Former Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Writer
Michael Auslen covered state government and politics in the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau.
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/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/7aa52f7d-4f8b-4269-aee5-68f99a7c1805.png "Michael Auslen - Former Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Writer")
![Heroin is seen shortly after being emptied out of a baggie and put into a spoon before being injected. As the state has cracked down on prescription pills, the use of heroin and fentanyl has surged. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Tampa Bay Times]](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 562 316"/%3E "Heroin is seen shortly after being emptied out of a baggie and put into a spoon before being injected. As the state has cracked down on prescription pills, the use of heroin and fentanyl has surged. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Tampa Bay Times]")
![Heroin is seen shortly after being emptied out of a baggie and put into a spoon before being injected. As the state has cracked down on prescription pills, the use of heroin and fentanyl has surged. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Tampa Bay Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//Hnpx-jCA5Zv80KAzd6QRBBoAUyE=/320x180/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5P46OFGIVMI6TIRQPAY4DVT77I.jpg "Heroin is seen shortly after being emptied out of a baggie and put into a spoon before being injected. As the state has cracked down on prescription pills, the use of heroin and fentanyl has surged. [LOREN ELLIOTT | Tampa Bay Times]")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DV2ATBGIL4I6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.jpg "Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation on Friday that legalizes medical marijuana in Florida.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/2A6AGMWINYI6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.gif "Gov. Rick Scott")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/NRSLGUGJNQI6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.gif "John Morgan and Roger Stone")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/ZXX5XQGJOMI6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.gif "Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, (right), and Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island.")
![A medical marijuana oil pill. [MONICA HERNDON | Tampa Bay Times]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//NoCOn9GMiSzEmxudlwBOp5KmWVs=/fit-in/320x180/filters:fill(333):format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/BKJAYNWISUI6TIRQPAY4DVT77I.jpg "A medical marijuana oil pill. [MONICA HERNDON | Tampa Bay Times]")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MZJZMUGIOQI6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.gif "Senate President Joe Negron and Sen. Rob Bradley")
![Donald Trump and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi attend the Palm Beach Lincoln Day Dinner in March at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. [Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis via Getty Images]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//6VygQvsGFRbM_QRh5e2n3h79adk=/320x180/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SSSSNDWGCQI6TCHRIBWI6S7HAY.jpg "Donald Trump and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi attend the Palm Beach Lincoln Day Dinner in March at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. [Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis via Getty Images]")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/W3DWTHWIVQI6TIRQPAY4DVT77I.gif "State Reps. Paul Renner (left) and Chris Sprowls.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/VMYVXMGJGUI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.gif "Sens. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, and Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, were among the highest-ranking local lawmakers on the Florida Society of News Editors' \"Sunshine Scoreboard.\"")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/S6Z6Y5GIVYI6TIRQPAY4DVT77I.gif "People gather in Orlando for a vigil earlier this month honoring the 49 lives lost in the June 2016 shooting at Pulse.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/DXGXFIGIM4I6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.gif "Gov. Rick Scott")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QWX3SFWJDEI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.gif)
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/OKGVOYGIM4I6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.gif "Then-Rep. Baxter Troutman cracks a cattle whip on the House floor in 2007.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FW7YDEWJNUI6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.gif "House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz of Tampa")
![Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, right, answers questions on medical marijuana on the Senate floor during a special session of the legislature this week. [AP Photo | Mark Wallheiser]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//NSiO8gIjF_E66O-WPw_fL8FA3QE=/320x180/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/SLQU75GITUI6TIRQPAY4DVT77I.jpg "Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, right, answers questions on medical marijuana on the Senate floor during a special session of the legislature this week. [AP Photo | Mark Wallheiser]")
![Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, answers questions on medical marijuana bill, HB 1397, on the floor at the Florida Capitol, in May. [AP Photo | Mark Wallheiser]](https://www.tampabay.com/resizer//UQVMlQy61iTXLlT5ZZUsIu9Yp34=/320x180/filters:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/B43RXUGJNEI6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.jpg "Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, answers questions on medical marijuana bill, HB 1397, on the floor at the Florida Capitol, in May. [AP Photo | Mark Wallheiser]")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/GCF457WJLAI6TMRBPAY4DVT77I.gif "Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, listens to debate on the medical marijuana bill he sponsored Friday.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/MMKDRVWIOAI6TNW2PAY4DVT77I.gif "Sens. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, share a laugh on the Senate floor.")
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/FYTMTIWJHII6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg "House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, shakes the hand of Florida Gov. Rick Scott, right, as Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, turns toward the podium before Scott’s speech to the Florida Legislature in March.")
:format(webP)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tbt.s3.amazonaws.com/public/RLO2CMGJCEI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.gif "Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater")
