Peter Schorsch
Breaking overnight — The hits keep coming:
“Donald Trump suspends travel from Europe to U.S.” via Kevin Liptak and Meagan Vasquez of CNN — Trump said he was “marshaling the full power of the federal government” to confront a growing public health crisis, including a monthlong halt in travel from Europe to the United States. The President was overseeing “the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.” Trump was speaking during a rare Oval Office address to the nation after facing harsh criticism for his response to the pandemic. “We’ll be talking about that later. All those things we’re making a decision on,” he added.
“Three new cases of coronavirus in Florida” via WINK — One of the cases is the first such case in Miami-Dade County, another is an out-of-state resident in St. Johns County and there is another new case confirmed in Broward County. A 63-year old male New York resident who is currently in St. Johns County, a 56-year old male in Miami-Dade County, and a 70-year old male in Broward County, each tested as positive. All three have been isolated.
— Between the time we put Sunburn to bed and early Thursday morning, an addition 3 cases of coronavirus were identified. a 57-year-old male in Lee County, a 65-year-old male in Broward, and a 61 year-old male in Broward that is a travel related case.
“NBA suspends its season” via Mike Florio of NBC Sports — As the NBA was considering playing the balance of its season without fans, the NBA has unexpectedly — and swiftly — taken things a step farther. After Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus, the NBA suspended its season. It’s unclear when the season will continue, but it will not continue for the foreseeable future. And that will surely prompt other sports leagues to consider taking similar action, whether it’s Major League Baseball, the NHL, Major League Soccer, or the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Now, s**t’s getting real: “Tom Hanks says he has coronavirus” via Nicole Sperling of The New York Times — Hanks said that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, learned they had the coronavirus. The 63-year-old Academy Award-winning actor is in Australia, where he was set to film a movie about the life of Elvis Presley. “Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia,” Hanks said in a statement. “We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers, too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.” He added that he and Wilson “will be tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”
___
The biggest question about Florida’s primary Tuesday isn’t whether Joe Biden will win. It’s if Bernie Sanders can crack 15%.
A survey from St. Pete Polls shows 69% of likely Democratic voters in Florida favor Biden. Meanwhile, just under 14% prefer Sanders.
Biden’s 55% lead shows continued growth in the state for the Democratic front-runner, who enjoyed a string of electoral successes.
St. Pete Polls has found strong support in Florida for Biden since January but identified Mike Bloomberg as his most significant threat. The New York billionaire even surged ahead of Biden in February, but quickly fell back to earth after a poor performance at his first debate.
Since then, Biden consistently climbed in standings. The now-Democratic front-runner claimed just 26% support at his mid-February nadir and but scratches for 70% as he hits a zenith.
As other candidates dropped out, most of their support consolidated behind Biden. This week’s results mark an 8% gain for the former Vice President and a 2% rise for Sanders from a week ago.
But that still puts Sanders under a 15% threshold needed to guarantee Florida delegates at the Democratic National Convention.
Florida has 219 delegates at stake in the primary. Of those, 76 will be given out based on the statewide vote, but only to candidates who crack the 15% threshold.
Other delegates will be awarded based on performance within Congressional districts, so it’s unlikely Sanders leaves Florida empty-handed.
But Biden’s popularity here crushes Sanders — and has for some time.
Florida Politics commissioned the poll and posted results here.
___
Another poll from the University of North Florida affirms Biden ahead of his Democratic opponents. Survey results from the Public Opinion Research Lab found the Democratic front-runner with 66% support and Sanders at 22%. This poll included Tulsi Gabbard, but she came in with just 1%, under the 2.5% margin of error. Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren garner 2% each.
“This is down to a two-man race, and Biden is looking toward a blowout in Florida,” said Dr. Michael Binder, PORL director.
When asked the type of candidates Democrats need, 68% want someone who can beat Trump, and 29% want someone who reflects their views. Some 58% of respondents are pleased with the Democratic Party’s direction, while 13% see it skewing too liberal, and 14% see it swaying too moderate.
