Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics 2.12.18

Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.

By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Ana Ceballos, Daniel McAuliffe, and Jim Rosica.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

The good times will certainly be rolling this week, even for those not partaking in Fat Tuesday. In fact, Tuesday may be the day you go easy on the Sazeracs because there is the Richard Corcoran vs. Andrew Gillum debate and a special election in House District 72 which could set the tone for the rest of the election cycle.

The showdown between House Speaker Corcoran and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gillum may turn out to be as important as the 2016 debate between U.S. Senate wannabes David Jolly and Alan Grayson or it could be an opportunity for Gillum or Corcoran or both to gain some traction as both seek to turn the gubernatorial primaries into wide-open races.

The special election in Sarasota County’s HD 72 between Republican James Buchanan, Democrat Margaret Good and Libertarian Alison Foxall should not even be competitive, as the district’s registration and performance numbers favor the GOP. But, like so many other special elections which have taken place across the country since Donald Trump was elected, the race has to turned into an unofficial referendum on the president. If the Democrats are able to knock off Buchanan, the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, after winning the SD 40 special election and St. Petersburg’s mayoral contest, there could be a run on the Republican bank.

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, it’s moving week. If your bill ain’t moving by now, it ain’t moving. With both chambers having passed their budgets in advance of conferencing, the Senate President believes the Legislature is, perhaps, a week ahead of schedule. Sine Die is now coming into focus for lawmakers, many of whom need to hit the campaign trail as soon as possible.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

— @AP: BREAKING: A blackout hits northern Puerto Rico after an explosion sets off a big fire at a main power substation

— @BurgosGOP: Here they are (re: North Korean cheerleaders) on free soil but with shackles you cannot see. Should they defect, the North Korean regime has shown in the past it will kill defectors on South Korean soil. The families they leave behind in North Korea would also be subject to harm, imprisonment and death

— @SalenaZito: I am deeply saddened by how my profession has normalized and glamorized this murderous regime. And then we wonder why no one trusts us.

— @JessicaCorbett: Coming forward isn’t easy. I was encouraged by @RPerrinRogers who bravely stood next to the truth no matter how embarrassing it was for her. Thank you, sister. ❤

— @CarlosGSmith: As the 2018 election cycle heats up, I’m constantly being asked about my choice for Governor. My progressive heart leads me towards @ChrisKingFL + @AndrewGillum, but I want to hear from YOU. Which candidate do you think deserves my support? Why?

— @Fineout: .@DanaYoungFL bill to ban fracking is now scheduled to be heard in its 2nd committee next week. The House version sponsored by @KathleenMPeters has yet to be heard in the committee led by @RepAlbritton

— @RobinThede: Happy Black Panther week!

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— DAYS UNTIL —

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training — 1; Valentine’s Day — 2; Black Panther premier – 4; Winter  Olympics Closing Ceremony – 13; Last day for regularly scheduled legislative committee meetings – 15; Disney Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival – 17; Last day to take up Special Order Calendar – 21; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program termination begins – 21; Sine Die (maybe) — 25; St. Patrick’s Day – 33; Major League Baseball Opening Day — 47; Easter – 48; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 100; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 130; Primary Election Day — 197; General Election Day — 267; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 365.

— NEWS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —

“Another factor for Rick Scott to consider for U.S. Senate bid: Disclosing, managing his money” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times – Assets in the name of First Lady Ann Scott, for instance, are not required to be disclosed under Florida’s blind trust law, but would be for a U.S. Senate candidate or senator. Likewise, Scott no longer would be allowed to use a longtime business associate and partner to manage his blind trust because the Senate requires a “completely independent” trustee.

First in Sunburn – “Gwen Graham clears the $5M raised mark” via Florida Politics – The Democratic gubernatorial candidate crossed the $5 million mark in fundraising last month after bringing in more than $450,000 between her campaign and committee accounts. The Graham campaign brought in more than $300,000 of that money, while contributions to her political committee, Our Florida, accounted for the balance. … In a statement Graham touted the number of individual donors who have chipped in to her campaign since she entered the race, which eclipsed 14,000 in January. Graham’s campaign says that total beats all other gubernatorial candidates, Democrat or Republican.

