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.
A top of Sunburn birthday shout-out to Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
It’s awfully nice of his beloved Florida State Seminoles to have scheduled their spring game weekend to coincide with his birthday. Now all Jimmy needs (in fact he may wish for it when he blows out the candles on his cake) is for state Sen. Tom Lee to jump into the race to succeed U.S. Dennis Ross and forego a primary run against Patronis. Sunburn hears that if that indeed happens, it’s free grilled bay shrimp at Capt. Anderson’s.
Speaking of Captain Anderson’s, Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Gov. Rick Scott will hold a “Let’s Get to Work” rally there today at 9 a.m., followed by a second rally at The Villages. So if you love you-peel-ems and old people, be sure to follow Scott on the campaign trail today.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
— @FLGovScott: We must always stand against all forms of hatred and injustice, today and every day, as we honor and remember the memory of the millions of victims of the Holocaust. #WeRemember
— @AdrianFlorido: Reports that 900,000 customers are without power after a massive outage. Estimates that restoration could take up to 16 hours. San Juan Airport, metro, malls, (and me!) all affected.
— @RepTedDeutch: The firing of James Comey was a disgraceful abuse of power and recent plans, orchestrated by the RNC and supported by the WH to discredit Comey shows that @realdonaldtrump will go to any lengths to silence Comey and keep the public from the the truth.
— @GeoffBurgan: One of the friendliest people any of us has ever met, @ChrisKingFL, has an upside-down favorability number. This poll = 🧐.
— @EveSamples: At a gubernatorial forum sponsored by @Evergladestrust candidate @GwenGraham said she will not accept sugar industry campaign contributions, though she has in the past.
— @Fineout: Last week @PamBondi was quoted as saying she would fight over the felons voting issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Today at a public event Bondi said she couldn’t answer questions because “it’s pending litigation. I can’t talk about it.”
— @CraigTimes: Embattled #Florida jobs agency had lots of gift cards available to help people in need…until an employee used $6,700 worth of them. AND THEN SHE WOULD PUT THE EMPTY ONES BACK.
— @JimRosicaFL: Good news from state Rep. @LoranneAusley of Tallahassee: Despite a “nasty spill a little less than halfway into bike course” during Ironman 70.3 in Haines City on Sunday,” she is on the mend.
— @DavidFolkflik: Tronc chief digital content officer Lewis D’Vorkin left the company today – entire Tronc centralized digital content staff let go, per several sources to NPR.
— @ByRosenberg: Just to recap today’s NFL news *Colin Kaepernick won’t say if he’ll kneel next season, so Seahawaks cancel his tryout *Linebacker Reuben Foster charged with 3 felonies for allegedly punching his girlfriend in the head 8-10 times, and 49ers keep him on the team
— DAYS UNTIL —
Reporting deadline for Q1 fundraising — 2; NFL Draft begins — 13; Avengers: Infinity War opens — 14; Close of candidate qualifying for federal office — 20; Mother’s Day — 30; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 42; Memorial Day — 45; Father’s Day — 65; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 70; Deadline for filing claim bills — 110; ‘The Race for Governor’ Republican gubernatorial debates — 110; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debates — 111; Start of the U.S. Open — 136; Primary Election Day — 137; College Football opening weekend — 141; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 193; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 194; General Election Day — 207; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 307; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 326.
— TOP STORY —
“Florida’s lawmakers haven’t gotten a dime from the NRA since 2005” via Dan Sweeney of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A review of campaign finance records for the NRA Political Victory Fund, the gun-rights group’s political arm in Florida, shows it donated regularly to candidates from 1996 until 2002, then just a handful over the next three years. The last two candidates to get money from the NRA — $500 each in 2005 — were Florida House candidate Marti Coley and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson. After that, the NRA still regularly donated $10,000 once or twice a year to the Republican Party of Florida and campaign committees tied to maintaining House and Senate majorities for Republicans. But after 2010, those checks stopped as well. As the campaign contributions fizzled out, spending on mailers and ads skyrocketed, up to a high of about $1.6 million for television, radio, internet and mail ads independent of any political campaign in just the five weeks before the 2014 midterm and governor elections. Since then, the numbers have been less stratospheric — about $400,000 in 2016.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“U.S. Sugar’s fingerprints on $700K in attack ads against longtime foe Ron DeSantis“ via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida – A barrage of more than $700,000 in negative political ads against Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis — funded by a group with untraceable donors — has injected early intrigue into Florida’s nascent governor’s race. The attacks carry the fingerprints of one of Florida’s institutional political donor groups and a longtime foe of the congressman: U.S. Sugar. The ads have set an early negative tone for the race’s Republican gubernatorial primary and fuel the perception that the state’s biggest traditional donors want to help bludgeon DeSantis, a three-term congressman running against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who is considered the GOP establishment’s pick. The ads are being paid for by the National Liberty Federation, a group with its roots in the state’s early Tea Party movement. It’s organized as a 501c(4) “issue advocacy” group, which means it does not need to disclose names of donors. It is chaired by Everett Wilkinson, a longtime conservative activist who has been the point-person for high-profile policy fights in the past, most prominently in defending the sugar industry. “It’s funny, people always cry foul on this, but forget back in 2009 I was opposed to things they [the sugar industry] were pushing for,” Wilkinson told POLITICO in an interview.
