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. Scott Powers and Terry Roen of Orlando-Rising.com wrote today’s topper.
— ONE YEAR LATER —
On Monday, a city still in deep mourning will reckon itself to the first anniversary of one of the darkest days any city has ever had to endure, as Orlandoans pay their respects to those killed, wounded, or forever changed in the June 12, 2016, Pulse nightclub massacre.
Huge crowds are expected at a multitude of events, highlighted by an opening of a memorabilia display at the Orange County Regional History Center, a memorial ceremony at the Pulse nightclub itself, and a community cry from the city’s heart, Lake Eola Park.
Just counting journalists – more than 750 have been credentialed – this no doubt will be a worldwide-watched moment.
Yet while victims, survivors, their families and friends, and thousands of ordinary citizens will deal with the very strong emotions and seek to celebrate the bonds that have made Orlando United very real, there may be a critical lack of such bonding among many key politicians.
Most of the locals, starting with Orlando’s Democratic Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County’s Republican Mayor Teresa Jacobs, and including most of its lawmakers, will have no problems embracing and being embraced by an Orlando Family in need of their leadership. Starting in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, almost all they’ve said and done regarding Pulse has resonated with strength, love and togetherness.
It gets more complicated with those from outside of Orlando. That’s particularly true now that Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith has thrown down a gauntlet to Republican Gov. Rick Scott: accusing him of turning his back on an LGBTQ community devastated by the Pulse shooting, and hinting that he might not be welcomed back.
Smith, a leader in both Orlando’s and Florida’s LGBTQ community, pointed out an obvious but not widely-discussed situation: that there has been, from the start, a stark difference in how Democrats and Republicans typically have characterized Pulse, and how they’ve acted since.
Was the Pulse tragedy an unthinkably-heinous hate crime against the LGBTQ community by a madman who professed hatred toward gays? Was it a terrorism act carried out by an ISIS-pledging Islamic radical? Was it both? And how should the guns issues be addressed, if at all?
Scott and other key Republicans, notably U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, on up to President Donald Trump, all have said or done things seen by too many in Orlando as insensitive or off the mark in addressing those questions, particularly by not consistently acknowledging the LGBTQ community’s principal role.
Who among them will come Monday? Who among them will speak? Might they find the words to assert that they stand with Orlando and can embrace the communities grieving the most?
A city’s proud unity might begin to fray along political hems, or might be bound tighter, depending upon what happens.
Pulse reads:
– “Orlando after Pulse: Who we are, how we’ve changed” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel
– “A year after Pulse nightclub shooting, a legacy of healing” via Amy Bennett Williams and Ryan Mills of News-Press.com
– “Pulse: Blood donors were ‘first, first responders’” via Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel
– “Pulse victim Deonka Drayton left behind complicated story” via Kayla O’Brien of the Orlando Sentinel
– “Pulse hit the LGBTQ community of color hardest. One year later, it’s a struggle to heal” via Alex Harris and Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald
– “Shooting survivor revisits Pulse: “I got out … but Eddie didn’t” via Barbara Marshall of the Palm Beach Post
– “Year After Pulse massacre, blessings and frustrations abound” via Lizette Alvarez of The New York Times
Rick Scott declares June 12 as “Pulse Remembrance Day” — Gov. Scott on Friday issued a proclamation declaring Monday “Pulse Remembrance Day,” directed flags be flown at half-staff in the state from sunrise until sunset, and called for a moment of silence to honor and remember the victims. “I encourage all Floridians to pause this Monday at 9 a.m. to share in a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Pulse Terror attack,” he said in a statement. “This was an attack on Orlando, our state, the Hispanic community and on the LGBTQ community. It left a solemn impact on our state that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
“Services to mark one year since 49 killed” via Mike Schneider of The Associated Press – Starting in the early hours … and continuing almost 24 hours later, survivors, victims’ families, city officials and central Florida residents will remember the victims with four services. The first service is closed to the public, and it’s being held at the nightclub for survivors, local officials and club employees. It will overlap with the exact time that gunman Omar Mateen began firing shots — a little after 2 a.m. June 12, 2016. It is followed by another midday service at the nightclub, and an evening gathering in the heart of downtown Orlando. A final, music-filled late-night service is being held at the nightclub … local churches throughout Orlando have arranged for church bells to ring simultaneously, 49 times at noon. Local officials also have declared the one-year mark as a day of “love and kindness,” and they are encouraging residents to volunteer or perform acts of compassion.
Photo credit: Preston Gannaway.
Assignment editors: The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence will hold a candlelight vigil to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Pulse shooting in Orlando at 7 p.m. in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Jason Lindsay, the executive director of the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence; D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and the Rev. Kara Scroggins are all expected to speak. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. is scheduled to perform.