The UNF team asked America’s most pressing problem; 31% selected health care, and 14% called out Trump by name. The environment came in third at 12%.
___
Florida Politics partnered for the first time with AARP Florida to learn the political priorities of the state’s most reliable voting bloc — those over age 50. With a Democratic presidential primary around the corner, pollsters asked the top priority voters have in picking a candidate.
Nearly 98% of Democratic voters age 50 and older list Social Security and Medicare as extremely or very important when picking a candidate. Some 96% say the same about honesty in government. About 95% rank health care as high, and 90% offer the same assessment regarding the high cost of prescription drugs.
That’s no surprise to AARP leaders tracking policy in Florida for years.
“We’re making strides to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Florida, but that’s only a portion of the health care picture,” said Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida state director. “Keeping Social Security and Medicare healthy and viable remain another top priority.”
The poll also found 85% of older residents here worry about the deep divisions in America often or somewhat often. About 75% worry that prices in America are growing faster than their incomes, and 71% experience concerns over health care costs.
Johnson said Florida’s AARP voters would apply careful scrutiny to candidates before they vote.
“This election is important to everybody, but we predict women will bring extra scrutiny to the voting booths,” Johnson said. “They value ethics, trustworthiness and intelligence as important characteristics for their leaders who’ll tackle the important issues of health care and high prescription drug costs.”
— TODAY’S SUNRISE —
Gov. Ron DeSantis offers the latest details on the coronavirus in Florida — imposing new limits on who can visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities and universities are holding online classes.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— It’s a good day for House Speaker José Oliva; his health care bills for pharmacists and advance practice nurses cleared both chambers and are headed for the Governor. But the Speaker can’t win them all — VISIT FLORIDA won’t go out of business this year.
— A bill called the Clean Waterways Act cleared the Legislature and is also on its way to the Governor. Backers of the bill say it’s a game-changer for Florida’s environment.
— Rep. Kristin Jacobs talks about her bill Banning shark finning in Florida that is still awaiting final action in the Legislature.
— And the adventures of Florida man, who is blaming his behavior on a batch of bad cocaine.
To listen, click on the image below:
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
The only tweet that matters:
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
"We have therefore made the assessment that #COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic"-@DrTedros #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/JqdsM2051A
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 11, 2020
Tweet, tweet:
Earth is closed. #CancelEverything pic.twitter.com/cah743D6aU
— Ricardo De León (@ANativeCreation) March 11, 2020
Tweet, tweet:
Here's the last 8 days of US #covid19 testing mapped to Italy's numbers starting on 2/22. The trend looks awful similar. pic.twitter.com/zZ3ng396Jf
— Eli Pariser 🏞📲 (@elipariser) March 11, 2020
—@RealDonaldTrump: Someone needs to tell the Democrats in Congress that CoronaVirus doesn’t care what party you are in. We need to protect ALL Americans!
—@Molly_Knight: There’s no way to tell people to cancel all non-essential plans without sounding hysterical. But the NBA just canceled their season. Please understand how bad this public health situation is for a professional sports league to do that.
—@Redistrict: If you ever need a reminder how fast politics/world events can be turned upside-down, early last week we were talking about a possible contested convention. Now, maybe no convention?
—@DougHeye: I still can’t believe the Sam Donaldson endorsement didn’t have more legs.
—@NikkiFried: This is the most important election of our lifetimes. The time for unity is now — and the candidate to unite behind is @JoeBiden. Joe’s diverse coalition and selfless service will restore America’s moral compass and leadership at home and abroad. I’m excited to stand with Joe!
—@FLSecofState: Voters with symptoms of #COVID19 can designate someone to pick up their vote-by-mail ballot for them as late as Election Day by filling out affidavits for the designee. Voted ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. Election Day.
—@SteveLemongello: Government Orders Barn Doors Closed in Attempt to Prevent Further Horse Escapes
Tweet, tweet:
https://twitter.com/The_OJSimpson32/status/1237859421390114819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
—@RealMichaelW: What if Pollen cures Corona?