A decent Adam Smith column – “Adam Putnam knows Florida, but that might not be enough today to become governor” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times — Watching Republican gubernatorial candidate and current Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam agreeably field an array of questions from a bipartisan crowd at Tampa’s Oxford Exchange recently, it was apparent that Putnam would be Florida’s first governor since Jeb Bush utterly at ease wading into policy discussions. That is a big contrast to his primary rivals, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran of Pasco County. It’s not that Putnam, 43, has a big, bold vision for Florida. He does not. His platform essentially is to keep the Sunshine State heading on its current track, but with much more emphasis on vocational education. What’s striking, especially after eight years of relatively recent Florida transplant Scott as governor, is Putnam’s deep understanding of the state. A fifth-generation Floridian who has spent a lifetime in state and federal office and decades courting voters statewide tends to know a thing or two about Florida, especially when he also happens to be a policy wonk. For all his ease engaging with voters and reporters, Putnam so far has been uncharacteristically cautious about talking to the press during the campaign or weighing in promptly on hot-button issues — including the post-Parkland gun control legislation that he eventually opposed. His cautious strategy seems aimed more at avoiding losing the primary than aggressively running to win it. That means raising vast amounts of campaign money and treading lightly on hot-button issues or the latest Trump controversy.
Assignment editors – Putnam will join Gov. Scott at a Let’s Get to Work rally in The Villages, part of the Scott’s newly launched U.S. Senate campaign. Rally begins 2 p.m. at the Fenney Recreation Center, 3200 Fenney Way in The Villages.
More Florida Sheriffs back Ashley Moody for AG — Moody announced the endorsement of two more Florida sheriffs, bringing the total number to 37, or nearly 80 percent of Republican sheriffs who believe Moody is the most qualified to become Florida’s next attorney general. “Thank you to Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett and Martin County Sheriff William Snyder for their endorsement of my candidacy,” Moody said. In a statement, Padgett said: “Ashley is a proven leader for our criminal justice system and I’m proud to endorse her and her vision for keeping our state safe and protecting Floridians from the evolving criminal threats that law enforcement confronts on a daily basis.” Snyder added: “As Sheriff, my top priority is the safety and security of the people I serve and there is no one more qualified to help assist law enforcement in their mission than Judge Ashley Moody. A tough on crime former federal prosecutor who has the knowledge and track record of keeping our state safe, Ashley will make an outstanding Attorney General.”
“Charlie Crist has $2.1M on hand for CD 13 re-election” via Florida Politics — Crist announced his re-election campaign will report bringing in $447,000 in contributions during the first three months of 2018. Crist’s campaign said it will show the about $2.1 million cash on hand as of March 31. Crist had $1.76 million in the bank at the end of 2017. Given his fundraising total, the campaign spent about $100,000 for the quarter. Crist is so far cruising toward re-election. Eight months out from Election Day, his only challenger is Republican George Buck, who looks like he’s not ready for prime-time.
To those of you who wish to see Justin Timberlake while partying with Ed Hooper and Kelli Stargel — and use $10,000 of a client’s money to do it …
“Keith Perry adds $54K, Kayser Enneking $44K in SD 8 race” via Florida Politics — Perry’s money lead in the Senate District 8 race ticked up a couple notches in March with $54,100 raised between his campaign and committee. Gainesville physician Enneking, the leading Democrat running for the Alachua County-based seat brought in $44,213 during the same stretch. SD 8 is a top target for Senate Democrats this cycle and could be key in determining who will be Senate President after the 2022 elections. With March in the books, Perry has raised $416,207 between his campaign and committee, Building a Prosperous Florida. He started April with about $379,000 in the bank. Enneking’s total now sits at $248,520 raised with about $195,000 on hand.
