Peter Schorsch
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Attorney General Ashley Moody applauded Gov. Ron DeSantis’ approval of a bill allowing her to get information from Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Database (PDMP) “to be used under protective order in the state’s ongoing opioid litigation.”
Moody issued a statement Tuesday on the bill signing (HB 1253), which will give her “more tools to fight the opioid crisis that is devastating families and killing 17 people a day in our state,” she said.
“The destruction caused by opioid abuse is undeniable and this epidemic is ravaging our communities,” Moody added.
She’s pursuing a lawsuit against pharmacies and drug companies to get the state compensation for the opioid epidemic.
Getting the measure out of the Legislature this year had looked iffy. Senate Rules Committee chair Lizbeth Benacquisto, a Fort Myers Republican, raised privacy concerns, which stalled the bill.
In published reports, Benacquisto denied that she held up the bill because of her lobbyist brother-in-law who represents Walgreens, one of the defendants. Other defendants include Purdue Pharma and the CVS drugstore chain.
The current version of the legislation will only give Moody and her lawyers information from the state’s PDMP on the “year of birth, county, city, and ZIP code” of Floridians who were prescribed opioid medication.
The database also is known as E-FORCSE, the Electronic-Florida Online Reporting of Controlled Substance Evaluation Program. It was created by lawmakers in 2009 to prevent what’s known as “doctor shopping” by addicts.
In April, Moody said that not having access to the PDMP info “could delay our action by years (and) cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars” because she’d be forced to try and get the same information from the defendants themselves.
Now, she says, “those who helped fuel this man-made crisis must be held accountable and this new law will help us do that.”
—
In other Tuesday news, a bill passed this Session that would mandate warning labels on Florida Lottery tickets has finally been sent to the Governor’s desk.
DeSantis now has till July 10 to act on the measure (HB 629).
Lottery officials have predicted it would cut into their revenues by as much as $300 million yearly; proceeds go toward education funding in Florida.
At his 2019-20 state budget signing news conference last week, he was asked whether he would veto it.
“Stay tuned,” he said, smiling. “You’ll find out soon enough, I guess next week,” adding that once he receives the bill, “we’ll have a decision very quick.”
Evening Reads
“Debates to force Democratic presidential hopefuls to confront Joe Biden, each other” via Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald
“Women candidates, moderators, issues bring clout, diversity to debates” via Christine Stapleton of the Palm Beach Post
“Democrats will debate in a city under siege by climate change” via Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times
“Democrats will debate on doorstep of Miami’s black community. Will they talk about it?” via David Smiley and Joey Flechas of the Miami Herald
“Miami Democrats have a message for 2020 presidential hopefuls: Don’t alienate anyone” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald
“‘Lock the S.O.B.s up’: Biden and the era of mass incarceration” via Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Astead W. Herndon of the New York Times
“Biden keeps stepping in it — and voters couldn’t care less” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO
“Three things that don’t go together: Matt Gaetz. Trump Club. Palm Beach Kennel Club” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“New Florida laws on gardens, opioids and street racing” via Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press
“Senate budget chief Rob Bradley extols ‘great budget year’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Firm says rights violated in pot license fight” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida
“U.S.-Cuba relations strain again, but ambassador hopes for stronger Tampa ties” via Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Bay Times
“On the Antarctic ice with Anthony Bourdain” via Angela Zoumplis for the New York Times
Quote of the Day
“Where was the same willingness to seek more racial diversity for Florida’s highest court? Or is racial diversity not an equal qualifier?” — Democratic state Sen. Perry Thurston, on what he called Gov. DeSantis’ “meddling in a Brevard County judicial replacement pick.”
Bill Day’s Latest
Breakthrough Insights
Wake Up Early?
The Florida Bar will start its annual convention, with sessions including a panel of prominent women lawyers and judges. Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa is expected to be part of the panel. Events start at 8 a.m., with panel of women lawyers and judges at 1 p.m., Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton.
Attorney General Moody’s office will hold one in a series of roundtable discussions about mental health and criminal justice issues. That’s at 11 a.m., Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, 3228 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach.
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney will speak to the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches at noon, Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which led efforts to pass a November constitutional amendment to restore voting rights to felons, will hold an event that will include discussion about the implementation of the amendment. That’s at 6 p.m., Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center, 1723 Bruton Blvd., Orlando.
Ten Democratic presidential candidates will appear in the first of two nights of televised debates in Miami. The candidates who will participate Wednesday are U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey; former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio; former U.S. Rep. John Delaney of Maryland; U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas; U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio; and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. That’s at 9 p.m., Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The debate will be televised on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.