Tweet, tweet:

A website that covers The Villages says @GwenGraham got a “standing room” crowd of 500 people at The Villages Democratic Club on Saturday.

— Gary Fineout (@fineout) February 11, 2018

“Chris King reports best fundraising effort in several months” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – Senior campaign advisor Omar Khan is reporting that King’s official campaign committee and the independent political committee supporting his candidacy, Rise and Lead, Florida, combined to pull in $260,683 in the first month of this year, bringing the committee’s combined total to more than $3 million. … “The race for governor is wide open and we’re excited to start off 2018 with a great month of fundraising,” Khan said in a statement announcing King’s January fundraising numbers.“ The statement lists the combined total raised by the two King committees to be at $3.23 million, and the combined cash-on-hand to be $1.69 million.

Assignment editors – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Levine will hold a meet-and-greet with the Broward Young Democrats beginning 7:30 p.m. at The Grind Coffee Project, 599 SW. 2nd Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

Inbox from Adam Putnam, who just last week criticized Ron DeSantis for running a ‘Washington-centric campaign’: “… either we win or Nancy Pelosi does.”

“Catholic school’s firing of teacher after same-sex wedding turns into Miami congressional campaign issue” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida – A Miami Catholic school fired a lesbian teacher after she married her partner, drawing attention to a stalled gay-rights bill in the Florida Legislature and marking a new campaign issue in one of the nation’s most competitive Democratic congressional primaries. The fired first-grade teacher, Jocelyn Morffi was let go after her wedding — three days earlier — to partner Rebecca Hass. Morffi’s dismissal is probably perfectly legal. “It’s 2018. But you may be surprised to learn that you can be fired from your employment not just because of gay marriage but also because you’re gay,” said state Rep. David Richardson, who’s the first openly gay Florida House member … Richardson said the case underscores the need for federal legislation and the passage of FL HB347 (18R), which would ban Florida hotel owners and employers from discriminating against people due to their sexual orientation or gender.

First in Sunburn – “Ardian Zika crosses $150K raised mark in HD 37” – Zika raised $8,325 in January and has now raised $155,762 since filing for the Pasco County-based seat in August. He had just shy of $148,000 in the bank on Jan. 31. … Zika is up against Elle Rudisill, Bill Gunter and Ryan Boney in the Republican Primary for HD 37, and so far none of his opponents have put up much of a challenge when it comes to fundraising.

Happening Tuesday:

For your radar – State candidates and political committees face a Monday deadline for filing finance reports showing activity through Jan. 31.

— ON RON —

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis hits homers — both on the field and in earned media time on Fox News — but will he slug his way to Governor’s Mansion?

A recent Tampa Bay Times feature on the Republican gubernatorial candidate depicts a man molded for success, recounting his stardom playing baseball at Yale, his excellence at Harvard Law, and his decorated stint as a Navy JAG.

But the story also describes an ideologue whose tailored his time toward advocating in Washington for the fundamentals of conservatism on issues like foreign affairs, a political career that beckons uncertainty of DeSantis’ fitness for overseeing the myriad operations of the nation’s third-largest state.

Criticism of DeSantis so far is rooted in what’s immediately elevated his appeal to statewide voters; an endorsement from President Trump and regular appearances on Fox News brings him name recognition, but opponents have been quick to say DeSantis is out of touch with issues facing the Sunshine State.

Alone in America’s Rome: The Times wrote that DeSantis “is an eager and tireless charmer of conservative national media figures and the country’s richest conservative donors, but he has few friends among colleagues in Congress.” A member of the resilient and provocative Freedom Caucus, DeSantis has been described by lawmakers as “aloof and a bit of a know-it-all.”

Trump alignment: DeSantis has captured respect from the president for leading the charge against Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI. It’s resulted in an endorsement and unparalleled access to national conservative media. The Times wrote, “The publicity made him a favorite of tea partiers, Trump supporters, media figures like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and the president.”