— “A day cashing campaign checks helps Dennis Baxley swamp foe in SD 12 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
“Parkland protests drove Janet Cruz into Senate race” via Florida Politics — When thousands of people came to Tallahassee to push for tougher gun control after Parkland, it was enough to convince state Rep. Cruz it was time to act. “I’ve been (in Tallahassee) since 2010. I’ve seen crowds. I’ve seen protests, but I haven’t seen anything like that,” she said. “And I saw Democrats take a stand against the gun lobby. We were saying to them ‘hit me!’ And we got up and said, ‘hit me again! Is that all you’ve got?’” While the fight for tougher gun laws may have pushed Cruz into the race, it’s not her only motivation. “The very first thing I would like to accomplish is making sure working people have health care,” she said.
“Born without arms, Sarasota state Senate candidate has long fought for disability rights” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Olivia Babis often had to fight for equal rights growing up as a person with a disability. Now the Sarasota Democrat wants to take the lessons she learned through her personal advocacy and help others who are struggling. Babis, 41, filed this week to challenge GOP state Rep. Joe Gruters for the District 23 seat. “We need representation for the people who are falling through the cracks and feel like their voices aren’t being heard,” Babis said in announcing her campaign. Born without arms, Babis said that in elementary school she initially was put in a special education class for much of the day with other disabled students, some of whom had intellectual disabilities. Babis does not have an intellectual disability. Her family pushed for her to be fully “mainstreamed” with children who were not disabled. She finally was moved out of the special education class after testing as gifted in the third grade. “The bar has been set so low for people with disabilities and I experienced that myself,” she said.
Poll gives Dem big lead in deep red HD 15 – A poll released Thursday shows HD 15, the district held by Republican Attorney General candidate Jay Fant, could be on the table for Democrats this year. The Democratic candidate, Tracye Polson, commissioned the poll, which shows her with a 9-point lead over Wyman Duggan, the lead Republican running to take over the Jacksonville-based seat. More than a third said they were undecided. Her lead doubles to 18 points, 40-22, among women voters. The poll isn’t especially hard on Donald Trump, either – the same voters who prefer Polson by nearly double digits gave Trump a 45 percent favorability rating. Women weren’t as big of fans, however, with 39 percent saying they had a favorable view of the president.
“Bobby Olszewski re-election bid draws a crowd” via the News Service of Florida — Orlando Democrat Margaret Gold opened a campaign account to run for the House District 44 seat … Gold is the fourth Democrat to open a campaign account for the race, joining Olszewski and Orlando Republican Usha Jain. Olszewski led fundraising as of March 31, with an overall total of $43,300, a newly filed finance report shows.
Save the date: 
“Chris Latvala political committee gets $100,000 boost” via the News Service of Florida — A political committee associated with state Rep. Latvala received $100,000 in March from another committee linked to his father, former Sen. Jack Latvala … The Suncoast Better Government Committee received the contribution March 19 from the Florida Leadership Committee. Chris Latvala is running for re-election this year in Pinellas County’s House District 67. As of March 31, he had about $28,000 in cash on hand in his campaign account, while the committee had about $127,000 on hand … The Florida Leadership Committee has long been linked to Jack Latvala and had about $3.6 million on hand as of March 31.
— STATEWIDE —
“Billionaire GOP donor takes shots at Richard Corcoran while debuting E-verify research” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — During a conference call with reporters on Thursday, GOP billionaire rainmaker Mike Fernandez stressed pro-immigration policies shouldn’t be marked by party lines … But for some — particularly Republican state House Speaker Corcoran, it seems to be the “flavor of the day,” Fernandez said. Corcoran, who appointed P29 sponsor Rich Newsome to the CRC, is not “shy in his fear and misinformation about immigrants to move an agenda that is very personal to him based on misinformation and lack of facts,” Fernandez said. Corcoran … responded to Fernandez’ claim that the Speaker is using misinformation to push a political agenda. He aligned himself with President Donald Trump and said he appreciates Fernandez’ recognition that he’s “the only potential state-wide candidate who is actually standing up against illegal immigration.” Facts are facts … We need to build the wall, end chain migration, and stop sanctuary cities. I am proud to fight for those policies alongside President Trump and the millions of Florida voters who feel the same way.”
