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.
Veteran lobbyist Chuck Hinson likens lobbying to playing on a professional sports team.
“You have a season, then you take a break, then you do the spring training, then take a little bit of a break, then you come back for the preseason, and there’s the season,” Hinson says.
“You never can let yourself get out of shape. You’ve got to rebuild your roster, you’ve got to do all those things in the cycle — study what the other teams did last year, what are they going to do next year. There’s just a lot to it.”
Hinson has been doing the job for 40 years, mostly as vice president for state and community relations for Tampa Electric Co. and People’s Gas, which he joined in 1994. Before that, he worked for Centel/Sprint and the Florida Dental Association.
He’s closing his long career at age 66, entering retirement while planning to remain as a more or less half-time mentor to the corporation’s lobbying team.
“I some ways, I consider myself an accidental lobbyist,” Hinson said during an interview in TECO’s Tallahassee office.
“I never charted a course to get to that. But it turned out to be really good thing for me. I consider lobbying to be a combination of teaching and selling, a little banging under the backboards.
“Because it’s very, very competitive — every aspect of it,” he said.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Note to readers — We’re still asking you, our Sunburn readers, to tell us what you’re grateful for this Thanksgiving, and we will publish your comments in our Wednesday edition. That will be the last one for this week. Send your emails to [email protected].
—SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RealDonaldTrump: Of course we should have captured Osama bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.
—@MorningMoneyBen: Still having a hard time with the fact that over the course of the weekend we had a demand for decorum from the White House and then the president referred to a Democratic lawmaker as human excrement.
—@POLITICO_Steve: When I was thirty-five It was a very good year It was a very good year for blue-blooded polls Of independent means Turnout helped LV screens And @Nate_Cohn was live When I was thirty-five
—@TexasTribAbby: The number one thing I learned from this race: “Calling it first” is not journalism. It’s OK to not know what’s going to happen. It’s a far more stupid look to pretend to know what you’re talking about and mask your predictions as reporting, and they don’t come to pass.
—@NewsbySmiley: So, the FBI told Matt Caldwell that the MAGA Bomber looked him up … 2018 y’all.
—@MDixon55: You know what you don’t get on the campaign trail that you get when you’re back in the Capitol? @PerryThurstonJr talking about the Worm Gruntin’ Festival
—@TheoTypes: Kicking off this week with some gratitudes: Thanks to all the early-career journalists who have stuck with the profession despite long hours, low pay and other stresses. Thanks to the veterans who have paved the way for those coming next. I’m grateful for the work you do.
—@DPRK_News: Thanksgiving is United States holiday on which college students return home to eat lavish meals at expense of elders, and to berate their elders concerning perceived moral failings. In Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, impertinent children are beaten into silence.
— DAYS UNTIL —
Thanksgiving — 2; Black Friday — 3; Florida Chamber Insurance Summit — 7; Hanukkah begins — 12; Partial government shutdown — 17; 2019 Session Interim Committee Meetings begin — 25; 116th Congress convenes — 44; Florida’s Inauguration Ceremony — 69; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 84; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 105; Tampa Bay mayoral election — 105; ‘Captain Marvel’ release — 109; Iowa Caucuses — 440; 2020 General Election — 714.
— REQUIEM —
Florida’s 2020 election: deflated Democrats have hope. So does the GOP” via Ledyard King of USA TODAY — Now the focus shifts to 2020. Can the GOP maintain its momentum in the nation’s most important presidential swing state? For Democrats, the demographics of a more diverse and younger electorate are “working their way” in favor of a bluer state, she said. For Republicans, the just-completed midterm elections showed how their effective turnout strategy could work again two years from now, she said. The six counties with turnout above 70 percent — Baker, Collier, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Johns and Sumter — went for Ron DeSantis over Andrew Gillum and Rick Scott over Bill Nelson. Although the political landscape looks overcast for Sunshine State Democrats, the picture isn’t entirely bleak for them. And even though Republicans may have to work even harder for a Trump re-election in two years, they have the advantage of a solid structure in place and a candidate who ignites their base. Much will depend on who wins the Democratic nomination for president.
“Matt Caldwell concedes race for Agriculture Commissioner following recount” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Caldwell on Monday conceded the race for Agriculture Commissioner to Democratic opponent Nikki Fried. Caldwell was the last of three trailing statewide candidates to concede after recounts in their respective races completed Sunday. In a statement, Caldwell — most recently a North Fort Myers state representative — says he’s giving up his legal challenge of the results. He had filed suit alleging Broward County received ballots after Tuesday’s 7 p.m. deadline. “All I have ever expected since Election Day is a full and fair accounting of all legal votes cast, and then respecting the will of the voters,” Caldwell said.
