Peter Schorsch
Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel McAuliffe, Jim Rosica, and Drew Wilson.
In advance of Gov. Rick Scott‘s expected announcement next Monday that he’s running for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic-campaign supporting PAC American Bridge 21st Century is laying out a discussion of five weak points it says Scott has that Democrats should pummel.
American Bridge contends that public opinion on current hot issues, the anticipated Democratic political wave, Scott’s tendency to underperform compared with other Republicans, the dramatic increase in Puerto Rican voters in Florida, and personal financial disclosure laws all are going to make it far more difficult for Scott to beat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November than for him to win two governor’s elections.
“Rick Scott’s decision to run for U.S. Senate will go down as one of the biggest mistakes in recent Florida political history,” American Bridge 21st Century predicted in a campaign strategy memorandum issued Wednesday.
The memorandum, first shared with Florida Politics, argues in detail that Scott’s 2010 and 2014 victories came in years of Republican waves, while a Democratic wave is being projected this year; and that even within the waves Scott underperformed other Republicans on the ballot in both elections.
“This time, Scott’s putative Senate bid will run into a Democratic headwind the likes of which he has never encountered and for which his political brand is totally unprepared,” the memo declares.
This memo lays out five points American Bridge contends are Scott weak points:
– In both of his elections, 2010 and ’14, there were Republican waves, with final polls favoring generic Republicans by about 4 points.Scott didn’t cover that spread in either election, winning each by about 1 point.
The memorandum also contends that Scott ran as an anti-President Barack Obama crusader who helped increase Republican turnout. This year Scott not only has no such national foil to use to excite the grassroots, Republican President Donald Trump under-water popularity ratings might quell Republican grassroots turnout.
– Scott is, in the PAC’s assessment and words, “a historically weak vote-getter.” In his previous elections, he received fewer votes than other statewide Republicans on the ballot, Marco Rubio in 2010, and Pam Bondi, Adam Putnam and Jeff Atwater in both 2010 and 2014.
– Florida has seen an unprecedented influx of new voters, especially from Puerto Rico.
More than100,000 Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida following the devastation of Hurricane Irma last September, and tens of thousands of others were already migrating to Florida every year for several years. When they have voted, Puerto Rican voters have favored Democrats significantly over Republicans.
However, the memorandum does not note any gains Scott may have earned within Florida’s Puerto Rican community with his multiple trips to Puerto Rico this past fall and winter, or with his administration’s multi-pronged initiatives aimed at offering services and cutting red tape for Puerto Rican migrants.
– Because of tough federal disclosure laws, Scott’s money will be an issue “like never before,” the memorandum predicts.
“Rick Scott’s net worth has gone up by $46 million during his time as governor, but he keeps it hidden from public view,” the memo declares, calling Scott’s blind trust “unethical” and noting it is run by his friend. “Federal disclosure laws are considerably stronger than Florida’s, and Scott will be forced to open the books on his wealth after he announces for U.S. Senate,” the memo continues. “Count on drip-drip-drip of negative headlines.”
In particular, the memo contends that Scott’s investments could be vulnerable to negative news because he is invested in a company that wants to drill in the Everglades; that a Medicaid privatization bill he pushed could have steered contracts to a health care company he owned; that he has a stake in a pipeline firm with a $3 billion natural gas pipeline through Florida and his appointees “shepherded” the project through regulatory hurdles; and that he personally owned stock in an Irish health care products company while approving tax rebates for that company.
– “The key issues in the 2018 election will be uniquely unfavorable to Rick Scott,” the memo claims.
Among them: opioids, gun reform, and disaster management.
“Without backlash against the White House to rely on, Scott will no doubt resort to spending millions on negative ads,” the memo concludes. “But in 2010 and 2014, after twice setting a record for spending in a Florida campaign, Scott won the lowest number of votes of all the statewide Republicans on the ballot. The pattern is clear: even when Republicans have done well, Rick Scott has struggled. It is too early to tell if the Democratic wave in 2018 will be a surge or a tsunami, but one thing is clear: it will be too strong for Rick Scott to overcome.”
