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.
LEGISLATURE AT STALEMATE OVER NEW BUDGET via Gary Fineout of the Associated Press
For more than a week, the House and the Senate privately traded broad offers that outlined how much money would be spent in key areas such as education, health care, the environment and economic development.
Part of this broad framework also included how much money the state should set aside in reserves.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran said one stumbling block was that the House wanted to place more money in reserves because of projections that show a possible budget deficit in the next two to three years if spending continues to increase.
“We refuse to let the state go bankrupt,” said Corcoran, who also said such a strategy could force Florida to raise taxes.
Unable to reach a deal, the House over the weekend offered a “continuation” budget that would have kept intact state funding at current levels in many places. That would have allowed legislators to end the session on time and avoid the need for a costly special session. But it would have meant that there would be no money for any new projects.
The Senate, however, rejected this idea. Senate President Joe Negron, in a memo sent out to senators Monday morning, called it a “Washington creation where Congress is habitually unable to pass a budget.”
“I have no interest in adopting this ineffectual practice,” he added.
Despite Senate opposition, however, Corcoran announced late Monday the House would pass a second budget that would keep most spending at its current levels while allowing for some growth in Medicaid and public school spending. He said this budget would prevent a possible government shutdown later this summer.
“We remain hopeful that we will be able to reach an acceptable compromise,” Corcoran said in a memo to members. “It is our responsibility to pass a budget that continues the functions of state government.”
BUDGET TICK-TOCK
7:20 a.m. – Joe Negron tells the Tampa Bay Times that budget talks have stalled. On the House’s continuation budget, Negron says: That’s not an offer. That’s the equivalent of packing your suitcase and moving out. It’s a reflexive and lazy response to our responsibility for budgeting.”
8:15 a.m. – Jack Latvala doubles-down on Senate criticism of the House’s gamesmanship. Latvala says he thinks “we are witnessing Johnnie Byrd 2.0.“
9:42 a.m. – In a memo to other Senators, Negron says he “had never encountered” the term “continuation budget” in state government until it began to appear in these negotiations. Says he has “no interest in adopting this ineffectual practice.”
10:04 a.m. – @SteveBousquet: @richardcorcoran’s idea of a ‘continuation budget’ isn’t new. @FLGovScott floated the same idea two years ago
11:12 a.m. – @MaryEllenKlas: Clarifying @MyFLHouse use of ‘continuation budget,’ @RepCTrujillo says it’s ‘continuing government at this year’s levels responsibly’
12:49 p.m. – Florida House asks that “continuation budget” now be referred to as “standard operating budget.”
2:14 p.m. – @MichaelAuslen: Dem Leader @RepJanetCruz jumps into the budget fray, calling leadership’s impasse “pathetic and it’s below the level of competence.” More from Cruz: “Republican leadership in the House and Senate is failing the people of Florida. While House Democrats have been focused on and have filed legislation dealing with the real priorities of Floridians, Republican leadership in both chambers have spent their time this session on useless posturing and messaging towards higher office instead of addressing the pressing issues facing our state.
3:55 p.m. – Manny Diaz, House pre-K-12 education budget chairman, tells the Times/Herald: “Our responsibility, constitutionally, is to pass a budget, so if it means that’s what we have to do and walk away, then that’s what we have to do.”
4:15 p.m. – Matt Dixon breaks the news on the House’s plan, via Twitter: “cmte will be voting on new budget tomorrow. It’s basically going to be current year budget – non-recurring member projects + LIP … This plan would fund nonrecurring member projects in House’s proposed budget. That plus LIP would make it not exact current year budget.”
4:55 p.m. – In a memo to House members, Speaker Corcoran writes that “we remain optimistic that we will reach budget consensus with the Senate. However, by considering this standard operating budget as a contingency, we would prevent an unnecessary government shutdown, protect the state’s future, and still enable us to fund new priorities in the future.”
5:25 p.m. – The House releases the text of PCB APC 17-06 – General Appropriations Act.
***Today’s SUNBURN is brought to you by Spectrum Reach, the marketing platform of choice, connecting you to your target audience on TV, digital and mobile. With access to our powerful data and insights, solutions for every screen, and the best programming content on the top 50+ networks, we’ll help you reach the right customers for your business. SpectrumReach.com #NeverStopReaching***
RICK SCOTT SAYS HE WILL SIGN ‘UBER BILL’ via Florida Politics – Gov. Scott tweeted on Monday that he will sign into law a bill creating statewide regulations for ride-booking companies like Uber and Lyft. “I look forward to signing the @Uber/ @lyft bill,” Scott tweeted from his official account, @FLGovScott. The governor is in Argentina on a trade mission. Colin Tooze, Uber’s director of public affairs, tweeted back, “Many thanks for your leadership, @FLGovScott ! All of us at @Uber are excited to have a permanent home in the Sunshine State.”