— DAYS UNTIL —
11th Democratic debate in Phoenix — 3; Florida’s presidential primary — 5; Last day of 2020 Session (maybe) — 6; Super Tuesday III — 5; “After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News” premieres on HBO — 7 MLB Opening Day — 14; Quibi launches — 25; Easter — 31; First quarter campaign reports due — 34; Florida TaxWatch Spring Board Meeting begins — 34; TaxWatch Principal Leadership Awards — 35; Last day of federal candidate qualifying — 39; NFL Draft — 42; Mother’s Day — 59; Florida Chamber Summit on Prosperity and Economic Opportunity — 64; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 88; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 106; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 122; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 126; 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo start (maybe) — 134; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 159; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 165; First presidential debate in Indiana — 201; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 209; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 217; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 224; 2020 General Election — 236; “No Time to Die” premieres (now) — 258.
— TOP STORY —
“Is there community spread of coronavirus in Florida? DeSantis tries to clear it up” via Samantha Gross of the Miami Herald — At a press conference, DeSantis said he spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert on the federal Coronavirus Task Force, who plainly stated at a briefing that Florida is one of four states with “community spread” of the disease and therefore elevated risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines community spread as: “People have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.” The multiple cases of coronavirus in Broward County tied to a cruise services company at Port Everglades were not evidence of community spread, which DeSantis said was what Fauci referred to when he listed Florida.
“Coronavirus impact spreads across Florida as more cases hit Tampa Bay” via Zachary Sampson and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Unanswered questions hovered over Florida’s coronavirus response Wednesday even as residents learned of new cases in Tampa Bay and several groups made difficult calls to cancel events or limit public gatherings. DeSantis continued to push back on the idea that “community spread” has occurred here despite a national infectious disease specialist’s assertion to the contrary Tuesday. The disagreement between state and federal officials was another example of the confused, shifting messaging that has formed an undertow to Florida’s response to coronavirus for two weeks.
Assignment editors — DeSantis, joined by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Mary Mayhew, Jackson Health System President and CEO Carlos Migoya, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez and Miami-Dade County Commission Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson, will hold a news conference, 11:30 a.m., Jackson Memorial Hospital, Diagnostic Treatment Center, Room 259, 1080 NW 19th Street, Miami.
“Florida universities shifting classes online amid coronavirus fears” via Wells Dusenbury of the Orlando Sentinel — Schools in the state university system will begin shifting to online classes as soon as possible, the Florida Board of Governors announced Wednesday, in efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In addition, universities have been instructed to send all students home for at least two weeks. While students at several colleges are already home for spring break, the Board of Governors directed schools currently in session to shift to online classes immediately. Students at those schools are encouraged to return home for at least two weeks.
— DATELINE: TALLY —
“Ron DeSantis quickly signs scope of practice bills into law” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis signed a pair of scope of practice bills into law Wednesday night. Both were major priorities for House Speaker José Oliva. One measure allows pharmacists to “test and treat” for the flu. The bill includes strep tests, lice, skin conditions like ringworm, and minor, non-chronic conditions on the list of possible pharmacist treatments. Another bill would allow ARPNs to admit to, handle care in, or discharge patients from facilities.
Tweet, tweet:
Thank you @GovRonDeSantis for your swift and decisive action in signing the APRN legislation the same day it passed. Your decision means access to care for millions of Americans. A special thank you to a leader and friend @BillGalvano for the support and leadership. pic.twitter.com/r2eOWsxSy7
— Jose Oliva (@RepJoseOliva) March 11, 2020
“Budget deal in sight; final vote expected for next Wednesday” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Senate President Bill Galvano said Wednesday that a deal on the state’s budget is in sight. The goal is to finalize the budget Friday, setting up a 72-hour cooling-off period extended by another day because legislators will not work on Tuesday, the day of the Florida Presidential Preference Primary. Budget items moved through conference committees over the weekend, and unresolved issues were “bumped” to Senate budget chair Rob Bradley and House counterpart Travis Cummings. One sticking point has been teacher pay, where the House and Senate have had different views. “We’re working on a final number for teacher pay where we include starting teachers and veteran teachers,” Galvano said. Another sticking point has been the tax cut package. Galvano said he expects a $50 million cushion and noted that “anything’s in play” for those cuts.