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
— @DanRather: News anchors looking into camera and reading a script handed down by a corporate overlord, words meant to obscure the truth not elucidate it, isn’t journalism. It’s propaganda. It’s Orwellian. A slippery slope to how despots wrest power, silence dissent, and oppress the masses.
— @FoxBusiness: .@mattgaetz on Republicans in Congress: “We won the last election. It’s time to start acting like it or we’re not gonna win the next election… This was an election about border security and we’ve got to put resources in the game.”
— @RepCurbelo: Major policy differences aside, @EPAScottPruitt‘s corruption scandals are an embarrassment to the Administration, and his conduct is grossly disrespectful to American taxpayers. It’s time for him to resign or for @POTUS to dismiss him.
— @MDixon55: Not 100 percent sure, but I’m pretty sure @ChrisSprowls just basically called Commissioner (Judge) Stargel a nerd. (in the nicest/funniest way possible)
— @CarlosGSmith: If gay men can no longer trust Grindr, than who CAN we trust?
— @Kriseman: Honor to spend a couple of days in Orlando with my comrades in arms, mayors of Beaverton, Chattanooga, Columbia, Flagstaff, Little Rock, and Orlando. It’s important we learn from each other & work together to combat the orchestrated attack on cities by state legislators.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Reporting deadline for Q1 fundraising — 11; NFL Draft begins — 22; Avengers: Infinity War opens — 23; Close of candidate qualifying for federal office — 29; Mother’s Day — 39; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 51; Memorial Day — 54; Father’s Day — 74; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 79; Deadline for filing claim bills — 119; Start of the U.S. Open — 145; Primary Election Day — 146; College Football opening weekend — 150; General Election Day — 216; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 316; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 335.
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— TOP STORY —
“Debates for U.S. Senate, Governor’s race set for late October” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – … in the renewed “Before You Vote” debate partnership efforts of Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association. The two groups were joined by Broward College and WPBF, the West Palm Beach-based ABC-TV affiliate, to announce the planning and production of televised, evening debates Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Wednesday, Oct. 24. The face-to-face debates each would be at 7 p.m. and broadcast live on participating stations across the state, except in Pensacola, where WEAR-TV may broadcast it on an hour delay to stick with the 7 p.m. time in the Central time zone.
— NOTES FROM CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Female candidates take on taboos in new campaign ads” via Heather Caygle of POLITICO – From breast-feeding on camera to sharing intimate stories of sexual abuse, women running for office are turning campaign norms – and long-held gender stereotypes – on their head with a flurry of new ads that highlight once taboo topics. With a historic number of women running for Congress or governor in 2018, many say it’s long overdue that female candidates stop conforming to a ‘winning’ playbook written mostly by men. President Trump has played a part, too. A majority of the female candidates running this year are Democrats who are not only enraged by his presidency but motivated by the way he was seemingly able to break all the rules and still win.
“Ron DeSantis says Donald Trump coming to help his campaign ‘very soon’” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida – “I think the president’s going to come down for me very soon. Which will be very good,” DeSantis said to cheers before a gathering of the Polo Republican Club in Palm Beach County. DeSantis’ campaign adviser Brad Herold said “no” when asked if he could provide further information. “We’re proud to have the president’s endorsement and we look forward to him coming to Florida during the campaign,” he said. Trump has since been quiet on Florida’s governor’s race, but those close to the president say that privately he has told people that he plans to help DeSantis. “That would not surprise me,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of Trump’s closest congressional allies, of a possible DeSantis-Trump event. “When I’ve been with POTUS, he’s said he wants to help him.”
Assignment editors – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Levine will join the Unity March in Miami with Mayor Francis Suarez, Commissioner Keon Hardemon and other elected officials. The march begins 5:30 p.m. at Athalie Range Park, 525 NW 62nd St. (MLK Boulevard) in Miami. Beginning 6:01 p.m. – the time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed – is a Reclaim the Dream MLK Candlelight Memorial Service and Gospel Concert to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination.
