Peter Schorsch
Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica.
PARTY TIME
Orlando is the place to be for Florida political junkies this weekend, when both the Democratic and Republican state parties vote on their leaders for the 2018 election cycle.
With a limited amount of time to campaign, the Democratic race has verged into self-parody, with two of the five candidates traveling far afield to make themselves eligible under the FDP’s arcane bylaw rules when it comes to running for office. And a third candidate in the race is now the subject to a lawsuit based on the way that he became eligible for the position.
Party members will gather at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, where the action begins today with current chair Allison Tant having to preside over complaints about two of the five candidates running to succeed her.
One complaint will deal with the party mechanics that allowed Coconut Grover real estate developer and major Democratic fundraiser Stephen Bittel to be eligible to run for the state party chair position.
Bittel was not involved at all with the Miami-Dade County Democratic Executive Committee until about a month ago, when he was sworn in as a precinct captain at a late night reorganization meeting. That event itself is the source of a formal complaint, with critics charging that it is against party rules for precinct captains to be appointed at executive committee meetings.
Bittel foes believe that the fix was definitely in when longtime Miami-Dade County committeeman Bret Berlin resigned from his seat shortly afterwards, allowing Bittel the opportunity to compete for the chair position, which he ultimately won, easily defeating former state Senator Dwight Bullard.
The fashion that allowed Tampa’s Alan Clendenin to run is the cause of a second complaint. After losing his race for state committeeman in Hillsborough County on December 5, Clendenin, who lost a bitterly fought contest against Tant for party chair in 2013, then literally moved to a trailer in Bradford County, which had an opening for a committeeman. His new residency is being formally challenged.
Clendenin’s journey laid the template for Bullard to follow, where he has temporarily moved from Miami-Dade to Gadsden County to also become a committeeman and eligible in Saturday’s election.
The candidates have been traveling around the state to make their case. Bittel has been considered the solid favorite of the establishment, and that remains the case now that he’s been endorsed by Senator Bill Nelson. But he is opposed by some Democrats who say his establishment support makes this a Florida version of the Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders contest.
Less visible in the press have been the two female candidates in the race – Duval County state committeewoman Lisa King and Osceola County DEC Chair Leah Carius.
Meanwhile, GOP activists will gather at the nearby Rosen Centre early tomorrow to decide on whether to maintain the status quo and stay with incumbent Blaise Ingoglia, or go for Sarasota County state committeeman Christian Ziegler, who has been embraced by the Breitbart/Donald Trump crowd.
Ziegler says that Ingoglia, the 46-year-old New York City native who runs two businesses and serves in the Florida House representing Hernando County, is spread far too thin for what should be a full-time job.
Ingoglia refutes that criticism, and though he’s never been embraced by Gov. Rick Scott (which has definitely hurt the RPOF’s fundraising), he does have the support of most of the GOP establishment in Tallahassee and (including Senator Marco Rubio).
Ingoglia and his supporters chant out, “Scoreboard” to any other criticisms, pointing out that the state went red in the presidential election for the first time since 2004. Ingoglia says his next goal if re-elected is to have Republicans surpass Democrats in voter registration, where today the Dems hold a more than 300,000 voter advantage, though that’s better than the 500,000 edge they enjoyed two years ago.
— “It’s a four-against-one race for Florida Democratic Party chair” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald
OP-ED: STEPHEN BITTEL ONLY CHOICE TO LEAD FLORIDA DEMS OUT OF DESOLATION, IRRELEVANCY via Ben Pollara for Florida Politics – Bittel is unequivocally the best candidate for the job and the only candidate capable of effecting the sort of change in the FDP that is so desperately needed. I don’t have a negative thing to say about any of the candidates. These people are my friends, and they are good people. But being a good person, and a good Democrat, with good intentions and good plans, simply isn’t enough to make someone the right person for this job … Bittel is a committed, lifelong Democrat. He’s a man of extraordinary compassion, who cares deeply about what is just and right. He’s hugely generous to the people, candidates, causes and charities that he believes in. He’s someone who knows how to hire and manage smart people, and how to run a large organization. Stephen Bittel is not the best choice to lead the Florida Democratic Party out of the desolation and marginalization that plagues us. Stephen Bittel is the only choice.
