AMBLER IN THE NEWS

...ultimately, Ambler conveys a firmer grasp on the need to deal creatively with Florida's fiscal crisis. And Norman's failure to deal more openly with the Arkansas matter gives us pause. For the Florida Senate, District 12, the Tribune endorses Kevin Ambler.

State Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, who’s running for state Senate, says he’ll introduce a measure to expand the Legislature’s special session, intended to deal with oil drilling, to include consideration of an “Arizona-style immigration law.”

Ambler said today he’ll announce and introduce the measure Monday.

Tampa - Illegal immigration has become such a big problem in Florida, lawmakers cannot wait until next year to come up with a solution Lutz Representative Kevin Ambler said. They want action taken to secure Florida's borders as early as next week.

Ambler and Sen. Paula Dockery (R) Lakeland say they will file legislation to curtail public benefits for undocumented immigrants, and crack down on people who are illegally in the country and living in Florida. The lawmakers want their colleagues to vote on the measures in next week's special session to discuss offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

TAMPA — Two Florida Republican legislators unveiled Arizona-like immigration bills Wednesday that would make it easier for law enforcement to identify illegal immigrants and more difficult for those here unlawfully to get public benefits or a state job.

Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, said they hope to introduce the three bills during a special session next week on oil drilling.

Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, and Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, called a press conference this morning to ask that their bill to control illegal immigration be heard in next week’s special session called to consider a ban on near shore oil drilling.

BRADENTON — Tampa lawmaker Kevin Ambler, like Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, is drafting a bill to enforce immigration checks in Florida and the state representative wants it discussed during a special legislative session this month.

The bill proposed by Ambler, R-Tampa, is similar to Arizona’s immigration enforcement bill and he is requesting to have the bill added to the special session Gov. Charlie Crist called for July 20-23 to discuss a Florida oil drilling ban. Read more: http://www.bradenton.com/2010/07/13/2427438/businesses-support-immigration.html#ixzz0tnxSyLKb

On April 30th, the House and Senate unanimously voted passage of the Entertainment Industry Incentive Bill into legislation, which will instantly put Florida's film industry back on the map. After recent months of debate, the Senate surprised many with the unanimous vote. Numerous pleading from the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. Kevin Ambler, Rep. Steven Precourt, and Rep. Jennifer Carroll, to the film community in reaching out to the Senate about the importance of this bill has obviously paid off.

State lawmakers passed a sweeping measure Friday to strengthen the state's property insurance market by making it easier for insurers to raise rates.

The bill, SB 2044, now goes to Gov. Charlie Crist, who can sign or veto the bill. He has said that he doesn't support anything to allow rate increases but he hasn't made a decision on the bill, according to his staff.

TALLAHASSEE - Rebekah Morffi recalls riding in a car at age 5 while her grandmother drove and smoked. "I remember sitting in the back, suffering, coughing and not being able to do anything about it," she said.

Now she is doing something about it, and smoking while driving with a child could become illegal in Florida.

On Wednesday, the Bloomingdale High School student, along with seven other students from Hillsborough County high schools convinced a Senate panel to approve their proposal to prohibit adults from smoking in a car carrying any child under age 16.