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.
BREAKING OVERNIGHT – Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for Florida governor. The Mayor made the announcement on his social media accounts early Thursday.
REMEMBERING JIM KING
The late state Sen. Jim King, who would have turned 78 this year, was remembered at an annual happy hour in his honor last night in Tallahassee.
The Jacksonville Republican, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2009, was first elected to the House in 1986 and became one of the most powerful politicians in the state, serving as Senate President from 2002-04.
After serving as President, King stayed in the Senate as an elder statesman, a jovial mentor to new members or for that matter anyone interested in the legislative process.
Though he didn’t attend, former Sen. Garrett Richter, a Naples Republican, offered a toast to King for the gathering:
The Florida legislature just ain’t the same
Without the man we’re about to name
A man with wit, humor and control
A man that made a difference… he was nobody’s fool
He’d speak his mind …. would drive Sarah crazy
Lots of energy at night …. but in the morning, a bit lazy
Not really lazy, just tired from the night before
He’d take your watch if you tried to head for the door
Nobody was leaving when this fine man held court at night
He’d drink with the left and drink with the right
Yes, fun times, good humor and Bacardi 8 was his thing
Three cheers and God bless our friend Senator Jim King!!!
Hold up your glass … prepare to toast…
Here’s to Jim King …. he was the most
The most fun, the most effective …. yes, he was quite a delight
Yes drink down your drinks …. cheers to Jim King tonight!
Hosting the event were Ken Cashin, Claudia Davant, Dave Ericks, Scott Dick, Christine Knepper, and the entire Bascom Communications & Consulting team.
“We had some laughs, a drink or two and remembered him as he asked us to do,” said Sarah Bascom, a protégé of King.
Seriously, how many people do you know can still have a room laughing six years after leaving?
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JOE NEGRON’S WATER BILL EXPANDS TO $3.3 BILLION AND CLEARS ANOTHER COMMITTEE, AS OPPOSITION CONTINUES via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – Despite modifications, the 5-1 vote of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee is closer than it appeared because many supporters expressed reservations that the expensive plan to store water is the most cost-effective solution to address Negron‘s goal of preventing discharges of polluted water from the lake into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries that led to toxic algae blooms and a state emergency. Voting against the bill was Sen. Oscar Braynon … who said the Glades area is “a place that’s hemorrhaging” and he wants to see an economic development bill for the impoverished Glades region, regardless of whether this water bill is passed or not. “I visited Haiti, which is a Third World country, and I would compare some of the areas in the Glades to the conditions of a ravaged Third World country,” he said before opposing the bill.
SENATE CONSIDERS NEGRON’S HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION via Florida Politics – The Excellence in Higher Education Act, a top priority for President Negron, has been set up for a vote by the full Senate. The bill (SB 2), carried by Bradenton Republican Bill Galvano, was discussed Wednesday on the floor. Achieving many of the bill’s goals, which could cost up to $161 million, depend on funding getting approved in the 2017-18 state budget. The legislation, among other things, increases certain scholarship benefits, overhauls how colleges and universities measure progress and attract top professors, and mandates block tuition—a flat rate per semester—rather than by credit hour.
HOUSE FAULTS UNIVERSITIES OVER SALARIES AND SPENDING via The Associated Press – State Rep. Carlos Trujillo suggested that legislators may need to look at how much university presidents are paid, as well as even how much football and basketball coaches are paid. The Miami Republican and House budget chief said too many people work for universities or university foundations who earn more than $200,000 a year. The House is scrutinizing university spending at the same time that the Florida Senate is poised to approve a major overhaul of colleges and universities that includes spending more.
SENATE PANEL ADVANCES BILL ON JUVENILE PUNISHMENT via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Legislation advanced through a second state Senate committee that would make civil citations mandatory for first-time offenders accused of 12 minor crimes, such as possession of alcohol or less than 20 grams of marijuana. The bill is a top priority for President Negron, and is receiving considerable attention in the Legislature this year. But mandatory civil citations are strongly opposed by the state’s two main law enforcement associations and the proposal has run into trouble in the House. At the same time the Senate was advancing the mandatory civil citations bill, the language was being stripped from House legislation dealing with the issue. Instead, the House bill now focuses on automatically expunging the criminal records of first-time misdemeanor juvenile offenders if they complete a diversion program.
