House Bill 291
Follow the money on HB 291
(The examples and issues highlighted in this discussion are informed by the investigative reporting of Jason Garcia, whose work has helped expose the influence of money and special interests in Florida politics. To read more of Jason Garcia’s work, link to his Substack)
This example shows that whenever some pro-consumer piece of legislation fails to get a hearing in Tallahassee, it’s usually because a deep-pocketed corporate interest doesn’t want it to.
In the 2026 Legislative session, the car dealer lobby — led by one billionaire-owned dealership group, in particular — got legislators to pass a new law this past session that’s basically a protectionist scheme meant to stop a Spanish car company from selling its vehicles in Florida unless it agrees to cut multiple dealers in on the deal.
But that wasn’t the only gift car dealers got from Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature this year. Lawmakers also quietly killed another bill that would have enabled a new electric vehicle startup to sell its cars directly to Floridians.
That legislation —House Bill 291 sponsored by Rep. Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota) and Senate Bill 352 sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) — was intended to support Scout Motors, an old American brand that has been resurrected by Volkswagen and turned into a standalone company planning to produce electric pickups and SUVs.
Neither bill got so much as a single hearing during the 60-day legislative session — because car dealers were lobbying furiously against them behind the scenes.
Records show, for instance, that the Florida Automobile Dealers Association arranged a series of meetings opposing the bills with members of the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee and the Senate Transportation Committee, the two legislative committees with initial control over the legislation. Some of the meetings included executives from the Tom Bush Family of Dealerships in Jacksonville and Reed Automotive Group in Orlando.
The dealer lobbyists also distributed talking points urging legislators to oppose the legislation — talking points that explicitly argued that middleman dealers simply couldn’t be expected to compete in a truly free car market.
And they made campaign contributions — everything from $5,000 to Rep. Mike Giallombardo (R-Cape Coral), the chair of the House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee, to $50,000 to Rep. Sam Garrison (R-Fleming Island), the incoming speaker of the state House.
The Florida Automobile Dealers Association made more than $200,000 in campaign contributions through
Some individual dealer owners gave even more — like Braman Management, the network owned by Miami billionaire Norman Braman and the driving force behind the legislation intended to thwart Cupra, the Barcelona-based carmaker that wants to enter the U.S. market. (Incidentally, Cupra is, like Scout, financially backed by Volkswagen.)
None of this is terribly surprising, of course. The entire car dealer business model depends on 20th century state laws that make it illegal for consumers to buy most new cars directly from the companies that actually make them.
This is why we need meaningful campaign finance reform. Floridians deserve a political system where legislation is driven by the needs of citizens—not by the interests of those who can afford to influence the process. But reform will not happen unless citizens speak up and demand it. We must shine a light on dark money, hold lawmakers accountable, and insist on greater transparency in our elections and legislative process.
Donate Today
Your donation can make a real difference in the lives of those we serve. With your help, we can continue to provide vital services and support to those in need. Every little bit helps, so please consider making a donation today.