Tallahassee Democrat – January 5, 2011

Confidently declaring “Let’s get to work,” Rick Scott became governor Tuesday and ordered a review of government regulations he said are choking Florida’s economy.

The Naples health-care executive, a business-minded Republican who spent some $73 million of his own fortune to become the first governor of modern times with no prior political experience, ordered the creation of an Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform to review all state rules and regulations and get rid of those that inhibit business growth. Read More

Tampa Tribune – January 15, 2011

Gov. Rick Scott is getting conflicting advice from within his party about whether to seek bids to build a Tampa-Orlando rapid-rail line or abandon the concept.

The case against taking federal money to build the train comes mostly from people and groups skeptical of government projects, especially transit, and most especially rail. Supporters, including this newspaper, believe that starting the nation’s high-speed rail network in Florida will benefit the state’s economy and image, at little risk to state taxpayers. Read More

Daily Loaf – January 12, 2011

Associated Industries of Florida, led by Barney Bishop, has the reputation of being one of the most powerful, influential companies in the state capital.  Whether that’s still the case or not might be debatable, but one would think that with Rick Scott’s reverence for business, one would have to think they might have some influence on his thinking.

So as Scott waits until February to get an assessment before weighing in on whether to continue to support the construction of a Tampa-Orlando high speed rail route, he’ll continue to be lobbied pro and con by various stake holders. Read More

Tampa Tribune – January 12, 2011

TALLAHASSEE – Eager to bring large gambling resorts to Florida, casino operators pledged Tuesday to create “potentially tens of thousands of jobs” if lawmakers will sweep away the legal hurdles keeping them out.

But some question whether such a plan is constitutional — and even if it can pass muster in court, it may still face a steep climb in the Legislature. Read More

Lakeland Ledger – January 12, 2011

A powerful statewide business lobby has come out in favor of keeping Florida’s high-speed rail project on track.

Barney Bishop III, president and chief executive officer of Associated Industries of Florida, announced today that the business advocacy group is forming the Florida High Speed Rail Coalition to keep the current high-speed rail project from being slowed down by bickering over cost. Read More

Miami Herald – January 5, 2011

Can an off-road vehicle have two seats in Florida? Should pain clinics get safety reviews every year or every three years? And may produce stands avoid extra fees to get a permit for setting up shop in the Southwest Florida Water Management District?

For Florida businesses, answers to questions big and small (but mostly small) will likely be delayed under Gov. Rick Scott’s order freezing new rules coming out of Tallahassee. Read More

Miami Herald – December 30, 2010

Florida’s government-owned hospitals will be in the political cross hairs after Tuesday’s inauguration of Rick Scott, once leader of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain.

The governor-elect’s transition team has recommended creation of a panel to study whether government-owned hospitals — Miami-Dade’s Jackson Health System and Broward’s two hospital districts among them — are necessary. Read More

Lakeland Ledger – November 24, 2010

It is hard to fathom the hysteria with which Florida’s political and business leaders reacted to last week’s unveiling of new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pollution limits for the state’s rivers, lakes and springs. From Gov.-elect Rick Scott to House Speaker Dean Cannon to Associated Industries chief Barney Bishop, the shrill response to the negotiated limits on nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into our freshwater bodies was one that regional EPA Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming aptly described as “exaggerated doomsday claims.”

Which begs the question: Can a price be put on clean water — especially in a state that depends so heavily on clean water for the health of its tourism and real estate industries, not to mention its drinking water? Read More

The Sunshine State News – November 16, 2010

The months-long battle between Florida and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over freshwater nutrient standards reached a turning point Monday.

During a morning conference call, the EPA announced it will give Florida officials, including the Department of Environmental Protection, 15 months to comply with new numeric nutrient standards for freshwater lakes, streams and rivers. Read More

The Sunshine State News – November 4, 2010

Florida businesses have bemoaned the national Democratic policies they think constrain growth, but business leaders had no complaints after the midterm election results came in Tuesday night.

Republicans swept back into a majority in the House of Representatives, reclaimed the governors’ mansions of many states from Democrats and came up just shy of a majority in the Senate.

But business leaders are equally thrilled at the GOP sweep in the state races. Republicans gained veto-proof majorities in the state House and Senate, took the governor’s race and all three Cabinet seats. Read More