But, what’s next? DeSantis has rapidly ascended the stepping stones of American politics: “In five years, DeSantis has run for Congress, for U.S. Senate, for Congress again in a different district, and now for governor.” An editorial in the Daytona Beach News-Journal related DeSantis to “an ambitious college graduate working his first entry-level job.

“You knew he was gone as soon as he felt he had accumulated enough experience to ascend to the next rung on the ladder.”

— “Can Google trends explain DeSantis’ rise?” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times

“No, DeSantis isn’t going to this fundraiser, and it isn’t hosted by a man with ties to Trump and Europe’s far-right” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times – The hosts of the now-fictional event, according to the invite, are the National Committee of Asian-American Republicans and a man named George Guido Lombardi, Trump’s downstairs neighbor at Trump Tower who touts his friendship with the president and European far-right politicians. … But DeSantis campaign spokesman Brad Herold said the event was made prematurely, and that DeSantis has to be in Washington that day. “This isn’t a campaign event,” Herold said. “We know some of the people involved in this group, but this isn’t an event that we’ve committed to.”

— LATEST FROM HD 72 —

“Democrat Margaret Good takes fundraising lead in Sarasota state House race” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Good raised $257,058 between Jan. 5 and Feb. 8, a haul that more than doubled her fundraising total for the entire campaign. It also is more than three times the $70,690 that James Buchanan raised during the same time. Good’s strong fundraising for a relatively low-profile state House seat that leans Republican and went for Trump in 2016 is another sign that Democrats nationwide are looking to the Feb. 13 special election to make a statement and gain momentum heading into the November midterm election. Good has now raised $484,372 in cash contributions for the race, received $57,312 in in-kind donations — mostly from the Florida Democratic Party — and collected another $185,000 through an affiliated political action committee.

First in Sunburn – “Joe Biden cuts robocall for Good” via Florida Politics – Joe Biden followed up his Good endorsement by recording a get-out-the-vote robocall that will start going out to area voters Monday. Biden gives the who, what and where of the election before giving a similar statement to his endorsement … “Margaret’s been a champion for you and she’ll continue to be in the fight for affordable health care, public education for our kids, and protecting Florida’s vital coastline,” Biden says in the recording.

Click on the image below to listen to the robocall:

“Democrats try to tie Buchanan to Jack Latvala scandal” via Florida Politics – A new Florida Democratic Party mailer showing up in Sarasota mailboxes blasts the Republican for not speaking out against or publicly disavowing powerful men accused of sexual harassment such as former Clearwater Republican Sen. Jack Latvala. … The front of the mailer depicts Buchanan wearing a t-shirt adorned with the heads of Latvala, former film executive Harvey Weinstein and President Donald Trump. The top of the mailer says “James Buchanan will never stand up for women.” On the flipside, the ad blasts the Sarasota Republican as “more of the same” and as a candidate who would “perpetuate a culture that attacks.”

Here’s what the mailer looks like:

—

Tweet, tweet:

Walking & knocking #Sarasota for James Buchanan for Florida House #HD72 w/ this amazing group of volunteers! Election Day is Tuesday! @JoeGruters @HFitzDB @RepJimBoyd @mattcaldwell_fl @BobbyOlszewski #flapol #sayfie pic.twitter.com/NcC3QkDvPS

— Dane Eagle (@DaneEagle) February 10, 2018

Tweet, tweet:

The Big guns came in today to help James Buchanan win #FL72. @CLewandowski_ @David_Bossie #Sayfie #Sarasota pic.twitter.com/11DRNWEnJT

— Joe Gruters (@JoeGruters) February 11, 2018

Tweet, tweet:

It is February 11, 2018, and a “lock her up” chant broke out at this rally for a state representative candidate pic.twitter.com/D9e0bQ5RyP

— Dave Weigel 🦅 (@daveweigel) February 11, 2018

Tweet, tweet:

For @GoodforFlorida, very good. I’ll tweet out some stuff later, but GOP goes into Eday +0.6. By comparison, it was +6 GOP before eday in 16, and HRC led by like 5.