Tweet, tweet:
I just got off the phone with my opponent @mattcaldwell_fl and he could not have been more gracious. I want to congratulate him on a close race and thank him for his willingness to step into the arena.
And to everyone who supported him, I will be your voice in Tallahassee too.
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) November 19, 2018
“Matching funds gave boost to statewide winners” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Florida taxpayers contributed $4.2 million to the winning campaigns for governor and three Cabinet seats, according to the final totals for the 2018 elections. Another $5.65 million in tax dollars went to the campaigns of six unsuccessful statewide candidates, according to numbers posted by the Florida Division of Elections. Overall matching funds totaled $9,852,606, more than double the $4.34 million from the last midterm election in 2014 and easily topping the nearly $6.07 million in 2010. Republican Gov.-elect DeSantis was the biggest recipient of the funds this year, receiving nearly $3.23 million, including $557,554 that rolled in after voters cast their ballots but as campaign finance reports continued to be submitted and individual contributions verified.
“Dana Young finally concedes SD 18 race to Janet Cruz” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — “The supervisor of elections has finished both recounts and submitted the results. Although the final result was not what we had hoped for, I am extremely proud of the work my team did during the campaign. I wish to thank my supporters and countless volunteers, as well as all of the voters who came out to vote during the election. I also want to thank Senate President Bill Galvano for his amazing support and friendship. As I have said, it was extremely important that we count all votes and guarantee that voters can have faith in our election process,” Young said. Fewer than 400 votes separated the two candidates in a race that was intense from the get-go.
“Most expensive Florida legislative race ever?” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — Tampa’s Janet Cruz and Young state Senate race was probably the costliest race for a state legislative seat in Florida history, more than $12 million. An exact figure isn’t possible, however, because campaign finance laws don’t require political parties and interest groups to reveal how much money they put into individual races and where the money comes from. Christian Ulvert, a veteran Democratic strategist and adviser to the Cruz campaign, estimated that Young, the state Republican Party and her independent political committee, Friends of Dana Young, spent $7 million or more for her re-election effort. Cruz’s campaign, the Democratic Party and her independent political committee, Building the Bay, spent around $5 million to unseat Young. A manual recount concluded Friday showed Cruz leading by 382 votes, or 0.18 percent of the 207,654 cast. Incoming state Senate President Galvano confirmed Ulvert’s figures.
“Amid state criminal probe, Dem party staffer says ‘plenty of documentation’ available to show leaders knew of altered forms” via Ana Ceballos of the Naples Daily News — “Once I realized that the form was altered I brought it to the attention of several members in leadership. I have plenty of documentation to prove this,” Eli Logan, a Brevard Democrat, wrote in a private Facebook group message. Altered forms, which mirror those sent by Florida Democrats in the internal email in question, surfaced in Broward, Santa Rosa, Citrus and Okaloosa counties and were reported to federal prosecutors to review for possible election fraud as Florida counties completed a required recount in three top races. The email sent by a party official on Nov. 7 shows an apparent statewide effort by Florida Democrats to try and fix as many absentee ballots as possible after the state deadline had passed.
Assignment editors — New Florida Majority, Organize Florida, Dream Defenders and SEIU, will hold rallies to address issues such as calling to count all votes: 10:30 a.m., Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, 601 East Kennedy Blvd., Tampa; 5 p.m., Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections, 2700 N.W. 87th Ave., Doral; 5 p.m., Broward County Supervisor of Elections, 1501 N.W. 40th Ave., Lauderhill; 5 p.m., Duval County Supervisor of Elections, 105 East Monroe St., Jacksonville; 5 p.m., Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, 240 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach; 5 p.m., Osceola County Supervisor of Elections, 2509 Partin Settlement Road, Kissimmee.
— SCHALE’S SYNOPSIS —
Democratic strategist Steve Schale has a lot on his mind.
Fortunately for us, he’s willing to share. In a new blog post, the longtime operative breaks down the Nov. 6 election.
A former Barack Obama campaign manager whose both won and lost big in the Sunshine State, Schale’s post-mortem analyses are always worth a read.
Plain and simple: “The counties around the urban I-4 counties delivered DeSantis with more of an increased margin than the Miami media market delivered for Gillum,” writes Schale. “In a race where most everything else stayed the same — that made the difference.”
Conventional wisdom?: You can’t win Florida by solely expanding the base in your party’s hot pockets. “Look at the difference between the Ag Commissioner’s race, and the Governor’s race,” writes Schale. “In the Ag Commissioner’s race … Fried had better margins in 38 counties compared to the Governor’s race, including 33 that both candidates lost.
Looking ahead: For Schale, one major problem is voter registration. “[Democrats] need a sustained and permanent voter registration effort, which by its own nature, will keep us to remain engaged in the types of emerging communities where we are growing — as well force us to engage in many communities where we have not.”
— IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE … SESSION —
Florida House Republicans and Florida Senate Democrats met separately on Monday to ceremonially nominate their incoming legislative leaders.
Republican state Reps. Jose Oliva and MaryLynn Magar were unanimously nominated House Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Senate Democratic Caucus gave the nod to Jacksonville Sen. Audrey Gibson as its 2018-20 Leader. Members also nominated Tallahassee’s Bill Montford as the Leader Pro Tempore.
Oliva: The Speaker-to-be gave hints of what 2019 might look like. He’s looking to reduce per capita spending and said he looks forward to working with Republican Governor-elect DeSantis on issues ranging from health care to the environment.
Gibson: The third woman to serve in the position, and the second African-American woman to lead the caucus told members she considers “the role more as a bridge builder, for purposes so much larger.”
No drama: There was no mention of state Sen. Gary Farmer’s early quest to succeed Gibson. The Lighthouse Point Democrat created a ruckus earlier this year at what was supposed to be a routine vote for the next Democratic leaders.
— CAPITOL INSIGHT —
“Bill Galvano says lawmakers won’t ‘slow walk’ amendments” via Christine Sexton of the News Service of Florida — The Legislature has come under fire in the past for allegations that it ignored amendments or approved laws limiting their scope. But Galvano said during a media availability that the “people have spoken,” and “I want to make sure we are being true to the intent of the voters.” He added that legislators are not going to “slow walk” implementation of the amendments. Voters on Nov. 6 passed 11 measures dealing with topics ranging from taxes to vaping indoors and casino gambling. The gambling measure, known as Amendment 3, requires voter approval for proposals that would expand casino gambling in the state. Galvano said he would like Florida to follow other states and permit betting on sports events such as football games. Voters also gave the nod to Amendment 4, which restores voting rights to most felons who have served their sentences. The amendment is estimated to impact 1.4 million people. Galvano said he didn’t support the amendment, but he said it comes to the Legislature with “greater weight” because it was passed by voters. “We have to do it right, we’re not going to slow walk it, but we have to make sure it’s done right and implemented correctly,” said Galvano.
“ ‘The will of the people’: The coming brouhaha over sports betting in Florida” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — The next big debate over gambling in Florida could be on sports betting — with one top lawmaker already flexing his muscle regarding lawmakers’ say over it. This month, voters approved Amendment 3, also known as the ‘Voter Control of Gambling’ amendment, by 71 percent. Its aim: To “ensure that Florida voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling,” the ballot summary says. But incoming Senate President Galvano says he doesn’t think the state constitution would be implicated in regulating and taxing sports wagering, if legislators want to do so … The amendment doesn’t list sports betting by name, but does define “casino gambling” as “any of the types of games typically found in casinos.” At stake to states? Billions in tax revenue.
“House kept out of medical marijuana lawsuit” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — A Tallahassee judge refused to allow the Florida House to intervene in a medical marijuana lawsuit, saying the Republican-dominated Legislature should sue the federal government if lawmakers are unhappy that he struck down a 2017 pot-related statute as unconstitutional. Ruling from the bench during a hearing, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson rejected the House’s request to intervene in the lawsuit filed by Tampa-based Florigrown, owned in part by prominent strip-club operator Joe Redner. Florigrown is challenging a state law, passed during a special legislative session last year, aimed at implementing a voter-approved 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana.
“House Democrats fill out leadership roles” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — Incoming House Democratic Leader Kionne McGhee has named four fellow legislators to accompany him in directing party efforts through the next two legislative sessions. McGhee, a Cutler Bay Democrat, selected state Reps. Margaret Good, Shevrin Jones, Richard Stark and Barbara Watson as Deputy Leaders on Monday. With these selections, the Democratic leadership will be representative of African-American, LGBTQ and Jewish interests.
The skinny on Tuesday’s Legislative “Organization Session” — According to a public calendar released Friday, the Senate will meet to “organize” itself at 9:30 a.m. Expect a formal selection of Galvano as President. At 10:30 a.m., the House will meet and ceremonially pick Oliva, a Miami Lakes Republican, as Speaker. At around 11:45 a.m., Oliva will be photographed with former House Speakers who are in attendance. Then around 11:55 a.m., Oliva will “gaggle” with reporters on the House floor.
