Thrasher calls for Internet café crackdown in wake of Carroll resignation

Sen. John Thrasher said Carroll’s resignation has changed this year’s session agenda.

Sen. John Thrasher / Democrat files

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This morning’s resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll exemplifies the need for a crackdown of Internet Cafés in Florida, Sen. John Thrasher said Wednesday morning.

Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, said he was sad Carroll submitted her resignation on Tuesday afternoon amid a massive state and federal investigation into a chain of Internet cafes she once represented.

Last month, Thrasher pitched a bill that would place a moratorium on Internet Cafés, saying they harbored illegal gambling. Carroll’s resignation and the investigation of the Allied Veterans of The World, which runs a string of Internet cafes around the country, proves changes must be made.

“You can see people are having problems,” Thrasher said, adding that law enforcement has told him the Allied Veterans investigation has led to the confiscation of $50 million. “I think this is a system that they need to justify.”

Thrasher also pitched a similar bill last year but it did not pass.

Carroll’s resignation has brought a wave of reactions around the capitol. On Wednesday afternoon, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry released a brief statement.

“Lt. Gov. Carroll has been a great leader for our party and our state. She was a terrific advocate for Florida’s military and economic development efforts,” Curry wrote. “Her resignation is disappointing, but she made the right decision to protect both her family and the work she has done to move our state forward over the last few years.”