— “Busted: Business group led by Mike Fernandez pushed bogus data to fight tougher CRC immigration proposal” via Brian Burgess of The Capitolist
“Florida Smart Justice Alliance endorses Marsy’s Law” via Florida Politics – The Florida Smart Justice Alliance on Tuesday endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a crime victims’ bill of rights, according to a press release. The proposal (P6001), also known as “Marsy’s Law for Florida,” is one of 12 amendments that will be considered by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission when it reconvenes next Monday in Tallahassee. “Marsy’s Law provides common sense protections for crime victims, ensuring they have the right to be heard, the right to be present, and the right to be informed,” said Barney Bishop, CEO of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance.
“Judge dismisses Latvala backer’s defamation lawsuit against sexual harasser accuser” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida – Lily Tysinger agreed to drop the suit earlier this month against Rachel Perrin Rogers — her former coworker in the Florida Senate Republican Office — before a judge in the case was set to rule on a motion to dismiss the case because it was “devoid of ultimate facts” and, as a public figure, Tysinger would have to show that Perrin Rogers’ criticisms of her were motivated by malice. “Ms. Tysinger claims harm from the defamatory statements (which we know little about) published in unnamed news outlets (which we know little about) as a result of Ms. Perrin Rogers’s intentional or grossly negligent conduct (which we know little about) but then fails to include any facts concerning the alleged ‘injury to her reputation, shame, humiliation, mental anguish and hurt feelings,'” Rogers’ March 14 motion to dismiss read.
“Death threats kept Marion Hammer from gun law hearing” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat – The NRA’s top lobbyist in Florida, didn’t attend Tuesday’s public hearing on a Leon County gun ordinance because of death threats. Hammer, usually a staple at legislative hearings on gun bills, acknowledged she wouldn’t attend the hearing in an email exchange over the weekend with County Commissioner Bryan Dislodge. “The death threats come with the job,” she said in a Sunday email. “I’ve dealt with it for many, many years. But it is so ugly this time NRA is insisting that I listen to my security advisers. It always amazes me how these people who claim to want to stop violence are so quick to threaten violence. I have never been afraid of them but it really makes me angry when they threaten my family.”
“Bob Buckhorn to city retirement board: Drop assault weapons, ammo from pension fund” via Charlie Frago of the Tampa Bay Times — The request will be made formally at a Tuesday meeting of the pension board. It comes after a staff review Buckhorn ordered found that these manufacturers account for about $300,000 of Tampa’s approximately $800 million general employees retirement fund, said mayor’s spokeswoman Ashley Bauman. Buckhorn ordered the staff review weeks ago, she said. Buckhorn’s announcement comes a day after St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman directed his city attorney to join 10 other cities in suing the state over laws that bar cities from enacting gun control ordinances. Buckhorn is still pondering whether to join that lawsuit.
Worst story you’ll read today – “Mother is arrested after 8-year-old daughter says ‘she beat the crap out of me,’ police say” via Gwen Filosa of FLKeysNews.com – Holly Maria Estes, 54, of Big Pine Key, was arrested Thursday on a $10,000 bond, 10 days after her adopted daughter told her teacher at Sugarloaf School her mom had grabbed her by her hair, beaten her on her lower back and then threw her across a room on March 30.
“Purses and pot in Jax” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Denver-based Vicente Sederberg LLC, which bills itself as “one of the nation’s leading marijuana law firms,” is opening an office in the Riverside shopping center … The expansion of Vicente Sederberg — which, according to the release, “guided” one of the state’s five original medical marijuana licensees — in Florida marks a growing pot-focused legal community in what some experts predict will be one of the nation’s largest markets. Sally Kent Peebles will head the Jacksonville office. The opening of the Jax branch comes amid myriad marijuana-related lawsuits, and the announcement followed Tallahassee Judge Karen Gievers’ decision yesterday to allow Joe Redner to grow his own pot so he can juice it to prevent his lung cancer from recurring.
“Workers’ Comp could return” via the News Service of Florida — Expect efforts to revamp workers’ compensation insurance laws to return as new House and Senate leaders take over for the 2019 legislative session, according to Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. Altamier said this week “a lot of people” continue to believe that a 2016 Florida Supreme Court ruling that tossed out strict caps on attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases will “have a negative impact on rates in the long run” and that changes are necessary to prevent employers’ premiums from increasing. Altmaier, though, conceded that the legislative will to tackle workers’ compensation will depend on several things, including proposed rates that the National Council on Compensation Insurance will file with the Office of Insurance Regulation.
