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.
It’s Debate Night in Florida.
Florida’s Democratic candidates will gather for the first televised debate of the 2018 election for governor: Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum; former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, also of Tallahassee; businessman Chris King of Orlando, and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.
The debate will be recorded beginning at 3 p.m. at the studios of Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
Fox 13 Tampa Bay’s Mark Wilson, Kelly Ring and Craig Patrick will moderate.
It will be streamed live online at fox13news.com/live.
Then, at 6:30 p.m., the debate will be broadcast in the Tampa Bay market, and streamed once again on the station’s website.
Of course, it’s the not the first debate between “candidates”: Gillum and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who has signaled his intent to announce a run, debated on immigration issues in Tallahassee in February.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
— @RealDonaldTrump: Employment is up, Taxes are DOWN. Enjoy!
— @JebBushJr: I think my Ganny would have wanted us to remember her by picking up a book and reading to our child, grandchild, or finding an opinion different then our own. I love her and miss her very much. She did it her way – with grace and class.
— @Kathrynw5: A source close to the Bush family tells CBS News’ Jenna Gibson that, while Mrs. Bush’s COPD makes it difficult for her to breathe, she is alert and was having conversations last night. She was also having a bourbon.
— @SenAudrey2eet: #Starbucks should pay all costs for all legal costs for the records expungement of the two African American customers who now have a record & get them their own Starbucks cause records never die
— @RichardCorcoran: Not surprisingly, @realDonaldTrump‘s economic policies have awoken our economy. He was down in Miami yesterday celebrating the jobs that are being created right here in Florida, thanks to his #taxcut package.
— @DaneEagle: I was given a C+ by a group for my votes to protect the rights, privacy, and personal information of the citizens of this great state. Now that I’m aware of it, I’ll be working to correct it. Pushing for an F next year!
— @ArekSarkissian: Records requests are like gifts from a deadbeat parent — either you’re excited, crushed or annoyed you wasted the time.
— @NateSilver538: Some personal news … FiveThirtyEight is leaving ESPN … but not going very far. Our new home is ABC News! We’re super excited to work with @ABC and combine our strengths with theirs as we tackle the 2018 and 2020 elections and other news stories.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Avengers: Infinity War opens — 5; NFL Draft begins — 8; Close of candidate qualifying for federal office — 15; Mother’s Day — 25; Solo: A Star Wars Story premier — 37; Memorial Day — 40; Father’s Day — 60; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 65; Deadline for filing claim bills — 105; ‘The Race for Governor’ Republican gubernatorial debates — 105; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debates — 106; Start of the U.S. Open — 131; Primary Election Day — 132; College Football opening weekend — 136; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 188; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 189; General Election Day — 202; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 302; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 321.
— TOP STORY —
“Former first lady Barbara Bush dies at 92” via The Associated Press — The snowy-haired Mrs. Bush was one of only two first ladies who was also the mother of a president. The other was Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams. Mrs. Bush’s plain-spoken manner and utter lack of pretense made her more popular at times than her husband. She brought a grandmotherly style to buttoned-down Washington, often appearing in her trademark fake pearl chokers and displaying no vanity about her white hair and wrinkles. She married George H.W. Bush in 1945. They had six children and were married longer than any presidential couple in American history.
Tweets:
My grandmother’s entire life was focused on others. For my grandfather, she was his top adviser and confidante. For her family, she was a steady, loving and guiding hand. And for her country, she was an inspiration and an example for all. 1/2
— George P. Bush (@georgepbush) April 17, 2018
Barbara raised a family of service & character, stood by her beloved husband in the best & worst of times, and spoke her convictions with courage & passion. The great First Lady of our times. Ann and I will profoundly miss her friendship, her compassion, & the twinkle of her eye.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) April 17, 2018
Our hearts are heavy to hear about the passing of First Lady Barbara Bush. She was an incredible First Lady, wife, mother, grandmother, and role model for all Americans. Sending our love, thoughts, and prayers to the Bush family during this time.