— STATEWIDE —
“DeSantis transition team posts ‘Help Wanted’ sign” via John Lucas of The Capitolist — The DeSantis transition team announced the launch of the official transition website: DeSantisTransition.com. “Campaigns are meant to be vigorously debated contests of ideas and competing visions for the future. The campaign for governor achieved this objective as evidenced by historic voter turnout from people of all parties across our state,” DeSantis says in a message posted on the transition website. “But campaigns of ideas must give way to governing and bringing people together to secure Florida’s future. With the campaign now over, that’s where all of my focus will be. And, to this end, I invite Mayor (Andrew) Gillum to join me in the days ahead in a conversation about the future of our great state,” goes on to say in his message. “We have both traveled the state and met Floridians from all walks of life. Sharing these experiences will, I believe, help us unite our state and build toward unity on behalf of the people of Florida.”
“DeSantis hire a Democrat? After election, a shift in tone” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — In keeping with what seems like a shift in tone, DeSantis is considering tapping a Democratic state lawmaker from deep blue Broward County, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, to lead the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Moskowitz, who hails from Coral Springs and whose district includes Parkland, played a major role in advocating for tighter restrictions on gun rights after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas last February. That makes him an unlikely appointee for DeSantis, who’s said he’s against any curtailment of gun rights. Just the mere consideration of a Democrat for a top post in his administration could be a sign that DeSantis — along with Lt. Gov.-elect Jeannette Nunez, who is helping coordinate interviews for top agency positions — is more willing to reach across the aisle to Democrats than Scott was. At the very least, it’s a sign that the transition team has recognized the political reality behind DeSantis’ slim margin of victory over Gillum at less than half a percentage point.
Ashley Moody announces transition team — Attorney General-Elect Moody announced her Transition Advisory Committee. John Guard, a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP and a former Assistant United States Attorney, will serve as the executive director. Advisory Committee members include Mike Adkinson, Sheriff of Walton County; Phil Archer, State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit; Lisa Carlton, attorney, former Senator & Constitution Revision Commissioner, Sarasota; Darryl Daniels, Sheriff of Clay County; Brian Haas, State Attorney, 10th Judicial Circuit; David Hardin, Sheriff of Glades County; Julie Hilton, attorney and hotelier, Panama City; James Hurley, Chief of Police, Fernandina Beach; Tom Knight, Sheriff of Sarasota County; Marty Lanahan, former bank executive and community leader, Tampa; RJ Larizza, State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit; Dennis Lemma, Sheriff Seminole County; Diamond Litty, Public Defender, 19th Judicial Circuit; Renee Lopez-Cantera of the Commission on the Status of Women, Miami; Dennis Ward, State Attorney, 16th Judicial Circuit and Billy Woods, Sheriff of Marion County.
“Department of Health: Do no harm” via Florida Politics — The feds recently passed a new law known as “Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act” to address the opioid crisis. Good. But as with all large bills, there are some not-so-good parts. Included in the sprawling, bipartisan bill is some language that could easily be misinterpreted in a former pill-mill state such as Florida. And, if misinterpreted, that language could end up taking lives rather than saving them. The new federal law allows states — if they so choose — to let DATA 2000 docs prescribe MAT drugs, but for the first time, it also allows non-DATA 2000 docs to administer them. These are narcotics with a significant street value, and they require specially trained physicians to prescribe and dispense. The new federal law kicks down the door, DEA-style, when it comes to tracking these substances by letting non-trained physicians administer them without even being the doctor with their name on the script or bearing any significant responsibility for the patient’s care. What could go wrong? A lot.
“Report offers ideas amid continuing rail debate” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Among the state analysts’ ideas are setting up an independent regulatory body to oversee railroad safety in Florida; updating rules on state-of-the-art railroad crossings and corridors; requiring a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort on trespassing enforcement; establishing “harsher” penalties for people caught trespassing on grade crossings; and conducting a review of statewide suicide prevention activities. “FDOT lacks an analytical methodology for determining which crossings should be consolidated and where strategic investment should be made,” the report by the agency known as OPPAGA said: “The methodology should have a component that would consider impacts on traffic congestion.” For the past two legislative Sessions, Treasure Coast lawmakers have unsuccessfully pushed for support from outside their region to impose state rules about passenger trains, particularly Brightline, which is operated by All Aboard Florida.
“Regulators urged to approve FPL utility purchase” via the News Service of Florida — The state Public Service Commission should give key approvals to a long-discussed plan by Florida Power & Light to purchase the city of Vero Beach’s utility system, according to recommendations issued Friday by commission staff members. The commission is slated to take up the $185 million purchase on Nov. 27. The staff, in a 26-page document, recommended approval of a series of issues, including FPL’s request to charge its rates to Vero Beach customers after the deal is completed.
“Rhetoric heats up ahead of Jacksonville Mayor’s race” via Florida Politics — Only a couple of Jacksonville City Council committee meetings stand between the people running local government and the trappings of Thanksgiving. Yet already heating up: the rhetoric around the local Mayor’s race, qualifying for which begins the week after Epiphany (Jan. 7 to 11). As it stands now, with just under two months until qualifying, Mayor Lenny Curry looks well-positioned. However, rhetoric from two potential challengers and various campaign surrogates suggests that there will be a competitive race, and the language will be heated.