Assignment editors: Rep. Kathy Castor will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. at Centennial Park, 1800 E. Eighth Avenue in Tampa to discuss the work that continues to honor the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting. She will be joined by Nadine Smith with Equality Florida and Carrie West with Tampa Pride.
Assignment editors – In commemoration of the lives lost at the Pulse Nightclub shooting, state Sen. Linda Stewart will be volunteering to take a stand against bullying on Orlando United Day – A Day of Love and Kindness – at the Zebra Coalition Drop-in Center which is open from 12-5 p.m., 911 N Mills Avenue in Orlando.
Blood drives in honor of Pulse — OneBlood is holding blood drives throughout the state to remember the victims and honor the injured. In the days following the tragedy, thousands of people lined up for hours to give blood, but the group said it was the donors who donated in the “days before who made the vital difference.” OneBlood is urging Floridians to “make it a tradition” to give blood to commemorate the anniversary to ensure there are no blood shortages. There are blood drives at the Greater Orlando Area Donor Centers and select mobile drives through Wednesday, and all other OneBlood donor centers through Monday. Donors who give blood as part of the Pulse blood drive will receive a free commemorative T-shirt, as well as a free wellness checkup. To find a location near you, click here.
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— EPILOGUE —
Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald conducts an autopsy of the Special Session, concluding that it ended “by delivering more of the same: backroom deal-making that resolved differences over a trade.” Klas’ reporting relies heavily on the perspective of the Senate and quotes from Democratic members, but her conclusion is right: the big winner was Scott. Here are 5 interesting nuggets from Klas’ reporting:
— Scott made a midnight phone call to Joe Negron to ask him to attend a press conference in Miami the next morning where the ‘Big 3’ would announce a special session
— Scott (had) refrained from making a commitment about whether he would sign or veto HB 7069. That gave him leverage over the priority legislation and a rare negotiating advantage to demand fixes to the budget.
— Great imagery here: “Sitting at his conference table in the Speaker’s office early Friday afternoon, wolfing down a lunch of meat loaf and red velvet cake …”
— Anyone who thinks the Senate was a bigger winner than the House needs to re-read these two paragraphs: “Scott wanted to continue incentive programs that benefit specific companies. Corcoran said no. The Senate wanted to use local property tax money for schools, override Scott’s vetoes of higher education construction projects and dip into cash reserves to give more money to hospitals but Corcoran said no. Scott expected the Senate to deliver, and when they didn’t his loyalty to them quickly shifted. In the end, Corcoran delivered more to Scott than the Senate and the speaker seized the opportunity filled the void to make his own trade.”
— Meanwhile, Jack Latvala complains that rocks weigh more today: “We’ve got three fiefdoms in Tallahassee — the House, Senate and the governor — and they are unchallenged within their own body. They get carried away.”
>>>Gary Fineout also has a must-read epilogue piece, “Short-lived truce or an end to the simmering GOP feud in Florida“
— ICYMI —
“Governor signs ‘religious expression’ bill into law” via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times – The new law, which takes effect July 1, makes clear that students in Florida’s public schools cannot be punished for including religious materials in their course work, and that they may pray at school during non-course time. It further states that school employees also may participate voluntarily in religious activities that are initiated by students before or after the school day. Complaints that some schools in north Florida did not allow such participation have prompted lawmakers to push for such provisions over several years. Representatives from many Christian organizations lobbied for the bill in committees, saying they were being discriminated against in schools.
“Florida shifts burden of proof in ‘Stand Your Ground’ cases” via Allison Nielsen of the Sunshine State News – The new law would give defendants more protection from prosecution in “Stand Your Ground” cases by requiring prosecutors to prove whether a defendant is entitled to immunity at a pretrial hearing in order to disprove a claim of self-defense immunity. The legislation would flip the responsibility onto the prosecutor to prove why a defendant shouldn’t be allowed to use the Stand Your Ground defense in court. Republicans pushed the burden of proof bill for years but didn’t have much success until this year’s regular legislative session, when lawmakers finally passed the bill along party lines. The proposal came on the heels of a Florida Supreme Court last summer which ruled defendants would be responsible for the burden of proof showing they shouldn’t be prosecuted in “Stand Your Ground” cases.