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) April 17, 2018
— NELSON VS. SCOTT —
“Democrats beef up elections complaint against Rick Scott” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times — “As if there wasn’t already enough evidence that Scott has been breaking election law, a wave of new examples have surfaced in the several days. The amount of shady political tricks Scott will employ to advance his own political agenda is striking — and larger symbol for his tenure as governor,” said Adam Bozzi, communications director for End Citizens United. “In light of this new information, the FEC should investigate Scott immediately. Florida deserves better.” ECU, a Democratic-leaning group focused on fighting big money in politics, contends that Scott should have used a “testing the waters” committee to explore his long-expected U.S. Senate campaign. Instead, he improperly used the New Republican committee to raise and spend unlimited contributions to promote his candidacy. The group earlier this month filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, noting that the New Republican had hired multiple Scott campaign advisers before his Senate announcement and its website suddenly transformed into a pro-Scott group the moment Scott announced his candidacy.
“Scott’s blind trust targeted in new ad campaign” via Florida Politics — Progressive advocacy group American Bridge announced Tuesday that it’s launched a new social media campaign Scott for not disclosing his net worth and how it’s invested. … “While Rick Scott’s been hiding his investments from Floridians as governor, his net worth has gone up $46 million. It’s time for Rick Scott to come clean and disclose his massive personal wealth,” American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp said. … American Bridge showed off two versions of the social media ads. One reads “Tell Rick Scott: Stop Hiding Your Wealth,” while the other reads “Reveal Your Conflicts of Interest, Rick Scott.” Both point to an online petition where those who click can “demand Rick Scott disclose his wealth.”
—
Assignment editors — Gov. Scott will host a campaign roundtable with business leaders in Jacksonville. Event begins 9:30 a.m., Vak Pak Inc., 1824 Phoenix Ave. in Jacksonville.
“Possible Paul Ryan successor Kevin McCarthy to appear at DC fundraiser with Scott” via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times — House Majority Leader McCarthy — a possible successor to Paul Ryan — will appear at a fundraiser Wednesday for Scott’s Senate campaign. The event will be held at the home of former Florida Congressman Jeff Miller, an early backer of Donald Trump who now works for the lobbying firm McDermott Will & Emery. Ryan has endorsed McCarthy as the next House speaker, but others are angling for the job. On Thursday, Scott will raise money alongside heavy hitters such as Haley Barbour, Charlie Black, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn. Scott does not plan public appearances during his visit.
“Scott wants to end career politicians. So why are they fundraising for him? He won’t say” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — Scott told a room of local businessmen and women that he wants to put an end to career politicians, a frequent mantra of his nascent Senate campaign. Yet in the 48 hours after his Tampa appearance, the Republican’s campaign will hold fundraisers with some of the most seasoned creatures on Capitol Hill. House Majority Leader McCarthy — the early front-runner to be the next Speaker of the House — is scheduled to appear at a D.C. fundraiser for Scott. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is headlining another fundraiser, this one with a suggested contribution of $5,000, which features a half-dozen other Senators and former elected officials. McConnell was sworn into the Senate in 1985 — a career that easily surpasses Scott’s proposal to cap a Senator’s tenure at 12 years. McCarthy was first elected to the House in 2006 after a long career in California politics, so this would be his last term in office if Scott’s idea were in effect. So how does Scott reconcile these two realities? Asked about it after his Tampa event, he didn’t really say.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“After Parkland shooting: Youth activism is not showing up in voter registration numbers” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — In Tallahassee, the epicenter of the Florida protests, all the noise, speeches and carnivallike atmosphere have not produced a number of new young voters. The opposite happened. There now are fewer voters among the 18-25 age group than there were before the shooting. According to the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office, there has been a drop of 690 registered voters in Leon County since Feb. 14 among the youngest voting-age group. The number of vanishing youth voters grows larger the longer you look at voter registration rolls. Tallahassee, home to more than 63,000 students of two universities and a college has seen registration among younger voters drop by 4,673 since March 2017.