“Prosecutor blocked from ‘Stand Your Ground’ case” via the News Service of Florida — Siding with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt by Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to get involved in a case about a controversial 2017 change to the “stand your ground” self-defense law. Without explanation, justices denied a request from Fernandez Rundle to take a “friend of the court” position in the case, which is before the Supreme Court. Fernandez Rundle asked the court for permission to “adopt” the position of the League of Prosecutors-Florida, which argues the 2017 change is unconstitutional. But Bondi’s office objected to Fernandez Rundle becoming involved, saying the attorney general — and not the state attorney — has “the authority to speak for the state in its appellate courts.” The clash stemmed from a Miami-Dade County case in which defendant Tashara Love sought to use the “Stand Your Ground” law to be shielded from prosecution in a November 2015 shooting incident outside a nightclub.
“Trulieve: Remarkable growth for Florida’s leading MMTC” via Florida Politics — Trulieve has entered deals to acquire California-based Leef Industries and Massachusetts-based Life Essence. While West Coast operations have purchased several Florida licenses, this marks the first time a Florida licensee has ventured beyond our borders to take their operations to a national level. Put that down as another first in Trulieve’s already-impressive list of firsts, which includes being the first MMJ company to receive an authorization to process, the first to receive authorization to dispense, the first to open a dispensary, and the first to make both in-store sales and at-home deliveries. The news of going national comes just weeks after Trulieve announced it had also acquired a Canadian company, allowing the company to officially go public and be listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
What Noah Pransky is reading – “Airbnb claims $840K in Seminole football business, $700K for Gators” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Vacation rental homeowners marketed by Airbnb in Tallahassee and Gainesville combined to welcome nearly 14,000 visitors during the seven weekends of Florida State and University of Florida home football games. It means that Tallahassee vacation rental home guests in its system earned $840,000 during Seminole football game weekends, and those in Gainesville earned $700,000 in Gator football weekends. Those figures include a projected $125,000 expected in Tallahassee this weekend when the Gators go to Florida State, based on reservations. In releasing its football weekend numbers, Airbnb argued that the vacation rental community is complementing, not competing with, the hotel industry.
What Stephanie Smith is reading – “After bitter rivalry, Uber is joining forces with taxis in deal with Orlando’s Mears” via Chabeli Herrera of the Orlando Sentinel — Beginning Nov. 28, when Orlando users log in to the Uber app they will get a luxury option, called UberBlack, that lets them — for the same price — hail a Mears vehicle or an Uber car. The companies expect to expand the service to include Mears taxis across the Uber platform by the end of the year. For Uber, the partnership lets it tap into Mears’ established network in the region and grow its supply of vehicles. For Mears, it means getting access to Uber’s established consumer base and technology, while giving riders and drivers alike a more diverse set of options. “At the end of the day, I believe Mears and Uber are stronger companies together,” said Trey White, executive chairman of Mears.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Rick Scott turns focus on Washington” via John Kennedy of the GateHouse Capital Bureau — Scott, in an appearance on Fox & Friends, said he was looking forward to working with Trump “to get good things done for our state.” “It’s going to be exciting to go to Washington,” Scott said. “I’m a business guy and I’m going to bring an outsider’s perspective, like I did to Tallahassee, and do everything I can to make sure federal government starts working for you and me.” Keeping with the ‘let’s get to work’ mantra used since his first run for governor in 2010, Scott said he was ready to turn the page, and played up his connections to Trump on Fox.
To view the appearance, click on the image below:
“AFP-Florida lets voters know what its thankful for this year” via Florida Politics — Americans for Prosperity announced a volley of direct mailers, digital ads and phone banking to spread the word on what the organization is thankful for this Thanksgiving. … Four issues take center stage in the ads: Reigning in federal spending, supporting a fix for the Dreamers, criminal justice reform and opposition to tariffs. … Among the lawmakers benefiting from the ad buy is U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was recently re-elected to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District. … “The federal government gobbled up over $4 trillion last year for the first time ever,” one of AFP’s mailers says. “Representative Matt Gaetz voted against this out-of-control spending.”
