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.
Breaking overnight – Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Dew submitted his resignation with the agency Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott‘s office confirms. Dew is leaving to join Governor-elect Ron DeSantis‘ transition team. Dew’s last day is Dec. 3, with FDOT general counsel Erik Fenniman assuming the role of acting secretary thereafter.
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Here’s some scoopage from inside the Florida GOP.
Rep. Chris Sprowls is formally taking over House campaigns operations at the RPOF.
Former House Chief of Staff Mat Bahl, who has served as Chief of Staff to two House Speakers, will serve as Director of House Campaigns, a position he previously held in 2014-16.
Tom Piccolo will be Chief Campaign Strategist. Longtime House Campaigns operative Faron Boggs will be Political Director.
Tony Cortese will be Finance Director, and Lynn Imhof will serve as Administrative Director and manage financial, scheduling and logistical operations.
Sarah Bascom and her team at Bascom Communications will provide press and communications support.
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Happening today — The Florida Chamber of Commerce begins the final day of its annual Insurance Summit with a discussion of issues such as how blockchain and automated vehicles will affect insurance, 9 a.m., JW Marriott Miami, 1109 Brickell Ave., Miami.
Also happening today — Former Gov. Jeb Bush will give the keynote address at the Florida Association for Insurance Reform’s annual awards gala and benefit, 5:30 p.m., JW Marriott Miami, 1109 Brickell Ave., Miami.
— THIS IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE READ… —
… we put it near the top of Sunburn:
U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta played an instrumental role in striking up a plea deal for Palm Beach multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2007. Epstein, reports the Miami Herald’s Julie Brown, “was accused of assembling a large, cult-like network of underage girls — with the help of young female recruiters — to coerce into having sex acts behind the walls of his opulent waterfront mansion as often as three times a day.”
But ultimately Epstein served just 13 months in a county jail. Ironically, Acosta now oversees an agency in part tasked with overseeing human trafficking. He’s also a possible pick to replace former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
‘Unusual’: That’s the consensus of how Acosta, then Miami’s top federal prosecutor, acted. “Among other things, Acosta allowed Epstein’s lawyers unusual freedoms in dictating the terms of the non-prosecution agreement,” writes Brown.
The agreement: “The pact required Epstein to plead guilty to two prostitution charges in state court. Epstein and four of his accomplices named in the agreement received immunity from all federal criminal charges,” writes Brown.
From Acosta: Although the Cabinet member did not comment on Brown’s story, he told the U.S. Senate during his 2017 confirmation hearing, “At the end of the day, based on the evidence, professionals within a prosecutor’s office decided that a plea that guarantees someone goes to jail, that guarantees he register [as a sex offender] generally and guarantees other outcomes, is a good thing.’’
— DAYS UNTIL —
Hanukkah begins — 3; Associated Industries of Florida ‘building Florida’s future’ Summit — 6; Partial government shutdown — 8; 2019 Session Interim Committee Meetings begin — 12; 116th Congress convenes — 35; College Football National Championship — 39; Florida’s gubernatorial inauguration — 40; Super Bowl LIII — 66; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 75; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 96; Tampa mayoral election — 96; ‘Captain Marvel’ release — 99; Iowa Caucuses — 431; 2020 General Election — 705.
— TOP STORY —
“Heartbroken” via Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi of the Tampa Bay Times — The internationally renowned Johns Hopkins had taken over All Children’s six years earlier and vowed to transform its heart surgery unit into one of the nation’s best. Instead, the program got worse and worse until children were dying at a stunning rate … Nearly one in 10 patients died last year. The mortality rate, suddenly the highest in Florida, had tripled since 2015. Other children suffered life-changing injuries. Among the findings: All Children’s surgeons made serious mistakes, and their procedures went wrong in unusual ways. Johns Hopkins’ hand-picked administrators disregarded safety concerns the program’s staff had raised as early as 2015. Even after the hospital stopped the most complex procedures, children continued to suffer. In just a year and a half, at least 11 patients died after operations by the hospital’s two principal heart surgeons. Parents were kept in the dark about the institute’s troubles, including some that affected their children’s care.
