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.
If the election were held today, Florida Democrats would fall short of winning back the Florida Senate.
In new polls of the three Tampa Bay area Senate seats up for grabs in the fall the Democratic candidate only leads in one — former Rep. Amanda Murphy’s has a razor-thin advantage over former Rep. Ed Hooper in the SD 16 race but it falls well within the margin of error for the St. Pete Polls survey.
Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes’ lead over Democratic trial lawyer Carrie Pilon in SD 24 and Republican Sen. Dana Young’s lead over House Minority Leader Janet Cruz in SD 18 were far more pronounced — in both cases the incumbent led 48 to 39.
The results aren’t too gloomy for Cruz or Pilon, yet, as most of those deficits are due to lower than expected polling among the Democratic base. But if those numbers don’t see a spike in the coming weeks as their campaign operations get underway it could mean turbulence, especially in SD 18.
Cruz is one of the party’s highest-profile recruits this cycle and she’s running for the most flippable seat for Democrats outside of SD 36, where Republican Rep. Manny Diaz has yet to draw a credible Democratic challenger.
If the “blue wave” doesn’t put a known quantity like Cruz neck-and-neck with Young in a Clinton plus-5 district, it doesn’t bode well for Kayser Enneking’s campaign against Keith Perry in SD 8 or Bob Doyel’s chances against Kelly Stargel in SD 22 — and Democrats would need to win at least one of those seats even they pulled out a hattrick in Tampa Bay.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RealDonaldTrump: Sorry, I’ve got to start focusing my energy on North Korea Nuclear, bad Trade Deals, VA Choice, the Economy, rebuilding the Military, and so much more, and not on the Rigged Russia Witch Hunt that should be investigating Clinton/Russia/FBI/Justice/Obama/Comey/Lynch etc.
—@SheriFink: The latest estimate for the number of people who died as a result of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year: roughly 4,600. That’s according to a new survey study today in @NEJM. The government of Puerto Rico initially said the tally was 64.
—@Shondarhimes: But honestly she got what she deserved. As I tell my 4-year-old, one makes a choice with one’s actions. Roseanne made a choice. A racist one. ABC made a choice. A human one.
—@Rwwgreene: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if 8,000 Starbucks suddenly took the afternoon off to solve racism.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in St. Petersburg — 10; Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in Miramar — 12; Time Warner/AT&T merger ruling — 13; 2018 FIFA World Cup begins — 15; Father’s Day — 18; Close of candidate qualifying for statewide office — 23; Florida GOP Sunshine Summit starts — 29; Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate in Fort Myers — 39; MLB All-Star Game — 48; Deadline for filing claim bills — 63; ‘The Race for Governor’ Republican gubernatorial debate — 63; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debate in Miami — 64; Start of the U.S. Open — 89; Primary Election Day — 90; College Football opening weekend — 92; NFL season starts — 99; Future of Florida Forum — 119; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 146; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 147; General Election Day — 160; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 260; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 279.
— TOP STORY —
“Jimmy Patronis’ ire at Drew Breakspear stems from sexual harassment case” via Florida Politics – A sexual harassment investigation is what spurred Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis to tell Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) Commissioner Drew Breakspear that he “no longer ha(s) confidence” in Breakspear’s ability to lead the office, sources tell Florida Politics. Public records released Tuesday show that OFR Deputy Commissioner Pamela Epting received a copy of results of an investigation that could not substantiate sexual harassment had occurred. Epting is second in charge under Breakspear, who reports to Patronis. The office acts as the state’s watchdog for the financial industry. OFR spokeswoman Jamie Mongiovi later on Tuesday said the office “did take additional steps to address the employee’s behavior” even though there was no finding of sexual harassment, including that the accused employee received “corrective counseling.” “The agency treats allegations of sexual harassment very seriously,” Mongiovi said.
— “Sexual harassment claim at heart of Patronis feud with top financial regulator” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida
— NELSON VS. SCOTT —
“The day Bill Nelson launches his first campaign ad, Rick Scott unveils his eighth spot” via Jon Lucas of The Capitolist — The Scott campaign announced it will spend another $2.2 million on the latest television spot called “New Ideas” that will air both on television and on a variety of digital platforms. That brings the total spent by the Scott campaign on ads to over $13 million. The ad accuses Nelson of failing to achieve any major accomplishments during his four decades in public. It features a variety of Floridians who say it’s time for a change in Washington. “I do not think Bill Nelson has new ideas,” said one unidentified Floridian. Earlier in the day, Nelson’s campaign released its first spot. It’s a digital ad that focuses on Nelson’s 1986 journey to space aboard the space shuttle Columbia while serving in Congress. Scott has shown over the past two months that he has the political firepower and the financial resources to wage an effective battle via the airwaves and has unabashedly done so.