CONFIRMATION OF 4 AGENCY HEADS GOING TO SENATE FLOOR via The Associated Press –The Ethics and Elections Committee voted in support of the confirmations of Jeffrey Bragg as Secretary of Elderly Affairs, Dr. Celeste Philip as Surgeon General, Justin Senior as Secretary of Health Care Administration and Glenn Sutphin as Director of Department of Veterans Affairs. All four are expected to be approved by the full Senate.
GAMBLING DEAL MAY COME DOWN TO SLOTS QUESTION via Florida Politics – Seeing it as the “lesser of various evils” to pass a gambling bill this year, the House may give in to the Senate’s position to legislatively approve new slot machines in counties that passed referendums allowing them, according to those familiar with the negotiations … What’s becoming clearer as the 2017 Legislative Session’s May 5th end looms is House leadership’s distress at recent court decisions, the practical effect of which is opening up more gambling opportunities without legislative say … “I think the House is fed up with it,” said (an) industry consultant, referring to gambling-related court decisions. “The only way they can get a handle on (gambling expansion) is to get a bill done, and if that means throwing in the towel on slots in referendum counties, that’s the lesser of the various evils.”
SENATE BUDGES LITTLE IN INITIAL GAMBLING NEGOTIATION via Florida Politics – Saying he wanted to “start taking small steps,” state Sen. Bill Galvano on Monday tendered the first offer in the Legislature’s negotiation on a gambling bill this year. The initial tender, though it largely maintains what’s in the Senate’s bill, also would classify contentious “pre-reveal” games as slot machines, and would limit two new slots facilities to either Broward or Miami-Dade counties … The Senate offer also would give the state more time, up to two years, to address any future violation of blackjack exclusivity brought by the Seminole Tribe of Florida with a legislative fix. That also was addressed to court rulings that create such “violations.”
‘RESTRICTIVE’ MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROPOSAL HEADED TO HOUSE FLOOR via Allison Nielsen of the Sunshine State News – The House Committee on Health and Human Services passed the proposal, HB 1397, sponsored by Rep. Ray Rodrigues by a vote of 14-4. Pro-medical marijuana activists see the measure as a big step in the wrong direction for regulating medical cannabis in the Sunshine State and have routinely criticized the House proposal to regulate the state’s booming medical marijuana industry. The bill would create many limitations on medical pot in Florida and has been criticized by patients and advocates for being far too rigid to provide relief to so many suffering Floridians. Not only would smokable cannabis be banned, but patients would also be barred from buying more than a 90-day supply of marijuana, edibles would be off-limits and “vaping” would only be allowed for terminal patients.
AFP-FL URGES SENATE TO KEEP INCENTIVES OUT OF TRIMUPH GULF COAST BILL via SaintPetersBlog — A Northwest Florida Republican plans to amend the Senate’s version of a bill to send millions of dollars to the Panhandle communities impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill to allow money to be spent on economic incentives. The Panama City News Herald reported this weekend that Sen. George Gainer said he plans to file an amendment to the bill (SB 364) so that it allows funds to be spent on economic incentives for companies in the region that provide high paying jobs. In a statement Monday, Americans for Prosperity-Florida state director Chris Hudson said the Senate would be wrong to “direct disaster relief money towards incentives.”“That money should be used to help ensure the Panhandle’s affected natural resources, beautiful beaches, and critical infrastructure needs are addressed. Handing that money over to a few select private companies is another form of corporate welfare and is wrong,” said Hudson. “We call on Senator Gainer to not file his amendment and vote on the house bill as it stands. He should put the Gulf Coast ahead of politics and not kill this bill over corporate welfare.”
HOUSE BILL ON TESTING BECOMES LATEST EDUCATION TRAIN via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times – Like its counterpart in the Senate, the Florida House bill on state testing — once 8 pages long — has become its chamber’s vehicle to push forward a patchwork of education policy initiatives found in a variety of other measures working their way through the legislative process. HB 773 … would balloon to 76 pages with a strike-all amendment filed over the weekend by sponsor Rep. Manny Diaz. If adopted, the proposal would include much of the original language, plus provisions added into HB 549 last week. Those included the elimination of the Algebra II end-of-course exam, a return to paper-based testing for third through sixth grades, a move of the state testing window, and the publication of certain state tests, among other items. The items in the House bill do not match the Senate bill, which includes such ideas as mandatory daily elementary school recess, the elimination of more end-of-course exams and deletion of the VAM requirement on teacher evaluations.
HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE OK’S BILL TO HELP 5G COME TO FLORIDA — The committee voted 25-2 for the bill (HB 687), sponsored by Rep. Mike LaRosa, which establishes statewide rates, terms and conditions under which wireless providers can install wireless infrastructure to bring 5G capability to Florida. “By deploying uniform small cell technology across the Sunshine State, our local communities will be able to be a part of the smart cities revolution, advancing not only our wireless network speeds but the ability to attract innovative, technologically advanced companies to Florida,” said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida, in a statement. “HB 687, which is now ready to be taken up by the full House, is the answer to autonomous vehicles, instantaneous wireless speeds and smart cities becoming a reality for Floridians.” The bill now heads to the floor. A similar Senate bill (SB 596) by Sen. Travis Hutson could be taken up by the full Senate in the coming days.
BEER ADVERTISING BILL CLEARED FOR HOUSE FLOOR via Florida Politics – A House bill that would have allowed “advertising” by beer companies in the state’s theme parks morphed into a measure that allows “brand naming agreements.” What “brand naming agreements” are, however, isn’t defined in the bill (HB 423). “I’ll bet you your definition and my definition are two different things,” sponsor Rep. La Rosa told the Commerce Committee, which cleared the bill for the full House on a 17-9 vote after no debate.
FLORIDA FOREVER BILL COULD AFFECT EVERGLADES RESERVOIR PLAN via Ana Ceballos of The Associated Press – A bill that looks to “un-muddy” the mission of Florida’s main environmental land acquisition program could potentially affect the plan for an Everglades reservoir. A House bill brought by Rep. Matt Caldwell … was passed unanimously by a House panel. Caldwell wants to alter what projects are eligible for money under the Florida Forever Program and put more money into land conservation. But the measure would also remove funding allocations for acquisitions on water management districts’ priority lists. This could hinder Senate President Joe Negron‘s plan to build a $1.2 billion reservoir system south of Lake Okeechobee … Senate Bill 10 would direct the South Florida Management District to find land for the reservoir system. Caldwell’s bill could prevent the South Florida Management District from using bonding for the reservoir project. House Speaker Richard Corcoran supports the Florida Forever bill.
HOUSE FORMS FIRST-EVER LEGISLATIVE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – More than a dozen Democratic Florida House members have formed the Progressive Legislative Caucus, with firebrand state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith elected as its first chair … state Rep. Amy Mercado vice chair, and state Rep. Joseph Abruzzo as clerk. Other charter members included state Reps. Robert Asencio, Lori Berman, Daisy Baez, John Cortes, Nicholas Duran, Joseph Gellar, Evan Jenne, Barrington Russell, Sean Shaw, Emily Slosberg, Richard Stark and Clovis Watson.
TAMPA BAY AREA BUSINESS LEADERS LOBBY ON CONTENTIOUS TRANSIT BILL via Richard Danielson and Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times – More than a dozen top business local executives went to Tallahassee with an appeal in the days following last week’s political showdown between three GOP senators from Tampa Bay over a regional transit bill. But the delegation arrived just a day after Sen. Jack Latvala watched in frustration as fellow Republican senators Jeff Brandes and Tom Lee amended his bill to overhaul the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority (TBARTA) during a tense meeting of the Senate Community Affairs Committee. As approved April 17 by the committee, which Lee chairs, the amendment would require legislative approval for any local spending on a light rail system and would prohibit the authority from spending money to push for light rail in a voter referendum. The changes are seen as a serious blow to the independence of the authority. “The timing could not have been better for this trip because the bill was at a critical point,” [nonprofit Tampa Bay] partnership president Rick Homans said. The group’s original agenda was to support a four-part policy agenda, which included Latvala’s transit bill as well as ride-sharing legislation, the creation of a regional Metropolitan Planning Organization and money for the Tampa Bay Express interstate expansion project. The group still covered all four topics, but put special emphasis on the TBARTA bill … several members of the business delegation said they hoped the session would end with some form of the transit bill.
