Peter Schorsch
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Ana Ceballos, Daniel McAuliffe, and Jim Rosica.
Excitement is high in Tallahassee, as all eyes in Florida — and the country — are on Parkland, the Florida Capitol and subsequent protests and outrage.
Alas, as a mere mortal, and swept up in all the excitement of Session, I am a bit under the weather.
Hence, an abbreviated version of Sunburn this morning, which will return full-force on Monday.
Thanks for your understanding and continued support.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony — 2; Last day for regularly scheduled legislative committee meetings — 3; Disney Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival — 6; Last day to take up Special Order Calendar — 10; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program termination begins — 10; Sine Die (maybe) — 14; St. Patrick’s Day — 22; March For Our Lives gun violence protest — 29; Major League Baseball Opening Day — 35; Easter — 37; NFL Draft begins — 62; Close of candidate qualifying for federal office — 70; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 89; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 119; Primary Election Day — 186; College Football opening weekend — 190; General Election Day — 256; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 354.
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Assignment Editors — Gov. Rick Scott will announce his “action plan to make major changes to help keep Florida students safe, including school safety improvements and keeping guns away from individuals struggling with mental illness.” That’s at 10:30 a.m., Governor’s Office large conference room, Plaza level, The Capitol.
— CAPITOL INSIGHT —
“House vacation rentals bill clears Government Accountability Committee” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — House Bill 773, sponsored by St. Cloud Republican Mike La Rosa, now heads toward the commerce committee in this year’s legislative efforts to roll back and prevent local ordinances from restricting vacation rental homes, and turning licensing and regulation over to the state. The bill got through the committee after numerous amendments were fought off and defeated. A similar measure, Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1400, already has cleared a couple of committees in that chamber and is headed for its final panel, the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Seminole Tribe ad is a Hail Mary for a gambling deal” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — The Seminole Tribe of Florida is airing an ad urging passage of a new gambling deal between the Tribe and the state. But with lawmakers saying their “bandwidth” has been sapped by a fight over the 2018-19 budget and by a legislative response to the Broward County high school shooting, it’s looking less likely that the Legislature will address gambling by Session’s end on March 9. The Tribe is angling for a renewed 20-year deal, called the Seminole Compact, for continued exclusive rights to blackjack and slot machines outside of South Florida in return for $3 billion to the state over seven years from their casino revenues.
Payday loan bill OK’d for House floor — A heavily-debated proposal that would change regulations for payday lenders continued moving forward Thursday and is ready to go to the House floor. The House Commerce Committee approved the bill (HB 857), which would allow the businesses to make “installment” loans up to $1,000, with repayment over 60 to 90 days. Current law limits the high-interest loans to $500 for periods of seven to 31 days. The Senate version of the proposal (SB 920) also has steadily moved through committees and will go to the Senate Rules Committee on Monday. Supporters say the proposal was prompted by potential changes in federal regulations that could affect the types of smaller-dollar, shorter-term loans made by payday lenders in Florida. But the proposal has drawn opposition from some consumer-advocacy groups and credit unions, which argue that payday loans can lead to borrowers getting stuck in “debt traps.”
“Pre-reveal games ban barely survives in House” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — A bill to ban pre-reveal games, slot machine-style entertainment consoles, was rescued Thursday in a procedural move after it initially failed on a tie vote. The measure (HB 1367) now is available for the floor after a subsequent motion in the House Commerce Committee to reconsider the bill won the day. The pre-reveal concept has flummoxed courts and lawmakers trying to determine whether they’re illegal gambling. Tallahassee-based Circuit Judge John Cooper’s ruling that they’re unlawful slots is under appeal. That was after Cooper first said they were legal. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which has exclusive rights to offer slots outside South Florida, is attempting to shut down the games because it believes they violate that exclusivity.
Beer glass bill rolls along — Legislation that would allow beer distributors to give away free glasses imprinted with product names and logos to bars and restaurants cleared its last panel and is available for the floor. The House Commerce Committee OK’d the bill (HB 961) on Thursday. Those in favor, including small businesses, say it’ll be a help to them to cut down on glasses lost from theft and breakage. Opponents, including many craft brewers, counter that they won’t be able to afford to keep up with the stream of free glasses from Anheuser-Busch InBev, the makers of Bud Light and Stella Artois. A Senate companion (SB 1224) still has to clear its last stop, the Appropriations Committee. Under current law, glasses must be sold.