RICHARD CORCORAN TELLS DEMOCRATS HE NEEDS THEM TO OVERRIDE EXPECTED RICK SCOTT VETOES via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida – If Democrats join with his Republican majority, Corcoran said, the House will be able to override Gov. Rick Scott’s expected veto of legislation to abolish Enterprise Florida, the embattled economic development agency, and another that would place tight restrictions on Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing entity. “The bill is going to pass,” Corcoran told the Democrats in a closed-door meeting attended by POLITICO Florida. “I’m asking you to help me get a veto-proof majority.”
FDLE COMMISSIONER: ‘WE KNOW THAT TERRORISTS ARE HERE’ via Jeremy Wallace of the Tampa Bay Times – “We know that terrorists are here, either plotting against Florida or using our state as a location to train, raise money and plan attacks in other areas of the country,” FDLE commissioner Richard Swearingen told a Senate committee. Swearingen said FDLE does not currently possess sufficient resources to dedicate adequate personnel to fighting terrorism and needs the $6.4 million to fix that. “What happened in Orlando on June 12, 2016, shook us all,” Swearingen told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice. “But it did not break us. And it convinced all of us in public safety that we can and we must do more to protect our state.”
HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE PASSES STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE CHANGE via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools – The House Appropriations Committee passed HB 7007, which gives state employees a health insurance plan offering four different “benefit levels” to choose from starting in 2020. If the state’s contribution exceeds the cost of the selected plan selected, employees could put that money toward health savings accounts, purchase additional benefits or increase their salary. The bill, previously PCB HHS 17-01, will now head to the chamber floor.
SENATE PANEL OUTLINES $7M IN BUDGET CUTS – The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development unveiled $7.7 million in budget cuts in the senate’s transportation and economic development bill. Departments getting money shaved off their budgets include the Departments of Economic Opportunity, Transportation, State, Military Affairs, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Division of Emergency Management. DOT would get the biggest cut at $2.5 million, mainly through reducing management positions, followed by a $1.8 million cut in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The plan would also take $500,000 out of Initial Skills Review, which are housed under the DEO. The committee said that cut was due to improving jobs numbers, which it says has left the program with unspent money at the end of each year. Each senate appropriations subcommittee will be announcing cuts to programs under their purview due to an expected drop in state revenue from prior estimates.
SENATE PANEL VOTES TO BAN TEXTING AND DRIVING via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools – A bill put forward by Sen. Rene Garcia … would make texting and driving a primary offense in Florida passed 6-1 in the Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee, the first of four committee stops. Dubbed the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law,” SB 144, originally drafted to stop minors from texting while operating a vehicle, was OK’d with an amendment extending the ban to all drivers in Florida. But Sen. Jeff Clemens … who down-voted the bill, voiced concerns over the effectiveness of the legislation. A similar bill (HB 69) by Rep. Emily Slosberg … does not yet have an amendment extending the provision past minors. It has not been heard in committee.
MANDATORY RECESS BILL SAILS THROUGH SECOND SENATE COMMITTEE via Florida Politics – The Senate PreK-12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill (SB 78) requiring school districts to provide at least 100 minutes of supervised, unstructured free play each week — or 20 minutes of free play each week — to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. While the bill received strong support from the committee, some members expressed concern they were issuing a mandate to local school districts. “Who can be against recess? I loved it. It was one of my favorite portions of the day, and I was pretty good (at it),” said Sen. Doug Broxson. “However, this is a mandate and we are telling our 67 school districts that they must do this. I would’ve preferred to make a strong suggestion and see if they could work it out themselves, but it appears we’re not going to do that.”