I think going to take a GOP turnout like 2016 eday. Like a +20 day, and maybe even more for them to win.

— Steve Schale (@steveschale) February 11, 2018

Assignment editors – Gubernatorial candidate Chris King will campaign with Good for a get out-the-vote effort in her campaign for the House District 72 special election. Event begins 9 a.m. at 4833 Riverwood Ave. in Sarasota.
— CAPITOL INSIGHT —

“Clay County’s Rob Bradley fighting for ‘real Florida’” via Mark Woods of the Florida Times-Union – He’s the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a nutshell, the 47-year-old Clay County native has his hands on the state’s purse strings as much as any member of the Florida Legislature. From a distance … a politician with “R-Fleming Island” after his name might seem like an unlikely champion of the state’s natural resources. He’s a proud conservative, representing some of the reddest pieces of this purple state. In this legislative session Bradley sponsored a bill to spend $100 million a year on the recently neglected Florida Forever conservation program. The money would come from Amendment 1 funds, a constitutional amendment passed overwhelmingly by voters in 2014 and promptly ignored by many in Tallahassee. He also has proposed measures to boost funding for springs from $50 million to $75 million and provide $50 million a year for restoration of the St. Johns River and other North Florida waterways. It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying that it’s surprising a representative from a staunchly conservative rural district would be leading the charge to protect Florida’s environment. Bradley doesn’t see it that way. “It’s the one issue where I feel like it’s a consensus,” he said. “This is the most Republican county of all 67 counties. I’ve been elected twice. And I’ve always made it very clear that I’m going to fight for the environment.”

“Hold lifted on Carlos Trujillo’s ambassador nomination” via Luis Lugo of the Associated Press – Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin has lifted the hold he had placed on the nomination of Carlos Trujillo to be U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States. … The nomination of Trujillo has already passed the committee and now needs to get a vote on the Senate floor.

>>>On Twitter, the AP’s Gary Fineout asked what will happen if Trujillo gets confirmed before budget conference is finished. Senate budget chief Bradley said that, “if this were to occur, I would wrap it all up for everyone.”

“Ante up: Senate files new 90-page gambling bill” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics – The Senate made some big moves Friday in the annual legislative dance that is the negotiation for an omnibus gambling bill. The biggest move: The chamber now includes a renewed 20-year deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida for $3 billion in revenue over seven years in return for exclusive rights to blackjack and slot machines outside South Florida. That was in the House bill, but not the Senate’s first bill filed for this year. Moreover, the Senate would OK adding roulette and craps to the Seminoles’ offerings at its casinos in the state. Regulated Industries Committee chair Travis Hutson filed the 90-page strike-all amendment on the pending Senate measure (SB 840). The Compact language takes up 54 of the 90 pages.

>>>Happening today: The Senate Finance and Tax Appropriations Subcommittee will take up a wide-ranging bill about gambling issues. Among other things, it would allow pari-mutuel facilities to offer cardrooms and, in some cases, slot machines without running live greyhound or horse races — a concept known as decoupling. It also would make clear that pari-mutuel facilities can offer controversial “designated player” card games.

“Lawmakers consider severely restricting access to voter information” via Stephen Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel – The addresses and birth dates of registered voters in Florida are available to anyone who makes a public records request, whether to the Division of State or a county supervisor of elections. Phone numbers and email addresses, which voters have the option of voluntarily providing when registering, also are publicly available. HB 761, if passed, would restrict access to that information to election officials, individual voters asking about themselves and political parties, candidates or their committees for “political purposes” only. Those purposes are undefined, however, in the measure. The bill is much more sweeping than its closest state Senate counterpart, SB 532 … That bill would only restrict access to information about 16- and 17-year-olds who pre-register to vote once they turn 18.

Spotted – Speaker Corcoran, Gov. Scott, Greenberg Traurig’s Fred Karlinsky, and Rep. Randy Fine at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual meeting at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.