“Disney contributions to anti-gambling measure pile up” via the News Service of Florida — Chipping in another $105,000 last month, Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. has contributed at least $4.655 million to try to pass a constitutional amendment that could make it harder to expand gambling in the state. Disney in March made the only cash contribution to the political committee Voters In Charge, which has spearheaded the proposed constitutional amendment … In all, the committee had raised about $6.74 million as of March 31. The committee last month also received in-kind contributions from the group No Casinos Inc. If approved by 60 percent of voters, it would change the Florida Constitution and give voters the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling” in the state.
Happening today — Denise Grimsley campaigns in North Dade — State Sen. Grimsley, who is running for Florida Agriculture Commissioner, is one of the scheduled speakers at a meeting of the Federated Republican Women of North Dade. Other guests include gubernatorial candidate Bob White and Carla Spalding, a candidate in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District. Meeting begins 6 p.m., 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant, 1395 N.W. 57th Ave. In Miami.
“Republican Neil Combee announces he will run for Dennis Ross’ seat in Congress” via Gary White of the Lakeland Ledger — Combee will run as a Republican in District 15. That seat became open when Ross announced last week that he was dropping his re-election bid. Ross has served four terms. Combee joins a growing field of Republican candidates. Ed Shoemaker of Lakeland has said he will run, and Ross Spano, a member of the Florida House from Hillsborough County, has also announced plans to run in District 15. Combee resigned from the Florida House last year to take a position as state executive director for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In his announcement, Combee said Congress needs members who will support the agenda of President Trump. Five Democrats have filed to run in the District 15 primary. The primaries will be held Aug. 28. Kelli Stargel announced over the weekend she would not join the race. Stargel is seeking re-election to the Florida Senate.
Tweet, tweet:
Let’s just say the entry of @realNeilCombee into the Fla. CD15 race makes it a very interesting one for political reporters to cover now.
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) April 17, 2018
— “Danny Kushmer enters race for U.S. House District 15” via the Tampa Bay Reporter
Save the date — Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown is hosting an official kickoff Saturday, April 28, in his bid for Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Event begins 11:30 a.m. at the IBEW Local 177, 966 N. Liberty St. in Jacksonville. Doors open at 10:45 a.m. RSVP at alvinforcongress.com.
“A second Republican emerges in the race to replace Ileana Ros-Lehtinen” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — Miami broadcast journalist Maria Elvira Salazar looks like she could force a competitive Republican primary in the race to replacing retiring Rep. Ros-Lehtinen. Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro was largely running a one-man money race among Republicans since he entered the primary shortly after Ros-Lehtinen announced her retirement, but Salazar bested his fundraising numbers in her first fundraising quarter since she officially jumped into the race in March. Salazar raised $303,115 from January 1 to March 31, and she has $287,612 left to spend, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. Barreiro raised $264,778, his best haul since entering the race shortly after Ros-Lehtinen announced her retirement last year. He maintains an on-hand cash advantage over his new rival, with $420,978 left to spend.
“Bob Buesing exits SD 18 race, clearing way for Janet Cruz” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics – Buesing said Tuesday that he is ending his campaign to unseat Tampa Republican Sen. Dana Young and throwing his support behind House Minority Leader Janet Cruz. The Tampa attorney announced his exit to the South Tampa Democratic Club … ending speculation of if or when he would step aside in favor of Cruz, who officially declared for SD 18 last week. … his exit leaves only Cruz and Young in the race for the Hillsborough County seat … Not having a primary challenger helps, though Cruz will still need a major fundraising boost to be competitive against Young, who has $950K in the bank in addition to the benefit of incumbency.