— TRANSITION —
“Ron DeSantis names four dozen economic advisory committee members” via Florida Politics — Gov.-elect DeSantis on Wednesday announced nearly four dozen members of his Transition Advisory Committee on the Economy, with several business leaders and some former lawmakers making the list. Among the 45 members are former House Speaker Allan Bense, JAX Chamber President Daniel Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers COO Brian Ford, JAXPORT CEO Eric Green, Gulf Power exec and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Keith Hoskins, Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lapano, Dosal Tobacco head Yolanda Nader, former state DOT secretary and incoming Florida Transportation Builders Association president Ananth Prasad, Vestcor Companies Chairman and former Ambassador John Rood, Florida Power & Light CEO Eric Silagy, real estate developer and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, and AT&T Florida President Joe York.
“DeSantis’ new chief of staff prepared to ‘hit the ground running’” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — DeSantis has turned to longtime GOP political hand Shane Strum to serve as his sherpa … Strum, 49, comes to the gig with a thick resume. He worked in the administration of former Republican Gov. Bush and also served as chief of staff for former Gov. Charlie Crist, who was a Republican while governor but is now a Democratic congressman. “I can hit the ground running,” Strum told POLITICO in his first interview since being named chief of staff. “I’ve been here before; you don’t have to put training wheels on me.” He described his style as “not a micromanager,” but rather someone who is there to keep DeSantis’ policy agenda on track.
“Enterprise Florida awaits direction under DeSantis” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — York, the AT&T Florida president who serves as vice chairman of the board of the public-private agency, said during a meeting in Orlando that he hopes to hear in the next 30 to 45 days where Gov.-elect DeSantis “wants to take us.” “We need to hear from Gov.-elect DeSantis and his team about their thoughts, their priorities, and their goals for Enterprise Florida,” he said. The Enterprise Florida board isn’t scheduled to meet again before DeSantis takes office on Jan. 8. York said a conference call may be required to update members on any directions from the DeSantis. Outgoing Gov. Rick Scott used enterprise Florida as one of the primary tools in attracting businesses and jobs to the state. Scott, who has been chairman of the Enterprise Florida board, also fended off an effort by then-House Speaker Richard Corcoran to eliminate funding for the agency in 2017. With many state department heads in attendance at the Enterprise Florida meeting, Secretary of State Ken Detzner noted that changes should be expected throughout state government. “For many of us, this is perhaps our last EFI meeting,” Detzner said, adding that people who will leave will continue to contribute “in very different ways, very positive work for the future of the state of Florida.”
— ROAD TO SESSION —
“Bill again filed to make it harder to amend Constitution” via Florida Politics — A West Palm Beach lawmaker has again filed a bill to increase the threshold by which voters must approve changes to the state’s governing document. Republican state Rep. Rick Roth filed the measure (HJR 57). It would boost to two-thirds — or 66.66 percent — the margin by which a constitutional amendment must be approved to be added to the state constitution. Now, amendments need no less than a supermajority of three-fifths — or 60 percent. A previous attempt to raise the threshold to two-thirds died in committee last year. Of the 11 constitutional amendments approved by voters earlier this month, seven would not have passed under Roth’s measure.
“Dog’s death inspires Aaron Bean to protect police K-9s, horses” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Earlier this year, a suspect shot and killed “Fang,” a three-year-old Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9. The German shepherd chased the suspect into the woods, and that was his last chase. A 9 mm handgun saw to that. JSO and the larger community grieved. And now, via area state Sen. Aaron Bean, a legislative remedy: A bill (SB 96) that would enhance penalties for anyone targeting a dog or horse in the service of police, fire, and other public safety agencies. The proposed legislation would render targeting or killing a canine used in public safety functions a second-degree felony. Those targeting horses, meanwhile, would be subject to a third-degree felony charge.
“Kathleen Passidomo aims to protect state’s affordable housing trust fund” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — While Florida communities persistently face affordable housing issues, a trust fund to help solve the problem remains an easy pot to raid. But state Sen. Passidomo hopes to safeguard those dollars in next year’s budget. One of the first bills filed by the Naples Republican for this session aims to protect the State Housing Trust Fund and Local Government Housing Trust Fund, better known as the Sadowski Trust. “If we have funds designated for a trust, they should be used for that purpose,” she said. “It should be an extraordinary event to use these funds for something else.”