— CONGRATULATIONS —
The Miami Herald’s ‘Fight Club’ wins Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism – Reported by Carol Marbin Miller and Audra D.S. Burch, the investigation documented widespread brutality, administrative incompetence and violent beatings in Florida’s juvenile justice system, often either ordered or doled out by officers.
This is the second time that the Herald and reporters Marbin Miller and Burch have won the Worth Bingham Prize. They received the award for their 2014 series “Innocents Lost,” which examined the deaths of hundreds of children in Florida over a six-year period.
In choosing “Fight Club,” judge Denise-Marie Ordway said: “I was impressed with the level of detail the reporting team was able to obtain. They showed time and again that people in authority were doing horrible things to kids or bribing these young prisoners to do horrible things to one another.”
The $20,000 Bingham Prize will be presented on May 3, at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
— PARKLAND STUDENTS FACE NEW REALITY —
Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School face a new reality in the wake of an outpouring of grassroots activism after the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting that killed 17 students and adults.
“New Jersey, Colorado, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham,” students reel off upcoming travel schedule “at a dizzying pace,” writes Kelli Kennedy of The Associated Press.
– “This is their new life, traveling the country advocating for gun control, all while trying to keep up with their studies.”
– They are also working to register as many teenagers as possible ahead of November’s midterm elections.
– Despite the newfound activism, some students still struggle with the more mundane aspects of high school, trying to find a balance as grassroots leaders and students with homework, Advanced Placement exams and college applications.
– “They’ve outgrown an office donated by a Stoneman Douglas parent and are moving to a new, secret location after their past address was leaked to the press. Most of their engagements are now handled by a professional booking agent and a public relations firm.”
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Jesse Panuccio could be in spotlight” via the News Service of Florida — Panuccio, a former high-ranking aide to Scott, has been getting national attention this week amid chatter about President Trump possibly trying to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. If Trump wants to remove Mueller from the Russia-related investigation, he would first have to replace Mueller’s boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the investigation. That has put Panuccio, the acting associate attorney general, in the crosshairs of media speculation if Rosenstein exits. Panuccio is third in line at the Justice Department, though he is only acting associate attorney general because Trump has not officially appointed a replacement for former Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, who stepped down from the post. An appointment also would be subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.
“Marco Rubio fills void at Americas summit left by absent Donald Trump” via Christine Armario and Joshua Goodman of The Associated Press — When presidents gather this week in Peru at the Summit of the Americas, they may be tempted to walk past Vice President Mike Pence and make a beeline for another person who has Trump’s ear on Latin America: Sen. Rubio. In Trump’s absence from the meeting, the Florida Republican is playing an even more prominent role. He began the week presiding over a Senate hearing on the summit, lunched with Pence at the White House to discuss the trip and when he arrives in Lima, will meet one-on-one with about a half-dozen heads of state — around the same number as Pence himself. The American president canceled what would’ve been his first presidential visit to Latin America as he weighs a possible U.S. military strike in Syria in retaliation for an apparent chemical attack on civilians. Rubio called Trump’s absence understandable but a nonetheless disappointing example of how Latin America often takes a back seat to more pressing national security challenges.
“’Painful,’ ‘emotional’: Veterans of the immigration fight reflect on past failures” via Tal Kopan and Cassie Spodak of CNN — Mario Diaz-Balart is one of a long line of politicians in his family, dating back to Cuba before the rise of Fidel Castro. The Florida Republican says he was interested in the issue of immigration since he was elected in 2002, but in 2009 after Obama‘s win, he joined the debate more intensely. From that point on, he has been a central player in various attempts to reach agreement on immigration reform, all of which have fallen short. He said he learned in that first iteration an important lesson, when he blames Democratic leaders Obama and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from walking away from a deal. “That was a big lesson as to — there’s a difference between what some people say publicly and what some people do privately,” Diaz-Balart said. He likens trying to find the sweet spot on an immigration compromise to “a very narrow window that we have to kind of drive a bus through,” but says he believes that a real deal will have to legalize undocumented immigrants at the same time it beefs up border security, with “triggers” that can keep compromises unfolding concurrently. “It can’t be a wink and a nod,” he said.
