Peter Schorsch
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry and Jim Rosica.
Gwen Graham is moving to Orlando.
At least her gubernatorial campaign is doing so. The campaign confirmed Thursday that it’s moving its headquarters from Tallahassee, her home for decades, to settle into the City Beautiful, taking advantage of its centralized location to better accommodate campaigning and putting a focus on the I-4 corridor battle.
The campaign expects to open an Orlando-area headquarters “in coming months” while keeping its Tallahassee office open, according to a statement.
“Gwen learned in 2014 to win in Florida you have to talk to every voter in every community. From day one of her gubernatorial campaign, we have been dedicated to building a statewide operation,” campaign manager Julia Woodward said in the statement. “Opening an Orlando area headquarters will allow us to reach even more voters along the I-4 corridor and easily travel to any corner of this state.”
She is not, her campaign implied, giving up on North Florida, where her father, former U.S. Sen. and former Gov. Bob Graham, always fared well, and where she was elected to Congress.
Graham will be moving her campaign from sharing a town with rival Democratic candidate Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, to sharing a town with fellow Democratic candidate Chris King, a Winter Park businessman.
King sent a welcome basket, of sorts.
“Kristen & I are pleased to welcome @GwenGraham to Central FL,” King tweeted. “This community raised me, educated me & has lifted my candidacy to serve as the next #FlGov. I Trust Gwen will find my hometown a diverse, dynamic & welcoming place.”
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— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Warring websites offer preview of 2018 Senate race“ via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — Welcome to the website wars of Florida’s 2018 U.S. Senate race. The latest salvo is being fired off Friday by Republicans who established “Back Bench Bill,” a website that draws heavily on a post-Thanksgiving rant from Democratic donor John Morgan, who told POLITICO that Nelson should run for governor and not for reelection because “in the Senate he accomplishes nothing. As governor, he could have a legacy.” … Earlier this week, Florida Democrats launched their own website, “Rick’s Recession,” targeting Scott, who is facing term limits and is widely expected to announce a bid against Nelson by spring. The website, established by the liberal For Our Future Action Fund super PAC, hits Scott at a perceived strength of his: job creation.
“Philip Levine not as generous as Democratic rivals on minimum wage” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times — Levine has made raising the minimum wage a central part of his campaign for the Democratic nomination, but in contrast to Democratic rivals Andrew Gillum, Gwen Graham and Chris King, Levine is not endorsing a statewide minimum wage of $15 an hour. “What I’m proposing is this — come up with a number that’s fair across the state, but let the local communities decide what’s right,” Levine said on This Week in South Florida … “Remember something — In Miami Beach, it costs a lot more to buy a hamburger than it does up in Tallahassee, so why should we have the same minimum living wage? So, we should let our communities decide. “
Assignment editors — Levine will speak at the West Palm Beach Democratic Club Holiday Party, 6:45 p.m., McMow Art Glass, 701 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth.
“Mario Diaz-Balart’s district now rated ‘safe Republican’” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — Diaz-Balart hasn’t drawn a big-name challenger in 2018 yet, prompting Sabato’s Crystal Ball managing editor Kyle Kondik to move Diaz-Balart’s re-election chances from “likely Republican” to “safe Republican” … Currently, Diaz-Balart faces nominal Democratic opposition from Alina Valdes, who handily lost to Diaz-Balart in 2016. She has raised barely over $1000 in her bid to take on the longtime Republican. Kondik rates Rep. Carlos Curbelo‘s re-election chances as a “toss-up,” though he referred to the Miami Republican as one of the party’s “best incumbents.”
“Chris Anderson withdraws from HD 28 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Anderson’s withdrawal … clears the Republican field for front-runner David Smith of Winter Springs for a showdown with Democrat Lee Mangold for a seat vacated by Republican state Rep. Jason Brodeur. Anderson, a Seminole County deputy sheriff, entered the race in June and came in with almost $10,000 raised that first month, but has raised no money since then.
Happening Sunday — HD 93 hopeful Emma Collum will be holding a meet-and-greet fundraiser in Lighthouse Point from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Address provided upon RSVP at [email protected].