“Travis Hutson not in doghouse, despite POLITICO’s take” via Florida Politics — POLITICO Florida Playbook sneaked in a swipe at Senate President Bill Galvano the other day, and at Senator Hutson. An item detailed leadership moves Galvano recently announced. “Anitere Flores went from chairing two important committees to the desert, Tom Lee went from the desert back into the game, and Galvano put his thumb on the scale of an ongoing state Senate presidency fight,” it said. “He gave the state Senate majority leader post to Passidomo. Her opponent, Hutson, didn’t get exiled, but also isn’t one important thing: majority leader.” But the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development, or “TED Approps,” which Hutson now has, is a plum chair. Just ask Wilton Simpson. Or Don Gaetz.
“Fentrice Driskell gets ready to defend seat in 2020” via the News Service of Florida — After knocking off incumbent Republican Shawn Harrison, state Rep. Driskell, a Tampa Democrat, opened a campaign account Wednesday as a first step toward running for re-election in 2020 in Hillsborough County’s House District 63. Driskell received nearly 53.5 percent of the vote as she defeated Harrison in this month’s election. Meanwhile this week, Republican Joshua Adams opened a campaign account to run in 2020 in Orange County’s Senate District 11, which is held by Orlando Democratic Sen. Randolph Bracy.
— STATEWIDE —
“James Madison Institute offers fixes for rising insurance rates” via Florida Politics — Cracking down on unscrupulous lawyers is the key to reining in auto and property insurance rates, the James Madison Institute concludes in a policy report released Wednesday. Specifically, the white paper targets Florida’s bad-faith law, which it claims has greased litigation against insurers alleged to have treated policyholders unfairly; and its one-way attorney fees law, which requires insurers to carry the cost of litigation against policyholders. Legislation attacking both of these laws has failed to pass the Legislature despite ardent campaigns by insurance, business, and conservative interests during the past several years. “Unfortunately, a relatively small number of bad actors cost the rest of us dearly through higher insurance rates and stifled economic growth,” said Robert McClure, the institute’s president and CEO.
“Storm costs threaten Calhoun County as DEM refuses to budge” via Arek Sarkissian of POLITICO Florida — The storm obliterated the county’s lifeblood timber industry, leaving the county’s financial reserves and tax income so strapped that it can’t afford to front the money for needed hurricane recovery. But Calhoun’s circumstances haven’t swayed the Department of Emergency Management. The agency is refusing to distribute any recovery dollars until the conclusion of a lengthy approval process by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA will expedite recovery funding at a state’s request, but DEM requires municipalities, counties and state agencies to pay for critical projects such as debris removal and emergency management, and then wait for FEMA to reimburse them.
“State eyes Deepwater Horizon money for land deal” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Gov. Scott and the Cabinet next week will decide whether to spend $6.4 million to purchase what is known as a “conservation easement” on nearly 20,000 acres of timberland near the Suwannee River and Gulf of Mexico in the sparsely populated county. In making the deal, the state is banking on a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. The foundation received $2.544 billion in 2013 as part of federal plea agreements with BP and Transocean stemming from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill. The grant is expected to cover all but $1 million of the state’s cost of the Dixie County deal, according to information provided to the Cabinet.
“Court orders warrant information made public” via the News Service of Florida — A South Florida appeals court sided with a murder-case defendant and The Palm Beach Post in a dispute with authorities about the release of information included in warrants. The dispute centered on warrants that allowed the tracking of defendant Dacoby Reshard Wooten’s cellphone and a friend’s cellphone. The Post reported in August that the information involved authorities’ use of what are known as “stingray” tracking devices, which are mobile and masquerade as cell towers to collect information. Wooten, who was accused in the 2015 murder of the mother of his two children in Palm Beach County, sought information about the tracking of his cellphone, including requesting related warrants, according to the ruling by a panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal.