“Car dealer bill stalls in House committee” via Florida Politics — HB 595 by Naples Republican Bob Rommel would make changes to various legal definitions relating to car dealers, but a strike all amendment filed by Rommel would have required new car dealers to take a four-hour course each year to keep their license, which would put them in line with requirements set for used car dealers. That training could only be offered by “a Florida-based, nonprofit, dealer-owned, statewide industry association of franchised motor vehicle dealers.” Only one group (probably not coincidentally) in the state qualifies under that definition: the Florida Automobile Dealers Association. Lawmakers on the House Government Accountability Committee also took issue with a $500 cap on how much could be charged for the new training, as the current going rate for initial training is $140. The committee temporarily postponed the bill.
“Lawmakers seek more money for opioid epidemic” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — Sen. Kevin Rader praised Senate leaders for proposing to spend $100 million on mental-health services and school-safety programs in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last week that left 17 people dead. But he said they also need to put more money into a plan to curb the opioid epidemic. “It looks like we are finding a lot of mental health funding, and that’s great. And I absolutely, completely support it, and it’s much needed,” said Rader, a Delray Beach Democrat whose district includes Parkland, where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High is located. “I hope in the next two weeks … we can really put the money into the opioid funding to take an enormous bite out of this apple and really help Floridians who need it.” The Senate is earmarking about $53 million for a variety of programs for opioid treatment, outpatient care and case management, medically assisted treatment and naloxone for emergency responders.
“Oscar Braynon: Bruh! Scott doesn’t know who I am” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Senate Minority Leader Braynon spoke with Scott, “and I have to be honest, I don’t know that he heard me,” he told reporters … “I’ll be even more honest. I’m not even sure if he knows who I am and the role I play in the Legislature,” he said. “I said my caucus did a news release that said exactly what bills we care about. He said, well can you get that to our office? Bruh, if you in the governor’s office don’t have the caucus position of the Senate minority, which 15 to 16 members and is playing a very big role in this, then I don’t know what your office is doing.” Scott’s office did have the news release, Braynon said. “But the thing is, he didn’t know who I was so it didn’t matter, probably,” he said.
“Not playing ball” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — A three-point shooting contest between Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron — promoted last week on Capitol elevator flyers — failed to happen during a charity basketball game between Republicans and Democrats at a Tallahassee high school. With Negron attending the funeral of one of the 17 students killed last week, Sen. Randolph Bracy, an Orlando Democrat who played on the hardwood at the College of William and Mary, narrowly won the halftime contest after being taken into a second round by Rep. James Grant. As for the game, which benefits the Children’s Home Society of Florida, the Democrats won after a sluggish first half for both sides. Being kind, they played like lawmakers but get the benefit of playing full court. Bad weather canceled this year’s softball matchup between the parties.
ICYMI: Justice adds ‘spice’ to high court
One person can make a difference — especially if that person is a Supreme Court justice.
A recent Florida Trend profile of Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson, the state’s newest high court judge, shows just how much the seven-person panel has changed since Lawson’s appointment in late 2016.
Veteran attorneys sourced for the story explain that Lawson has a more narrow view of the court’s jurisdiction than his predecessor. In turn, the Supreme Court has heard fewer cases, enabling appellate court rulings to stand. That’s significant, according to Trend, because “two decades of Republican governors have reshaped Florida’s appellate courts.”
The tables have turned: Before Lawson, Trend writes, court watchers viewed the Supreme Court as having five ‘judicially liberal’ justices. Lawson’s appointment solidified a trio of conservative justices, who have in some cases brought a majority to their side for 4-3 decisions.
Yee v. Florida: Trend cites one case in which a possible burglary led police to discover pot plants growing inside of a House. A subsequent Fourth Amendment dispute then made its way to the Supreme Court. But when Yee took his seat, the court “changed its mind and said it should not have accepted the case.”
Gavels and spices: “I think people are in a lot of ways are like spices,” Lawson told Trend. “When they enter an institution, they are going to flavor it differently. That’s just a fact of life.”