MIAMI-DADE AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT FIGHT TUCKED IN SENATE’S $85B BUDGET via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida – The money was requested by former state Sen. Frank Artiles … to help build a pump station as part of a much larger development being spearheaded by AA Acquisitions at the Miami-Opa-Locka Executive Airport, which is owned by the county. The company is developing a business aviation park on county-owned property. The $1 million is a small slice of a larger privately-financed development, but has been at the center of an argument between the Florida Department of Transportation and Miami-Dade County, which has not responded to recent requests for updates from FDOT as lawmakers work to finalize the budget. The project is part of a boom in construction at the airport spurred by increased traffic from wealthy jet owners, according to the Miami Herald. “In part, the airport’s growing popularity is due to the increasing number of celebrities, hedge-fund investors and wealthy international visitors,” the newspaper reported in 2014.
*** 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.***
DAY 50 RULE CHANGES —Under Senate rules, after the 50th day, which is Tuesday, notices shall be provided four hours in advance of a meeting. However, Senate rules also states that unless approved by the President, no committee shall meet after the 50th day of the regular session, except the Rules Committee. The House doesn’t have a similar rule, but traditionally holding committee meetings then as well. After the 45th day, which was April 20, the House meeting notices shall be provided no later than 4:30 p.m. on the day before the committee or subcommittee meeting. That includes Saturdays, Sundays, and official state holidays.
HAPPENING TODAY — DIVE-IN-DAY AT THE CAPITOL — Take a break and enjoy the sea. No, really: It’s Dive-in-Day at the Florida Capitol. The event, hosted by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association in partnership with Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, is meant to promote scuba diving. This year the event will feature an interactive mobile aquarium featuring lionfish, vendors and dive shops, educational opportunities, and free giveaways. Hungry? They will be serving fresh samples of Florida-caught lionfish at noon.
HAPPENING TODAY – COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO WATCH — The Senate Appropriations Committee will take up a massive agenda when it meets at 9 a.m. in 412 Knott. On the agenda: A bill (SB 512) to prohibit the injection of anabolic steroids in racing greyhounds; a bill (SB 808) to tweak the voter-approved maximum class-size amendment; and several claims bills (SB 38 and SB 50).The committee will also discuss a bill (SB 406) dealing with the implementation of the state’s 2016 medical marijuana constitutional amendment, the last stop before the bill heads to the Senate floor. The Senate Rules Committee will take up dozens of bills — including one dealing with the apology to victims of the Dozier School for Boys — when it meets at 2 p.m. in 110 Senate Office Building. The House Appropriations Committee will meet to discuss its so-called “standard operating budget” at 8 a.m. in 212 Knott.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: House Democrats will hold a caucus meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the House Democratic Office, Room 316 in the Capitol.
GIVE CAPUTO MY REGARDS: POLITICO Florida will host a meet-and-greet with bureau chief Matt Dixon, Florida Playbook author Marc Caputo, and reporters Jessica Bakeman, Christine Sexton, Bruce Ritchie, and Daniel Ducassi at 5 p.m. at Township Tallahassee, 619 Woodward Avenue in Tallahassee.
***Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are hired by Florida employers, unions, and public programs to negotiate rebates and discounts from drug companies. This is one way PBMs help keep the growth in actual prescription drug spending in the low single digits despite massive price hikes by some drug manufacturers. In Florida, PBMs will save $43.4 billion over the next ten years. Learn more at DrugBenefitSolutions.com.***
CLIMATE CHANGE POSES ‘NIGHTMARE SCENARIO’ FOR FLORIDA COAST, BLOOMBERG WARNS via Joe Romm of ThinkProgress.org – “Pessimists selling to optimists.” That’s how one former Florida coastal property owner describes the current state of the market in a must-read Bloomberg story. Right now, science and politics don’t favor the optimists. The disintegration of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is speeding up, providing increasing evidence we are headed for the worst-case scenario of sea level rise — three to 6 feet (or more) by 2100. The impacts are already visible in South Florida. “Tidal flooding now predictably drenches inland streets, even when the sun is out, thanks to the region’s porous limestone bedrock,” explains Bloomberg. “Saltwater is creeping into the drinking water supply.” Faster sea level rise and less adaptation means the day of reckoning is nigh. Dan Kipnis, chair of Miami Beach’s Marine and Waterfront Protection Authority — who has failed to find a buyer for his Miami Beach home for nearly a year — told Bloomberg, “Nobody thinks it’s coming as fast as it is.”
SFWMD TO FACEBOOK LIVE WEIGH-IN OF 50th PYTHON ELIMINATED via Nancy Smith of the Sunshine State News – SFWMD will broadcast the weigh-in … through the District’s new Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sfwmd at 11 a.m. … The weigh-in “event” is actually taking place at the SFWMD Homestead Field Station located at 2195 NE 8th St. in Homestead … Python Hunter Dustin Crum of Myakka City captured a 14-foot python for the 50th snake eliminated. Hunter Patrick Campbell of St. Johns County holds the record for the largest snake caught through the Python Elimination Program at 15 feet 10 inches. Hunter Michael Valcare of Miami has captured the most snakes so far, eight, netting $1,375 in bounties. Jamison Meyerof Cutler Bay has captured seven snakes and pocketed $1,200 in bounties. The pilot program began March 25 and will run until June 1.