Assignment editors — U.S. Sen. Nelson holds a roundtable discussion with community leaders and environmental advocates in Little Haiti to discuss the effects of climate change. Event begins 10:30 a.m., Little Haiti Cultural Center — Gallery Room, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
Chris King releases ‘Stand Up,’ new TV ad — The 30-second spot, which begins airing in the Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Panama City, and the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce television markets, highlights Gov. Scott and the Florida Legislature’s failure to act after the Pulse nightclub shooting, the movement of young people sparking change across Florida and King’s plans to ban assault weapons and keep deadly weapons out of dangerous hands. “I want to shake up the old politics. I’ll stand up to the NRA and hold both parties accountable — to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, and require background checks on all gun sales,” King says in the ad.
To view “Stand Up,” click on the image below:
“King expands campaign staff” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Democratic gubernatorial candidate King is promoting Stephanie McClung to deputy campaign manager and adding two new staff members. McClung had been serving as finance director. She was a deputy finance director for former Gov. Charlie Crist‘s 2014 gubernatorial campaign, and for Crist’s successful 2016 congressional campaign. She also had served as finance director at Ruth’s List Florida. Jada H. Smith joins as the campaign’s outreach coordinator. Smith served as a chief operating officer of the Experience Christian Center in Orlando and has served as a chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida and chief operating officer of the American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region. Caitlin Lang will serve as Central Florida regional coordinator. Lang organized for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2017 gubernatorial campaign and was an organizer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign in Orlando.
“AG Commissioner candidates take aim at NAFTA” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Worried about the impact on Florida farmers, state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has been a frequent critic of the 24-year-old trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico. But as Putnam prepares to leave the commissioner’s job … most of the announced candidates from both parties also point to produce dumping from Mexico as one of the biggest negatives in Florida from the pact, which the Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics has touted as a boon nationally to sectors ranging from oil and natural gas to beef, apple and soybean growers. State Rep. Matt Caldwell echoed the tone of President Donald Trump, saying NAFTA has “choked American jobs, and manufacturing and agriculture have suffocated the most.” State Sen. Denise Grimsley, a Sebring Republican vying to replace Putnam, agreed that Trump is “on the right track” in insisting on a better deal for farmers and consumers. Former state Rep. Baxter Troutman said the deal sacrificed some crops and with farmers and ranchers “caught in the crosshairs,” Florida has felt pain from the moment the deal was implemented.
“Joe Biden endorses Darren Soto over Alan Grayson in Florida congressional primary” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — … in a sign that the Democratic establishment wants to keep the firebrand former congressman off the November ballot. Biden steered clear of mentioning Grayson by name in issuing his endorsement — his first in a contested Florida Democratic race — and instead played up Soto‘s blue-collar roots in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. “Darren grew up in a neighborhood like I did, where a job was about a lot more than a paycheck,” Biden said in a written statement. “He knows that to have a strong economy we must strengthen and grow the middle class and that is why I am proud to support Darren Soto, a proven progressive, for re-election.” Biden also called Soto “a highly effective legislator who keeps his head down, works hard and delivers for his constituents. Central Floridians couldn’t have a better person representing them in Congress.”
“Ken Detzner files to have Jamie Grant challenger’s lawsuit dismissed” via Florida Politics — Secretary of State Ken Detzner has filed a Motion to Dismiss a lawsuit filed by House District 64 GOP candidate Terry Power, who is demanding incumbent state Rep. Grant be removed as a candidate, citing the state’s term limits. The Secretary filed to dismiss the lawsuit for “failure to state a cause of action, failure to join a necessary party, and lack of standing.” The main section discussing term limits states the following, but the entire motion has quite a bit of information in it as to why the motion should be dismissed: “Where, as here, there is a five-month vacancy during the office holder’s period of service, it cannot be said that the officeholder will have served for eight consecutive years,” the filing says.