“At town hall, Pinellas voices urge delay for USF consolidation proposal” via Claire McNeill of the Tampa Bay Times – They invoked the troubled history between USF Tampa and USF St. Petersburg, remembering the days when they said St. Pete was starved for funding and itched for more control … About a dozen civic leaders, faculty and students past and present extolled the virtues of USF St. Petersburg, which they said flourished once it secured separate accreditation in 2006. The overall crowd numbered about three dozen. At the front of St. Petersburg’s Sunshine Center, the event’s host, State Sen. Darryl Rouson, took notes. Rep. Kathleen Peters and Rep. Ben Diamond flanked him. Many speakers asked: Why change something that isn’t broken? They questioned why the proposal was introduced without prior community discussion, and why it must keep moving forward while so many in Pinellas are asking questions. They said Tampa hadn’t earned their trust.

— STATEWIDE —

“Jay-Z lends star power to Florida rally for Trayvon Martin” via The Associated Press – Local news outlets report that Jay-Z joined Martin’s parents onstage in Miami Gardens at the sixth annual Peace Walk & Peace Talk. The rally honors gun violence victims including Martin, who Jay-Z described as a beacon of light. Martin, who as a black 17-year-old, was fatally shot in 2012 in the central Florida town of Sanford by white neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, setting off a wave of racially charged protests around the nation. Jay-Z is producing “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” a documentary set to air on the Paramount Network.

“FPL was warned people would die at a sweltering nursing home. But the utility had other priorities.” via Megan O’Matz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel – How Florida Power & Light responded to desperate pleas from the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills after Hurricane Irma is revealed in depositions, audio files, and internal FPL records … They include recordings of calls to the utility over the three days the nursing home was without power to its air conditioning. FPL is one the nation’s largest electric utilities and serves about half of the state. After hurricanes strike, it is a critical lifeline for millions of people and demands on it are extraordinary. The records show FPL workers’ inability to grasp the gravity of the nursing home’s situation, confusion over whether it qualified for “priority” service, and efforts to mollify callers without actually mustering a crew to the scene for what ultimately was a minor repair. The utility – which works alongside state and local officials after a storm to address pressing problems – even failed to respond to an urgent request the evening of Sept. 12 from Broward County’s emergency operations center.

“DEP to drop controversial water pollution regulations and start over” via Craig Pittman of the Tampa Bay Times – Florida regulators are withdrawing a set of controversial standards for how much pollution can be dumped into the state’s waterways. Now the Department of Environmental Protection says it will start over and work with one of those groups to produce new pollution standards. The pollution regulations that are being withdrawn marked the first update to the state’s water quality standards in 24 years. When they were first unveiled in 2016, critics said they would allow polluters to increase the level of toxic chemicals they dump into Florida bays, rivers and lakes. The 2016 standards, which were strongly supported by business and manufacturing interests, called for increasing the number of regulated chemicals allowed in drinking water from 54 to 92 chemicals and also raising the allowed limits on more than two dozen known carcinogens. The new rules drew legal opposition from Broward County, the city of Miami and the Seminole tribe. The Pulp and Paper Association filed a legal challenge as well. Their case was scheduled for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge in April. However, with the DEP withdrawing the rules and starting over, the legal challenge is now moot.

“Supreme Court turns down vegetable garden case” via Florida Politics – Hermine Ricketts and Laurence Carroll asked the high court to resolve a long-running dispute with the Village of Miami Shores, which passed an ordinance four years ago banning front-yard vegetable gardens like the one the couple had maintained for nearly two decades. The ordinance also allowed the village to impose fines of up to $50 per day for noncompliance. Ricketts and Carroll — who, fearing hefty fines, uprooted their vegetables — turned to the Supreme Court, after two lower courts sided with Miami Shores and upheld the regulation. But justices issued a brief order saying they would not hear the case. A Senate committee backed a proposal sponsored by Senate budget chief Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who said the gardeners should be allowed to grow their own food wherever they want.

