About Brian Rush

Family

Brian Rush is the son of Joseph C. Rush and Florence Pavlik Rush of St. Petersburg, Florida, where he was the fifth of twelve children.

In a family of twelve children, Brian Rush learned the principles of fair play and hard work, and, of course, a bit of fun. The family dinner table with 14 seats was often the place for Democratic Party political topics. Brian first ventured into business as a young child with his older brothers, who started a neighborhood lawn mowing business. Later, Brian Rush worked evenings and weekends at the local grocery store. During summers home from college, Brian worked as a lifeguard on Treasure Island Beach. Brian Rush’s earnings and savings through high school and college were enough to pay for his undergraduate education at the University of Florida.

Brian Rush and all his siblings graduated from public schools in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Brian graduating from Boca Ciega High School. Rush received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida, and later graduated from the University of Florida College of Law, where he earned honors as part of the Florida Law Review.

Brian P. Rush married his high school sweetheart, Margaret Murrell. His wife, Margaret, holds a master’s degree from USF in Public Health and worked for many years at the Environmental Protection Commission in Hillsborough County. Today, Brian and Margaret have three grown children and six grandchildren.

Legal & Legislative Career

At age 28, Brian P. Rush was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, representing Northwest Tampa and Northern Pinellas County for eight years. As a member of the House of Representatives, Brian Rush was Majority Whip for the Democratic Caucus and held a number of chairmanships, including Chairman of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, Chairman of the Claims Committee, and Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water Resources. Rush was also Vice-Chairman of the Education K-12 Committee, the Committee on Finance and Taxation, and the Judiciary Committee. He was Chairman of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation in 1990.

While in the House of Representatives, Brian Rush was a champion of public schools and a leader in providing additional financial support and funding for public schools and public universities. He was recognized for protecting air and water quality when he served on the House Environmental Regulation Committee and chaired the Water Resources Subcommittee. Brian Rush actively supported enhanced water quality protections and mandated clean-up of groundwater caused by industrial and petroleum polluters. Brian Rush also served on the House Healthcare Committee and took an active role in legislation designed to protect patients from financial exploitation arising from healthcare providers’ prohibited self-referral.

During his legislative service, Brian Rush was the prime author and sponsor of numerous statutes, including campaign finance reform and the Convenience Store Security Act, which required enhanced security measures to protect store clerks. Brian Rush also authored the original public school Class Size Reduction Act, which was later passed into law and adopted by the Florida voters into the Florida Constitution in 1996, after he left the House of Representatives in 1994. Brian Rush was repeatedly recognized as a Champion of Public Schools, Environmental Protection, and First Amendment Rights.

Defender of the First Amendment

Brian Rush has practiced law in his north Tampa office for over 30 years defending small businesses and Floridians’ First Amendment Rights. Brian represented Doug Erwin, a school administrator who alleged fraud and violation of First Amendment Whistle Blower Rights in regard to misconduct related to Hillsborough County school district construction, on which Erwin prevailed in a successful Federal Court lawsuit. In 2021, Rush filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation and several of its agents, seeking to protect Floridian’s First Amendment Speech and Constitutional Rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. (See, Case No. 4:21-CV-506, Northern District of Florida, 2021)

Awards & Recognitions

Sierra Club Leadership Award, Protection of Coastal Barrier Resources
Gift of Life Award (For advancing the regulation of organ transplants)
League of Conservation Voter Environmental Gold Star Award (2-time Recipient)
Education Golden Rule Award (Finalist)
Champion of Public Education Award (Finalist)
Sheriff’s Recognition Award
Member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church and wife, Margaret, a member of the Methodist Church