Peter Schorsch
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session
The Last 24
Good Tuesday evening. Longtime agent provocateur John Sowinski dropped a bomb into the gambling bill process. The head of No Casinos and man behind last year’s Voter Control of Gambling amendment sent a note to legislative leaders. The gist: Lawmakers can’t promise anybody any new games — like sports betting — until they’ve been approved by voters. To bolster his point, he got a legal opinion from Paul Hawkes, the former chief judge of the 1st District Court of Appeal and now a lawyer-lobbyist, including for the Florida Greyhound Association. No reaction yet from the 4th floor, but — as history shows — John’s usually right. Sixty Days never bets against him. Here’s your nightly rundown.
‘Gaming’ the system: With a bill aimed to drop by the end of the week, Sowinski’s missive could not have been well received.
‘First Step’: Criminal justice reform is moving but in two separate looks in the House and Senate. Can the differences be resolved?
Not-so-small claims: A Senate panel moved a bill that would shunt more lawsuits to county courts.
Tampon times: A bill to ensure women inmates are provided with necessary hygiene products cleared its final House panel.
Sprowls saves: Clearwater state Rep. Chris Sprowls filed language to protect the USF St. Petersburg and the Sarasota-Manatee campuses through the school’s consolidation process.
Share and share alike: A House bill requiring school districts with successful voter referendums to share their additional funding with charter schools heads to the floor.
Gainer’s goal: Sen. George Gainer, a Panama City Republican, is proposing that hurricane-affected state colleges waive out-of-state tuition fees.
The ‘Amazon Tax’ lives: Buy stuff online? Live in Florida? Joe Gruters bill will make sure you pay your fair share of sales tax on every purchase.
Heavenly computing: Will all state data soon head to the cloud? It could under legislation moving in the Senate.
Put that in your pipe: The minimum age for Floridians to possess tobacco and vaping products would rise from 18 to 21 under a House bill going to the floor.
Scalpel safety: A bill aimed at reducing the danger of rogue plastic surgery centers cleared its final House committee.
Jackson comes up short: Suspended Okaloosa Schools Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson lost her challenge seeking to get the Supreme Court to intervene in her case.
Quote of the Day
“@SenRickScott decimated DOH & DEP’s ability to tackle the toxic algae crisis — his negligence risked people’s health and our environment and economy. I’m making my Office of Agricultural Water Policy available to @GovRonDeSantis to help clean up the mess left by his predecessor.” — Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, tweeting Tuesday.
Your Metz Husband Daughton-sponsored question of the day is:
Why was Tallahassee chosen as the state capitol?
As always, click here to tweet your answer to @MHDFirm. The first person with the correct answer will get a shout-out in tomorrow’s 60 Days!
Last time, we asked: Who became Speaker of the House when Republicans took power in 1996?
Answer: “Dan Webster of Orlando, who served 18 years in the House followed by 10 years in the Senate, before being elected to Congress in 2010.”
Congrats to Cari Roth (@RothCari) who was the first to tweet the correct answer!
Bill Day’s Latest
3 Questions
Matt Blakely is Executive Director of the corporate foundation for Motorola Solutions, which donates to programs that include science education, public safety and disaster relief, among other areas. The foundation is one of the sponsors of Tuesday’s STEM Day at the Capitol. Its mission: “To engage legislators about the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education.” He spoke with us by phone from Chicago.
Florida Politics: What exactly is the foundation’s involvement with STEM Day at the Capitol?
Blakely: The idea is to help bring some of the great hands-on science, technology, engineering education programs that we support throughout the state of Florida to the Capitol to raise awareness of the importance of hands-on technology and engineering education, but also to just let the kids show off what they can do. You were just with the solar car team; these Florida kids are doing really impressive things with the help of Motorola Foundation and, in many cases, our volunteers. And we think it’s a great way for the leaders in Florida government to see what these kids are accomplishing.
FP: Why do we need more awareness of STEM?
Blakely: I think that it’s always good to raise the awareness of what kids can accomplish when they are given opportunities to explore careers in technology and engineering. You know, the economy is changing and the world is changing. We’re facing big problems when it comes to data or making sure that people have healthy, happy and safe places to live. Technology and engineering are going to help solve those problems. More importantly, it’s going to be the students that will help.
