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The Role Of Lobbyists In Crafting Legislation

Florida Capitol Building in Tallahassee. Source: WikiMedia Commons
Florida Capitol Building in Tallahassee. Source: WikiMedia Commons

One of the issues on the minds of lawmakers in Tallahassee this session is immigration, and there’s a bill making its way through the legislature to ban so-called sanctuary cities.

A report from the News Service of Florida revealed that a hardline anti-immigration group worked with lawmakers to draft the bill.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine State is touted by politicians as a low tax, business-friendly environment. Yet Florida Trend magazine reports lobbyists representing businesses ranging from rental car companies to theme parks are pushing for more tax cuts.

Whether it’s clamping down on immigration or lowering taxes, who writes the laws that shape life in Florida? What role do lobbyists play and how transparent is the process? 

Joining the discussion on Intersection are Jason Garcia, associate editor with Florida Trend; Ana Ceballos, state government and politics reporter with the News Service of Florida, and Chris Carmody, attorney and lobbyist with Gray Robinson.