SENATE ADVANCES BILL TO WEAKEN CITIZENS’ LEVERAGE IN PUBLIC RECORDS DISPUTES via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald – The bill, SB 80 by Sen. Greg Steube would give judges more discretion in deciding whether or not to award attorney’s fees in public-records lawsuits. Florida law allows for citizens to be awarded attorney fees to encourage people to pursue their right to access government records and prevent public agencies from violating the public records laws. The bill would remove the requirement that the legal fees be paid by agencies by changing the requirement that judges “shall” award attorney’s fees to “may award the fees.” The Senate Community Affairs Committee adopted an amendment … to require attorney’s fees only if a complainant can show by a preponderance of evidence that “an agency willfully or intentionally violated the public records act.” If the complainant cannot show that, then the judge would have the discretion to not award the fees … open-government watchdogs and First Amendment advocates say that even with the changes, the proposal will still have a chilling effect on people who face obstacles to their efforts to get access to public records.
— “House subcommittee OKs bill aimed at PSC, utilities despite concerns” via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida
— “Lawmakers look to phase out community redevelopment Agencies” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida
— “Senate committee signs off on pollution notification rule” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union
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WANT RENE GARCIA’S VOTE? START TALKING MENTAL HEALTH. via Michael Auslen and Kristen Clark of the Tampa Bay Times – “I can’t find myself voting for any bill that does not have a mental health component to it,” he said. “Making sure that we invest more money into the system, making sure that people have access and treatment abilities. That is my main focus.” Garcia, the Senate’s Children, Families and Elder Affairs chairman who has advocated to improve Florida’s mental health system, often finds himself a swing vote in hearings over issues like gun access. A more moderate Republican from an urban district, he has bucked the party line before. In the wake of mass shootings at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, and the Ft. Lauderdale airport, Garcia has become even more concerned about widespread gun access, particularly among people in a mental health or substance abuse crisis who might be more likely to commit a violent crime.
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS TOUTS BENEFITS OF CUTTING STATE TESTS via Leslie Postal and Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel – The group wants the Legislature to pass their bill (SB 964), a far-reaching proposal that would eliminate some tests, push back testing dates to the end of the school year and allow schools to use paper-and-pencil exams rather than online ones. The proposals are backed by many school superintendents, who say existing testing requirements eat up too much instructional time. “There is far too much testing and not enough teaching,” said Sen. Bill Montford, the bill’s sponsor. “We have tied the hands of teachers and stressed out our kids.”
BLOCK TUITION COULD BE COSTLY FOR UNIVERSITIES via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat – Block tuition — a flat rate for undergraduates whether they take 12 or 15 credit hours a semester — has been bandied about Florida’s halls of higher education for years. Saying it’s time has come, Bradenton Republican Sen. Bill Galvano wants to flip the switch from optional to mandatory on block tuition. His omnibus education package, the Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act, would require the state’s 12 universities to come up with block tuition plans by October to roll out in time for the fall 2018 academic year. How they would do that will be up to the universities, their boards of trustees and the state Board of Governors. Such a plan could cost Florida State University as much as $40 million, Sen. Jeff Clemens said when introducing an amendment to require a fiscal impact study to find out how much it will cost each university to implement block tuition. “It’s a $40 million hit to the bottom line of your university to do this,” Clemens said. He withdrew the amendment.
CARLOS SMITH, JEFF CLEMENS INTRODUCE DECRIMINALIZE POT BILLS via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – The pair of lawmakers introduced bills this week that would make possession of 1 ounce or less of cannabis – described as a “personal use quantity” to be a civil violation, rather than a misdemeanor. Punishment would come in the form of fines and community service, rather than jail time. Smith filed House Bill 1443 and Clemens Senate Bill 1662. Unlike a similar ordinance enacted by Orlando last summer, in these bills police would not have the option of the civil penalty or a misdemeanor. When Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando Police Chief John Mina declared support for that ordinance Mina pointed out that extenuating circumstances, such as a belligerent violator, could lead police to choose an arrest over a ticket.
CHARTER VS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: WILL STATE FUND CONSTRUCTION OR IS LOCAL TAX HIKE COMING? via Kristen Clark of the Tampa Bay Times – A complicated and controversial measure to change how Florida’s 4,300 public schools get taxpayer money for construction and maintenance projects is limping through the Florida Senate, advancing even as lawmakers agree it needs a lot more work before it might become law. Senators behind the measure (SB 376) envision the final bill would have two main elements: It would require school districts to share local tax dollars with charter schools, and it would give school boards the freedom to raise local tax rates back to pre-recession levels, so that they could collect more revenue to address the backlog of maintenance needs in traditional public schools.