“Florida Democrats request for earlier special election dates to get day in court” via Florida Politics — Florida Democrats last week requested an injunction to move up the dates for a pair of South Florida special elections and the motion is set to get its day in court Dec. 7 … The motion, filed in Leon County circuit court, aims to get new dates for special elections in House District 114 and Senate District 31 so new lawmakers can be in place for at least a portion of the 2018 Legislative Session, which runs for 60 days beginning Jan. 9. SD 31 was vacated by Lake Worth Democrat Jeff Clemens on Oct. 27 after he acknowledged an affair with a lobbyist, while HD 114 was vacated by Coral Gables Democrat Daisy Baez at the beginning of November after she agreed to plead guilty to perjury in a case related to her legal residency.
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— CRC —
“Brecht Heuchan says ethics complaint is part of ‘smear campaign’ ” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — A member of the Constitution Revision Commission says he’s become the victim of a “smear campaign” after proposing a constitutional amendment creating a “bill of rights” for nursing home and assisted living facility residents. On Wednesday, Conwell Hooper, head of an Atlanta-based group called the American Senior Alliance, issued a news release that he had filed a state ethics complaint against Commissioner Brecht Heuchan for filing a “special interest proposal designed to boost the bottom line of one law firm” … Hooper explained that Heuchan “is a paid, registered lobbyist for Wilkes & McHugh, a law firm that specializes in personal injury cases against nursing homes” … Heuchan suggested American Senior Alliance is what’s known as an AstroTurf group working with the Florida Health Care Association, a nursing-home advocacy group that has slammed his proposal.
— L’AFFAIRE LATVALA —
“Sexual harassment complaint against Jack Latvala released” via Ana Ceballos of Florida Politics — A three-page sexual harassment complaint against Sen. Jack Latvala by Rachel Perrin Rogers earlier this month was released Thursday. She lists six grievances from her interactions with the Clearwater Republican that stretch back four years. In them, she alleges he made unwelcome sexual comments about her clothes, breasts and legs, and that the weeks leading to filing the complaint he “assaulted” her in a state Capitol elevator. Steve Andrews, one of Latvala’s attorneys, denies all the claims in the complaint, adding that if the verbal harassment occurred as she says, Latvala did not do so with intent. Her attorney, Tiffany Cruz, said that is not a valid defense. With the release of the complaint, the name of the accuser and text message exchanges between the two in just one day, Andrews said there is a sense of “urgency” to conclude the Senate probe. He said it could be resolved as soon as next week.
“Rick Scott: Jack Latvala a ‘distraction’ in state Senate over ‘absolutely disgusting’ sexual harassment claims” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — “Any allegation of sexual harassment is absolutely disgusting, and behavior like this is not acceptable. It is obvious that Senator Latvala remaining in the Senate is a distraction,” Scott told POLITICO. “It seems that everyone in Tallahassee is talking about this and not how to make Florida better,” Scott said. Latvala could face a range of consequences — including expulsion — from his fellow senators as the case proceeds. Scott, who has swiftly condemned wrongdoing from other public officials in other cases, made it clear that he could weigh in as the investigation continues. “It is my understanding that there’s an investigation underway, and when that is complete, the Senate will have a decision to make,” Scott said. “As I have said all along, if these allegations are true, he must resign immediately. Last year, I championed a bill to protect state employees who were victims of sexual harassment at work, and my office is working on additional actions to continue to fight for victims.”
Tweet, tweet:
@FLGovScott I’m sure HCA stockholders thought your efforts to defend yourself in theft of billions from taxpayers was a distraction but you had a right to defend yourself! I have that same right!
— Jack Latvala (@JackLatvala) December 1, 2017
“Richard Corcoran blasts Latvala” via Jim DeFede of CBS Miami — Richard Corcoran reiterated his call for [Jack] Latvala to resign saying “the reports are grotesque.” DeFede asked Corcoran if he has any relationship with Rogers, [her husband Brian] Hughes, or if he played any role in the complaint against Latvala. “The answer is none,” Corcoran said. “But I want to address that point. The answer is zero, none, never hired them, never participated with them, never worked with them, on any level, past, present or future. None. But the question and that argument is so offensive, Jim. It’s so offensive. So you are telling me that had that been true, had I had a relationship with Brian Hughes, a relationship with his wife, somehow, someway in a work capacity, you are telling me that because of that relationship it disqualifies a woman from being sexually harassed and groped. That’s just offensive. I don’t care if it was my sister, my mother, my campaign manager, nobody – nobody – should be subject to sexual harassment and disqualified because of relationships. It’s offensive at the highest level.” Corcoran said Latvala should resign because “there’s been an admission he kissed a lobbyist.” That kiss, filmed by a private investigator, was reportedly consensual. Corcoran said whether it was consensual or not wasn’t the issue.