First in Sunburn – Attorney General candidate Frank White releases another digital spot as part of an ongoing digital campaign that began with an introductory video, continued with a glimpse into White’s commitment to his faith last week and now a video speaking directly to Florida’s seniors.
Click on the image below to watch the ad:
“Blue Dog Democrats group accepted NRA money. Now they’re giving it back.” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald – The Blue Dog PAC, which has doled out campaign cash to Florida Reps. Stephanie Murphy and Charlie Crist during the 2018 election cycle, said it would return a $4,950 contribution from the National Rifle Association’s political arm in July 2017. The PAC will also not cash a $5,000 check from the National Rifle Association given to the Blue Dogs in January 2018, about two weeks before the nation’s deadliest high school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Murphy and Crist, who were both in favor of gun-control measures like a ban on assault-style weapons before the Parkland shooting, said they were not aware that the Blue Dogs’ PAC received NRA money during the 2018 election cycle. Murphy and Crist have both received $7,000 in direct campaign contributions from the Blue Dog PAC this election cycle, making it possible that their campaigns received NRA money.
“Democratic polling shows a tight race for Carlos Curbelo” via Alex Daugherty and David Smiley of the Miami Herald – New polling from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shows that Curbelo could face a serious challenge for his seat in November. The poll’s results, which shows Curbelo up 45 points to 40 points over Mucarsel-Powell, are based on a survey of 418 likely 2018 general election voters in Florida’s 26th Congressional District and was conducted by the DCCC from March 17 to 22. Respondents’ information came from the voter file and the poll was conducted through all live calls, on cells and landlines, with a bilingual option. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 4.9 percent. “Month-by-month, week-by-week, primaries will produce battle-tested and uniquely qualified Democratic candidates,” the DCCC said in a press release. “And vulnerable House Republicans will be forced to face reality: According to a sample of newly released polling data from a wide variety of districts, Democrats are poised to take back the House.”
— “Two North Florida state Senators raise $40K+ after Session” via Florida Politics
“Karen Skyers enters race to succeed Sean Shaw in HD 61” via Florida Politics – Skyers, a Democrat, joins Sharon Carter, Norman Harris, Dianne Hart and Byron Henry in the primary race. HD 61 is opening up in the fall due to Tampa Democratic Rep. Shaw foregoing re-election to run for Attorney General. “The people of District 61 need a representative who knows the ropes, who understands the political games that make or break a water project, a community center, or safety improvements in a neighborhood. Our community needs someone who isn’t afraid to stand up and speak out because that’s what I’ve been doing all along,” Skyers said in a news release. Skyers was until recently a lobbyist with Fort Lauderdale-based advocacy group Becker & Poliakoff. Before her lobbying career, she was the legislative aide to Sen. Arthenia Joyner, who represented the Tampa Bay area in the Florida Senate from 2006 through 2016.
Save the date – Bradenton attorney Will Robinson is holding a fundraiser Monday, April 23, in his bid for the House District 71 seat to replace term-limited Republican Jim Boyd. Event begins 5:30 p.m. at The Francis, 1289 N. Palm Ave. in Sarasota.
“Javier Fernandez announces Bill Nelson endorsement, direct mail campaign” via Florida Politics –Fernandez announced an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Nelson in the House District 114 special election. “I’m proud to endorse Javier because I know he will be a strong advocate for his community in the Florida House,” Nelson said. “His experience and passion for public service make him an excellent choice to represent the people of Miami-Dade in Tallahassee.” Fernandez is running to replace former Democratic Rep. Daisy Baez. Also, the Fernandez campaign announced a slew of campaign mailers that have started to hit HD 114 mailboxes. Four of the six direct mail pieces focus on introducing Fernandez and his campaign platform and feature slogans such as “One of us, fighting for us.” One focusing policy says Fernandez will push affordable health care, responsible gun safety legislation, teacher pay raises and protecting Florida land and water from sea level rise.