Tweet, tweet:
For years, @fladems have engaged in destructive primaries. It took a person as good as @Buesing4Senate to avoid catastrophe in this race. Every Democrat in Florida should thank him #flapolhttps://t.co/iDJrklrSIb
— Beth Matuga (@BethMatuga) April 18, 2018
“Rick Roth endorses Matt Spritz for HD 89” via Florida Politics — Loxahatchee Republican Rep. Roth is endorsing his bid to replace Rep. Bill Hager in House District 89. “I proudly endorse Matt Spritz for State Representative. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Matt in Tallahassee for some time, and I’ve seen firsthand his dedication to our community and his tireless work ethic,” Roth said. Spritz, a Boca Raton attorney, is one of five candidates running to replace Hager in HD 89. He faces Michael Caruso in the Republican Primary, while James Bonfiglio and Ryan Rossi are competing for the Democratic nomination. Unaffiliated candidate Deborah Gibson is also running for the seat. Roth’s endorsement follows other recent nods from former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux and former state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff. State Reps. Byron Donalds, Randy Fine, Jason Fischer, Joe Gruters, Tom Leek, Bobby Payne and Bob Rommel have also endorsed Spritz.
— POLITICAL REFORM? —
After two years of examining “broken” U.S. politics, Jon Ward of Yahoo News offers a somewhat surprising conclusion: Weakened political parties and a “deeper issue” of many Americans not understanding “what institutions are and why they exist.”
— In America, a rise in populism has citizens truly wanting a fairer political system, but “anti-party reforms have gone too far and are now having a multitude of negative impacts.”
— This anti-party sentiment is “not exclusive to the left,” as Trump and his supporters are “just as anti-establishment, anti-elite and disdainful of political parties as Democrats.”
— “People blame dysfunction on the establishment and call for more reform,” Ward writes. “The reform further weakens the ability of parties and party leaders and increases dysfunction and chaos.”
— Ahead of the 2018 midterms and an eventual showdown with Trump in 2020, Democrats are resisting empowering party officials and are simply reducing the number of superdelegates in the primary.
— This anti-establishment attitude is “one of the most constant and dominant trends of the last half-century,” even as these institutions “protect us from the abuse of power.”
— CRC WATCH —
“Greyhound owners plan legal challenge of dog racing ban” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — The group that represents the state’s racing-greyhound breeders and owners will challenge a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw dog racing, its spokesman and lobbyist told Florida Politics Tuesday. Jack Cory, who represents the Florida Greyhound Association (FGA), said former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and former appellate judge Paul Hawkes, who also now represent the group, are working on a brief to the Florida Supreme Court … On Monday, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) approved the proposal … Barring court action, it will go directly on November’s statewide ballot, where it needs at least 60 percent approval to be added to the constitution. “We’re obviously very disappointed,” Cory said. “We don’t feel the proposal meets the requirements for ballot placement. We appreciate those who voted against it, but as we’ve seen, you only need a few lies to poison the well.”
— STATEWIDE —
Happening today — Revenue Estimating conference — The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference will hold what is known as a post-session “impact” conference beginning 9 a.m., Knott Building Room 117, The Capitol.
“Florida lawyers to high court: Keep ‘legal cloud’ off McKay Scholarship program” via Travis Pillow of redefinEd — Florida’s school voucher program for special needs students is constitutional. If the state Supreme Court entertains arguments to the contrary, it will create an unnecessary “legal cloud” for thousands of families. That’s the argument lawyers defending the McKay Scholarship program made in court papers filed this week. The lawsuit also contended McKay Scholarships, vouchers that help the families roughly 30,000 special-needs children pay private school tuition, are unconstitutional. It’s the last surviving legal attack on a Florida private school choice program after courts declined to hear lawsuits targeting tax credit scholarships. When the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld McKay Scholarships, it cited, of all things, a suit that struck down a voucher program in 2006.
“Florida wants to delay new test-score rules; educators still worry about graduation impact” via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — The Florida Department of Education last month proposed new tests and higher scores for students who couldn’t pass Florida’s algebra and language arts tests and were using alternative exams to graduate. The department suggested the new rules be in force by Aug. 1 and apply to anyone who hadn’t yet graduated or met the old requirements by that date. That proposal alarmed educators across Florida as they feared it would prevent some students from graduating and argued it was unfair to change the rules for students already in high school. Many shared those concerns with the department, which is taking feedback on its website. More than 35,000 students in the class of 2017 graduated using the alternative exams, education department figures show. That’s about 20 percent of the more than 168,000 teenagers who earned diplomas last spring and summer.