“State settled 11 sexual harassment cases without payout agreement” via Ana Ceballos of Florida Politics — While the state has paid $11 million to settle sexual harassment workplace disputes over 30 years, records released Thursday show it also settled nearly a dozen cases that resulted in a zero-dollar payout. Florida Politics requested documents from the state Department of Financial Services, which list 11 state workers — both men and women — alleging sexual harassment, sexual assault and battery, or exposed to a hostile work environment in a state prison. The cases range from a woman claiming sexual harassment, assault and battery while working at the Department of Transportation to a man and a woman reporting sexual harassment and retaliation while at the Collateral Regional Counsel for the Middle Region.
Meanwhile … “Ron DeSantis seeks to end secret sex suit settlements in Congress” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — “What does it say about the sincerity of Congress in combating harassment when members and staff can have taxpayers cover for their misconduct while keeping it all secret?” DeSantis said in a news release … The Ponte Vedra Republican was joined by Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Democratic U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Jim Cooper of Tennessee, and Kathleen Rice of New York in announcing late Wednesday they are introducing a bill that would ban tax dollars paying sexual misconduct lawsuit settlements, and ban the requirement of nondisclosure agreements in such settlements involving members or staff of Congress. The bill also seeks to nullify existing nondisclosure agreements, so that alleged victims of sexual misconduct by members of Congress or their staff members would become free to talk about it.
— STATEWIDE —
Correction: We inadvertently repeated a mistake in Thursday’s edition of an item from The Capitolist, which mistakenly referred to McKinley Lewis as Gov. Scott’s “spokeswoman.” Mr. Lewis is a man. On behalf of Capitolist publisher Brian Burgess and ourselves, we regret the error.
Assignment editors: Gov. Scott will visit Highlands Elementary School in Collier County to “highlight record K-12 education investments in his Securing Florida’s Future budget,” according to a release. Highlands Elementary School, 1101 Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee. 9:30 a.m.
“Over 200,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida since Hurricane Maria” via Carmen Sesin of NBC News — … obliterating initial conservative estimates that had put the number at 100,000. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, over 204,000 people from Puerto Rico have landed at airports in Miami, Orlando and Tampa since Oct. 3. A total of 7,756 Puerto Rican students have enrolled in Florida public schools during the same period. The most significant number of enrollments are in Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida, which has the densest concentration of Puerto Ricans. Many universities in the state have also waived out-of-state tuition fees for Puerto Rican students.
“Citizens paid premiums to entice adjusters after Hurricane Irma” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics — Pay rates for insurance adjusters jumped by up to 30 percent as Citizens Property Insurance Corp. scrambled to respond to claims following Hurricane Irma, the carrier’s Consumer Service Committee learned … The hikes were prompted by competition for trained adjusters with Texas, still recovering from Hurricane Harvey when Irma hit Florida. Texas had boosted payments to adjusters, including bonuses, chief claims officer Jay Adams said. “We were trying to equal the market rate they were paying in Texas, so that we could get adjusters … to come to Florida to work for Citizens,” he said. Rates have since returned to their pre-Irma baseline.
“NRA lobbyist targets Barbara Pariente” via Dara Kam and Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Marion Hammer launched a campaign this week to purge Florida Supreme Court Justice Pariente from a case that could have far-reaching implications for the makeup of the court. Hammer sent an email alert to NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida “members and friends” urging them to tell Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and Pariente that “she must recuse or resign” from her post. “Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente has been caught in an act of what we believe is clear judicial misconduct and must recuse herself,” Hammer wrote, attaching an editorial penned by conservative political consultant Justin Sayfie. In the email, Hammer wrote there “is no other appropriate option” for Pariente than recusal or resignation. Hammer’s alert went out just as the court issued an order rejecting Scott’s request that Pariente is disqualified from the case. The presiding law in similar cases says that justices, not the entire court, get to decide whether to recuse themselves. Hammer said the court’s decision didn’t matter: “She can recuse or resign at any time, and those are the only realistic options that are available.”