Connie Mack endorses Tommy Gregory in HD 73 — Former two-term U.S. Sen. Mack is supporting Gregory in his bid for the seat currently held by state Rep. Joe Gruters, who is running for the Florida Senate. “Tommy Gregory is a patriot and a proven leader,” said Mack. “His military experience has effectively prepared him to enter this new sphere of public service, and there’s no question in my mind that he will be an outstanding and effective legislator. I wholeheartedly endorse him and urge all District 73 voters to support him.” Mack joins a growing number of Florida leaders endorsing Gregory, including former state Sen. Lisa Carlton, state Rep. Danny Burgess, Sarasota Sheriff Tom Knight, and former Manatee Sheriff Brad Steube.
“Chris Sprowls picks up another challenger in HD 65” via Florida Politics — Sally Laufer of Palm Harbor filed for the seat Friday. She joins Alex Stephen Toth, also of Palm Harbor, in the Democratic Primary for the Pinellas-based district. Laufer doesn’t have a lot of catching up to do in the primary race as Toth has so far raised just $183 since entering the race in late February. Both candidates have about three weeks left before they’ll need to shell out a qualifying fee or produce enough valid petition signatures to make the ballot. Even if one or both Democrats make the cut, Sprowls is a near lock for re-election.
—“Police unions laud Dana Young as a ‘tireless advocate’ for law enforcement” via Florida Politics
“This Democrat didn’t like the news coverage of her campaign. So she created her own.” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — With the help of a well-known Miami blogger, Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez set up QuePasa27.com in order to produce flattering content about her candidacy. The website, which was registered in February, includes a disclaimer for Rosen Gonzalez’s campaign at the bottom of every page, but is designed to look like an anonymous blog. The site features a picture of people waiting at a bus stop and the motto “News and views from your Congressional District.” Scroll down and the blog features blurbs about a special Miami-Dade County commission election and municipal trolleys before offering readers a series of articles that talk up Rosen Gonzalez’s bid to replace Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Congress.
Happening tonight:
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Happening tomorrow — State Rep. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican running in Senate District 23, holds a campaign kickoff event, 5:30 p.m., 7650 Albert Tillinghast Dr., Sarasota. Gruters seeks to replace Sen. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican who is running for Congress.
Happening tomorrow — Republican Spencer Roach, who is running in Lee County’s House District 79, holds a fundraising event, 5:30 p.m., Juniper Farms, 5880 Staley Road, Fort Myers. Roach is seeking to replace term-limited Rep. Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican who is running for Agriculture Commissioner.
— STATEWIDE —
“Tourism boost sought after Alberto blows through” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Gov. Scott … expressed a need for VISIT FLORIDA to emulate post-Hurricane Irma promotional efforts for the Panhandle and other parts of the state. “This weekend should have really been the second busiest weekend of the whole year,” said Patronis, whose family runs Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant in Panama City. “We, the restaurant, we did 40 percent of what we should have done.” Scott said he would call VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Ken Lawson. But before the half-hour appearance at the emergency operations center was complete, Lawson called Patronis, who handed the phone to Scott. “The Legislature gave us $76 million again this year (for Visit Florida), and part of that money is to work on when we have something like this, to let people know we’re back open for business,” Scott told reporters after the appearance. “A lot of people are very dependent on tourism here. And a lot of people are getting paid just based on how many tourists show that day. They’re tied to tips and things like that. So, we have to get the tourists back.”
“Did Alberto blow in globs of oil patties on beach in Delray?” via Lulu Ramadan of the Palm Beach Post — It isn’t clear how the oil ended up along the beach. It’s even a mystery to the U.S. Coast Guard, overseeing the cleanup and looking into the oil spill. “When it comes to the storms, sometimes they do churn up stuff like this,” said Petty Officer Johnathan Lally, spokesman for the Coast Guard’s Miami division. “We don’t know if it’s correlated or not though.” There weren’t any reported oil spills or other pollution incidents this past weekend that could explain the phenomenon. An outside contractor was collecting the oil patties or tarballs, an emulsion of crude oil and water, Lally said. It isn’t clear how much washed ashore, or if they were spotted along other beaches.
“John Morgan calls on Rick Scott to drop medical marijuana appeal” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — Saying “this madness has to end,” Orlando attorney Morgan called on Gov. Scott to drop the hastily-filed appeal of a decision allowing medical marijuana to be smoked in Florida. Morgan spoke at a Tuesday news conference that was streamed live on Facebook. In a 22-page order released Friday, Tallahassee Circuit Judge Karen Gievers said that the ban on smoking is “invalid because it conflicts” with the constitutional amendment on medicinal cannabis approved by statewide voters in 2016 … The state filed a notice of appeal within minutes of the decision’s release. “How much more money is the state of Florida going to spend chasing (its) tail?” Morgan said.