“Neglected: Florida’s worst nursing homes left open despite history of poor care, deaths” via Melanie Payne and Ryan Mills of the Naples Daily News — Dozens of Florida nursing homes with long records of failing to meet state and federal standards operate with little risk that regulators will shut them down … Since 2013, 54 Florida nursing homes scored the lowest in the state for at least 14 of 18 quarters and received 100 or more violations. Dozens of other homes also received either low scores or numerous violations. Forty-six of the worst 54 homes have settled or have contested lawsuits claiming mistreatment, abuse or neglect led to at least 191 deaths since 2013. The nursing home owners denied the claims, but settled 87 cases. The remaining 104 are pending, including the case of a man killed by his roommate in a Miami home. State fines for nursing home violations are low — not quite $5,000 on average — compared to the millions they receive each year from taxpayer-funded Medicare and Medicaid programs. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses and regulates nursing homes, rarely uses the toughest sanctions at its disposal. Since 2013, AHCA has closed two homes and blocked new admissions for three.
“Hurricane Irma prompts search for solutions to jammed Interstate 75” via Cindy Swirko of the Orlando Sentinel — In mid-2016, a regional task force that spent almost two years exploring ways to improve safety on a crowded Interstate 75 decided to take a conservative approach: make changes to the highway rather than build or expand other roads. Then Hurricane Imra blew into Florida and thousands of people trying to flee its path got stuck … Now, a new road with a potential route through Marion and Alachua counties may be back on the table, if not exactly speeding ahead. “I think they are going to do it despite any concerns by the locals. The locals told them they didn’t want it,” said Alachua County Commissioner Robert Hutchinson. … One study by FDOT centers on future expansion of I-75. The other by Florida Turnpike Enterprise is exploring the lengthening into Citrus and Marion counties of the Suncoast Parkway … Both studies should be complete by year’s end.
“Florida Department of Economic Opportunity suing major engineering firm Charles Stark Draper Laboratory for repayment of $14 million” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — A major Massachusetts technology engineering firm that accepted $14 million in state funds with the promise to create a set number of jobs in the Tampa area is facing a lawsuit from the Department of Economic Opportunity. Filed in Leon Circuit Court Wednesday, the complaint against Charles Stark Draper Laboratory claims the company, after being paid, reneged on its agreement and then decided to leave the state altogether. … It secured state funding through DEO’s Innovation Incentive Program, claiming it would create as many as 175 jobs in Tampa and St. Petersburg in 2008. It would invest $15 million in equipment and another $3 million into building new facilities in Florida …. The state is asking that Draper repay the $14 million it paid out since 2008. … The first $7 million … was paid directly. The remaining balance was placed in a trust overseen by the State Board of Administration of Florida.
“Bob Gualtieri vexed over immigration misinformation” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics — A community forum to discuss the recent agreement between 17 Florida Sheriffs and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is scheduled in St. Petersburg. That agreement allows local authorities to hold undocumented immigrants beyond the time they normally would have to be released based on state or local cases. A news release announcing the event said that Pinellas County Sheriff Gualtieri was invited but is unable to attend. Gualtieri confirms that he won’t be available to participate, but says that he’s concerned and frustrated by what he calls misinformation being perpetuated by critics of the agreement: “What we’re talking about in this area is solely one hundred percent only criminal illegal aliens, and when I see in the literature that’s being distributed that what we’re doing is in the same sentence as ‘dreamers’ is absolutely erroneous, and it’s very concerning, because they’re putting fear into the community needlessly by this misleading information.”
— PARKLAND —
“What I saw treating the victims from Parkland should change the debate on guns” via Heather Sher of the Atlantic — I was looking at a CT scan of one of the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who had been brought to the trauma center during my call shift. The organ looked like an overripe melon smashed by a sledgehammer, with extensive bleeding. How could a gunshot wound have caused this much damage? The reaction in the emergency room was the same. One of the trauma surgeons opened a young victim in the operating room, and found only shreds of the organ that had been hit by a bullet from an AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle which delivers a devastatingly lethal, high-velocity bullet to the victim. There was nothing left to repair, and utterly, devastatingly, nothing that could be done to fix the problem. The injury was fatal … bullets fired by an AR-15 are different; they travel at higher velocity and are far more lethal. The damage they cause is a function of the energy they impart as they pass through the body. A typical AR-15 bullet leaves the barrel traveling almost three times faster than, and imparting more than three times the energy of, a typical 9 mm bullet from a handgun. An AR-15 rifle outfitted with a magazine cartridge with 50 rounds allows many more lethal bullets to be delivered quickly without reloading.