“John Morgan to host Richard Corcoran fundraiser – even as he promises to sue lawmakers over medical marijuana” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO Florida – So not only could Morgan face Corcoran in a courtroom, he may also take him on as a candidate in next year’s governor’s race. Both men are exploring entering the contest. Morgan is a Democrat; Corcoran is a Republican. … News of the fundraiser was first reported in a tweet by Associated Press reporter Joe Reedy, and quickly confirmed in a tweet by Morgan himself. Morgan thanked Corcoran for the passage of Friday’s medical marijuana bill during the final day of a three-day special session. “We’ll show you our deep thanks for A2,” he tweeted. “You made it happen. Plain & simple! I’ll bring Makers Mark & Caymus.” … The fundraiser for Corcoran’s Watchdog PAC will be held next Thursday at the Orlando home of Zander and Carmen Clem, according to the invitation.
NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Today is the deadline for state candidates and political committees to file campaign finance reports for activity through May 31.
Good read: – “2018 Senate preview: Hurricane Scott about to make landfall on Bill Nelson’s face” via Brian Burgess of the Capitolist
“Andrew Gillum’s campaign touting more than 7,000 donors” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – The Democratic gubernatorial candidate’s campaign is reporting Friday it has topped the 7,000 donor mark for $1.2 million in total contributions. That means Gillum’s official campaign and his unofficial political committee Forward Florida brought in about $150,000 from roughly 1,400 donors in May.
Save the date:
Firefighters back Jeremy Ring in Democratic primary for CFO — The Florida Professional Firefighters unanimously endorsed Ring, a Margate Democrat, in his bid to replace CFO Jeff Atwater in 2018. The decision came after Ring delivered a speech to the annual conference, where he reaffirmed his support to the state’s firefighters and pledged to give them the resources they need to fight and prevent fires. “These guys put their lives on the line for us every day and we need to make sure we have their backs not only by outfitting them with modern equipment, but also by giving them the peace of mind that their families will be provided for in the tragic event that they fall in the line of duty,” said Ring.
“J.D. Alexander may run for Senate again” via John Chambliss of the Lakeland Ledger – Alexander, who was the Senate budget chair in 2012, said it would be hard to continue to “just sit by” and do nothing. “I’ve enjoyed my private life, but with that said, it would be important to engage more effectively,” said Alexander If he runs in 2018, it would be for the Senate District 26 seat now held by Denise Grimsley of Sebring … he would face Rep. Ben Albritton in the GOP primar
“Mailer in SD 40 race calls Alex Diaz de la Portilla a ‘tax & spend liberal’” via Florida Politics — A new mailer calling Diaz de la Portilla a “tax & spend liberal” is hitting the mailboxes of voters living in Senate District 40. The mailer, paid for Making a Better Tomorrow, highlights Diaz de la Portilla’s time in the Legislature, and urges voters to call the Miami-Dade Republican and tell him “he doesn’t deserve another chance.” … The mail piece says Diaz de la Portilla increased taxes on garbage, hunting permits, and driver’s licenses by $2.2 billion; imposed “a 300 percent job-killing tax increase on small businesses;” and grew the size of government by $20 billion since 1995. “Career politician Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s higher taxes have killed jobs and hurt seniors,” it reads. “Alex Diaz de la Portilla isn’t really a conservative. His 16-year voting record proves he is just another tax & spend liberal.”
Builders and contractors back Jose Mallea in HD 116 — The construction industry trade association has thrown its support behind Mallea in the special election to replace Rep. Jose Felix Diaz in House District 116. “We are very pleased to endorse Jose Mallea,” said Peter M. Dyga, president and CEO of the ABC Florida East Coast Chapter. “His commitment to the principles of free enterprise and free markets lines up very well with our values. We believe we can count on him to be the kind of advocate for economic growth and increased opportunity we need in Tallahassee.” ABC of Florida is part of a national construction industry trade association that represents nearly 21,000 corporate members. The Florida East Chapter represents more than 450 member companies between Key West and the Space Coast, making it the largest commercial construction association in Florida. “I am honored to have the support of ABC,” said Mallea. “I appreciate their commitment to the principles of freedom and hard work that built this nation. I look forward to working with them to keep Florida’s economy strong and growing.”
— STATEWIDE —
“Donald Trump to unveil new U.S.-Cuba policy Friday in Miami” via Marc Caputo and Sergio Bustos of POLITICO – The specifics of Trump’s executive action aren’t yet clear … But it’s expected to bear the stamp of two pro-embargo anti-Castro Miami Republican hardliners, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who helped advise the White House and national security officials. Many expect that Trump will not reverse Obama’s decision to open a U.S. embassy in Havana or reinstate the “wet-foot/dry-foot” policy that allowed Cuban immigrants who touched U.S. shores to become legal residents.
“Marco Rubio defends his question of James Comey” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO – Rubio fired back at criticism that he was protecting President Donald Trump or had struck a deal over Cuba policy with him in return for his line of questioning during former FBI director James Comey’s appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week. Rubio told POLITICO that he instead sought to point out that the president did not interfere with the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections — the prime focus of the committee’s hearings.