Tweet, tweet:
.@RepCTrujillo says he will not be able to serve the remainder of his Florida House term if confirmed as OAS ambassador by U.S. Senate
— Alex Daugherty (@alextdaugherty) November 30, 2017
— THE LATEST MUST-READ FROM CAROL MARBIN MILLER —
A recent report by the Miami Herald unveiled a dark glimpse of living environments inside Florida’s juvenile justice facilities.
The report, which follows “Fight Club,” the Herald’s six-part investigative series on state juvenile detention centers, details poor conditions in Bradenton, Miami-Dade and Broward County facilities.
— An overflow of sewage occurred in Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Youths in the Bradenton facility said they could not take showers due to the structural problems. Records show DJJ spent $227 on lice shampoo at around the same time.
— Two girls showed Ft. Lauderdale Rep. Bobby B. DuBose a rash of ant bites during his tour of a Broward detention center.
— Records from the Miami-Dade lockup showed exposed plumbing fixtures, widespread graffiti, peeling paint, moldy bathroom floors, dirt and grime on the concrete slabs where youths sleep and filthy living areas.
— Vincent Schiraldi, a senior research scientist and social work adjunct professor at Columbia, said the Miami records “depict how routinized deplorable conditions have become in Florida’s youth prisons.”
— Child welfare court judges were refusing to work at the Miami juvenile justice lockup due to its poor condition.
— Department of Health Spox Brad Dalton said DOH inspects the kitchen and pharmacy at the centers, but not living quarters or bathrooms and their amenities — same goes for adult prisons.
— Democratic Miami Rep. David Richardson to DJJ Secretary Christina K. Daly: “You haven’t been given the money you need to do the work. You were given a tube of glue and some yarn and paper clips and rubber bands, and told to build a mausoleum.”
— D.C. MATTERS —
“AFP slams Marco Rubio-backed amendment to GOP tax bill” via Florida Politics — Americans for Prosperity blasted an amendment to the Republican tax reform bill put forward by U.S. Sens. Rubio and Mike Lee, saying it would “undermine” the plan’s supposed benefit to families. The Rubio-Lee amendment sets the corporate tax rate at 22 percent, compared to the 20 percent rate in the current GOP tax bill. The group said 20 percent is the line for a “pro-growth, competitive” rate. “The Rubio-Lee Amendment breaks the promise of the unified framework at the eleventh hour by raising the corporate tax rate to an unacceptable level. Worse, it does so in exchange for a tax credit that doesn’t directly achieve the economic growth that families need. American families would reap greater economic benefits from a level playing field, cutting of special-interest handouts, and low, flat rates for individuals and businesses alike,” said AFP President Tim Phillips.
— OPINIONS —
“Bill Cotterell: Are the parties and politicians all the same?” via the Tallahassee Democrat — John Morgan’s decision not to seek the Democratic nomination for governor next year was not surprising, but it was disappointing for those of us who were hoping he would bring some entertainment to the race. In announcing his decision, Morgan made one observation that, unfortunately, speaks for millions. “And I can’t muster enthusiasm for any of today’s politicians. They are all the same. Both parties,” he wrote. “I plan to register as an Independent and when I vote, vote for the lesser of two evils. And I if ever ran, run as an Independent.” It’s sad that such an intelligent and accomplished man, one with ideas and the resources to actively advance them, feels the same malaise afflicting so many voters. So, is Morgan right? Is there really “not a dime’s worth of difference,” between the parties? There are disagreements on wedge issues, used for tactical advantage, but not great principle differences. Morgan’s “they are all the same” disillusionment is correct, in that candidates align with the party that fits them best. Maybe we should copy some European countries that have Conservative and Liberal parties. Then, aspiring candidates could decide what they believe, and voters would know what they’re getting.