“Senators face town hall fallout” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — Body language of the two Florida senators told the story. Marco Rubio largely stuck to Twitter to amplify the points he tried or wanted to make the night before, but that was drowned out by boos or jeers from a liberal crowd ideologically opposed to the pro-gun Republican after last week’s slaughter of 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. In contrast, Bill Nelson went on a victory lap in Tallahassee, where Republicans are on defense over guns, to take the rhetorical fight over firearms to Gov. Scott, his likely opponent this year who skipped the town hall the night before. Scott’s refusal to show up was akin to a campaign contribution for Nelson, who repeatedly chided the governor over guns and made sure to call him out Wednesday night for not showing up, in contrast to Rubio. “We’ve got a whole community grieving. They want action,” Nelson said in Tallahassee when asked about why he publicly noted Scott’s absence from the forum. Nelson gave credit to Rubio at the town hall, saying, “Sen. Rubio had the guts to come.”
“At CPAC, NRA chief Wayne LaPierre singles out Democrats for politicizing school shooting” via Cristiano Lima of POLITICO Florida — National Rifle Association Executive Vice President LaPierre decried the “shameful politicization” of the deadly Florida high school shooting during a speech and pushed back against alleged detractors at the FBI, the media and Democrats. Addressing a crowd of GOP officials and supporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference, the NRA leader bemoaned that “the opportunist wasted not one second to exploit tragedy for political gain” in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last week. The NRA leader took broad swipes at his detractors, whom he claimed sought to “eliminate the Second Amendment.” “Their solution,” LaPierre said, “is to make you, all of you less free.” He was critical of the FBI, questioning why their “rogue leadership” and “unethical agents” had not been confronted with why they didn’t follow up on tips regarding the suspected Florida shooter.
“Donald Trump dings CNN, NBC: I never said ‘give teachers guns’” via Louis Nelson of POLITICO Florida — “I never said ‘give teachers guns’ like was stated on Fake News @CNN & @nbc. What I said was to look at the possibility of giving concealed guns to gun adept teachers with military or special training experience — only the best. Twenty percent of teachers, a lot, would now be able to immediately fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Highly trained teachers would also serve as a deterrent to the cowards that do this. Far more assets at much less cost than guards. A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people. ATTACKS WOULD END!” he tweeted. “History shows that a school shooting lasts, on average, three minutes. It takes police & first responders approximately five to eight minutes to get to site of crime. Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches would solve the problem instantly, before police arrive. GREAT DETERRENT!”
“Donald Trump blasted active shooter drills when mentioned by Florida education commissioner” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida — Trump criticized the idea of schools conducting active shooter drills when Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart brought it up during a White House meeting about school safety following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre that left 17 dead. “Active shooter drills is a very negative thing,” Trump said. “I don’t like it. I’d much rather have a hardened school.” He added that the drills are “crazy,” and that he thinks “it’s very hard on children.” Trump also said he’d like to see “a little bit of a bonus” for trained teachers who are armed, estimating that anywhere from 10 to 40 percent of teachers might be qualified. He said he’d like to see them “rigorously” trained — an idea opposed by teachers and education groups. “I want my schools protected just like I want my banks protected,” Trump said.
“Broward County Sheriff: Schools to have guards armed with rifles” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times — Sheriff Scott Israel announced he’s changing the way Broward County schools are policed in the wake of the Parkland school shooting … Israel has ordered officers who guard Broward County schools to arm themselves with rifles, including, in some instances AR-15s — the same weapon used by the gunman to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School … “Only deputies who are trained and qualified will carry those rifles,” Israel said. “But we need to be able to defeat any threat that comes onto campus.” Israel’s deputies only protect schools in cities that don’t have their own police departments. Israel said the move has the full support of Robert Muncie, the superintendent of Broward County public schools.