To view the news conference, click the image below:
“Retired Publix CEO sold $10 million in stock on day of protests” via Kyle Arnold of the Orlando Sentinel — Howard Jenkins, a director at Publix and son of founder George Jenkins, made the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the same day Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor David Hogg led “die in” protests at Publix stores throughout the state, including Orlando. Jenkins sold 239,975 shares of Publix stock at $41.75 each, according to federal regulatory filings. Publix spokesman Dwaine Stevens said the sale was not connected to the protests: “Mr. Jenkins’ personal decision to sell stock is just that, a personal decision … It is not reflective of the company’s political contributions.”
“Governments resist citizens on public records” via John Kennedy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Instead of turning over requests for records, a growing number of cities, school boards and other government agencies across the nation are suing people seeking documents — forcing them to decide whether it’s worth fighting for their request in court — at their own expense. “It’s a form of harassment,” said Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, at the University of Florida. A fierce fight in Martin County has alarmed many government watchdogs. Maggy Hurchalla, a former Martin County commissioner and sister of late U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, is appealing a $4.4 million judgment against her by a jury earlier this year, which found she used her influence as a conservationist to disparage a mining company’s project — sending critical emails to commissioners. Government agencies generally know what constitutes a public record and should not sue the requester to have a judge determine whether they should turn over documents, LoMonte said.
“Regulators poised to take up FPL deal” via the News Service of Florida — State regulators next week are slated to consider a plan by Florida Power & Light to purchase a utility system run by the city of Vero Beach. The Florida Public Service Commission on June 5 will take up the issue, which comes after a long-running battle in Indian River County about electric service. That battle, at least in part, has pitted the city against Indian River County and led in 2016 to a Florida Supreme Court ruling in favor of the city. Vero Beach has provided service for decades in some unincorporated areas of the county, with FPL serving surrounding areas. But with the planned deal, FPL would provide electricity to all the areas through elimination of what is known as a “territorial agreement” that carved up the county. The Public Service Commission needs to approve a series of issues, such as ending the territorial agreement and giving FPL the authority to charge its rates to Vero Beach’s customers.
— PAST IS PROLOGUE —
The nation is divided — but it’s not the first time.
At least that’s what Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham believes, as discussed at a West Palm Beach luncheon on Tuesday.
It’s no shocker Meacham is championing this message. His latest book, “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels,” covers past episodes where Americans overcame periods of seemingly intractable divisiveness.
The KKK: Meacham reminded the audience that Klansmen marched on Washington in 1925, but the press and courts led to the Klan’s demise. “By 1927-28, [the KKK] had fallen apart.”
Modern McCarthyism: Just as with the infamous Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the press now again finds itself asking with the Donald Trump administration, “Whether you simply reported what a person in power said, even if you had every reason to believe it was not true.”
Tribalism: Divisiveness has a name and a brand, one that’s as old as time and surging again. Explained Meacham, “If you voted for the incumbent president, you believe that the country was inexorably headed down a path toward destruction and ruin. If you did not vote for him, you
— PARKLAND ACTIVISM —
“Gun-reform activists spur voter registration at high schools” via Wilfredo Lee and Kelli Kennedy of The Associated Press — Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Hogg is spearheading the national effort along with the New York-based organization HeadCount. Hogg and organization officials say students at more than 1,000 schools in 46 states are participating, with most starting their drives Tuesday. Their goal is to have 90 percent of the nation’s high schools host drives before the current senior class graduates in hopes of boosting young-voter turnout, which is traditionally low, especially during midterm elections. HeadCount, a national organization that has registered nearly half a million voters since 2004, mostly at concerts and music festivals, also hosted voter tables at the March For Our Lives gun-reform rally organized by Hogg and other Parkland students in Washington, D.C., that drew hundreds of thousands of young people in March. Voter-registration drives were the logical next step after months of rallies and schools walkouts, the activists said.
— D.C. MATTERS —
Assignment editors — Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez will tour Orlando to meet with Puerto Rican community leaders, state elected officials, members of Congress, students and recent arrivals from the island. He will also announce the Florida Democratic Party as a recipient of a grant from the state party innovation fund, to expand engagement with Puerto Rican voters. At 10:45 a.m., Perez will be at the Carpenters Regional Counsel, 4700 Distribution Ct., Orlando. At 3 p.m., he will hold a roundtable at the University of Central Florida Student Association of Puerto Ricans and meet with student new arrivals, Barbara Ying Center, Room 140, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando.