“Battle continues to play out over education law” via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida — More than 18 months after legislators passed a controversial education law pushed by then-House Speaker Corcoran, attorneys for the state and 11 county school boards are continuing to battle in court about whether the measure violates the Florida Constitution. Attorneys for the state this week filed a 100-page document at the 1st District Court of Appeal disputing the school boards’ arguments that the measure — known in the education world by the shorthand “HB 7069” — is unconstitutional because it intrudes on the decision-making powers of local school districts and creates a public-school system that is not uniform. The battle focuses on parts of the mammoth bill that are designed to boost charter schools, including the creation of what was dubbed “schools of hope.”
“Florida tourism numbers continue to break records, but will red Tide eventually slow visitor count?” via Sara DiNatale of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida is reporting a record number of visitors in the first nine months of the year, or about 95.8 million people. That’s a 6.7 percent increase compared to the number of visitors who came last year from January to September. Of course, the third quarter ended just as the Red Tide bloom began to spread north in the Gulf and smear the Pinellas County coast and parts of the Panhandle. Some counties have reported steep declines in hotel stays, a metric used throughout the state to measure tourism’s strength. In September, for example, Bradenton and Sarasota, which have been in the grips of Red Tide for months, had a year-over-year decline of about 24 percent in hotel stays. What’s unclear, still, is if enough tourists have been turned off to the state as a whole to affect the overall visitor headcounts for the remainder of the year.
“Miami judge rules red-light cameras break state law. Will it help you beat your ticket?” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — In Aventura, you’ll get a ticket if a traffic camera catches you turning on a red light at 15 miles per hour. In Key Biscayne, the threshold is 25 miles per hour. Over in West Miami, you’ll get cited if you turn at only 10 miles per hour. That lack of uniformity from city to city violates state law, a Miami judge said this week, a ruling that potentially could lead to the dismissal of thousands of traffic citations and more legal battles over the validity of Florida’s deeply unpopular red-light camera programs. “How is a driver to know that the guidelines of the [red-light camera programs] vary from municipality to municipality?” Miami-Dade Judge Steven Leifman wrote in his 8-page order ruling against the city of Aventura and its red-light program. Still, the ruling won’t affect cases en masse right away. The judge didn’t dismiss any citations yet, delaying action in the case so that a Miami’s appeals court can consider the issue.
“Brightline-Virgin proposal for Tampa-to-Orlando rail service clears key state hurdle” via Richard Danielson of the Tampa Bay Times —A selection committee of officials from the Florida Department of Transportation and Central Florida Expressway Authority awarded the Brightline-Virgin team the right to negotiate for the right-of-way leases the company needs to create the service. The decision does not require further approval from the governor, Legislature or other state agencies, but Brightline still has a lot of work to do before it can build and launch the service, it hopes, in 2021. Brightline will negotiate with both agencies over the next 90 days to use parts of the right of way along Interstate 4, the Florida Turnpike, State Road 528 and State Road 417 for its trains. The state has said the company would have to pay fair market value to lease those rights of way, and there would be “no subsidy of any kind” from either the state or expressway authority.
Happening today — The Florida Supreme Court expects to release its regular weekly opinions, 11 a.m.
Happening today — The state Revenue Estimating Conference meets to discuss issues such as communications-services and gross-receipts taxes, 1:30 p.m., 117 Knott Building, The Capitol.
— FLORIDA BEING FLORIDA —
“Wife of man slashed with sword on Thanksgiving arrested, police say” via WFTV — The wife of a man found disemboweled in a Rockledge neighborhood on Thanksgiving and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the stabbing, police said. The victim, who police said was nearly butchered alive with a sword, has been identified as Jackie Ramsey III. Witnesses said he stumbled out of a home on Carolina Avenue to ask for help from his neighbors Thursday morning. Police said Ramsey’s wife, Amanda Ramsey, 30, and her boyfriend, Louis Nunez, 22, were arrested in Volusia County. Investigators described the victim’s injuries as “horrific.” “He never saw it coming,” said Lt. Donna Seyferth, of the Rockledge Police Department.