“Florida Senate president says he supports arming teachers, setting up showdown on gun bills” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — Negron supports arming schoolteachers, endorsing a controversial proposal a day after U.S. Sen. Rubio rejected it. “The concept of having teachers who are trained and have appropriate credentials being able to be armed to protect students, I would support that,” he said … Despite pushback from teachers, Negron’s endorsement means that the proposal is likely to make it into a package of gun-related bills that will be made public Friday. The model is likely to be based on a program created by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who allows teachers who want to be armed to go through specialized training, becoming partially deputized by sheriff’s office. They would then be able to carry a concealed gun on K-12 campuses, and only top administrators would know who they are.
“Money could go to trauma centers after mass shootings” via the News Service of Florida — Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon wants to create a $10 million program that would reimburse trauma centers for care provided to victims of mass shootings, and Senate President Joe Negron said he would support the effort. Braynon wants to create a fund in the Attorney General’s Office, with money coming from a portion of fees collected from new or renewed concealed-weapons licenses. The program would reimburse trauma centers that treat victims of mass shootings, such as the Feb. 14 attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 people dead. Negron told reporters earlier in the day he met with two Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who sustained grievous injuries but had survived because of the quality of the care they received following the shooting.
“Marco Rubio changes stance on magazine capacity” via The Associated Press — Rubio says a visit to a Florida high school where 17 people were fatally shot has prompted him to change his stance on large-capacity magazines. Rubio visited Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school and a few days later met with its teachers. He said he was told that several people were able to escape because 19-year-old suspect Nikolas Cruz stopped and reloaded the rifle he used during the Feb. 14 attack. The Florida Republican, who was challenged by survivors and family members during a contentious meeting broadcast on CNN, said this is “evidence in this case that it saved the lives of some people.” Rubio has been sharply criticized for the shooting because he has received support from groups like the National Rifle Association during his political career.
“Video delays misled cops at Stoneman Douglas shooting” via Lisa J. Huriash, Stephen Hobbs and Megan O’Matz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The Broward School District’s security cameras did not show real-time video for police, complicating their efforts to track and pin down the shooter … “They are monitoring the subject right now. He went from the third floor to the second floor, the third to the second floor … They’re monitoring him on camera,” an officer said on radio transmissions recorded by Broadcastify, an audio streaming website, at 2:54 p.m. In fact, Cruz was already long gone — he had escaped the school’s freshman building 26 minutes earlier and was sitting at a McDonald’s a mile away, a timeline released by the Broward Sheriff’s Office shows. The video images were “delayed 20 minutes, and nobody told us that,” said Coral Springs Police Chief Tony Pustizzi.
“The making of a No. 1 YouTube conspiracy video after the Parkland tragedy” via John Herrman of The New York Times — YouTube’s list of “Trending” videos typically includes funny clips, updates from popular YouTube personalities, movie trailers and viral TV segments … for a brief time, the No. 1 trending video on YouTube featured David Hogg, a survivor of the massacre last week … The caption claimed, falsely, that Mr. Hogg, 17, was not a student, but an “actor.” The video, originally posted August … Hogg was interviewed by the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles after witnessing a dispute between a lifeguard and a swimmer at Redondo Beach. On Tuesday, a YouTube user who went under the name “mike m.” copied and re-uploaded the video with a new caption: “DAVID HOGG THE ACTOR …” With that terse descriptor, “mike m.” tapped into conspiracies circulating online that the survivors of the Parkland shooting, many of whom have recently spoken out in favor of gun control, were “crisis actors” hired to do the bidding of left-wing activists. The reposted video moved its way up the trending list overnight. By Wednesday morning, it had accumulated more than 200,000 views.
“As gunman rampaged through Florida school, armed deputy ‘never went in’” via Alan Blinder and Patricia Mazzei of The New York Times — The only armed sheriff’s deputy … where 17 people were killed took cover outside rather than charging into the building when the massacre began, the Broward County sheriff said … The sheriff also acknowledged that his office received 23 calls related to the suspect going back a decade, including one last year that said he was collecting knives and guns, but may not have adequately followed up. The deputy, Scot Peterson, resigned after being suspended without pay after Sheriff Scott Israel reviewed surveillance video. “He never went in,” Israel said … the video showed Peterson doing “nothing.” “There are no words,” said Israel, who described himself as “devastated, sick to my stomach.”