“Rob Panepinto raises $100K in March for Orange County mayor’s campaign” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics – Panepinto, a Winter Park entrepreneur, now has topped the half-million dollar mark in fundraising in his quest for the mayor’s office being vacated by term-limited Mayor Teresa Jacobs. His campaign had raised $36,200 in March and that Panepinto’s independent political campaign, Vision Orange County, had raised $64,000. That pushes the campaign’s total funds raised to just over $324,000, and Vision Orange County’s to $180,000. Panepinto faces Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings and Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke in the non-partisan mayor’s race.
“Rick Minor leaves city race for run at John Dailey’s seat” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat – Minor is bowing out of a City Commission race to run for the County Commission District 3 seat left open by Dailey‘s switch to the mayor’s race. Minor filed earlier this year to run for City Commission Seat 3, which became open with Commissioner Nancy Miller‘s decision to not seek re-election. He announced he’s jumping to the county District 3 race in an effort to succeed Dailey. “I love what the county government is doing,” he said in a written statement, “and I love the vision that the county has developed over the last several years. So much so that I would have filed for this seat had John announced his mayoral run earlier.”
“Pittman Law Group sets up PAC for mystery candidate” via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat – Political action committee Progress Tallahassee has been set up by two members of the Pittman Law Group, but Sean Pittman and his people aren’t saying who or what the PAC is for. “The organization is a client of my law firm,” Pittman said via text message. “Due to Attorney-Client privilege, I cannot answer your inquiries. “The strong links between Pittman and Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is running for governor, have political observers wondering if the PAC has been set up for Gillum’s chief of staff, Dustin Daniels. Pittman has run Gillum’s campaigns. Tony Fusco, a Tallahassee injury lawyer and FSU graduate who was involved in student government when Daniels was student body president, said the committee was set up to raise money for a candidate but he refused to say who it is. “The person that’s running, I’ll let him decide the time to talk,” said Fusco, who donated $100 to the committee.
— “No mystery: Dustin Daniels entrance into Tallahassee mayoral race imminent” via Florida Politics
— STATEWIDE —
D’oh! @ DEO: “State knew Pompano gun maker in business with banned Russian firm when tax incentives offered” via Dan Christensen of FloridaBulldog.org – Gov. Rick Scott’s administration knew in 2015 when it offered $162,000 in tax-refund incentives to Pompano Beach assault rifle maker Kalashnikov USA that the company was doing business with a Russian arms giant that was blacklisted by the U.S. Here’s what confidential state records obtained by Florida Bulldog say about RWC Group LLC, a privately held American company which operates under the brand name Kalashnikov USA: “The Company has the exclusive license to manufacture and distribute products designed and under the brands of Concern Kalashnikov, a Russian military, hunting and sporting firearms manufacturer founded in 1807,” says a July 17, 2015 Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) memo. “The Company’s products are marketed under the Kalashnikov USA brand and are produced with state-of-the-art computer numeric control design and manufacturing systems, allowing for improved fit and finish. The Company’s product line includes semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. The Company’s products are available through direct dealers nationwide.”
“Critics blast proposed prison visitation changes” via the News Service of Florida — Under a current rule, visitation is allowed every weekend as well as on state holidays. But the Florida Department of Corrections is moving ahead with a rule change that could cut visitation in half, a plan that critics say ignores research showing frequent visits with family and friends lowers recidivism and aids prisoners’ re-entry. Under the proposed rule change set to go into effect Saturday, visits would be limited to a minimum of two per month, for two hours at a time, on alternating weekends, depending on the inmate’s corrections identification number. About 100 people, many of them friends and family of inmates, appeared at a public hearing about the proposed rule in Tallahassee. Corrections officials maintain the change will help prison staff manage the number of visitors coming on a given weekend and prevent overflow crowds. Richard Comerford, the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Institutions, said the changes are also needed, at least in part, because of an increase in people trying to introduce contraband into prisons as well as staff shortages.