“Hero student Anthony Borges files first lawsuit in Parkland school shooting” via Rafael Olmeda of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Alex Arreaza, the Borges family’s attorney, filed the suit electronically in Broward Circuit Court. The defendants are Nicholas Cruz, 19, the estate of Cruz’s late mother, Lynda, and James and Kimberly Snead, the Parkland couple who allowed Cruz to stay in their home from late November until Feb. 14, the day of the shooting. Also named in the suit are Henderson Behavioral Health, the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health and the South County Mental Health Center, three facilities that treated Cruz for various mental health conditions. The lawsuit charges Cruz with assault and battery, while the remaining parties are charged with negligence. It is not clear whether Cruz has much in the way of assets to offer the victims of the Parkland school shooting … Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer is still weighing whether he has enough money to pay for a private lawyer.
“Judge lifts stay in Joe Redner ‘home grow’ marijuana case” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — A Tallahassee judge on Tuesday lifted an automatic delay of the effect of her earlier ruling that Tampa strip club mogul Joe Redner can grow and make juice of his own medical marijuana. An attorney for the Department of Health said it would immediately appeal Circuit Judge Karen Gievers‘ decision to lift the ‘stay’ to the 1st District Court of Appeal. During a morning hearing, Redner attorney Luke Lirot reminded Gievers of her previous ruling that Redner has a constitutional right to possess growing marijuana plants. Redner did not attend but was listening in by phone. Redner is a lung cancer survivor who is in remission. His doctors say juiced marijuana is the “optimal” way to keep his cancer in remission.
“Janitor charged in heist of Revenue Dep’t hard drives” via Florida Politics — A janitor who cleaned Department of Revenue offices and was looking for “video games” has been charged with taking external hard drives from the desks of workers … Andru Rae’sion Reed, 21, was charged with … third-degree felonies, after the department reported external hard drives had been stolen. Reed worked for a company that provided janitorial services to the department in Tallahassee’s Southwood office complex, an investigative report said. On March 30, agents spoke with Reed at his Tallahassee home and found four hard drives, which “contained confidential taxpayer information,” according to a news release. “Reed said he had connected the hard drives to his Xbox to download video games without knowing what was on the hard drives,” the release said. “It appears that the information on the hard drives was not used or further shared, but computer forensic examinations continue.” He was booked into the Leon County Jail Tuesday and later released on $2,500 bail, records show.
“Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein won’t get a break on his 50-year prison sentence, judge rules” via Paula McMahon of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Rothstein, 55, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $1.4 billion Ponzi scheme from his downtown Fort Lauderdale law firm after the massive fraud imploded in late 2009. Rothstein and his attorney have spent the past several months trying to persuade the sentencing judge to side with them and require federal prosecutors to recommend a cut in Rothstein’s punishment. The defense argued that prosecutors improperly withdrew their offer after Rothstein cooperated in the investigation, worked undercover for them and pleaded guilty to the federal charges. Prosecutors said that Rothstein, a disbarred attorney, violated the explicit terms of his plea agreement by lying to them and committing additional crimes after he signed the cooperation agreement … Senior U.S. District Judge James Cohn, the sentencing judge, filed a nine-page ruling that prosecutors were correct and Rothstein was wrong.