“Officer on duty during Florida school shooting resigns” via Axios — Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after being suspended without pay … He reportedly stood outside the building for about four minutes during the massacre in which 17 people were killed. His resignation came after authorities reviewed video surveillance and interviewed witnesses, including Peterson. Asked what Peterson should have done, Israel said: “went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer.”
“Parkland school cop ‘never went in’ during the shooting. There were other failures, too” via Charles Rabin, Carli Teproff, Nicholas Nehamas and David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — A school campus cop heard the gunfire, rushed to the building but never went inside — instead waiting outside for another four agonizing minutes as Cruz continued the slaughter. And long before Cruz embarked on the worst school shooting in Florida history, Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies had multiple warnings that the 19-year-old was a violent threat and a potential school shooter … In November, a tipster called BSO to say Cruz “could be a school shooter in the making,” but deputies did not write up a report on that warning. It came just weeks after a relative called urging BSO to seize his weapons. Two years ago, according to a newly released timeline of interactions with Cruz’s family, a deputy investigated a report that Cruz “planned to shoot up the school” — intelligence that was forwarded to the school’s resource officer, with no apparent result.
— ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Chris King: Legislature ‘cowardly’ for running from assault rifle ban” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics — The GOP-led state House blocked a move by Democrats to debate a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines in Florida, six days after a massacre that took 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. King says it was downright “cowardly” for the House to not even engage in a debate on the issue. “That’s a terrible explanation,” he said about the reasoning that such bills aren’t heard out of committee. “I think it’s a real absence of leadership and it’s cowardly to not even talk about solutions, to not even be willing to stand out there and say, ‘I oppose,’ as the Republicans would likely do, ‘I oppose an assault weapons ban, and here’s why.’ They don’t want to make that argument. They don’t want to stand up to folks like those students from Parkland who can’t understand why they wouldn’t do that,” King said.
“Mark Ziegler becomes second Republican to enter race to replace Jay Fant in HD 15” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — Zeigler’s rationale for running: “We need more people who understand the impact that the rules made in Tallahassee have on our small businesses. Every time a tax is increased or new regulation is passed, it raises costs on our businesses and makes it more difficult for jobs to be created.” Zeigler enters the HD 15 race with Bert Ralston as his political consultant and will take on Wyman Duggan (whose consultant is Tim Baker, who handles Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry in this market).
“Karen Castor Dentel files to run for Orange County School Board” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Dentel, a Democrat from Maitland who flipped the House District 30 seat in 2012, then lost it to Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes in 2014, filed late last week for the Orange County School Board District 6 seat. That seat’s current term runs through 2020, but the incumbent, Nancy Robbinson, is running for the countywide Orange County School Board chair’s seat and will have to resign. That would open the District 6 seat to a special election this year. Consequently, since Robbinson filed for the chair’s position, four candidates now have jumped into the contest for her seat, representing north-central Orange County.
— OPINIONS —
“Joe Henderson: Could this be the time gun debate sparks action?” via Florida Politics — The young people who marched on the state capitol and demanded to be heard on the issue of gun control are extraordinary by any measure, but it’s more than that. They are the faces of change. I believe they’re going to get what they want, either that or we’ll see the balance of power shift in the Legislature as some of the NRA hard-liners get voted out as voters decided they’ve had enough of this no-compromise nonsense on these weapons of mass death. For me, this was his money quote: “What a travesty that it took this tragic loss of life to begin this discussion.” These kids aren’t going away. They are determined. They are smart. They are compelling. And they are right.
— WEEKEND SHOWS —
Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at politics in South Florida, along with other issues that affect the area’s citizens.
Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Panelists include Dr. Susan McManus, professor of government and international affairs at the University of South Florida; Christian Ziegler, GOP state committeeman from Sarasota County; Tara Newsom, attorney and professor at St. Petersburg College; and former Tampa City Council member John Dingfelder.