Happening tomorrow — A fundraising event will be held for U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Democrat running for re-election in North Florida’s 5th Congressional District 5, 5:30 p.m., Florida State University Center Club, 1 Champions Way, Tallahassee.
— OPINIONS —
“Audrey Brown: Ending balance billing practices by air ambulances in FL” via Florida Politics — Air ambulance companies are using a federal act designed for commercial airlines as a cover to bill patients whatever amount they see fit. Air ambulance companies don’t just set a price based on actual cost and a profit for a one-time air ambulance trip to a hospital as you would expect; but, instead, they are able to base their pricing on the cost to have emergency transportation available 24-hours-a-day, rather than the actual cost incurred by the patient. Considering the patient is not in a position to ask what the charge will be before being transported, the size of the bill may be based on whether the air ambulance has a large volume of trips or whether the air ambulance company has a small volume of trips resulting in enormous bills to the few patients. If air ambulance companies are not willing to come to the table to stymie the burden of air ambulance transportation fees on Florida families and, instead, continue to run to court and hide behind a federal act designed for commercial airlines, FAHP urges the Florida Legislature to look again at ways to disallow air ambulances from balance billing that are not pre-empted or prohibited by the Airline Deregulation Act.
“Emmett Reed: Preparation is priority at Florida’s long-term care centers” via Florida Politics — With the 2018 hurricane season almost upon us, it’s important to recognize the work they have continued in the months that followed to ensure the safety of the frail residents entrusted to our care. The best thing any Floridian can do during hurricane season is preparing well before storms make landfall. Nursing centers are no different, and last year, FHCA began monitoring the path of Hurricane Irma early. This provided many of our centers ample time to complete important tasks to meet the needs of some 68,000 residents, such as boarding up windows with metal shutters, gathering 7-10 days of medication for each of our residents, and assuring that evacuation plans were in order. We know there’s no such thing as being overprepared, and we will do everything we can in the 2018 hurricane season to make sure our residents’ safety remains the top priority of FHCA members across Florida.
“Joel Griffith, Jonathan Williams: Supermajority requirement for tax hikes gaining steam for good reason” via Florida Politics — Thanks to legislative action, Floridians will vote this fall on a constitutional amendment subjecting any increase in fees or taxes — whether state or local — to a 2/3 supermajority vote by the requisite legislative body. Florida is already one of 17 states imposing at least some sort of supermajority requirement on tax increases. Supermajority requirements counteract the propensity of some legislators to levy higher taxes on a minority of residents under the auspices of providing more services to others. Unfortunately, those dollars forcibly contributed to the state are no longer available for investment in the economy. Politicians may escape widespread criticism for the tax increase — and may actually receive acclaim for the perceived boost in services. However, economic opportunities are diminished by soaking up available capital for investment and by disincentivizing additional output by those taxed. A supermajority requirement prevents this tendency of tax hikes to gradually ratchet up.
“Joe Henderson: Voter poll is a chapter, but full story is yet to come” via Florida Politics — The latest voter survey by Public Policy Polling — the one showing Philip Levine with a double-digit lead in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial race — is interesting and should be taken seriously. His strategy of blanketing the airwaves seems to be working, although it would be more impressive if the primary was held in early June. But it’s a long game. Toward that end, over lunch the other day, a friend was saying nice things about Adam Putnam, having met him a few times. That is welcome news to him, I’m sure, considering recent events. The good news for Levine is that it’s probably too early for the vast majority of voters to care about details, or platforms, or even to get serious about knowing candidates who might as well be from the planet Zortron for all they know. After all, we are about three months away from the primaries and more than five months from the general election.
“Don’t let FDA take the “cigar” out of our Cigar City” via Eric Newman for the Tampa Bay Times — My grandfather, J.C. Newman, founded our company in 1895, rolling his first 500 cigars for the family grocer. Today we remain a small, family-owned, business with 135 dedicated employees in our historic Ybor City cigar factory. Today we face our greatest threat: excessive government regulation. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided to expand its authority beyond cigarettes. In doing so, the FDA chose to apply the same complex and costly set of regulations designed for the massive cigarette industry to all tobacco products, including the artisanal, handcrafted premium cigars that we roll in Tampa. This one-size-fits-all policy does not make sense for our small, boutique industry. Recent estimates predict that it will cost $30 million just for our Tampa factory. If FDA regulations are fully implemented, our Ybor City factory would be one of the casualties — meaning Tampa would no longer be the Cigar City. All is not lost, but we do need your help. At the urging of Rep. Kathy Castor, Sens. Nelson and Marco Rubio and other members of Congress, the Trump administration is reconsidering the regulation of premium cigars. As part of this process, the FDA has invited the public to comment on premium cigars through June 25. (Visit SaveCigarCity.com to see how to help.)