“Ahead of Thanksgiving, Kathy Castor looks to feeding Tampa Bay to help solve food insecurity” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — “Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity to remind everyone that this is a challenge every single day for families across this country and especially here in West Florida,” said U.S. Rep. Castor during a tour of the facility. As she spoke, a team of about 25 volunteers filled bags with sweet potatoes to be distributed to various food pantries and community partners throughout the agency’s coverage area. The agency has seen an uptick in food contributions since President Donald Trump’s tariffs lead to a backlash from farmers worried it would impact their bottom line. In response, Trump issued a $12 billion aid package to farmers. While the influx in food contributions will help the agency provide more benefits — some families will receive up to six weeks’ worth of food rather than the previous one-week allocations — Feeding Tampa Bay is worried the cost to process that excess won’t be covered, according to Executive Director Thomas Mantz.
“Charlie Crist doubles down on medical cannabis protections for veterans” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Crist co-sponsored legislation aimed at reforming Veterans Affairs medical cannabis policies and practices. Crist introduced the legislation last week to coincide with Veterans Day with U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton, Gaetz and Lou Correa. The Department of Veterans Affairs Policy for Medical Cannabis Use Act amends the VA’s policy to protect a veteran’s benefits if they disclose the use of the controlled substance. Crist also introduced the Fairness in Federal Drug Testing Under State Laws Act earlier this year that protects veterans’ federal employment opportunities if using the drug is in compliance with state laws. “The VA’s policies surrounding cannabis are in dire need of reform as more states allow use and veterans suffering from PTSD and chronic pain increasingly turn to this treatment option over opioids. No veteran should have their benefits or care impacted by their choice to seek the treatment options that work best for them,” Crist said.
— OPINIONS —
“Yolanda Cash Jackson: The real Election Day surprise” for Florida Politics — Given all the controversy surrounding Florida’s elections and vote recounts, it’s easy to miss the real Election Day surprise — the gains made by black women vying for state legislative seats. These down-ballot victories often get overlooked when compared to top-of-ticket races or controversial ballot initiatives that draw voter interest. Winning seats in the Florida Legislature can mean obscurity for black women and often slights from legislative leaders, lobbyists and the media. For too long, I’ve seen quality black women lawmakers sit forgotten in the back rows of the legislative chambers or overlooked at the end of the committee dais because of their perceived lack of influence. Their dismal numbers in a state capitol dominated by white male, Republicans hasn’t helped either. In the Florida Legislature, this new class of black women legislators represent a key voting bloc of the Democratic Party, and they have the potential to reshape the makeup of the Legislature and the issues coming out of it.
“3 ways we can restore faith in Florida’s fractured elections system” via Eve Samples of TCPalm — 1. Standardize election procedures. Instead of requiring uniform election rules, the U.S. allows vital decisions such as ballot design and voting hours to be made at local and state levels. In Florida, the result is a crazy-quilt pattern of practices across 67 counties. 2. Nix partisan politics. All but one of the 67 people who oversee elections in Florida’s counties are themselves elected officials with party affiliations (Miami-Dade’s supervisor is the sole appointed supervisor). 3. Better behavior from elected leaders. Sowing doubt about elections results, even as ballots are still being counted, does long-term damage to democracy. Restoring faith in Florida’s elections will require stepping away from partisan accusations.
“Dr. Robin Ganzert: On Thanksgiving, let’s celebrate humanely raised food” via Florida Politics — To meet rising demand, food producers now raise seven billion pounds worth of turkeys on an annual basis. It becomes imperative to raise that food humanely. Farm animals deserve nothing less. In fact, American consumers demand it: According to research by American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization and the largest certifier of animal welfare in the world, more than 90 percent of people surveyed are “very concerned” about animal welfare, and they consider the consumption of humanely raised products to be “very important.” In a sense, Turkey Day celebrates how important food producers are to American society writ large. We depend on farmers and ranchers to sustain our daily lives — not just on Thanksgiving, but throughout the year. But we can also celebrate how far food production has come, as a record number of companies demonstrate their commitment to farm animal welfare. Let’s give thanks for that.
— MOVEMENTS —
This is big >>> “Madeline Pumariega leaving helm of State College System” via the News Service of Florida — Pumariega, the chancellor of the Florida college system since 2015, is leaving her position early next month. In a letter to state Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, Pumariega, a former top administrator at Miami Dade College, said her resignation is effective on Dec. 3. No reason for her resignation was given in the letter. She is the first woman and first Hispanic educator to lead the system, which includes 28 colleges and about 720,000 full- and part-time students.
“The Florida Bar seeks nonlawyer board member” via Florida Politics — The body that licenses and regulates the state’s nearly 107,000 lawyers is looking for a nonlawyer to be a member of its governing board. “A screening committee of The Florida Bar Board of Governors has been appointed to review the applications for the public member position, conduct final interviews and make recommendations to the Bar’s governing board during its March meeting in Washington, D.C.,” said a Monday news release. “The board will then recommend three people to the Supreme Court of Florida, and the court will appoint one of the three nominees to the board. The Board of Governors oversees the Bar’s lawyer discipline program, continuing legal education programs, legislative activities and the overall administration of The Florida Bar.”
