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Zac Anderson Political Editor @zacjanderson

Political protests in the Sarasota region rarely draw a crowd like the one that gathered recently for a solidarity march over the Ringling Bridge in conjunction with the Womens March on Washington.

The Sarasota solidarity march organized by Action Together Suncoast attracted thousands of people to Bayfront Park. Its a popular protest spot in the shadow of the Unconditional Surrender sailor statue, but most political events there draw a few dozen - or at most a few hundred - people.

In terms of crowd size, the closest thing to Action Togethers march in recent history may have been an event on April 16, 2009.

On that day more than 2,000 people gathered at Bayfront Park for the first big Tea Party protest in the region.

The movement centered around the Womens March on Washington already is being branded as the lefts version of the Tea Party.

I do see parallels, said Palmetto resident Jenni Casale, one of the organizers of Action Togethers Sarasota march.

The Tea Party largely was a conservative response to the policies put forward by former President Barack Obama. The Womens March was prompted by the deep concern many on the left have about what will happen under President Donald Trump.

Whether Trumps critics can whip up the kind of sustained energy and political pressure that Tea Party leaders were able to muster remains to be seen.

Buoyed by Tea Party enthusiasm, Republicans took back the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 and have controlled the chamber ever since. The movement still exerts influence, contributing to the departure of former House Speaker John Boehner in 2015 and the ongoing anti-establishment sentiment within the GOP that Trump tapped into.

Casale and her compatriots plan to use a similar playbook to stir things up on the left.

I think we need to follow some of the same kinds of actions putting pressure on politicians said Dianne Perry, another Action Together organizer who lives in eastern Manatee County.

The group collected a long list of email addresses and phone numbers from those who participated in the Sarasota march and will work to keep these people politically engaged.

A few days after the march some Action Together members traveled to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubios Tampa office to voice their concerns about Trumps Cabinet picks. The group is gathering Sunday for a where do we go next meeting, Casale said. Theyve already requested a permit for another Sarasota march in April.

We have to protect what we have and not go backwards, Perry said.

Perry, 70, and Casale, 60, were supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Casale volunteered for Clintons campaign. But neither has been deeply involved in party politics. Both are recent retirees who say the push back against Trump has given them something to focus on in retirement.

Trump himself has criticized the movement, tweeting: "Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote?

Some argue that Trumps critics are rushing to judgement before he has had a chance to govern. Casale and Perry see no reason to give the president a grace period.

Yes the election is over, Casale said. But that does not mean we step back, lay down and just accept everything.

Gruters pushing immigration crackdown

State Rep. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, co-chaired President Donald Trumps Florida campaign and one of his first acts as a state lawmaker is right in line with one of Trumps first acts as president.

This week Trump signed executive orders calling for construction of a border wall his signature campaign promise increasing the number of border patrol guards, classifying more immigrants who are in the country illegally as priorities for deportation and stripping so-called sanctuary cities that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities of federal funding.

Gruters wants to Florida to take the additional step of forcing businesses to use an E-verify system to determine if new employees are in the country illegally.

Its party of my commitment to ensure we put Americans first in the mold of Donald Trump, Gruters said of his E-Verify bill, HB 443, filed this week.

Businesses not in compliance with Gruters legislation would be placed on probation and repeat offenders would have their business license suspended. Florida lawmakers have tried to establish E-verify in the state before and failed. Gruters sees new momentum on the issue.

With Donald Trumps election and the commitment and the idea we want to put Americans first I think there may be a pathway to finally pass it, Gruters said.

This is the second bill Gruters has filed on a highly-charged partisan issue. He also wants to make abortions illegal earlier in a pregnancy.

But its not all partisan warfare for the new state representative. He also filed a request last week for funding to extend Sarasota Countys Legacy Trail further north.

Bill impacts Sarasota hospital dispute

Gruters wasnt the only freshman lawmaker from Sarasota filing high-profile legislation this week.

State Rep. Alex Miller, R-Sarasota, has a bill that would eliminate the certificate of need process for hospitals, nursing homes and hospice enters in Florida.

Miller has a deep understanding of healthcare. She runs a medical supply company and was elected to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital board before winning a state House seat. She is teaming up with another healthcare expert on the legislation. The bill is a priority for Gov. Rick Scott, the former CEO of a large hospital company.

The legislation, HB 7, would end a conflict between two competing Sarasota County hospitals.

Venice Regional Bayfront Health and Sarasota Memorial Hospital both received approval from the state to build new facilities in the Venice area. Now theyre challenging each others approval. They will have no basis for those challenges if Millers bill passes.

Events

The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club meets Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Michaels on East. The Sarasota City Commission candidates will answer questions posed by moderator Morgan Bentley. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for guests. For reservations call 925-2970 or email sarasotatigerbayclub@verizon.net.

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The left's Tea Party? Sarasota march largest since early Tea Party gathering - Sarasota Herald-Tribune