— “Does Bill Nelson tip the scales in Stephen Bittel’s favor?” via Kartik Krishnaiyer of The Florida Squeeze
— “Lisa King is the best choice for Florida Democratic Party chair” via Dave Trotter of The Political Hurricane
— “Leah Carius seeking to be the local-control candidate for state Democrats” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
PARTY OFFICIALS: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH—NO MORE MUDSLINGING IN FLORIDA GOP CHAIR RACE via Allison Nielsen of the Sunshine State News – Joe Gruters … Working as the Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, is not only torn by party commitments, but has a friendship that goes back a decade to take into consideration. It’s been two months since Ziegler announced he would make a run for the top spot at the party, but those months haven’t been easy. Mud-slinging has become commonplace in the race for party chair. It’s gotten so bad, other party officials are stepping in to say they’re upset over how it’s going. Gruters is one of them. “I am disheartened at the negative campaigning that has been interjected into the Chairman’s race,” he wrote in an email going around the group to help [Blaise] Ingoglia’s re-election campaign. “Christian Ziegler has been one of my close friends and a local ally for the last 10 years,” Gruters wrote. “But, the people supporting his campaign for Chairman of the Party are pushing a false narrative on Christian’s behalf.”
— “RPOF Firefight: Gruters rebukes insurgent Ziegler campaign as Breitbart News blasts Ingoglia, Corcoran” via Brian Burgess of The Capitolist
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Sunburn will be taking Monday, Jan. 16 off in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Our team will still be working so check SaintPetersBlog.com; FloridaPolitics.com; and Orlando-Rising.com for updates throughout the day.
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BARACK OBAMA MAKING CHANGES TO CUBAN IMMIGRATION POLICY via Alicia Caldwell, Julie Pace and Matthew Lee of The Associated Press – Obama is ending a longstanding immigration policy that allows any Cuban who makes it to U.S. soil to stay and become a legal resident … The repeal of the “wet foot, dry foot” policy is effective immediately … The decision follows months of negotiations focused in part on getting Cuba to agree to take back people who had arrived in the U.S. … Cubans gave no assurances about treatment of those sent back to the country, but said political asylum remains an option for those concerned about persecution if they return. President-elect Donald Trump has taken a tougher line on U.S. relations with Cuba and could undo the change once he takes office.
OBAMA NAMES FLORIDA SUPPORTER, ANDREW EINSTEIN, TO HOLOCAUST COUNCIL via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times – Obama named Coral Springs trial lawyer Andrew Weinstein, a top Democratic fundraiser, a member of U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, a position he will continue to hold after Donald Trump becomes president on Jan. 20.
MARCO RUBIO QUICKLY KEEPS PROMISE TO STAND UP TO DONALD TRUMP IN U.S. SENATE via Joe Henderson of Florida Politics – Rubio promised during his campaign for re-election to the U.S. Senate that he would stand up to Trump when necessary. “Necessary” didn’t take long to arrive. It came during a confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson, Trump’s choice for Secretary of State. Rubio responded with what I thought was his finest hour as the junior senator from Florida. He showed plenty of backbone, conviction and passion in relentlessly hammering Tillerson about his stance (or non-stance) on Russia’s appalling human rights record. It was a bold gambit, but it’s one I believe Rubio made on principle. In so doing he risks the wrath of the incoming president, not to mention his own Republican Party. That showed a truckload of gumption.
WILL RUBIO BACK DOWN? via POLITICO – The Florida senator produced quite a fireworks show this week with his grilling of a seemingly rattled Tillerson at his confirmation hearing for secretary of state. But opposing Tillerson on the Senate floor — and antagonizing Trump, whom Rubio was dismissing as a “con man” around this time a year ago, before eventually endorsing him — is another thing entirely. Intentionally or not, Rubio is out on a limb after demanding denunciations of Russia and other authoritarian countries that Tillerson refused to offer. GOP leaders believe the former ExxonMobil CEO remains a solid bet for confirmation with or without Rubio’s support, but the Florida senator is being watched especially closely because he’s seen as a proxy for other GOP hawks.”
