Peter Schorsch
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Crystal Lagoons has come away with an administrative win.
The state’s Department of Health announced Tuesday that “bodies of water created and operated by Crystal Lagoons’ licensees” are “public bathing places” under state law.
The department issued Tuesday what’s known as a “declaratory statement.” Crystal Lagoons U.S. Corp. had requested the statement June 15.
The multinational company specializes in building what are essentially “colossal swimming pools” that look like a seaside — bodies of turquoise-colored water surrounded by white sand beaches.
Its first lagoon in the U.S. is in Pasco County, at the Epperson community near Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.
Because the lagoons are massive and don’t meet otherwise the definition of swimming pools, the declaration clarifies their status as “a body of water, natural or modified by humans, for swimming, diving and recreational bathing.”
Other “public bathing places” include “lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, artificial impoundments, and waters along the coastal and intracoastal beaches and shores of the state.”
Evening Reads
“Bob Woodward: Donald Trump’s aides stole his papers ‘to protect the country’” via Jeremey Herb, Jamie Gangel, and Dan Merica of CNN
“Twitter says Trump not immune from getting kicked off” via Nancy Scola and Ashley Gold of POLITICO
“Advisers say Joe Biden to decide on a 2020 run by January” via Thomas Beaumont and Steve Peoples of The Associated Press
“Poll: Democrats regain clear advantage in midterms shaping us as referendum on President Trump” via Scott Clement and Dan Balz
“Florida Insider Poll: The first general election predictions” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times
“Rick Scott avoids questions on Trump’s Mexico trade pact” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald
“Poll: Andrew Gillum has slight lead over Ron DeSantis, but Governor’s race is ‘too close to call’” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida
“Is that Gillum in Childish Gambino’s cartoon music video” via David Smiley of Miami Herald
“Campaign matching funds expected to keep climbing” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida
“The job of Florida lieutenant governor — and how it got that way” via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
“Central Florida Republicans start House general campaigns with strong financial edges” via Scott Powers of Orlando Rising
“Uncertain future for Florida crop production: ‘Help our fruit and vegetable industry survive’” via Mitch Perry of The Florida Phoenix
“WellCare finishes $2.5 billion deal for Meridian Plans” via Christine Sexton of News Service of Florida
“Florida Man’s movie star moments” via Steve Dollar of Flamingo Magazine
Quote of the Day
“I believe everybody ought to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, but I don’t know much about what Nike is doing … The schools will look at that on their own.” — Gov. Rick Scott, on state universities’ sponsorship deals with Nike, which signed former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who stoked controversy by kneeling during the national anthem.
Bill Day’s Latest
Breakthrough Insights
Wake Up Early?
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created after a mass shooting in February in Broward County that killed 17 people, will start a two-day meeting. That’s at 8:30 a.m., BB&T Center, Chairman’s Club, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise.
The Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees will meet after holding a series of committee meetings. Committees start at 8:30 a.m., with full board at 1:30 p.m., Florida Polytechnic University. Full board meets in Admissions Building, 4700 Research Way, Lakeland.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker will hold a hearing in a lawsuit filed by several groups seeking to require that Spanish-language ballots and election materials be available in 32 counties for the Nov. 6 general election. That’s at 9 a.m., United States Courthouse, 111 North Adams St., Tallahassee.
Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, who served on the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, will discuss proposed constitutional amendments during a meeting of the Republican Women of Southwest Florida Federated. That’s at 11:30 a.m., ROW Restaurant, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, #110, Naples.
Circuit Judge Karen Gievers will hear arguments in a lawsuit, filed by former Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead, that seeks to prevent six proposed constitutional amendments from going on the November ballot. That’s at 1 p.m., Leon County Courthouse, 301 South Monroe St., Tallahassee.
The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments in a fight about whether a proposed education constitutional amendment should go on the November ballot, and in a legal battle about a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at expanding the rights of crime victims. That’s at 2 p.m., 4th District Court of Appeal, 110 South Tamarind Ave., West Palm Beach.