“Dreaded ‘cone of uncertainty’ will shrink for the coming hurricane season” via Jenny Staletovich of the Miami Herald — The National Hurricane Center plans to shrink the dreaded “cone of uncertainty” during the upcoming season based on an improving forecast record. The Miami-based center made the announcement Monday, along with a series of other changes intended to improve how hurricane forecasters convey warnings to the public. Along with the shrinking cone, forecasters will extend advisories, which include warnings and watches, to 72 hours in advance of a storm, providing a full additional day to prepare. Experimental graphics used last year to depict arrival times for dangerous winds will also become a permanent addition to forecasts. “The changes are to improve information contained in the hurricane center products and to provide it in (maybe) easier-to-understand formats,” said Dan Brown, a senior hurricane specialist in charge of warning coordination.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Donald Trump: World leaders want to meet at Mar-a-Lago” via Skyler Swisher of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The president kicked off two days of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Palm Beach. Trump says he’ll be “sneaking out” for a round of golf with Abe. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade and North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. “Many of the world’s great leaders request to come to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach,” Trump said. “They like it. I like it. We’re comfortable.” One world leader who likely won’t be visiting Mar-a-Lago is North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un. Trump said five sites are under consideration for a meeting, but he shook his head and said “no” when asked if any of the locations are in the United States.
“Supreme Court split on whether online sellers must collect sales taxes across U.S.” via David Savage of the Tribune Washington Bureau — The Supreme Court took up a huge sales tax case with the expectation it was ready to bring online shopping under the same rules that apply to ordinary retailers. But that outcome was less certain after arguments. The justices were clearly divided but in unusual coalitions of conservatives and liberals. One side said Congress, not the courts, should set the rules for taxing interstate commerce. At issue is a 1992 ruling involving mail-order catalogs when the justices found that states may not require out-of-state mailers to collect sales taxes on behalf of their residents. Now, in the era of online shopping, that decision in Quill vs. North Dakota is said to cost states and municipalities between $8 billion and $13 billion a year in lost tax revenue. Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan said Congress is better suited to devise a new system. Kagan added, “Congress can craft a compromise in a way that we cannot.” Sonia Sotomayor said she is worried that “overturning precedents will create a massive amount of lawsuits.” But Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it should not be left to Congress to grapple with the court’s previous decision. “If time and changing conditions have rendered (the Quill decision) obsolete, why should the court say: Well, we’ll let Congress fix it?” Anthony Kennedy agreed that the Quill ruling was “incorrect” and should be overruled. And Justice Neil Gorsuch said it was unfair to traditional retailers who must collect sales taxes. “Why should this court favor a particular business model that relies not on brick and mortar but on mail order?” he asked. Stephen Breyer, who could hold the deciding vote, asked questions about the costs and burdens of collecting sales taxes, but he did not signal he was leaning one way or the other.
“FBI closer to finding answers on ‘health attacks’ in Cuba” via Nora Gámez Torres of the Miami Herald — The FBI is closer to finding answers about the mysterious attacks that caused health ailments in at least 24 U.S. diplomats, relatives and intelligence agents in Havana, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told the Miami Herald. And the symptoms of some victims are so severe they will not be able to return to work. “I was briefed last Wednesday by the FBI. They have been investigating this, and they have made a lot of progress,” Rubio said in Lima, where he’d traveled to attend the eighth Summit of the Americas. According to the Florida Senator, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the FBI “has been able to rule out several theories in terms of the technology that was used, and I think there will come a time when we will know a little more.”
Assignment editors — North Carolina Republican Congressman Mark Meadows, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations, will hold a hearing on the tax-exempt private activity bonds (PABs) used for All Aboard Florida’s Brightline passenger rail system. Among those testifying will be Dylan Reingold, Indian River County Attorney; Dan Wouters, Division Chief of Martin County Fire Rescue; and Bob Crandall, CARE FL Steering Committee member. Committee meeting begins 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, 45 Independence Ave. SW in Washington D.C.
Happening today — State talks safe seniors — Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and former state Sen. Eleanor Sobel are the featured guest at a “Congressional Consortium for Safe Seniors” event. Among the issues for discussion are new requirements that nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have emergency power sources. The mandate came after the deaths of several seniors in a Broward County nursing home during Hurricane Irma. Meeting begins 10 a.m., Hollywood Beach Community Center, 1301 South Ocean Dr. in Hollywood.