FLORIDA INSIDER POLL: RICHARD CORCORAN IS TOAST AGAINST ADAM PUTNAM IN GOV PRIMARY via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times — House Speaker Richard Corcoran has been on a roll lately, generating headlines about his standing up for taxpayers and transparency against the lobbying corps and even Gov. Rick Scott on “picking winners and losers” through economic incentive programs. One can imagine a compelling message along those lines in a 2018 gubernatorial campaign. But a new Florida Insider Poll finds Florida’s political elites highly skeptical about Corcoran’s ability to win the GOP nomination against likely candidate Adam Putnam, the state agriculture commissioner. Among 180 political professionals, lobbyists, fundraisers, activists, and academics participating in our latest unscientific Florida Insider Poll, only 10 percent predicted Corcoran would win the nomination, while 70 percent said Putnam, and 20 percent selected the “Someone else” option. … On Scott’s next step, the conventional wisdom among Florida’s most savvy politicos is nearly unanimous: A whopping 95 percent expect him to run against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2018.
TWEET, TWEET: @BillHelmich: #TBT More than 85 percent of the Florida Insiders surveyed predicted Bush would win the Florida primary.
PHILIP LEVINE ANNOUNCES FINAL TERM AS MIAMI BEACH MAYOR, TO LAUNCH STATEWIDE LISTENING TOUR via Florida Politics – In a video “state of the city” address … Levine talked about how he “rolled up his sleeves and got to work” on such issues as sea level rise, traffic congestion, the Zika virus and lower property taxes. With that, Levine adds that this will be his last term as mayor. “Now I look forward to ways of how best to serve my community and my state,” he says in the nearly three-minute video. “How to make Florida a 21st-century leader in the world economy” … many insiders speculate Levine — as a popular South Florida municipal leader — would possibly seek higher office. Levine adviser Christian Ulvert says: “Over the coming months, Mayor Levine will travel across Florida to listen to Floridians on how best to serve the state he loves. He will be making a final decision on his plans for continued public service in the spring.”
CHARLIE CRIST TO HOLD FIRST ST. PETERSBURG FUNDRAISER OF 2017 SATURDAY via Florida Politics — The afternoon reception, scheduled Saturday from 5:30 – 7 p.m., will be at the home of the Pinellas County Democrat’s sister, Dr. Elizabeth Crist Hyden in St. Petersburg. Supporters of the freshman St. Petersburg Democrat include Palm Harbor Attorney Fran Haasch as honorary chair, with a tentative host committee including St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, Janette and Tom Carey, Gordon Chernecky, Susan and Bob Churuti, Aubrey Dicus, Watson Haynes, Paul Jallo, Katharine and Joe Saunders, Kent Whittemore and Emory Wood. A spot on the guest list will cost $500; $2,700 to be a host. Co-hosting the event will set supporters back $1,000.
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JACK LATVALA TO HOUSE: THE SENATE MAKES ITS OWN RULES via Florida Politics – “We have our own rules in the Senate. We are going to abide by our own rules,” Latvala told reporters … “I think it would be unfortunate if we got to a position where, because the House is trying to force their rules on the whole process, that we get into some kind of government shutdown or something like that … The way to avoid that is to have conversation and negotiation early on in the process. Next month, you’ll see us take some steps to try to bring that about.” Under rules approved when Richard Corcoran assumed the speakership, members must file a specific bill describing each project they hope to insert into the state budget. The idea is to get away from secretive logrolling late during sessions. Corcoran has suggested that senators seeking projects find a House co-sponsor, to remain within the spirit of the House’s drive for transparency. Latvala … wasn’t having it.