“Pat Frank picks former judge for All For Transportation oversight” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller Pat Frank appointed former Hillsborough Chief Judge Manny Menendez to the All for Transportation Oversight Committee. Under the All For Transportation implementing language, Frank gets one appointee to the board. That appointee must be a practicing attorney. Hillsborough County voters approved a 1 percent sales tax increase on November 6 that will fund a series of sweeping transportation and transit improvements. “I am thrilled that Manny Menendez has agreed to be my representative on the Transportation Oversight Committee,” Frank said. “This new source of stable funding will bring transformational change to our community, but only if the money is spent wisely.”
Q3 earnings:
“The Advocacy Group earns $945K in Q3 lobbying pay” via Florida Politics — The five-member lobby corps showed a nearly even split between legislative and executive lobbying receipts — $470,000 of the Q3 cash was marked down on the legislative report, while $475,000 was classified as executive-branch pay. The top clients on the executive branch report, which listed both the Plexos Group and Dr. Asad Qamar paying $35,000 apiece to advocate before the Governor and Cabinet. Their checks were followed by a duo of $25,000 accounts — Adjusters International Consulting and Centennial Management Corp. — while a dozen more principals paid between $10,000 and $20,000 and a whopping 35 were marked down in the bottom bracket with between $1 and $10,000 in payments during Q3. The legislative report featured a three-way tie at the top. Casino Miami Jai-Alai, Eckerd Kids and Hologic each contributed $25,000 to TAG’s estimated earnings, while a score of principals paid $15,000 apiece and another 19 paid approximately $5,000.
“Anfield Consulting clears $550K in newly filed compensation reports” via Florida Politics — Though professional services firm Parsons Brinckerhoff (branded as WSP) topped the legislative report with an estimated $35,000 in payments, and CBC Holdings topped the exec ledger with $15,000 or so, neither took the No. 1 spot overall. That distinction goes to the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners. The coastal county governing body paid an estimated $40,000 between the two reports. Indian River was one of five counties to ride out the quarter with Anfield on retainer. The others: Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach and Polk. Joining them were the city governments of Flagler Beach, St. Augustine and Cutler Bay. All told, local government contracts accounted for $150,000 of Anfield’s Q3 earnings — well over a quarter of its quarterly rake. Other notable names on Anfield’s balance sheet included the Florida Crystals Corporation, which paid an estimated $30,000, Baptist Health Care Corporation and real estate group The Astor Companies, both of which paid an estimated $20,000 between the two reports.
“Capital City Consulting rakes in $2.5M in third-quarter earnings” via Florida Politics — Sitting atop the executive branch report and taking the top overall slot was parks-and-rec-focused IT firm Brandt Information Services, which paid CCC $52,000 for the quarter. The Tallahassee-based tech company also chipped in up to $10,000 for legislative lobbying. Topping the legislative branch report was health insurer Aetna in the $45,000 range on that side and contributed up to $10,000 more to ply the Governor and Cabinet. Those were followed by CCC’s deals with booming medical cannabis company Trulieve and Jacksonville Greyhound Racing brought in an estimated $60,000 apiece, while The Everglades Foundation, Florida Association of Health Plans, The North Highland Company, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and RAI Services Company each paid up to $50,000 between July 1 and Sept. 30. Most of the Q3 contracts were weighted toward the Legislature, with that report accounting for $1.6 million of the median earnings estimate compared to $962,000 for exec work. Maxed out, CCC’s solicitation efforts in the House and Senate brought in $2.15 million while their attempts to sway the Guv and Cabinet could have earned the team up to $1.5 million.
“Smith Bryan & Myers cracks $1M in third-quarter earnings” via Florida Politics — SBM’s top paid client in their legislative report was the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. The trade group tossed at least $30,000 toward the lobbying firm based on the range given in that report, with up to $10,000 more covering executive lobbying work. Atop the exec side was seven-way tie between Christian Prison Ministries, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Florida Hospital Association, Horizon Realty Advisors, MorphoTrust USA, NTT Data and Phosphorus Free Water Solutions, each of which sent SBM $15,000 for the quarter. The Florida Bar took the No. 2 spot on the legislative report, paying between $20,000 and $30,000 in fees, with another 21 clients ballparked at $15,000 apiece and nearly four-dozen paying between $1 and $10,000. The firm pulled in about $595,000 of its total via legislative work.