Motorola helps in a number of ways in that our products and our solutions help make communities safer, but from a philanthropic standpoint, which is my expertise, the foundation has donated more than $2.7 million to Florida education programs alone just the past several years. And also we can leverage our Motorola Solutions volunteers, many of which are engineers or have experience working in a technology company and can mentor these kids about what it’s really like to work for a technology company and what it’s like to develop an engineering solution.
FP: What’s the best thing that can come out of an event like today’s?
Blakely: I would like to see eyes opened to the creativity of Florida students and their ability to engineer solutions to problems. And also for these kids to get some recognition for their efforts and their hard work. We’ve got students there who designed robots that go on to regional and national competitions, and they put their hearts and souls into those projects. They’re going to hopefully go on to great careers in technology and engineering, and we’d love to see them get recognition for that.
Lobby Up
The chiropractic profession is going through some changes.
Over the past several years, chiropractors have shed some negative stereotypes and have started moving out of private practice and into roles at traditional health care facilities, including VA hospitals.
But a legislative battle over educational requirements could throw a wrench into the profession’s further integration into mainstream medicine, and chiropractor trade groups are firmly against it.
HB 873 would strike out a section of Florida law requiring the chiropractic schools adhere to national education standards set by the Council on Chiropractic Education, instead allowing any institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to churn out chiropractors.
Rep. David Santiago, the bill’s sponsor, says it’s aimed at breaking up CCE’s “monopoly” on accreditation. But the Florida Chiropractic Association, the Florida Chiropractic Physician Association and the Florida Chiropractic Society say it would bring about a regression in the quality of chiropractic care. Those groups, which only rarely align on policy, are all opposed. And they have a suite of lobbyists helping them out in Tallahassee.
FCA has David Ramba, Allison Carvajal, Thomas Hobbs, Evan Power and Cameron Yarbrough of Ramba Consulting Group, Jack Hebert of The Mallard Group as well as solo lobbyists Todd Lewis, Kimberly Driggers and Paul Lambert in its corner. FCPA, meanwhile, has Ron Watson, while FCS is represented by Carlos Cruz, Cesar Fernandez, Jonathan Kilman, Paul Lowell and Jon Yapo of Converge Government Affairs of Florida.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
Enterprise Florida President and CEO Jamal Sowell and Gulf Power President Marlene Santos are expected to be among the speakers on the first day of the two-day Gulf Power Economic Symposium. That’s at 8:30 a.m., Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Miramar Beach.
Rep. Cord Byrd, Sen. Joe Gruters and parents “of victims killed by illegal immigrants” will hold a news conference to discuss legislation that would ensure Florida enforces federal immigration law. That’s at 9 a.m., 4th-floor Rotunda.
Members of the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), AARP Florida, and LeadingAge Florida will bring together nursing center residents, family members and caregivers for a media availability to discuss proposed budget cuts to long-term care centers. That’s at 9:30 a.m., 4th-floor Rotunda.
Residents from Panama City and surrounding areas who were affected by Hurricane Michael will travel to Tallahassee for a ‘Rally in Tally’ event where they will urge lawmakers to support disaster relief for the Panhandle. That’s at 10 a.m., Capitol Courtyard.
A coalition of groups will hold a news conference to “urge legislators to oppose policies that would remove locals’ ability to pass laws stronger than the state’s own laws.” That’s at 10 a.m., Room 333.
The Senate is scheduled to hold a floor session and could approve a bill that would lead to the tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida operating for at least the next eight years. The agency, which has been criticized by House leaders, will be eliminated Oct. 1 unless lawmakers reauthorize it during this year’s legislative session. That’s at 10 a.m., Senate chamber.
The House will take up numerous issues during a floor session, including a proposal to require parental consent before minors could have abortions. Among other bills is a measure that could lead to needle- and syringe-exchange programs in various parts of the state. That’s at 11:30 a.m., House chamber.
Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson, members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto will discuss legislation against sanctuary cities, and the “dangerous implications for Florida’s residents and immigrant community.” That’s at 1:30 p.m., Room 200, Senate Office Building.
The Senate Rules Committee will take up numerous bills, including a proposal that would make changes in the controversial insurance practice known as assignment of benefits. Also, the committee is expected to consider a proposal that would seek to prevent so-called sanctuary cities in Florida. That’s at 2 p.m., 110 Senate Office Building.
Capitol denizens can go across the street for food and craft beer as the city holds “A Taste of Tallahassee” at 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Adams Street in front of Tallahassee City Hall.