PINELLAS LAW ENFORCEMENT PROJECT HAS HIGHWAY PATROL UP IN ARMS via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times – The FHP testified in “stark opposition” to a House plan to shift the handling of car crashes on all state roads and unincorporated areas from the FHP to sheriffs in Pinellas and Polk counties. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee’s bill also would require the patrol to transfer about $6 million of its budget to those two counties for the next two years. “This would be a stark change to our business model,” Lt. Col. Mike Thomas of the patrol testified … In many counties, state troopers are responsible for investigating car crashes on state roads and in unincorporated areas. But sheriffs say that there are so few troopers on the roads that sheriffs end up working those crashes, or staying with traumatized motorists and directing traffic until a trooper arrives. “We’re already doing it,” Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri [said]. “I believe we can do it faster, better, cheaper … The citizen doesn’t understand why the guy in the green uniform goes by five times while they’re sitting there waiting for the guy in the brown uniform.”
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Rep. Lori Berman and Sen. Darryl Rouson will hold a press conference to discuss their proposal to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 at 11 a.m. outside the Senate Chamber on the fourth floor of the Capitol.
***The 2017 Florida Blue Foundation Community Health Symposium and Sapphire Awards are coming to Kissimmee April 19-20 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. The two-day event – with the theme “Creating a Culture of Health” – will feature several Florida-based, regional and national health professionals. The symposium will give attendees an opportunity to learn more about health care culture, purpose built communities and communities of health. Discussions will center on health issues, policy, reform and engagement. Network with 400+ executives from a range of private sector, government, universities, nonprofit organizations and more. To view agenda and register, click here.***
FLORIDA DOESN’T NEED AN ELECTED SECRETARY OF STATE, OR AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER via Martin Dyckman of Florida Politics – It would tax the imagination to come up with anything that Florida needs less than to elect a secretary of state once again. Why would the Legislature even consider that? Sen. Aaron Bean, the sponsor … told the Senate ethics committee that in the main he wants a fifth position on the Cabinet to avoid tie votes that require the governor to be on the prevailing side or the motion fails. Actually, he and nearly everyone else are incorrect when they refer to that group of four as “the Cabinet.” Article IV Section 4 of the Constitution provides for the Cabinet to consist of an attorney general, a chief financial officer, and a commissioner of agriculture. The governor is NOT — I repeat, NOT — a member of the Cabinet. And because they are elected, it’s not “his” Cabinet even though the members too often vote as if it were. They oversee 12 agencies in their collective role as — to put it accurately — “the governor and Cabinet.”
FLORIDA NEEDS TO SAY YES TO AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, NO TO PROPOSED FRACKING BAN via Jason Fischer for Florida Politics – Thanks to technological advancements and remarkable improvements in extraction techniques, we no longer have to choose between having a stable and affordable supply of energy resources and being good stewards of the environment, no matter what the naysayers suggest. And record-setting upticks and enhancements in hydraulic fracturing is the biggest reason why. Just look at the numbers, economically and environmentally. It’s not a coincidence. The two go together. Yet come the next legislative session, Florida lawmakers will again take another look at a regulatory curveball they’re better off not swinging at. It’s that outdated one-or-the-other thing rearing its ugly head again.
FCTA CAPTIAL DATELINE ONLINE LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW FEATURES PETER SCHORSCH — FCTA President Brad Swanson chats with EEM President Peter Schorsch about the 2017 Legislative Session. The two chat about the fight over economic incentives, medical marijuana, gambling, and workers’ compensation and other insurance issues. The interview can be found on the Florida Cable and Telecommunications Association’s YouTube site or on its Facebook page, Capital Dateline Online.
ERIC EISNAUGLE A FINALIST FOR APPEALS COURT BENCH via Rene Stutzman of the Orlando Sentinel – Eisnaugle was named one of six finalists for an open job on the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach. The Republican lawmaker from Windermere has no judicial experience, but he was one of six people nominated for the job by a local committee of the Florida Bar … The list includes four circuit judges – two from Orlando: Alice Blackwell, who’s been on the bench for 26 years, and Lisa Munyon, who’s been a judge for 14. The other judge-finalists are Circuit Judge John M. Harris, former chief judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit who’s been a judge for 15 years and works in Titusville, and Circuit Randell Rowe III, who works in DeLand and has been a judge for 12 years. The other finalist is Winter Park attorney Margaret “Amie” Kozan, who specializes in appeals.