“Court says marijuana investor information public” via Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times – A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal rejected arguments by Surterra Florida, LLC, Alpha Foliage, Inc. and Redland Nursery, Inc. that information identifying investors and partners — submitted as part of license applications to the Florida Department of Health — should be shielded from release because it is a trade secret. Alpha Foliage and Redland Nursery submitted applications, while Surterra Florida is the “contractual agent” for the nurseries, according to Friday’s ruling. Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled that the information about investors and partners, along with information about the firms’ consultants, should be available. The appeals court agreed on the issue of investors and partners, though it sent the case back to circuit court for more specific findings of the consultant issue.
“Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa doesn’t pay taxes. So why do its customers?” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times – The Hard Rock is on sovereign tribal land free from all state and local taxes. Yet the Seminoles choose to impose a tax on its customers, anyway, at the same rate required of other Hillsborough County hotels. State Sen. Dana Young calls the tribe’s hotel tax a “guise” to charge customers more while making it seem like Florida governments are getting a share. Santiago Corrada, Hillsborough County’s top tourism promoter, said he didn’t know about it and questioned if it was fair. But Gary Bitner, a spokesman for the Seminoles, said the tax, in part, is charged to help other local hotels. Otherwise, the Hard Rock would have “an unfair competitive advantage over other area hotels” by undercutting their prices, he said. And the money collected goes toward government functions for the tribe, such as police and fire rescue.
What Shannon Shepp is reading – “Florida orange crop estimate increases slightly in June” via The Associated Press – Federal agricultural officials said that the June forecast showed the state’s orange crop growing by 500,000 boxes to 68.5 million boxes for the 2016-2017 growing season. The grapefruit crop forecast remained unchanged from the previous month at 7.8 million boxes.
— FORD’S F-SERIES KEEPS SOUTH FLORIDA MOVING —
Another sign Florida’s economy is running on all cylinders: Ford Motor Company announced May sales of its F-Series trucks were up 12.8 percent. That is the highest for the month in 13 years.
In the Miami market, Ford sales numbers show South Florida customers want power and comfort in their vehicles, based on an uptick in sales of Super Duty trucks offering stronger towing capacity, crew cabs with four doors and two rows of seats.
Among Miami’s Super Duty truck buyers, more than four in five choose diesel, and nine in 10 are picking crew cabs. Crew cabs are also popular among F-150 customers in Miami, where sales of F-150 crew cabs doubled over the last five years.
All this points to stronger consumer and business confidence. As the state’s unemployment rate continues to fall, consumers are feeling more secure about the future and seeking out vehicles that serve both work and personal needs.
“For many of our Florida customers, the Ford F-Series is the right truck at the right time,’’ said Ford regional sales manager Rick Brisson. “As the job market continues to strengthen, people are looking for vehicles that fit their lifestyle, whether on the job or at home. May’s sales prove that.’’
Ford’s sales figures follow Gov. Rick Scott’s statewide jobs tour announcing gains and a declining unemployment rate. Statewide, Florida businesses created 15,000 new jobs in April, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent, the lowest since November 2007.
The Miami area added 16,500 new private-sector jobs over the year in April, with unemployment falling to 5.0 percent, down a 0.4 percentage point from a year ago. Many of those jobs were in trade, transportation and utilities, industries that benefit from truck ownership.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Commission clears Cary Pigman in state ethics case” via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of Florida Politics – The Florida Ethics Commission cleared Rep. Pigman of charges that he misused his position to retaliate against a school principal in his district. The approved a recommendation by Judge June C. McKinney to dismiss the case against Pigman. At least one member of the commission abstained from the vote, while another member voted against the recommendation. Pigman, a doctor of emergency medicine and Army Reserve physician, was accused of “linking his efforts to obtain legislative funding for the Okeechobee School District … to retaliate or attempt to retaliate against an employee of the School District.”
New and renewed lobby registrations
Slater Bayliss, Christopher Chaney, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: Citrus Home Health
Laura Boehmer, Sydney Ridley, Southern Strategy Group: American Craftsman Museum
Jim Boxold, Capital City Consulting: H.H. Holdings, Inc.
Jorge Chamizo, Floridian Partners: DentaQuest
Scott Dick, SKD Consulting Group: DFMMJ Investments
Happy birthday to Rep. Neil Combee, local bookstore owner Sally Bradshaw, new FDOT Sec’y Mike Dew, Matt Lettelleir, Margie Menzel, Rick Minor, and St. Pete City Councilmember Darden Rice.