— OPINIONS —
“Joe Henderson: Letting voters decide on greyhound racing is right call” via Florida Politics — The Constitutional Revision Commission voted in favor of placing an amendment before voters in November to ban the, well, what is it exactly? It’s not a sport, despite what its supporters say. I guess you’d call it an industry, but it is one that already has been outlawed in 40 states. Florida is one of only six states where greyhound racing remains active; four other states have no dog tracks but have not outlawed racing. My guess is that following the election, Florida will join the other four-fifths of the United States by phasing out what state Sen. Tom Lee, who sponsored the measure, called an “archaic tradition.” At the core of the argument for a constitutional amendment is the simple premise that the people of Florida should get to decide what kind of state they want to have. What people may once have seen as harmless entertainment now doesn’t seem that way after a look under the hood at what is really going on.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Rubio taps head of conservative group as chief of staff” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Rubio has hired Michael Needham, Chief Executive Officer for Heritage Action for America, to serve as his chief of staff … Earlier this year, Rubio fired former chief of staff Clint Reed, following reports that the aide had engaged in “improper conduct” with a subordinate. “Mike brings a wealth of policy, political and management experience that will greatly complement our office’s mission of serving the people of Florida and leading the effort to modernize the conservative movement in the 21st century. Mike understands and shares these goals, and I look forward to his contributions,” Rubio said in a news release.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Kenneth Granger, Nick Iarossi, Capital City Consulting: Wise Outlook
— ALOE —
“AAA: Florida could soon see the highest gas prices in more than three years” via Kevin Derby of the Sunshine State News — AAA released a study which found prices stood, on average, at $2.68 per gallon, the highest they have been since the middle of September. Since Monday, prices have risen, on average, 5 cents a gallon across the state. A month ago, the average gas price in Florida stood at $2.53 per gallon. Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA and the Auto Club Group, said that rising tensions in the Middle East are partially to blame for the increased prices. He also said he expected prices to continue to go up.
“Icons of American West on display in new museum — in Florida” via Tamara Lush of The Associated Press — When you think of Florida, the colored stone walls of the Grand Canyon don’t come to mind. Neither do cowboys, wolves or Native American silver-and-turquoise jewelry. In downtown St. Petersburg, all of those icons of the American West are on display in a new museum. It’s called the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, and it opened this month. The 80,000-square-foot space is two blocks from the glittering blue waters of Tampa Bay. There are 400 pieces on display, from large sculptures of Native Americans on horseback to pop-art conceptual paintings of the pioneer spirit. It’s unusually earthy and rustic fare, especially for a state that’s known for beaches, alligators and sanitized theme parks. Even the gallery walls are painted in earthy, Southwestern colors. All of the art was collected over decades by billionaire Thomas James, chairman emeritus of the Raymond Jones financial services company, and his wife Mary.
“NASA, SpaceX targeting Wednesday launch of planet hunter after scrub” via James Dean of FLORIDA TODAY — SpaceX hopes to be ready Wednesday evening to launch a planet-hunting NASA science mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A first attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket and NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, was scrubbed several hours before Monday’s planned 6:32 p.m.liftoff. SpaceX said it stood down to perform more analysis of the rocket’s guidance, navigation and control system. A Wednesday liftoff from Launch Complex 40 would be at 6:51 p.m. The weather forecast is excellent, with less than a 10 percent chance of violating launch rules.
“Report: Crossroads at Disney could be leveled for I-4 construction” via Mark Lehman of ClickOrlando.com — According to GrowthSpotter, the Florida Department of Transportation has made a $145 million offer for the Crossroads, which opened in 1988. If the deal goes through, the 29-acre property is scheduled to be demolished by the end of 2019. In its place would be a redesigned interchange between I-4 and State Road 535. Over its 30-year history, the Crossroads has seen a number of tenants come and go but has steadily remained a dining and shopping destination for tourists.
Happy birthday to the best health care reporter in the state and the best reporter in her household, Christine Jordan Sexton.