— OPINIONS —
“Major Harding: Protect our constitution from unnecessary clutter and logrolling” via Florida Politics — The week of April 16, 2018, the 37 members of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) hold the unique power to approve or not approve what proposals will go on the 2018 ballot this November for voters to consider adding as amendments to our state’s constitution … A number of the present proposals — regulating everything from naming of buildings to greyhound racing, civics lessons to vaping in public places — objectively do not rise to the level of fundamental constitutional dignity because they do not govern state government, protect fundamental rights and can be enacted through the legislative process. The Commission must act to prevent these from being placed on the ballot and protect our constitution from unnecessary clutter. Although the Commission is not required to do so, the Commission should adhere to a single-subject requirement. Voters should not be forced to consider approving proposals about which they have no interest, or worse, to consider propositions they would otherwise oppose in order to approve completely unrelated proposals that they like. The Commission owes it to the voters to allow every proposal to rise or fall on its own respective merits.
“Anti-American forces seek to upend successful sugar policy” via Amy Perry for TCPalm — The price of sugar today is lower than it was before I was born in the 1980s. Yet the price of farming has increased dramatically with fuel, labor and crop-input costs soaring. Think about it: When was the last time anyone really worried about the price of sugar? Have you ever paid for extra sugar for your coffee at a restaurant or coffee shop? You haven’t — because sugar remains as inexpensive an ingredient today as it’s been for decades. It’s hardly surprising that large sugar-using companies are trying to manipulate consumers into changing farm policy to better suit global food manufacturing interests so they can get cheaper foreign ingredients and make more profits. What is surprising is that anyone with half an ounce of common sense would believe these big food companies are looking out for the consumer. Agriculture has been the pillar of the American economy since its beginning. Our elected leaders recognize this, which is why I believe the no-cost sugar policy has — and will continue — to receive support that spans geographic boundaries and political parties. And I hope my children and grandchildren will be here someday and able to say the same thing.
— MOVEMENTS —
Appointed — Jim Foreman to West Florida Regional Planning Council; Gregory Celestan to Enterprise Florida, Inc. Board of Directors.
— WEEKEND TV —
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: Moderator Rob Lorei leads a roundtable of journalists, academics, elected officials and other political insiders. Other segments include viewer feedback and “Person on the Street,” Legislative Focus, and One-on-One Interview specials.
In Focus with Allison Walker-Torres on Bay News 9: A discussion on the best solutions and types of legislation lawmakers are considering who should oversee vacation rentals and Airbnb in Florida. Joining Walker-Torres are state Rep. Jamie Grant; state Sen. David Simmons; Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen; and Anne Sallee, executive director & CEO, Florida Superior Small Lodging Association.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando and Bay News 9 in Tampa/St. Pete: Democratic Attorney General candidate Sean Shaw of Tampa talks about his 2018 campaign. PolitiFact will measure a claim by President Trump to the test on income tax forms.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Hosts Gary Yordon and Steve Vancore speak with former U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, who will talk about his book “Dead Center.”
This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: This week’s guests: Florida Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Rick Scott, former Congressmen David Jolly and Patrick Murphy; Rick Mullaney of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute.
This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): Co-hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg speak with police chiefs from the City of Miami and Miami Dade County on the unprecedented cooperation and changes coming to fight gun violence. Also, a roundtable for an in-depth look at the big issues of the week.
— ALOE —
“What’s the wealthiest ZIP code in the U.S.? Hint: It’s in South Florida” via Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald — According to a new report by Bloomberg, the richest ZIP code in the U.S. is 33109 — aka the super-exclusive enclave of Fisher Island — where the average income in 2015 was $2.5 million. Second on the Bloomberg list was 94027, or Atherton, CA, a Silicon Valley neighborhood whose residents earned a comparatively measly average annual income of $1.5 million. The Palm Beach ZIP code 33480, home to Trump‘s weekend retreat Mar-a-Lago, took third place with $1.25 million.
“Re-energized ‘Nole Nation set for spring game weekend” via Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat – Seminole Nation is re-energized by the arrival of Willie Taggart, named the Florida State football program’s 11th head coach five months ago. Fans will get their first glimpse of Taggart and his team during Saturday’s spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium. Fans don’t have to wait until the 6 p.m. kickoff to enjoy themselves, however. A variety of activities packaged around the spring game start Friday, from golf tournaments to concerts to fundraisers to player reunions. They are designed to rally fans and generate buzz around the team. The busy weekend will feature a throwback theme.
Happy birthday to Rep. Sam Killebrew and Chris Chaney of The Advocacy Group.