“Senators start reworking tax package” via Jim Turner of News Service of Florida — Senators eliminated a proposed tax cut for the aviation industry and a plan to expand the use of local tourist-development tax dollars, as lawmakers started to trim a House tax package Wednesday amid the economic threat of the novel coronavirus. The bill is expected to appear Thursday on the Senate floor. Appropriations Chairman Bradley said he expects more changes, but maintained support for some of the high profile features of the House’s $120.5 million package: back-to-school and hurricane preparedness sales-tax “holidays” and a 0.5 percentage-point reduction in the communications services tax.
“Key Florida senators OK tax breaks sought by mobile-home companies, Miami Dolphins owner” via Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel — With only a few days remaining in the 2020 Session, a key Senate committee on Wednesday approved a $230 million package of tax cuts. Three Central Florida senators — Republican Sens. David Simmons and Kelli Stargel and Democratic Sen. Linda Stewart — were among those that voted in favor of the tax breaks (HB 7097). Legislative leaders have said this week they are re-evaluating some of their spending plans — such as raises for public school teachers — because they want to set aside more money in reserves in case the coronavirus pandemic triggers a recession. Yet senators added several new tax breaks to the mix on Wednesday.
“How did the House subpoena Tiffany Carr? Let us count the ways” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — Carr won’t be appearing at the meeting of the Florida House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee. But that’s not because legislative attorneys didn’t try to get the former CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence to show up. In fact, they attempted to serve her a subpoena a dozen ways at her four homes in two states. House Rules “ordinarily requires personal service of House subpoenas, and we undertook efforts to serve Ms. Carr personally,’’ the House reported in a statement released on the committee website. But the House waived its rules so that it could serve a subpoena on Carr by “any means sufficient to comply,” fearing there was a “risk that Ms. Carr would evade personal service.”
“With baby due, Jennifer Sullivan drops reelection bid” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — With a long-distance marriage to an Air Force officer and a baby due in late April, Republican Rep. Sullivan has decided to step away from a potential fourth term in office to focus on her new and growing family. Sullivan, 28, of Eustis, was one of the youngest lawmakers ever elected when she took office in 2014 in House District 31 in Lake and Orange counties and has risen to chair of the House Education Committee. Sullivan said that she has been commuting between Florida and Texas since she got married and her husband was assigned to Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene.
— LEGISLATION —
“DCF program accountability bill heads to DeSantis for signature” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Representatives gave final approval to Senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson’s bill (SB 1326). The legislation aims to bring accountability over the next four years to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). It would appropriate more than $5.3 million to the DCF for the next fiscal year to implement some of the bill’s provisions. The total recurring cost of the bill is nearly $40 million. Destin Republican Rep. Mel Ponder, who helped shepherd the bill through the House, thanked Simpson, the First Family and others for bringing the legislation together. Building it with interested parties helped create legislation he said would create an environment to support welfare workers.
“GOP lawmakers target ballot initiatives” via Dara Kam of News Service of Florida — Republican lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a proposal that would impose a series of new restrictions on ballot initiatives, sending the measure to DeSantis with a party-line vote in the House. The far-reaching proposal would increase a petition-signature threshold triggering Florida Supreme Court reviews, require all ballot measures — including those placed on the ballot by the Legislature — to have statements about potential impacts on the state budget and allow county elections supervisors to charge more to verify petition signatures. The House’s action came two days after the Senate passed the measure in a 23-17 party-line vote.
“Bill offering relief for man shot by Palm Beach Sheriff’s deputy heads to Governor” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The Senate approved a measure offering $4.5 million to Dontrell Stephens after Stephens was shot in 2013 by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Adams Lin. That shooting left Stephens paralyzed and in a wheelchair. He is now homeless. The House had already approved the bill (HB 6501), meaning the measure will now head to DeSantis. Stephens will receive nearly $3.4 million directly, while the remaining sum will go toward legal expenses. A jury trial found Stephens was entitled to $22.5 million. Stephens’ attorneys have fought for at least $15 million to be paid out. The House and Senate fought back and forth over the exact compensation package.