PERSONNEL NOTE: FORMER REP. JEFF MILLER JOINS LOBBYING FIRM IN WASHINGTON via Ledyard King of the Pensacola News-Journal – The former Republican chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee who represented Northwest Florida for nearly 16 years, is joining McDermott Will & Emery as a “senior legislative adviser” in the firm’s Government Strategies group. Aside from health care issues focused on veterans, Miller said he’ll also be working in other areas he was involved in during his time on Capitol Hill including defense and agriculture. “And there are numerous people that the company already represents that I will aid in policy work as well,” he said in an interview. The firm, a large law practice with offices across the country and abroad, earned more than $3.4 million in lobbying income last year … Its list of clients in 2016 included Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Diabetes Access to Care Coalition, Mayo Clinic and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association.
PERSONNEL NOTE: SARAH REVELL JOINS FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE via Florida Politics – Revell’s first day as the department’s new communications director was Monday. She was formerly the Media and Marketing Manager for the Florida Department of Health. Before that, Revell was an account manager at Tallahassee’s CoreMessage PR firm and was Chief of Staff to First Lady Ann Scott. She got her undergraduate degree in public relations from Florida State University.
SPOTTED: Team Jax – Lenny and Molly Curry, Brian Hughes and Rachel Perrin Rogers, Tim and Jessica Baker – as well as Andrew Wiggins and Laura Lenhart at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, celebrating the passage of Curry’s historic pension reform plan for Jacksonville.
SPOTTED: At the wedding of Tom Alte and Meagan Salisbury Saturday – attorney Johnny Bardine; State Rep. Ben & Christina Diamond (who now works for Sen. Bill Nelson); pollster Tom Eldon; Cesar Fernandez of Uber; John Fox of the Florida Justice Association; Pinellas County Commissioner Pat Gerard; St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman; St. Pete Council Chair Darden Rice; media consultant John Rowley and State Rep. Sean Shaw.
STOP STEALING OUR VIDEO, FLORIDA CHANNEL SAYS via Florida Politics – The Florida Channel wants you … to stop stealing its videos. A new disclaimer began popping up Friday under the channel’s online video feeds: “Programming produced by The Florida Channel CANNOT be used for political, campaign, advocacy or commercial purposes!” It adds: “ANY editing, embedding or distribution without permission is strictly PROHIBITED. Direct linking to complete video files is permissible, except in the case of political campaigns.” Florida Channel executive director Beth Switzer on Monday explained the “terms of use” reminder was sparked by the “increasing number of people stealing (videos) for advocacy purposes.”
FOR SERIES ON RISING GUN ACCIDENTS AMONG FLORIDA KIDS, FAMILIES’ STORIES BRING DATA TO LIFE via USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism – On average, a child in Florida was shot every 17 hours. We combed the data for trends. … The data alone told an important story. We were the only ones who had it. The state Department of Law Enforcement doesn’t know how many gun incidents involve children. And the Florida Department of Health doesn’t publish detailed statistics on the issue. But in order to truly explain the toll, we needed people who had experienced it firsthand. Finding sources wasn’t easy. We started by combing through news clips from across the state. We identified children who had been shot in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee and Jacksonville, and reached out to their parents. In some cases, the parents were willing to talk me. But for every one parent that invited me over, another four rejected me or didn’t return my calls. The takeaway: While it was important to quantify how many kids in Florida were hurt and killed by firearms annually — and to help readers understand why it was happening — it was just as important to show what the trend has meant for real people.
ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE ROTUNDA — On Trimmel Gomes’ latest episode of The Rotunda, a recap of Miami GOP Sen. Frank Artiles use of racial slurs and other controversies leading to his resignation. Jacksonville Times-Union reporter Tia Mitchell was first to probe and shine a spotlight on the private conversation at the members-only Governors Club. Gomes and Mitchell chronicle the bipartisan outrage following Artiles’ use of the N-word and other derogatory terms. Plus, Philip Singleton, also known as the Hip Hop Lobbyist explains why the harshest racial slur in American English is a mainstay in pop culture.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Rep. David Richardson, consultant Tom Alte, Kristin Lamb, and progressive activist Susan Smith.