“Confessed serial killer Samuel Little points to a dozen Florida victims among 90 across U.S.” via Ana Ceballos of the Naples Daily News — The confessions, which have come over a series of interviews with authorities in Texas, have triggered police in Fort Myers, Perry and other Florida jurisdictions to take another look at death cases that could be victims of Little. Florida authorities could have stopped Little after he was charged in the 1982 killing of a Gainesville woman. But he was acquitted in a 1984 trial, the result of a “weak case” against him, one prosecutor told the Gainesville Sun. Little, who is awaiting trial in Texas after being convicted in California in three murders, has told authorities he killed nearly two dozen more women after that. He is providing details of the killings he said he committed across the country, dating back to the 1970s.
“Sentence upheld for Florida man who put killing on Facebook” via The Associated Press — The 3rd District Court of Appeal in Miami rejected Derek Medina’s claims that he should have been permitted to put on evidence that he was a battered spouse and that his wife had been aggressive due to taking “bath salts” pills. Medina was convicted by a jury in 2013 in the shooting death of Jennifer Alfonso during an argument in the kitchen of their home. Trial evidence showed that when Medina posted an image of her body on Facebook, he wrote that he’d either go to prison or get a death sentence and would be “in the news” soon.
“Woman passes gas in store, then pulls knife on an offended customer, cops say” via Howard Cohen of the Miami Herald — Shanetta Yvette Wilson, 37, was in the checkout line at the Dollar General store in Dania Beach. John Walker, the customer standing next to her, got into a verbal dispute “in reference to the defendant farting loudly.” Wilson allegedly pulled a small “lock back knife” from her purse, “opened the knife and told the victim she was going to ‘gut’ him,” the police report said. Walker was “in fear that he was going to be stabbed by the defendant,” the affidavit read. Wilson was arrested and taken to the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach. Her bail was set at $2,500.
— AV RISING —
“Autonomous vehicle summit tackles robo-taxis and micro-mobility” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Fully autonomous — that is, all the time in all of the places — driverless cars are still a long way off. But existing technology makes a driverless future closer than most realize. The answer lies, in part, in autonomous vehicle networks, subscription services and robo-taxis. That was the message during the first session of the Florida Automated Vehicle Summit in downtown Tampa. It’s a way to get cars off the road, add personal convenience and reduce commuting costs. “You can enable some significant services,” said Itay Michaeli, an analyst for Citi. “You can send your car off for deliveries in the middle of the night, for example.”
“The rise of the delivery AVs” via Joann Muller of Axios — A new report suggests autonomous vehicles could deliver goods cheaper and faster — within an hour or two of ordering in some cases — and have a major impact on consumer behavior. The report by KPMG says one way it could happen is by lowering the cost of goods delivery, enabling e-commerce to take a larger bite out of brick-and-mortar sales and reducing the number of shopping trips people make. That access to fast, low-cost delivery could make it irresistible to order even more stuff — and send profound ripples through the economy. KPMG predicts goods will be delivered via AV fleets operating in “islands of autonomy” where, because of population density and regulations, deployment makes sense.
“Unmanned Range Rover navigated Tampa’s Selmon Expressway in demo” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — For the second year in a row, Virginia-based Perrone Robotics showcased its autonomous vehicle technology that allows cars to operate without any human operation during the 2018 Florida Automated Vehicle Summit in downtown Tampa. The company equipped a new model Range Rover with lidar, radar, sensors and high-precision GPS to operate in fully autonomous mode along the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway’s Reverse Express Lanes. “This is the future,” said Garrett Moore, a quality assurance lead for the company. The high-precision GPS used in the automated vehicles is accurate to just two centimeters. Sensors, radar and lidar further hone accuracy so an automated vehicle can maintain its position in a lane often better than even the most-skilled human driver.
“Florida Poly, JTA team up on driverless vehicle tech” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Florida Polytechnic University is collaborating with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to amp up autonomous vehicle development in public transportation. The news comes as engineers and tech experts from all over North America wrap up the 2018 Florida Autonomous Vehicle Summit in Tampa. “AV technology holds great promise for the whole transportation industry, but it’s very likely that public transportation will take advantage of it before the generic passenger car marketplace,” said Rahul Razdan, senior director for special projects at Florida Poly. Florida Poly’s Advanced Mobility Institute (AMI) is a university-affiliated research center focused on advancing and testing AV technology. The collaboration includes researching and developing AV technology in downtowns, at university campuses and in other controlled settings where infrastructure can more easily be adapted to accommodate driverless vehicles.