“Ruling overturned in ‘assignment of benefits’ case” via the News Service of Florida – Overturning a lower-court decision, a three-judge panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Restoration 1 CFL, LLC in the dispute with ASI Preferred Insurance Corp. In assignment of benefits, homeowners in need of repairs sign over benefits to contractors, who ultimately pursue payments from insurance companies. In the case, the restoration company provided emergency water-cleanup services for ASI Preferred policyholder Alex Tchekmeian. The homeowner assigned his benefits to the restoration company, which sought payment from the insurer. Tchekmeian’s mortgage lender, Wells Fargo, did not agree to the assignment of benefits, and ASI Preferred argued that the insurance policy required such consent for an assignment of benefits. The restoration company pursued a lawsuit against ASI Preferred for unpaid or underpaid invoices.

“Court rules against insurer in ‘PIP’ payment dispute” via the News Service of Florida – Pointing to “numerous conflicting decisions” by lower courts, a divided state appeals court ruled against Progressive Select Insurance Co. in a dispute about how much should be paid to a hospital for treating a man injured in an auto accident. But while a panel of the 5th District Court of Appeal sided with Florida Hospital in the Orange County case, it also asked the state Supreme Court to take up the issue … The case dealt with calculation of payments under the personal-injury protection auto policy of Progressive customer Jonathan Parent, who was injured in an auto accident. Parent’s policy had a $1,000 deductible, and his total hospital charges were $2,781, according to the ruling. In seeking payment from the insurer, the hospital first subtracted the $1,000 deductible and then calculated the amount owed using a formula in the state’s so-called PIP law. The hospital billed the insurer for $1,068. But Progressive used a different method that first applied part of the formula to reduce the overall $2,781 charge.

“How PBC schools buried sex abuse claims against a star teacher” via Andrew Marra of the Palm Beach Post – Nearly three years would pass before Bryce Cutler told his parents and police about what he said happened to him in 2006 and 2007, on a school campus and in the private Jupiter studio of Richard Valentine, a renowned Bak Middle School of the Arts theater instructor. When, in 2010, Cutler finally revealed to authorities his story of sexual molestation, he was met with two different reactions: belief and inaction. Although Jupiter police forwarded their investigation to the school district, the district did not use it as a basis for any administrative action, even as the district’s own police investigator expressed serious concerns about the allegations and Valentine’s initial hesitancy to deny them. Throughout the case, institutional indifference and a gap in Florida’s sex abuse laws — one that relegates the fondling of 16- and 17-year-olds to a misdemeanor — conspired to prevent a full vetting of Cutler’s accusations … in a disturbing epilogue six months later, the district dismissed out of hand a new warning from Cutler: that he had learned of a potential second victim.

“Kim Rivers resigns from Downtown Improvement Authority board” via TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat – Rivers, a prominent business owner tied to a federal probe into public corruption, is resigning effective immediately because of “business travel conflicts.” Rivers told DIA staff member Allen Thompson of her decision by phone … The status of Rivers’ spot on the board already was in question. She hasn’t been to a DIA board meeting for almost a year. “As my business has taken me across the state and across the country for well over a year, I essentially stopped participating in the DIA nearly a year ago…” said Rivers, the board’s former chair. “It is both offensive and grossly misleading for the Democrat, or anyone, to imply or infer that my official resignation is somehow tied to anything other than the clear fact that my business and my travel has severely limited by ability to serve as a Board Member of the DIA.”

“Bigger than us: Three black UF students vie for president” via David Hoffman and Christina Morales of the Independent Florida Alligator – Three black student candidates are running for Student Body president in a three-party race — a historic moment at a university that only began admitting black students in 1958 and where black students still only make up about 6 percent of the Student Body. The last black Student Government President was Jamal Sowell in 2004. Candidates Janae Moodie, Revel Lubin and Ian Green said they hope by leading the Student Body, they can inspire young black boys and girls who may see themselves in their shoes. The three have all previously served in Student Government leadership positions. They have affiliations with organizations including Florida Cicerones, Black Student Union and Florida Blue Key.