AKERMAN LAW FIRM, LOBBYISTS ELI NORTELUS, DAVID ROBERTS PART WAYS AFTER ‘WHISKEY & WHEATIES’ ISSUE POSTPONED via Florida Politics – A spokesperson for Akerman said Nortelus and Roberts “have resigned from the firm to pursue other interests.” Sources close to the two lobbyists and the legislative issue told FloridaPolitics.com that Nortelus and Roberts were fired on the first day of the 2017 Legislative Session after Wal-Mart, which Akerman counts as one of its largest clients, insisted the lobbyists be given their walking papers. In a statement, Akerman said that “Wal-Mart was not part of this decision.” … Nortelus and Roberts had represented the Florida Independent Spirits Association, a trade group opposed to ‘tearing down the wall’ separating the proverbial whiskey from the Wheaties. The FISA is on the opposite side of Wal-Mart and other retailers, which support legislation sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores and Rep. Bryan Avila that would repeal the Prohibition-era law requiring liquor be separated from groceries and other retail goods, an issue commonly referred to as the “liquor wall.”
MAGIC JOHNSON TO LOBBY FLORIDA LAWMAKERS ON HIV/AIDS via Alexandra Glorioso of the Naples Daily News – Johnson, who represents a Medicaid managed-care company known as Anthem in Florida, contracted HIV more than two decades ago and has since been outspoken on treatment for the illness. In an email to Florida Senate Republicans, Sen. William Galvano announced Johnson’s presence as a “meet and greet.” Johnson isn’t lobbying on a specific bill, Galvano said, but he is advocating that “when we make a decision with regard to managed care, that we continue to recognize the importance of covering illnesses like HIV/AIDS.”
PERSONNEL NOTE: FLORIDA STATE HIRES NEW FEDERAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR via Florida Politics – D.C. veteran Jonathan Nurse has joined Florida State University as the new director of federal relations, Vice President for Research Gary K. Ostrander announced Wednesday. Nurse will serve as the university’s liaison to federal funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation as well as the state’s congressional delegation. He will be based out of Washington, D.C., and travel to Tallahassee monthly.
NEW AND RENEWED LOBBY REGISTRATIONS
Ivette O’Doski, Brett Bacott, Michael Harrell Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Florida League of Cities
Brian Ballard, Ballard Partners: Lemonade Inc
Slater Bayliss, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: U.S. Submergent Technologies, LLC
Ellyn Bogdanoff, Becker & Poliakoff: Galt Towers Condominium Association, Inc.
Kimberly Case, Holland & Knight: Pensacola Christian College
Jorge Chamizo, Charles Dudley, Floridian Partners: HP Inc
Jacob Cremer, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler: Collier Resources
Daniel Diaz Leyva, Daniel J. Diaz, P.A.: AT&T.
Candice Ericks, Ericks Advocacy Group: TrakWagon
Marnie George, Jim Magill, Timothy Stanfield, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers
Jeff Kottkamp, Jeff Kotkamp: GA Zero, LLC
Jim McFaddin, Southern Strategy Group: Asad W. Qamar/Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence (ICE)
Travis Mitchell, Louis Betz & Associates: Ygrene Energy Fund Florida, LLC
Edward Pozzuoli, Tripp Scott: TrakWagon, LLC
Jon Steverson, Foley & Lardner: EH Mitigation Management, LLC
Larry Williams, Larry Williams Consulting: PowerSchool Group
***Sen. Jack Latvala is fighting to protect Florida’s small business owners by leveling the playing field for owners of franchise establishments. This will lead to more economic growth and jobs for our communities. Tell Sen. Latvala you support him and learn how to help protect small businesses in Florida at ProtectFLBusiness.com.***
SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO PROTECT KIDS FROM IMMIGRATION RAIDS via The Associated Press – A South Florida school board is taking steps to protect the children of undocumented immigrants who face deportation. The School Board of Broward County approved the resolution in response to increasing fears of more aggressive immigration enforcement polices implemented by the Trump administration. School Board member Robin Bartleman says immigrant families “wanted to know that we had their backs.” Any requests to access schools or get information about a student will be directed to the district’s attorney. The board also agreed to have schools work with parents and community organizations to come up with a plan in case a student’s parents are deported.