— MOVEMENTS —
Personnel note: University of Florida names Antonio Farias chief diversity officer — Farias is currently vice president for equity and inclusion/Title IX officer at Wesleyan University. He’ll be UF’s first-ever chief diversity officer and serve as a senior advisor to the president. Farias assumes the new post effective July 9. His annual salary will be $280,000. The 52-year-old will hold a cabinet-level spot while overseeing universitywide efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusion, and establish a new standard of inclusive excellence. UF President Kent Fuchs said Farias “has a strong track record and enjoys tremendous respect at a national level. We created this position because UF, like many other Southern universities, has a legacy that includes not always welcoming people of diverse backgrounds. This is a significant step in addressing the cultural changes that must continue to take place at the University of Florida.”
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Robert Beck, Tanya Jackson, PinPoint Results: Companions & Homemakers
Chip Case, Capitol Advocates: CYA Concealment/Mobile Marksmen, Liberty Wilderness Crossroads Camps, Paradigm Convergence Technologies Corporation
Justin Day, Capital City Consulting: Florida Association of Orthotists and Prosthetists, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Visa
Megan Fay, Capital City Consulting: Renaissance Learning
Jennifer Green, Liberty Partners of Tallahassee: Advanced Energy Economy
— ALOE —
“Key West sailboat that showed up in Melbourne after Hurricane Irma to remain beached for turtles” via The Associated Press — Cuki, the beached 45-foot sailboat won’t be removed until nesting season ends on Oct. 31 — at the earliest … the sailboat’s fate is unclear. The owner of the boat is jailed in Key West for charges including sexual assault, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, cocaine possession and 45 counts of possession of child pornography. Irma’s waves and wind gusts apparently tore the sailboat from her anchor, and the unoccupied vessel drifted more than 300 miles up Florida’s East Coast before running aground.
“Tree smashes down on Bradfordville Blues Club” via Mark Hinson of the Tallahassee Democrat — A 250-year-old, waterlogged oak tree crashed to the ground and ruined all the fun at the Bradfordville Blues Club. “The BBC suffered extensive damage when an oak tree fell on the club today,” attorney and club spokesman Gary Anton said on Facebook. “Unfortunately, we must cancel all upcoming shows for the foreseeable future. At least, we’ll have plenty of firewood for the winter!” The tree, which was located next to the cinder block dance hall near the historic marker, smashed through the roof and took out the stage. No one was hurt. “We have insurance on the contents but the owners have the building,” Anton said. “Right now, we have to call the owners.”
“AAA: Rising gas prices to reverse course” via Florida Politics — Motorists should soon catch a break from rising gas prices, the AAA reported, as oil and gasoline futures prices plunged after Russia and Saudi Arabia expressed interest in raising oil supply. “This news couldn’t come at a better time, as motorists roll into the summer driving season,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA-The Auto Club Group. “The drop in crude should amount to a discount of at least 10 cents at the pump, in the short term. Yet that will not happen overnight. Retailers are usually slow to lower prices, especially those who bought shipments of gasoline when prices were at a premium.”
“’Arrested Development’ returns to Netflix with new season of insanity, humor” via Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald — Netflix’s “semi-original” (hey, it’s in the opening credits) “Arrested Development” returns for its fifth season, its second on the streaming service, today. OK, only half a season — Netflix drops the first eight episodes today and will release the latter eight at a yet-to-be-determined date. This is more original flavor “Arrested Development” than the previous season, which aired in 2013 and was hobbled by the weird scheduling issues of its in-demand cast … You can’t watch “Arrested” casually while doing something else. This is a show that demands you pay attention. “Arrested Development” is back. You’ve earned the insanity.
Happy birthday belatedly to our great friend, Brecht Heuchan, whose birthday was on Saturday. Brecht is universally regarded as one of the best people in The Process and all we can do is double-down on that sentiment. We hope he had a great day. Also celebrating today is state Rep. Julio Gonzalez and former Rep. Dwight Dudley.
