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Ritch Workman: Uber Lawmaker

August 14th, 2015 by flanews

Lobbyists and other policy makers have noticed a familiar face driving them around Florida’s Capital. Matt Galka took a ride with the Florida House’s Rules Committee Chairman who now spends his nights driving people for the ride sharing company Uber.

He’s not your typical Uber driver.

“Haha yup! Welcome!” says Rep. Ritch Workman (R-Melbourne) when you get into his car.

Workman moonlights as a driver for the ride sharing company around Florida’s capital now.  It’s not exactly the same type of work he puts in for the House of Representatives, but the similarities are there. Talking to different passengers is not so different than campaigning.

When we tagged along Thursday night, the first pickup was for a group of college kids celebrating a birthday.

“His 21st birthday, big night on the town and I was a little piece of it, it was fun,” he said.

Workman says he’d be glad to add perspective to an Uber regulation battle between the companies and taxis that will surely be a hot topic in 2016’s legislative session.

“Uber is making in-roads on their owns without state assistance in the local municipalities, and that’s important. I’m not sure preemption is the answer you go to first.  It often time is the one you must go to last when all local efforts have failed,” he said.

The Melbourne Republican says he doesn’t see the need to regulate the dueling companies the same.  He says taxis were regulated to try and prevent drivers from increasing fares on unsuspecting customers. Uber’s technology makes it tough to do.

 

He provided one more piece of wisdom before dropping us off.

“Drunk dudes, when you’re the sober driver, are not nearly as interesting as they think they are,” he said with a laugh.

But he says he’s happy to help someone get home if they can’t get behind the wheel – and keep himself out of trouble after midnight in the process.

Driving for Uber is a third job for Workman who, along with being a part-time state legislator, is a director of business development at Keiser University. He says the added money helps support his wife and six children.

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