“Providers, advocates blast proposed $98 million Medicaid cut” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida – The state wants to reduce from three months to 30 days the grace period for retroactively paying Medicaid claims. The state estimates that the policy change will impact about 39,000 people, but representatives from the Safety Net Hospital Association of Florida and two left-leaning policy institutes testified that the state’s estimate is too low. The groups have made public record requests for the data. The latest round of criticism came at a public meeting in Tallahassee, the second meeting in two weeks the state has held on the proposed the changes to Florida’s sweeping Medicaid 1115 waiver. Agency for Health Care Administration representative Mallory McManus said the state would provide the data to the groups within the next two days. In a prepared statement, McManus stressed that “no Medicaid services are being reduced as a result of this amendment.” While proponents say the move is meant to encourage people to quickly apply for the program and begin receiving benefits, opponents say the shortened time frame hurts those who need the help the most.
“Special Session for gaming overhaul likely on or after April 23” via Arek Sarkissian, Matt Dixon and Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida – State Sen. Bill Galvano, who has been negotiating with House counterpart José Oliva, said they’re close to a deal and plan to talk to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which is at loggerheads with the state over a gambling compact but is still putting money into an escrow account that totals about $300 million annually. “That’s a whole lot of money,” said Galvano … “As a presiding officer, it’s something you pay attention to.” As for the April 23 start date, Galvano said a session “would be no earlier than that. When you think of special sessions, you think in terms of when you can do something, and this [April 23] gives us a little [additional] time to put a deal together — to see if it’s even possible — so we can knock it out before the summer and campaigns and the end of the fiscal year.”
“Seminole Tribe’s lawyer says same old gambling proposals ‘won’t fly’ ” via Florida Politics – Despite increasing calls for and against a Special Legislative Session on gambling, the Tribe’s lawyer continues to back his client’s promise to keep paying millions to the state. “They’re not just going to stop paying just because they have the right to,” said Barry Richard on Tuesday. That said, if lawmakers come back with the same ideas as this past Regular Session, “that won’t fly,” Richard added … For the Tribe, the issue has always been about getting what they pay for.
“Dorothy Hukill, Kathleen Passidomo recognized for roles in insurance debate” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics – Sens. Hukill and Passidomo are the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida’s Legislative Champions for 2018. The organization recognized the pair “for work on issues impacting Florida insurance consumers” during the 2018 Legislative Session. “The consumer protections that did occur this year would not have been possible without the initiative of these lawmakers,” PIFF President Michael Carlson said in a written statement. “Sen. Passidomo worked to protect a competitive auto market in Florida by thwarting attempts to throw all auto crash claims into courthouses,” he said. “Sen. Hukill acted on behalf of consumers, working to protect them from paying higher rates driven by inflated property insurance claims involving water and roofing losses. We are grateful for their support in tackling problems taking place in the insurance market and have seen the prevention of further harm with their leadership.”
Assignment editors – State Rep. Paul Renner will discuss the 2018 Legislative Session during a meeting of the Flagler County Republican Club beginning 6 p.m. at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway N.E. in Palm Coast.
“State ban on advance FEMA payments ties up billions for state cities, counties” via Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida – FEMA had only issued $38.7 million as of Monday through its Public Assistance Grant Program, which provides reimbursements to municipalities and some private nonprofit groups impacted by natural disasters. The amount paid is less than 1 percent of the $3.6 billion in requests made after Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys on Sept. 10. City and county leaders attributed the nearly stagnant flow of federal dollars to a Florida Division of Emergency Management ban on any advance payments for storm recovery projects before they go through an already time-consuming FEMA approval process. Previously, cities and counties could ask FEMA to provide cash for projects before they’re approved. But some projects submitted after previous hurricanes received too much cash, prompting FEMA to demand money back, DEM spokesman Alberto Moscoso said.
“Harris Corp. to challenge Motorola SLERS contract” via Florida Politics – Harris is challenging a recent state contract that would see Motorola Solutions build the replacement to the Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System. … “We already submitted our intent to protest on [March 20],” Harris Corp. VP Max Green said. When the state and Motorola agreed to a deal, it was thought to put to rest nearly three years of bureaucratic and legislative infighting, however the challenge will require the state to spend potentially months reviewing the merits of Harris’ filing. … The radio system, known as SLERS, is deployed in more than 20,500 law enforcement patrol cars, boats, motorcycles and aircraft throughout the state. The system is funded through a $1 fee tacked on to vehicle registrations, and the contract is estimated to be worth around $18 million a year.