First in Sunburn – Airbnb collected $45M in Florida tax revenue in 2017 via Florida Politics – Vacation rental business Airbnb collected and remitted $45.7 million in tax revenue for Florida and local governments across the Sunshine State last year, more than double what it collected in 2016. The company said about $33 million of that money went to the state via sales tax collections, while another $12.7 million was remitted to counties that have struck a deal with Airbnb to have the company charge local bed taxes on rentals. Airbnb also said there’s evidence those revenues were complementary to collections made by traditional hotels, pointing to VISIT FLORIDA data showing traditional hotels had a record-setting year in 2017 as well. “This suggests that vacation rentals on Airbnb and other platforms are opening up the state to a new demographic of tourists by catering to travelers who are less able to afford hotels, those who desire to stay in neighborhoods or cities that lack hotels, and families who prefer to vacation together under one roof,” the company said in a press release.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Marco Rubio suggests Venezuelan military should oust Nicholas Maduro” via Tracy Wilkinson of the Los Angeles Times – Did Rubio just call for a military coup in Venezuela? The Florida Republican, long dismayed over the humanitarian and political crisis engulfing the socialist-ruled nation, said the “world would support” the Venezuelan military if it rose to “protect the people & restore democracy by removing a dictator.” In a series of messages on Twitter, Rubio said Venezuelan President Maduro and his associates “live like kings” while ordinary citizens, including soldiers, starve. He went on to quote Simon Bolivar, the national hero and liberator of much of South America from 19th century Spanish rule, as saying that it was “always noble to conspire against tyranny.”

“Vern Buchanan’s bill meant to keep families together becomes law” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune – Buchanan had been working to pass his Family First Prevention Services Act … It failed to gain approval in the Senate that year but was revived as part of the budget bill signed by President Trump … More funding now will be directed toward the child welfare system, including money for a program that works to prevent child abuse and neglect stemming from drug addiction. The bill also supports initiatives to “update antiquated child placement systems” to reduce wait times, help grandparents caring for grandchildren who have been removed from their homes and “provide parent training and family therapy” … “This bill makes sure that children are protected and families are not split up unnecessarily,” Buchanan said. “Our current system creates a perverse incentive to place children in foster care. Breaking up families should be a last resort.”

Happening today – U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch will appear at an event to announce a U.S. Department of Justice grant for the Margate Police Department. 10 a.m., Margate City Hall, 5790 Margate Blvd., Margate.

“Obama-backed committee targets Florida state elections for 2018” via Allison Nielsen of the Sunshine State News – The Obama-backed National Democratic Redistricting Committee announced it would be honing in on 12 states, including 9 gubernatorial races, 20 legislative chambers, two ballot initiatives and two down-ballot races. The NDRC selected Florida as one of its targets, vowing to step in on the gubernatorial race and the Florida Senate. Both races are potential pickups for the Democratic Party in the Sunshine State … The committee added the 2018 elections will be critical because this year will be the first election cycle where the officials elected will serve during the redistricting process in 2021. “Gerrymandering contributes to the political polarization and dysfunction in this country and is a threat to our democracy,” said NDRC chairman and former Attorney General Eric Holder. “By focusing on these state and local races, we can ensure Democrats who will fight for fairness have a seat at the table when new maps are drawn in 2021.”— MOVEMENTS —

Appointed – Laura Shearon Cruz and Christina DiRaimondo to the Miami-Dade County Court; David Cromartie and Arthur Christian “Chris” Miller to the Volusia County Court.

Appointed – Alonzie Scott and Jill Singer to the University of West Florida board of trustees.

Personnel note: Jessie Werner joins Florida Ports Council – Werner is the organization’s new Vice President of Public Affairs, responsible for communications and marketing. “Werner’s background and experience will be critical in our outreach efforts to promote Florida’s dynamic system of seaports, as well as educating Florida’s leadership and public about the significant economic benefits ports bring,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Ports Council. Werner has more than a decade of communications and public affairs experience, including with the Coalition for College Cost Savings. She also handled client acquisition for Wade Trim, a civil engineering, planning and surveying firm in Tampa; developed ad campaigns for the Gambit Weekly newspaper in New Orleans; and was a freelance graphic designer.