“Holocaust education bill is amended and must bounce back to House” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — A Sen. Randolph Bracy amendment would call on the Education Commissioner’s African American History Task Force to recommend ways the history of the Ocoee Massacre can be taught in schools was added, meaning the House will have to vote on it. The House bill, by Rep. Randy Fine, was subbed for the virtually identical Senate version from Sen. Lauren Book. That bill (HB 1213) would require the Florida Department of Education to give schools curriculum standards for teaching the subject in K-12 schools. It also mandates that every school district and charter school also teach students about the state’s policy against anti-Semitism.
“House cleans up smoking, vaping at 21 bill; draws dissent” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The House approved a bill raising the smoking and vaping age to 21. But even with changes to Republican Sen. David Simmons’ proposal, some Representatives said the legislation is flawed. “This amendment absolutely, 100%, has to pass solely because the underlying bill, Senate Bill 810, is an awful overreach that was sent over to us that we have to analyze,” Rep. Alex Andrade said. Republican Reps. Jackie Toledo and Ray Rodrigues made changes delaying the start date of the age hike five months to the start of 2021, ensuring permitted store employees below 21 years old can sell tobacco and vape products and clarifying that vape product permits don’t carry a $50 fee.
— MORE LEGISLATION —
“Bill aimed at battling algae blooms headed to DeSantis” via John Kennedy of USA TODAY — Legislation aimed at easing the state’s wide-ranging water problems by tightening oversight of runoff from farms, urban development and Florida’s 2.7 million septic tanks was approved by the House. The House’s 118-0 vote follows similar, 39-0 approval last week in the Senate. The measure now goes to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. “This is the most important thing we’ve done for water in this state in 10 years,” said Sen. Ben Albritton, a sponsor of the legislation (SB 712), which supporters call the Clean Waterways Act. The legislation changes how the state regulates everything from septic tanks to city wastewater systems and city and county stormwater management. But many environmental organizations say the regulatory changes lack muscle.
“Donna’s Law sexual assault bill headed to DeSantis’ desk” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — The Legislature sent Donna’s Law to DeSantis‘ desk, a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for sexual assault against minor victims, on Wednesday after unanimously passing it from both chambers. Senators passed the House’s version of the law (HB 199), co-sponsored by Rep. Tracie Davis and Rep. Scott Plakon, after the House passed it Monday. Sen. Linda Stewart carried it through the Senate. The bill is named after Donna Hedrick, who was sexually abused by her music teacher and finally went public with her story after more than 40 years. Currently, a patchwork of statutes of limitations apply to victims under 18 depending on their age, how soon they reported the abuse and other reporting requirements.
“Senate reverses course, moves to ban arrests of children under 7” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — An amendment prohibiting the arrest of children under 7 for nonviolent felonies was added to HB 7065, a bill that makes changes to the school safety measures passed in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Sen. Bracy pushed the provision in honor of Kaia Rolle, who was arrested at the Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy charter school in September after she threw a tantrum, kicking students and teachers. “The police were called, she was handcuffed, and she was booked. She received a mug shot; she was fingerprinted,” Bracy said. The measure includes an exemption so children who commit forcible felonies could still be arrested.
“Senate passes genetic information bill” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A bill that would block insurance companies from using or soliciting genetic information from customers cleared the Senate Wednesday. The bill from Speaker-designate Chris Sprowls, who made the issue a priority this year, passed the House with just one nay vote. The bill would make Florida the first and the only state to bar insurance companies from using genetic tests for coverage purposes. “What we want to prevent is [genetic] information being used to your detriment,” Sen. Aaron Bean argued last year when he carried a similar bill. Though the legislation passed, it was not without debate. Democratic Sen. Kevin Rader thought people with knowledge of “genetic markers” might game insurance companies by withholding that information.