— CRC ROUND-UP —
Richard Corcoran asks CRC to support ‘Marsy’s Law’ – The House Speaker sent a letter to members of the Constitution Revision Commission Tuesday, voicing his support of a proposed amendment (P96) that would add a crime victims’ bill of rights to the state constitution. Corcoran appointed nine of the 37 members. “Florida should join the growing list of states that have enshrined these important protections in their state constitutions,” he wrote. “As a member of the Commission, you have the tremendous opportunity to ensure that crime victims’ rights and interests are protected by law … This provision puts the constitutional rights of a crime victim on equal footing with the rights of the accused. Victims of crime deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”
“Constitutional panel revamps ethics proposal” via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the News Service of Florida — The CRC’s Style and Drafting Committee, which is reviewing 24 proposed revisions to Florida’s constitution, supported an amendment from Commissioner Carolyn Timmann of Stuart that removed the ban on governments using lobbyists to secure budget projects from the Legislature from a broader ethics measure (Proposal 39), sponsored by Commissioner Don Gaetz, a former Senate president from Niceville. Timmann, who is the Martin County clerk of the circuit court, asked for the provision to be removed, saying it was not considered while Gaetz’s measure moved through the CRC committee process and it was added in a 17-15 floor vote, which could jeopardize the overall ethics package. Each proposal will need 22 votes from the CRC to be placed on the November general-election ballot.
“A civics education lesson in constitution revision process” via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times – A proposal to enshrine civics education in Florida’s constitution continues its forward path, as the state Constitution Revision Commission takes up the item among many still under consideration for the November ballot. Before the measure can progress, though, commission members need to consider a civics lesson for themselves. During debate on P10, as it’s referred to, commissioner Timothy Cerio — a lawyer who once served as Gov. Scott‘s general counsel — raised a pointed question about the language under consideration. “If I’m wrong, then I’m embarrassed,” Cerio said. “But line 18, it refers to our responsibilities as citizens of a constitutional democracy.” The proposal read, in total: “As education is essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, the legislature shall provide by law for the promotion of civic literacy in order to ensure that students enrolled in public education understand and are prepared to exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens of a constitutional democracy.” … “I believe it would be a constitutional republic, as opposed to a democracy,” Cerio continued. “I wondered if anybody has raised that, or if I am mistaken. There is a difference.” As defined by the founders, a democracy allows for direct decisions by citizens, while a republic has elected representatives set rules for the citizens.
“Mike Fernandez, others oppose Florida ‘E-Verify’ system” via Florida Politics – Billionaire GOP contributor Mike Fernandez and nearly 70 other business and political leaders are objecting to a proposed constitutional amendment to require employers to verify their workers’ immigration status and employment eligibility. Fernandez, a health care entrepreneur who also chairs the Immigration Partnership and Coalition Fund (IMPAC Fund), sent a letter Tuesday to members of Florida Constitution Revision Commission in opposition to Proposal 29 (P29) … The idea “is nothing more than an attempt to constitutionally mandate E-Verify by another name, and it suffers from all the same deficiencies,” the letter says. “Any newly created system would undoubtedly be subject to the same types of mismatches and errors that are all too common with E-Verify, and most government databases.”
First in Sunburn – CRC snags local artist for commission caricature – It’s something of a tradition for the Constitution Revision Commission to have a caricature portrait done of all its members. The 2017-18 CRC portrait will be done by John Roberge, the artist who also did the 1997-98 caricature, according to an internal commission email. A few years ago, Roberge retired from the Tallahassee Democrat as a graphic artist, and did illustrations and design work for Florida State before that, including the original FSU sports “shouting Seminole” logo. When completed, a copy of his 2017-18 caricature will also be provided to the State Archives of Florida. The plan is to follow the style of the previous work by showing each member with a “word bubble” over their head, humorously summing up their main interest in amending the state constitution. A similar one was done for the 1977-78 members.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Carlos Curbelo, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen say it’s time for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to resign” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald – Pruitt has been under a cloud of scandal following reports that he received cheap rent on a Washington apartment linked to an energy lobbyist … the apartment was also a locale for Republican lawmakers to raise money. Pruitt has also taken heat over expensive first-class flights and pay raises for his staff. Pruitt is reportedly under White House review and at risk of being fired, although Trump is said to have offered his support. Curbelo, on the other hand, thinks it’s time to cut ties. The Republican lawmaker took to Twitter to say Pruitt should resign or be fired. He was later joined by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, who told the Huffington Post that “when scandals and distractions overtake a public servant’s ability to function effectively, another person should fill that role.”