“Lobby up: Scooter skirmish hits Sunshine State” via Florida Politics — New lobbying registrations show Bird Scooters, the first electric scooter sharing company in the world, inked a deal with mega-lobbying firm Ballard Partners while competing dockless bike company Lime has retained Capital City Consulting. The industry has hit some roadblocks over its short history: Questions over right of way, where the scooters are allowed and how cities can deal with the massive growth of the industry have dominated the discussion over year-and-a-half since the battery-powered bikes started showing up in cities nationwide. The business practices for bike sharing companies aren’t too far off from those of ride-sharing companies such as Uber — a major investor in the rapidly growing industry. Due to the lack of regulations, scooter companies enter new markets with little warning, taking communities and consumers by surprise. That has led to the perceived drawbacks of such businesses being magnified.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Erin Daly Ballas, Jack Cory, Kenya Cory, Public Affairs Consultants: Brightmark Energy, Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
Ellyn Bogdanoff, Becker & Poliakoff: Florida Association of Condominiums to Support Self Determination
Matt Bryan, Thomas Griffin, Jeff Hartley, Lisa Hurley, Jim Naff, Smith Bryan & Myers: City of Palatka
Dean Cannon, Kim McDougal, Joseph Salzverg, GrayRobinson: SAVE Foundation
Christopher Coker, Coker Consulting: Palm Beach Habilitation Center
Mike Haridopolos, Dean Mead: Colonial Assisted Living Facility, Brevard Family Partnership
David Ramba, Allison Carvajal, Cameron Yarbrough, Ramba Consulting Group: Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs
— ALOE —
Tweet, tweet:
https://twitter.com/Danmartinez305/status/1064517903322619909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Welcome to the world:
A beautiful blessing Miss Elle Claire, congrats to the Lukis family @AdrianLukis @ashleylukis! https://t.co/WLiuBqQXl0
— Ballard Partners (@BallardFirm) November 19, 2018
“AAA: Thanksgiving week traffic to hit post-great recession high” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — There will be 48.7 million of you traveling 50 miles or more to go home for Thanksgiving this week, an increase of 1 million travelers compared to last year. That’s according to the latest projections from AAA as the Thanksgiving holiday weekend approaches. This year will see the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007, pre-Great Recession. More employment, rising wages and increased consumer spending and confidence are leading the parade. So are drops in gas prices, which have fallen to an average price of $2.50 per gallon and look like they’ll fall some more. That’s still a higher price than drivers paid last year or the year before or the year before that, but the downward trend has relieved drivers’ anxieties, AAA said. “If you are one of the 43.5 million people on the road, we urge you to be patient in traffic and limit distractions while behind the wheel,” AAA President Joseph Richardson Jr., stated in a news release.
“Grab your helmets, everyone, it’s going to be a busy holiday season” via Laura Finaldi of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — The Florida Retail Federation is predicting that holiday sales this year will inch out last year by 4.5 percent, a healthy increase that’s driven by low unemployment and strong consumer confidence. People feel like they have more money to burn, and retailers are doing everything they can to be the place they choose to spend it. “Employment is great. And when employment is great, the average person is not as influenced by the stock market, as long as every Friday they’re getting their paycheck, and they are,” says Stan Rutstein, a Manatee County commercial real estate broker who spent years in the retail industry. The difference between brick-and-mortar retailers who succeed this holiday season and those who fall by the wayside will be their ability to offer customers an experience they wouldn’t get anywhere else. There’s an overabundance of places to shop, so it’s really important to bring something new, different or exclusive to the table, Rutstein said.
“Traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday? Here’s what to expect.” via Michael Laris of The Washington Post — The task for scores of traffic-management, weather and safety specialists inside, particularly as this week’s travel rush begins, is to maximize U.S. skies during times of overload. The immutable reality of Thanksgiving is that transportation routes get jammed because so many people have the same dinner deadline. Thursday it is, and we are ready to overburden the system — and pay dearly for doing so, in lost time and ticket prices. First, use common sense and avoid times when traffic is normally hairy in your community, basically during peak commute periods. The holiday season “exponentially makes traffic worse during those times.” It is best to try to steer clear of usual choke points, given they’re likely to be choked even tighter. For now, the command center is coordinating with airlines that want to take temporary “Snowbird Routes” the FAA has set up from Boston to Florida. Airlines are adding flights to handle the travel surge, and many overwater routes off the East Coast are generally off-limits because of military airspace restrictions. But unlike with a highway, the sky can be opened up, at least a tad, to help release some pressure.
“Legoland Florida files plans to build miniature golf course” via Veronica Brezina-Smith of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — The park, owned by Merlin Entertainments Plc. will be building a nine-hole miniature golf course that will connect to its existing hotel located at 1 LEGOLAND Way. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. applied for an Environmental Resource Permit for the construction of the 0.29-acre, 10,000-square-foot miniature golf course area.
Happy birthday Anthony Pedicini and Jon Coley.