New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Timothy Alborg: Zagster

David Browning, Sydney Ridley, Southern Strategy Group: Hillsborough County

Matt Doster, Doster and Associates: Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition

Robert Hartnett, Government Services Associates: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority

Jason Roth, The Fiorentino Group: Florida Court Reporters Association, Jacksonville Port Authority

Matthew Ubben, Confianza Consulting: CAP Government

JD White, Mercury Public Affairs: International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics

— OLYMPIC UPDATE —

“NBC apologizes to Koreans for Olympics coverage that praised Japan’s brutal occupation” via Avi Selk of the Washington Post – Friday’s Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in South Korea were, by most accounts, spectacular. NBC’s coverage of the spectacle, on the other hand, was considered hit and miss. Occasionally disastrous. It wasn’t so much the hosts, Katie Couric and Mike Tirico, who annoyed critics, but rather the network’s analyst, Joshua Cooper Ramo.  Ramo’s big misstep came when he noticed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan in the crowd and offered what he knew about the country’s history with Korea. Japan was “a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945,” Ramo said, correctly (though he did not mention that historians say the Japanese army forced tens of thousands of Koreans into sex slavery.) “But,” Ramo continued, “every Korean will tell you that Japan as a cultural and technological and economic example has been so important to their own transformation.” … The morning after the Opening Ceremonies, NBC apologized for Ramo’s remarks. “We understand the Korean people were insulted by these comments,” an anchor said during a Saturday broadcast, according to MSN. In a statement to The Washington Post, NBC Sports said that the network also apologized in writing and that “we’re very gratified that (the Pyeongchang Olympics) has accepted that apology.”

“It’s time for the pop-up Olympics” via Joe Eaton of CityLab.com – When athletes gather in the Olympic stadium in Pyeongchang for the opening ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics, they will experience a quarter of the life span of the $60 million stadium. The 35,000-seat pentagonal Olympic Stadium is an extreme example of pop-up architecture, a mega-event venue with a planned life span shorter than the career of an aerial snowboarder. The stadium will be used four times in all—for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Games and Paralympics. Then it’s slated to be torn down. With its simple structure and open roof, the temporary structure was designed with demolition in mind — a technique that has been employed before in previous Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, in 1992. If the stadium isn’t torn down, it would likely be fated to join a mighty herd of white elephants from Olympics past—infrastructure that has gone unused decades after the athletes went home, yet continue to drain public money in upkeep costs.

— ALOE —

“Disney ticket prices on rise in Orlando, theme-park operator says” via Gabrielle Russon of the Orlando Sentinel – The cost increase will vary from park to park as well as which day since Disney offers a three-tiered system for peak, regular and value tickets. Annual passes, including those for Florida residents, are also on the rise. At the gate, a one-day regular Magic Kingdom ticket will cost $119, a $4 increase. A value ticket will cost $109, a $2 increase, while a peak ticket will now cost $129, a $5 increase. For the other three parks — Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom — prices are also increasing. A one-day regular ticket is $114, a $7 increase. A value ticket will cost $102, a $3 increase, while a peak ticket is $122, a $3 increase. Parking per car will also increase from $22 a day, up from $20, and preferred parking $45, up from $40.

Welcome to the world Sara Katherine Ross, the daughter of Ashley and Scott Ross. She arrived Feb. 7 at 11:55 a.m. and came in at a “whopping” 9lb 9oz and 20 inches.

Happy birthday to my friend, the senior Senator from Pinellas County, Jeff Brandes, as well as to the “Marc-hitect” Marc Reichelderfer, and Gil Ziffer. Belated wishes to Carrie Henriquez, great guy Franco Ripple, the City of St. Petersburg’s John Rodriguez, and Jamie Wilson.