In Focus with Allison Walker-Torres on Bay News 9: A discussion on gun legislation and violence at the state and national level. Joining Walker-Torres to discuss are Congressman Darren Soto; State Sen. Dennis Baxley; former Florida State Rep. Dick Batchelor; and former Congressman Patrick Murphy.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando and Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: Host Ybeth Bruzual sits down with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to talk about current events, including reaction to the Parkland shooting, the budget battle in Washington, immigration reform/DACA, addressing the Puerto Rican relocation efforts, and whether she has any gubernatorial aspirations in Florida. PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter rates a claim made by Florida House Speaker Corcoran in a political commercial about “sanctuary cities” in Florida.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Host Gary Yordon speaks with Steve Vancore and Mike Watkins from Big Bend Community Based Care.
This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: This week’s guests: Former Miami Beach Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine; Florida chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis and Congressman John Rutherford of Jacksonville.
This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg talk current events and host a weekly roundtable with newsmakers.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Personnel note: Danielle Babilino joins Hard Rock in Florida” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — Babilino will become senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Seminole Tribe-controlled Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, the company announced Thursday. She was most recently executive vice president of sales and marketing for Alon Las Vegas, the proposed luxury hotel and casino on the Strip. Babilino now will have “overall responsibility for the Hard Rock Hotel sales division, as it supports the expanding global portfolio of Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos,” according to a release, and will work out of Hard Rock International corporate offices in Hollywood. The Tribe in late 2016 consolidated its control over the Hard Rock brand, buying out remaining rights from the owner-operator of Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
“Personnel note: Sharon Smoley to join Orlando Economic Partnership” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — Smoley, Florida Director of Government Affairs for Charter Communications, is taking on a new challenge. Beginning March 12, she becomes Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy with the Orlando Economic Partnership. In that role, she’ll be working on local, state and federal issues affecting the Central Florida business community. Smoley will remain with Charter through the end of the 2018 Legislative Session. She previously was with the government relations team at Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts.
Nick Sortal quits Miami Herald gambling column, citing political plans — The veteran South Florida journalist and Miami Herald gambling columnist has decided to jump from reporting the news to making the news, as a candidate for Plantation City Council. “It’s something I have been thinking about since 2010, and I have been following the issues and building a campaign fund since then,” he posted online Thursday. “Because I’m an active political candidate, The Herald and I had to part ways. They can’t appear to show favoritism, and the idea of candidates-as-reporters is pooh-poohed almost everywhere. (That said, I’ll still write for CDC Gaming Reports, a subscription service that goes to executives nationwide in the casino industry.)”
New and appointed lobbying registrations
Jose Bermudez, Becker & Poliakoff: Quest Management Group
Martin Fiorentino, Mark Pinto, Jason Roth, The Fiorentino Group: Clay County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Michael Harrell, Paul Hawkes, James Magill, Kimberly McGlynn, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: City of Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency
Jasmyne Henderson, Joseph McCann, Pittman Law Group: Florida Alliance for Consumers and Taxpayers
Brian Jogerst, BH & Associates: Health Management Company of America
Nikolas Juan Pascual: City of Miami
Jason Roth, The Fiorentino Group: Florida Crystals Corporation
William Rubin, Amy Bisceglia, Erica Chanti, Matthew Sacco, The Rubin Group: Aetna, Guest Services, Weedmaps
Richard Stephens, Holland & Knight: National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation
Elizabeth Whitley: Office of the Attorney General
— OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK —
“Ivanka Trump plans to focus on U.S. athletes, not North Korea, during trip to Winter Olympics” via Jenna Jonson of The Washington Post — Ivanka Trump plans to cheer on American athletes, attend the Closing Ceremonies, congratulate the host nation on a successful Olympics and reaffirm the alliance between the United States and South Korea … Trump does not plan to meet with North Korean defectors, as had been reported, and does not intend to meet with any North Koreans during her visit. When Vice President Mike Pence traveled to South Korea for the Opening Ceremonies … his top mission was to counter propaganda from North Korea and remind the world that despite North Korea’s enthusiastic participation in the Olympics, the world should not forget the regime’s brutal and cruel treatment of its people and the threat of its nuclear weapons program. While that propaganda is still concerning to the White House, one official said, Trump does not plan to address it during her visit.
— ALOE —
Happy birthday this Sunday to State Reps. Carlos Trujillo and Mike La Rosa.