“Look Ma, no hands: Big trucks drive themselves, save lives” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Kratos Defense and Security Solutions is equipping attenuation trucks with autonomous vehicle technology to protect workers from getting hit by staging the unmanned vehicles behind work crews. The company showed off its live-saving tech creation at the 2018 Florida Automated Vehicle Summit in Tampa. Attenuator trucks are built with shock-absorbing buffers on the back and around the vehicle. A driver follows work crews and waits in the truck as a barrier to protect against oncoming traffic. But that driver is basically a sitting duck as the vehicles’ sole purpose is precisely to wait to be hit. Kratos retrofits the already hardened trucks with a series of radar, lidar, sensors and high-powered GPS technology to allow the truck to follow behind a manned “lead” vehicle without a driver operating it.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Marco Rubio reiterates support for U.S. action in Yemen” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Ahead of a vote in the U.S. Senate to curtail the U.S. role in the war in Yemen, Rubio says he’ll continue to support an American presence in the conflict. “Unfortunately, the Yemen resolution has been tied into the broader Saudi Arabia issue,” Rubio said, alluding to the controversial killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudis. “I think on the issue of Saudi Arabia as a broader one, we don’t need to destroy or walk away from our alliance with Saudi Arabia, but we most certainly need to recalibrate it,” Rubio said. “They cannot continue to do this sort of recklessness. It undermines them and ultimately undermines us. I hope we can deal with that issue seriously, but separately.”
To view a video of Rubio’s remarks, click on the image below:
“Democrats eye 15th Congressional District for 2020” via William March of the Tampa Bay Times — The race for CD 15 wasn’t all that close — Republican Ross Spano beat Democrat Kristen Carlson by 6 points — but Democrats still think they could have a shot at the district in 2020. At least three are eying the seat: Carlson; her Democratic primary opponent Andrew Learned; and Bob Doyel, who lost in a challenge to Sen. Kelli Stargel. Doyel, a retired Polk County judge, said he intends to stay involved in politics and the race “is one of the many things I might do.” Carlson said she expects to decide after the beginning of the year, and thinks her loss was in part the result of a late start — she didn’t enter the race until former Rep. Dennis Ross announced his resignation in April. Learned, a favorite of the progressive side of the party, said supporters are trying to convince him to run again, and, “I’m keeping my options open. It’s too soon to decide.”
“Is an idea to tax carbon and rebate it to taxpayers the bipartisan solution to climate change?” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — The idea was unveiled by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch. And he has support so far from two Republican colleagues: Fellow Floridian U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvanian Republican. The proposal would assess a new fee on carbon emissions of $15 per metric ton of CO2e, and it would increase by $10 each year. The idea of taxing carbon isn’t new. However, Deutch and Co. believe they have added a provision that will make it more appealing: give the money from the tax back to Americans in the form of a tax rebate. The proposal comes on the heels of a new federal study that determined the impacts of climate change are already being felt in the United States. Warmer temperatures, more powerful storms, and more frequent disasters like wildfires will be the norm, without a course correction. The report also warned that climate change is already affecting water quality here and that the U.S. economy will suffer unless swift action is taken.
— OPINIONS —
“If lawmakers won’t do their job, Floridians might just clutter up the state Constitution with an assault weapons ban” via Sue Carlton of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida voters passed nearly all of the 12 proposed amendments that were on a very long ballot, accomplishing a litany of changes ranging from ending greyhound racing to restoring voting rights to felons. Legislators may lollygag, but we the people took care of business. Which makes a proposal to put a ban on possessing “assault” weapons on the 2020 Florida ballot for voters to consider pretty interesting. Think about it: This could be a neat sidestep of Florida’s dubious, long-standing tradition of elected officials cowed and controlled by the powerful National Rifle Association and all too eager to do the NRA’s bidding on gun laws. Instead, if enough citizens signed petitions agreeing it should be there, the people would get to decide.