“Curbelo ties his political future in Congress to an unpopular tax law” via David Smiley and Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald – Nearly four months after Congress passed $1 trillion in tax cuts, polls show that less than half the country holds a favorable view of the legislation. That could spell trouble for Curbelo, who helped draft the legislation as a member of the congressional tax-writing committee. But heading into a challenging midterm election, the Miami Republican is undaunted. “What the tax bill is doing is, it’s pushing the economic recovery deeper into our society, which is why more and more you find Americans and small-business owners expressing confidence about the economy. And people do relate tax policy to the economy,” Curbelo said from a Lincoln-Marti school on the Tamiami Trail, where he and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio spoke to parents and teachers. “So, while the bill itself, you’ll see the [poll] numbers go up and down because people have labeled it, people have lied about it, some people said that the tax bill would be Armageddon — and obviously this has an influence on public opinion — I think the fundamentals are good. People are seeing meaningful wage growth for the first time in a long time.”
— TRUMP’S WILDCARD —
When Congressman Matt Gaetz isn’t on TV staunchly defending Donald Trump he could be on the phone with the President receiving light criticism, such as “smile more,” or compliments on his new haircut.
That, along with other unique tidbits from the North Florida representative, make up a recent 40-minute episode of Off Message, a podcast hosted by POLITICO Washington correspondent Edward-Isaac Dovere.
Gaetz, first elected to Congress in 2016, has a seemingly unblocked path to the primetime spotlight. Dovere notes that getting Gaetz to sit down for an interview took longer than it should because the freshman lawmaker’s schedule is saturated with other media appearances. What makes Gaetz attractive to producers? He’s a walking hot take — and he’s articulate.
The message: Gaetz has an iron-tight argument against the probe — at least for brief spots on television. He essentially wants Attorney General Jeff Sessions to call Mueller and ask if there’s evidence of collusion. “If there is, I think that 14 months into the Trump presidency we should know it. And if there’s not, let’s go ahead and wrap this thing up.”
On pot: Known as one of the rogue cannabis advocates of the GOP, Gaetz talked a little bit about marijuana. “This is not an issue that we’re going to have to fight for another 10 or 20 years. The people who believe in cannabis reform are going to win because the American people are so strongly with us,” Gaetz said. “We just gotta get a few grey-haired politicians out of the way.”
Homesick: “I enjoy the state Legislature a great deal more [than Congress or the spotlight],” Gaetz, a former state representative, said. “I had more capability to impact outcomes that would impact people’s quality of life. Here, the Congress moves too slow.”
— OPINION —
“What Facebook knows about me” via Rosemary O’Hara of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel – Even before I saw the information Facebook collected on me — and made accessible to a political firm hired by President Trump’s election campaign — I’d given up any expectation of privacy. When I accessed my archive, I saw a shockingly long list of everything I’ve said or done, ads I’ve clicked, messages I’ve sent and groups I’ve joined (or that signed me up.) As another friend shared, “Now I can really see how much time I have wasted.” I confess to having turned a blind eye to what I knew was happening behind the screen. As the cost of using its network, I knew Facebook was collecting data about me for advertising or other business purposes. But I didn’t realize that from my contacts list, it would grab the phone number of everyone I know. Some of those numbers aren’t meant for broadcasting. Yet there they are, in that Big Brother database in the sky. Most of us have nothing to hide and accept the loss of privacy in the name of security. But the Facebook data breach forces us to recognize the slippery slope we face with our information being used in nefarious ways.