SENATE BILL SEEKS EXPEDITED HEARINGS FOR DISTRICT MAP CHANGES via Florida Politics – A bill filed in the Florida Senate would fast-track court rulings in challenges to electoral district boundaries, while requiring current boundaries to be used if the ruling isn’t rendered in a timely fashion. Senate Bill 352, filed Travis Hutson, seeks to resolve uncertainty among candidates and voters alike … Challenges to boundaries in legislative races must be given an expedited hearing … If a ruling is not rendered by the 71st day before the primary election in multi-county district races, the election must proceed according to extant boundaries, with any changes taking effect for the next election cycle. This would not apply to state attorney or public defender races, where the lines are not controversial; rather, to State Senate and State House races.
SENATORS FILE LEGISLATION TO KEEP BP OIL SPILL MONEY IN NORTH FLORIDA via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools – Three North Florida senators filed SB 364 to ensure funds money from the settlement of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill goes to the region’s eight disproportionately affected counties. Under current law, the affected counties are to receive 75 percent of all economic damage settlement funds received by the state. SB 364 clarifies that funds are to be directly appropriated to Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. no later than 30 days after they are received by the state, they said. The eight Florida counties disproportionately affected by the Deepwater Horizon Spill include: Bay County, Escambia County, Franklin County, Gulf County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, Walton County and Wakulla County.
HOUSE EDUCATION BUDGET KEEPS CONTROVERSIAL PROGRAMS AS ‘HIGH PRIORITY’ via Jeff Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times – Following directions to propose millions of dollars in education spending cuts, Florida House PreK-12 Appropriations chairman Rep. Manny Diaz told his committee members Thursday that no program should be considered sacred. … He cautioned members, however, that the base budget “drivers” would remain essentially off limits, making the cutting exercise more difficult. On that “high priority” list — right alongside increased per-student funds and the voluntary prekindergarten program — were Florida’s Best and Brightest teacher bonus, which to date has been annual budget proviso language rather than statute, and money for district-wide mandatory K-8 student uniforms, placed into law a year ago.
HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE TAKES UP JUDICIAL TERM LIMITS via Florida Politics – … and also reviewed how quickly the courts are clearing their caseloads. Judicial term limits failed in the Legislature last year, but House Speaker Richard Corcoran has declared the issue an important priority. Heather Fitzenhagen, chairwoman of the Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee, said she has not yet taken a position. She rejected a suggestion that House Republicans want to publish the Florida Supreme Court for rulings striking down GOP priority legislation. “Absolutely not. What we’re trying to do is the people’s business and making sure that all of our branches of government are functioning at the best possible efficiency, and that we’re getting things done in the best manner possible. That justice is served in a timely manner.”
FLORIDA CHAMBER HEAD STILL BULLISH ON INCENTIVES (WITH AN EXPLANATION) via Florida Politics – The head of the Florida Chamber of Commerce Thursday defended the state’s handout of economic incentives, but said they were only ever meant to stoke job creation in a targeted way. “In very, very limited cases, incentives are in play,” said Mark Wilson, the organization’s president and CEO. “We shouldn’t be using incentives for every job we create. In fact, they should rarely be used.”
— “Senate bill would hike penalties for felon movers” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics
— “Larry Ahern files bill requiring civil citations for some juvenile offenders” via Anne Lindberg of Florida Politics
— “Bill would ban unrestrained dogs in pickup truck beds” via Kristina Webb of the Palm Beach Post
— “Ratings agency warns in brief against ‘dramatic expansion’ of Sunshine Law” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics
FLORIDA PAID PRIVATE PRISON OPERATOR $16 MILLION TOO MUCH, LEGISLATOR’S AUDIT SAYS via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – Rep. David Richardson, a Democrat and retired forensic auditor, investigated seven years of state payments to Corrections Corporations of America (CCA), now known as CoreCivic of Tennessee, and concluded the pricing scheme approved by the Florida Department of Corrections resulted in at least $16 million in overcharges over the past seven years and was either the result of massive government ineptitude or a calculated fraud against taxpayers. Richardson, who has been on a one-man crusade to bring accountability to Florida’s troubled prison system, delivered a copy of his two-inch briefing book and a summary of his report to Florida’s Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel. He asked Miguel to conduct an investigation into potential criminal violations surrounding the Lake City Correctional Facility contract, as well as the six other Florida prisons operated by other vendors. This is the only prison CoreCivic now operates.