“NRA wants to inject nonsense into Florida’s gun-permit process … again” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — I have no problem with people carrying around Smith & Wessons. I do, however, think the people checking to make sure those concealed-weapon carriers aren’t terrorists or convicted murderers should work in law enforcement or justice. You know who else thinks that? Virtually every other state in America. Most states let cops or courts vet gun permits because … well … that makes sense. But Florida is the state where sense — like tourists — takes a vacation, largely because the politicians here take marching orders from the NRA. See, the Florida NRA hasn’t always really gotten along with law enforcement, especially chiefs and sheriffs who don’t like their officers getting shot with high-capacity weapons. So, for years, the NRA got its stooges in Tallahassee to make sure the permitting process stayed with politicians it could influence — first, the secretary of state and then, for the last 16 years, the state’s agriculture commissioner. Only something unexpected happened this year: A Democrat won the race for Agriculture Commissioner — a Democrat named Nikki Fried who is a gun owner and concealed-carry permit holder but is not an avowed NRA sellout.
— MOVEMENTS —
New and lobbying registrations:
Jose Bermudez, Ellyn Bogdanoff, Nicholas Matthews, Becker & Poliakoff: Florida Association of Condominiums to Support Self Determination, Seawall Coalition
Kevin Cabrera, Jim Smith, Southern Strategy Group: Skip, Tall Timbers Research
Sara Clements, McGuireWoods Consulting: ActivEd, Council For the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Marti Coley Eubanks, PinPoint Results: Gulf Coast State College Foundation
Thomas Griffin, Smith Bryan & Myers: The Able Trust
Jonathan Kilman, Mary Anne DePetrillo, Lauren DePriest, Jon Yapo, Converge Government Affairs of Florida: Florida Chiropractic Association, Florida Chiropractic Society, Florida Swimming Pool Association, Insikt, Starsky Robotics, Walgreen Company
Aimee Diaz Lyon, Andrew Palmer, Pierce Schuessler, Metz Husband & Daughton: TransparentBusiness
Scott McCoy: SPLC Action Fund
David Ramba, Allison Carvajal, Thomas Hobbs, Cameron Yarbrough, Ramba Consulting Group: Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs
— ALOE —
“Elton John ‘sincerely sorry’ for postponing Orlando, Tampa shows” via Todd Stewart of the Orlando Sentinel — The morning after John postponed his Orlando concert, an official statement was released on his Twitter account: “We are sincerely sorry to everyone due to attend the shows in Orlando last night and Tampa tonight.” The singer had made the trip to Orlando, but according to the statement, a round of antibiotics hadn’t yet cleared up his ear infection to the point at which he was comfortable performing. It’s unclear when the makeup date for the Orlando or Tampa shows will be.
“A Christmas Story? LEGO’s? Bring on the nostalgia” via Courtney Shaw of WFTS — A family in New York has proposed a LEGO set based on the movie. The proposed set includes a full model of the first floor of the Parker family home complete with the leg lamp, radio, and fireplace. The project needs 10,000 supporters for LEGO to move it to the next stage. You can vote on A LEGO Christmas Story by clicking here.
“The Cove hotel joining Disney’s Swan and Dolphin in 2020” via John Gregory of Orlando Rising — The new hotel will be owned by New York-based real estate firm Tishman and MetLife Investment Management and operated by Marriott International, just like the Swan and Dolphin. The 14-story hotel will be on the current site of the resort’s tennis courts, adding 198 traditional rooms and 151 suites with separate living and working spaces. Guests staying in suites will have access to a conference table and a built-in audio and video system. The Cove will be designed to cater to events and large groups. The plans include 21,000 square foot of meeting space on three floors, adding to the Swan and Dolphin’s existing 331,000 square feet available to conventions and corporate clients. A new rooftop venue, available for weddings and group events, will offer views of the nightly fireworks at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Cove will be designed to cater to events and large groups. The plans include 21,000 square foot of meeting space on three floors, adding to the Swan and Dolphin’s existing 331,000 square feet available to conventions and corporate clients. A new rooftop venue, available for weddings and group events, will offer views of the nightly fireworks at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Celebrating today is South Florida Democratic political consultant Freddy Balsera.