— MOVEMENTS —
Awesome appointment – Gov. Scott named consultant Mark Kaplan to the Tampa Port Authority. Kaplan, 50, is a is a former Chief of Staff for Gov. Jeb Bush. A longtime Mosaic Company executive who recently struck out onto his own, Kaplan also serves as chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. He succeeds Gregory Celestan for a term continuing through Nov. 25, 2021.
“Brian Ballard lands another big lobbying contract” via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times – Ballard Partners signed the $175,000-a-month deal with the Embassy of Qatar last week, and filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The focus will be on Qatar’s Florida interests. The Arab country is hosting the “Qatar-US Economic Forum” at the Four Seasons in Miami, featuring “in-depth panel discussions of new business and investment opportunities.” Ballard has quickly emerged as a heavyweight in Washington given his ties to Trump, which formed years ago in Florida.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Joshua Aubuchon, Lawrence Curtin, Mark Delegal, Lawrence Sellers, Holland & Knight: Helena Agri-Enterprises
Alberto Cardenas, Slater Bayliss, Sarah Busk, Christopher Chaney, Stephen Shiver, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: WW Grainger
Kurt Gruber, Baker & Hostetler: American Resort Development Association
Dean Izzo, Capital City Consulting: Contextual Code
— ALOE —
“Pessimistic trend surfaces among Florida consumers” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics – According to data from the University of Florida, Floridians are a bit more pessimistic about future economic conditions. That’s resulted in a continuous dip in overall consumer sentiment since January, when the index reflected the highest score in 16 years. Of the five components that make up the index UF’s Bureau of Economic Research uses to gauge sentiment, three decreased in March, leading to a 97.1 score for the month. In February, that number was 98.3; in January, it was 101.3. The highest possible score is 150. Expectations of personal finances a year from now dropped almost an entire point from February’s 105.9 to 105.1 in March. Those sampled also lowered their expectations of U.S. economic conditions next year by 2.7 points, and expectations over the next five years dipped 4.4 points.
“Suit to let researchers break website rules wins a round” via Joe Uchill of Axios – A handful of researchers and First Look Media (which operates The Intercept and other sites) would like to use bots and create dummy accounts to test the behavior of employment and real estate websites. The researchers are studying whether machine-learning algorithms on employment and real estate websites might have developed gender or racial bias. To do that, they would set up multiple similar accounts, changing only minority or gender status between them, and apply for jobs or housing. That might violate the sites’ terms of service — and doing so, some courts have ruled, constitutes a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the major U.S. anti-hacking law. Why it matters: Knowing whether websites are biased against women and minorities is a public good. But sites aren’t always eager to help researchers reach those kinds of conclusions about them. Without courts clarifying the law (or legislators changing it), that threat could hang over researchers and their work.
“Universal: ‘Stranger Things’ house set for Halloween Horror Nights” via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel – The 2018 edition will feature a haunted-house maze based on “Stranger Things,” the hit supernatural drama seen on Netflix. Visitors will encounter the big, bad Demogorgon character; the parallel universe known as the Upside Down; the living room with flashing holiday lights; and top-secret government lab, Universal Orlando confirmed in its official announcement. “You’ll faithfully follow the storyline, starting off on Mirkwood and then quickly moving to inside Hawkins National Laboratory where things have gone terribly, terribly wrong,” Patrick Braillard, show director, wrote on the official Universal Orlando blog. The “Stranger Things” house is the first of nine that will be announced for the 2018 HHN, which runs for 34 select nights between Sept. 14 and Nov. 3. Universal is collaborating with Netflix along with Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer and Shawn Levy, the creators and executive producer of the sci-fi series.
Happy birthday to one of our favorite people, the incredible Beth Sweeny. Also celebrating today are our friends Dave DeCamp and Dan Pollock as well as Mike Synan.
Welcome to the world Adele and Vera Diamond, the twin baby girls of Christina and Ben Diamond. She’s a top fundraiser for U.S. Bill Nelson and he’s a state Rep. from St. Petersburg. Christina and the babies are doing great, per dad.