JUST HERE FOR THE ARTICLES: CITY’S OLD WEBSITE USED FOR PORN via The Associated Press – the city of Springfield began receiving complaints last week from citizens who were visiting the city’s old website … Mayor Ralph Hammond said the city apparently let the old domain name expire, and the site now contains pornography. Springfield switched its website to a .gov domain about three years ago. The city’s information technology department is seeking to buy back the old domain and any domains names similar to the city’s current website, springfield.fl.gov.
PHILIP LEVINE TO AIRBNB IN TRUMP-LIKE TIRADE: ‘MIAMI BEACH DOESN’T WANT WHAT YOU’RE SELLING’ via Chabeli Herrera of the Miami Herald – In other words, “You’re fired!” The exchange between the platform and Levine on Twitter was sparked by an article in Sunshine State News … critical of Levine’s push for hefty fines against short-term rental sites. Per the city’s code, short-term rentals are banned in the city except for in some multifamily buildings in specified areas. When Airbnb Citizen, the company’s policy and communications arm, posted the article, Levine fired back. “Against destroying neighborhoods/buildings [with] short-term rentals in Miami Beach! LOVE Airbnb but not in [Miami Beach],” Levine tweeted at about noon Saturday.
WHAT JONATHAN KILMAN IS READING – LYFT EXPANDS TO THE CAPITAL CITY – Lawmakers, lobbyists, and other politicos should feel “upLyfted” with the introduction of a new transportation option available in the Capital City starting today. The ridesharing service Lyft today expands into the Tallahassee market, providing convenient and affordable rides for the area’s residents and visitors. New passengers can use a special code LYFTLOVE17 to receive $5 off their first Lyft ride. Now, let’s see if this is the year Florida finally passes statewide ridesharing legislation.
***The Florida Health Care Association knows how legislators can save taxpayers $68.2 million per year in unnecessary spending, while safeguarding the highest level of care for Florida’s frailest residents. Learn more here.***
GOVERNORS CLUB THURSDAY BUFFET MENU – Thursday’s buffet at the Governors Club offers an Italian flair with tomato basil soup, roasted eggplant salad, seasonal greens, three dressing sections, Caesar salad, hearts of romaine, Parmesan cheese, Kalamata olives, shrimp Bucatini Pomodoro, roasted garlic chicken, parmesan garlic risotto, cauliflower & plum tomatoes, and eggplant parmesan.
DISNEY REVEALS NEW DETAILS ABOUT PANDORA via Terry Roen of Florida Politics – Pandora – The World of Avatar will share the same core values as Animal Kingdom – the value of nature, discovery through adventure and giving back to the planet earth … the new attraction opens May 27 … “Visitors will walk away from Pandora with information they can apply to the real world of earth,” said Joe Rohde, a Disney Imagineer best known for serving as the leader of the creative team behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Flight of Passage, the flying theater ride on the backs of mountain banshees, with have a 44-inch height restriction. All ages can take a tour on the Na’vi River Journey indoor boat ride. A walk-through attraction, called Valley of Mo’ara, will give visitors an up-close look at bioluminescent flora, as well as see Na’vi totems and cultural artifacts.
HEY, ROOKIE! METS’ TIM TEBOW TAKES PRACTICE SWINGS ON WRONG SIDE via The Associated Press – Tebow made his first rookie mistake even before stepping into the batter’s box. The New York Mets newcomer walked behind home plate and took his practice swings near Boston’s on-deck circle. “I didn’t know who that was back there. I thought it was the ball boy,” AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello said. Tebow’s debut as a big leaguer didn’t go much better.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Melissa Akeson of The Rubin Group and Kristy Campbell of, well, Jeb’s group.
