The company brews more than 100 brands in the United States, including its flagship brands, Budweiser and Bud Light, and holds a 45.8 percent share of the beer market. Rees also will continue to highlight the company’s commitment to Florida, including its nearly…

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Pam Bondi announces website to spread awareness of human trafficking in Florida

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Since beginning her tenure as Attorney General six years ago, Pam Bondi has made the combating of human trafficking in the state one of her signature issues. Appearing at Tampa International Airport on Friday morning, Bondi announced the partnership with the airport to encourage travelers to spot human trafficking and report suspicious activity. They can do so by going to a new website, YouCanStopHT.com. “Thousands of people walk through our airport every single day,” Bondi said. “Partnering with the airport gives us a unique opportunity to spread…

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