“George Will: The Supreme Court should let states set their own sports gambling laws” via The Washington Post — On Monday, the Supreme Court will listen — with, one hopes, a mixture of bemusement and amusement — to arguments concerning another prohibition. This one concerns a law banning what many millions of Americans do anyway — illegally betting between $150 billion and $400 billion annually on sports events. Illegality prevents precise knowledge, but if the sum is just $150 billion, that sum exceeds the combined revenue of Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and McDonald’s. The court’s nine fine minds need not, and should not, trouble themselves with the question of whether this particular prohibition is sensible. They should, however, defend federalism by telling the national government to stop telling state governments what laws they cannot change. An amicus brief supporting New Jersey argues that federalism precludes the national government from forbidding a state to pass a law “that neither violates the Constitution nor addresses any matter pre-empted by federal law.” Congress has not chosen, as it could, to prohibit sports betting; instead, Congress has paralyzed states, preventing them from changing laws that such betting violates and effectively commandeering state resources to enforce a policy that the state dislikes. The brief also says: “Depriving the body that enacted a law of the ability to repeal or amend that law defeats the purpose of representative democracy.” Congress may not prevent the state from repealing such prohibition. In either case, the state is being forced to regulate behavior it would prefer to deregulate or to regulate in its own manner.
— MOVEMENTS —
Facebook status of the day:
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Daphnie Bercher, GrayRobinson: Lee County Board of County Commissioners
Ellyn Bogdanoff, Becker & Poliakoff: Galt Plaza Apartments d/b/a Coral Ridge Towers North
Allison Carter, The Fiorentino Group: Florida Electric Cooperatives Association
Rosanna Manuela Catalano, Capitol Energy Florida: Florida Smoke-Free Association
Jose Fuentes, Becker & Poliakoff: Florida Delegation, Southeast U.S./Japan Association
Dean Izzo, Capital City Consulting: Express Food Mart
Yolanda Cash Jackson, Karen Skyers, Becker & Poliakoff: Heart Gallery of Broward
Nicholas Matthews, Becker & Poliakoff: Florida Association of Local Housing Finance Authorities
David Ramba, Allison Carvajal, Evan Power, Ramba Consulting Group: Academica
Alex Villalobos, Florida Legislative Research: Cuban Museum
— WEEKEND TV —
Black Almanac with Dr. Ed James on WWSB, ABC 7 in Sarasota: “Young, gifted and black” with millennial entrepreneurs Beatrice Sims and Forrest Jonston.
Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at politics in South Florida, along with other issues that affect the area’s citizens.
Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Panelists this week include Founder and CEO of ARC Capital Rita Ferrandino; Tampa Bay Times reporter Chris O’Donnell; Kathleen McGrory of the Tampa Bay Times and Pasco County GOP State Committee member Bill Bunting.
In Focus with Allison Walker-Torres on Bay News 9: A discussion on Florida’s legislative process, lawmaking and the legislative hierarchy at the state-level in Tallahassee with Republican state Rep. Jason Brodeur of Sanford and professor Aubrey Jewett of the University of Central Florida.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando and Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida’s 11th Congressional District will discuss the Republican tax plan currently under consideration in Washington, D.C.; U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson talks tax reform legislation; PolitiFact Truth-O-Meter rates a claim by House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin about the House GOP tax plan, and whether it would save a typical family around $1200 a year on taxes.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Host Gary Yordon speaks with state Sen. Latvala.
This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: This week’s guests: Florida Sen. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville; foreign policy expert Dr. Michael Desch of Notre Dame University; Rick Mullaney of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute; Kathleen Schofield, Director, Programs and Policy, Northeast Florida Regional STEM2 Hub; Alexandra Vlachakis, Career and Technical Education director for Duval County Public Schools and Dr. Betina Malhotra, program manager for FSCJ’s regional partnership with Code.org.
This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg hold a weekly roundtable with newsmakers.
— ALOE —
“Upside down Christmas trees for $1,000 baffle the internet” via WFLA — One of the Christmas crazes this year is the upside down holiday tree. It’s selling over the internet for up to $1,000. Twitter users are expressing surprise and confusion when they discovered stores such as Target, Home Depot, Walmart and Kohl’s offering artificial Christmas trees designed to look like an upside-down conifer. Apparently, the upside-down Christmas tree is nothing new. They’ve existed for centuries in Slavic countries, including Poland. A spruce tree hung upside down from the ceiling is considered a religious symbol. Plus, they do a better job of displaying ornaments.
Happy birthday to Brian Bautista of Southern Strategy Group, Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times, Mitch Wertheimer, and Amy Young.