CASE DISMISSED: DAN RAULERSON TO REMAIN IN HOUSE via Florida Politics – Circuit Judge Charles W. Dodson dismissed the case brought by Jose N. Vazquez Figueroa, the Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged Raulerson last year for the House District 58 seat. Dodson ruled he did not have jurisdiction to decide the matter and threw out the suit “with prejudice,” meaning Vazquez can’t refile it. Raulerson’s lawyer … argued that the judge couldn’t decide the case because the House of Representatives is the sole judge of its membership under the state constitution. Dodson dismissed the case against Raulerson … as well as the other defendants: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer; Secretary of State Ken Detzner, the state’s chief elections officer; and Kristi Reid Bronson, records bureau chief for the Division of Elections.
DRUNK TEEN IN WAL-MART SHOWS WHY WE NEED WALL BETWEEN LIQUOR, GROCERY STORES via Peter Schorsch – Walls are there for a reason. Consider the case of Lake Mary teen Shellby Conder. After drinking five beers in a Villages Wal-Mart, Conder was arrested last week for assaulting a Sumter County EMT while being handcuffed … the 18-year-old allegedly told a Wal-Mart manager she was drunk after drinking almost a six pack from the beer aisle; she then asked for a ride home. When deputies arrived, Conder resisted and began kicking. After paramedics called to the scene tried to evaluate her, the police report says Conder grabbed one by the groin … If a wall of separation can prevent something like that from happening across Florida, it may be good to continue keeping whiskey and Wheaties apart.
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RICK SCOTT HELPS GREENBURG TRAURIG MARK A MILESTONE via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times – It began on a Saturday afternoon in 1967 at a delicatessen in Miami Beach. At Wolfie’s, legend has it. Three South Florida lawyers – Mel Greenberg, Larry Hoffman and Bob Traurig – met and formed the law and lobbying firm known today as Greenberg Traurig, which claims to have about 2,000 lawyers in 38 cities in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. To mark the firm’s first 50 years, Greenberg invited a few hundred friends to the Governor’s Club for a reception Thursday (ed. note: it was Wednesday) night. … Gov. Scott stopped by to say a few words and naturally talked about those 2,000 jobs. “You probably knew what I ran on in 2010. I ran on jobs,” Scott said to laughter. “I think, what, you have 2,000 lawyers now? Congratulations on all the jobs. I love jobs.”
CITRUS CROP PRODUCTION TRENDING DOWN AGAIN SLIGHTLY via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – The latest estimates show “a slight decrease” in Florida orange production to 71 million boxes for the 2016-17 season, according to the Florida Department of Citrus. The department on Thursday shared the results of the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast, the first in 2017. The state’s citrus industry has been hurt by the citrus greening epidemic … “Despite the decrease, (the) crop size projection remains above the 70 million boxes the USDA initially estimated in October,” its press release says.
ACTUAL PRESS RELEASE via Adam Putnam‘s office – “Officials to Release Sterile Flies in Homestead in Precautionary Move”
ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE ROTUNDA — On Trimmel Gomes’ latest episode of The Rotunda, Gomes talks with Rep. Al Lawson Jr. about his plan to tackle student loan debt. Plus Rep. Darren Soto discusses President-elect Donald Trump’s influence in Congress. Gomes tours some of the capitol office buildings with former congressional candidate Annette Taddeo and her daughter Sofia. Gomes also takes a closer look at Gov. Scott‘s decision to address the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale airport with Trump instead of President Obama.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the hardest working volunteer of them all, Chester Spellman. Also celebrating today is Francisco Gonzalez and Marco Pena. Early birthday wishes to Speaker-to-be Chris Sprowls, Floridian Partners’ Jorge Chamizo, and Steve Hurm.