“House approves measure aiming to beef up state response to Alzheimer’s” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The bipartisan measure (HB 835) passed in the House via a 118-0 vote. Republican Rep. Plakon and Democratic Rep. Matt Willhite sponsored the bill. The legislation creates a new position of “Dementia Director” within the Department of Elderly Affairs. That director will coordinate state policies relating to Alzheimer’s disease. He or she will also reach out to the private sector, working with facilities to increase public awareness and education. The director will also help coordinate activities “between groups interested in dementia research, programs, and services, including, but not limited to, area agencies on aging, service providers, advocacy groups, legal services, emergency personnel, law enforcement, and state colleges and universities.”
“Boom! Fireworks bill goes to Governor” via The Associated Press — Florida is on the verge of ending firework sales that are done with a wink and a nod under a bill the Legislature passed on Wednesday. One of Florida’s least enforced laws bans fireworks sales unless people are buying them to scare birds away from farms and fisheries. Customers sign a form saying that’s how they intend to use fireworks. Businesses from fireworks megastores to stands that pop up ahead of holidays don’t ask any questions. The bill going to Gov. DeSantis would make fireworks legal for use on the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Lawmakers have said the current law makes no sense and forces Floridians to lie to buy fireworks.
“Ride-share advertising bill rolls through Senate” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — On Wednesday, the Senate moved a bill that would establish guidelines for advertising on Uber and Lyft vehicles. Rep. Bob Rommel‘s bill (HB 1039) would allow illuminated and digitally operated advertisements on top of vehicles. The House bill, already passed, moved in place of Sen. Jeff Brandes’ bill (SB 1352). The chamber did not debate the legislation, and Brandes waived his close, leaving a shortage of quotable quotes. Signs can range from 20 inches to 54 inches, with the condition that they don’t block the driver’s line of sight. The signs can only be turned on while vehicles are in-service. Nonprofits and charitable organizations would have to be ceded 10% of the advertising space.
“Tow truck bill in the ditch” via the News Service of Florida — In an unusual move, the Florida Senate voted down a bill that would restrict the authority of local governments to regulate vehicle towing businesses. Senators voted 20-18 to reject the bill (HB 133), which passed the House last month. Few bills are killed in votes on the House and Senate floors. Three Republican Senators — Brandes, George Gainer and Joe Gruters — joined Democrats in voting against the bill. Much of the criticism of the bill focused on a provision that would have prevented local governments from requiring towing businesses to accept credit cards from motorists whose cars are towed. Hours after the vote, Gruters made a procedural motion that would allow the Senate to take up the bill again.
“Wengay Newton public nuisance property bill teed up for final Senate vote” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Newton’s bill (HB 625) relating to public nuisance properties cleared the House and is awaiting final approval in the Senate. The bill defines the process for remedying properties and expands the definition activities that create a public nuisance by harboring criminal activity or that creates some other public problem. It also extends authority to local Sheriffs to enjoin a nuisance complaint. Properties declared a public nuisance would face a temporary injunction on the property or public forfeiture if the offending problems are not remedied within 10 days of notification or by a prescribed period allotted in certain situations.
“Bear poaching ban passes Senate, ready for Governor’s signoff” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. David Smith‘s legislation cracking down on bear poaching cleared the Senate floor. It’s now ready for the Governor after a unanimous vote. The legislation would increase the severity of criminal charges associated with bear poaching to a first-degree misdemeanor. The minimum fine would increase from $500 to $750 and increase hunting license suspensions for violators from one year to three years. That suspension would extend to 47 other states. The law “will put bears on an equal footing, equal hoof,” Wright previously said of the bill, noting that other poaching laws have been more stringent than bear poaching.
“Senate amendment seeks to strike House THC cap” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — House members approved a Rep. Ray Rodrigues amendment to HB 713 that would resuscitate a 10% cap on whole flower and derivatives for patients under 21. However, a Senate amendment from cannabis proponent Sen. Brandes would strike that out. In addition to the “potency cap” for minors, the language would prohibit renewing licenses of nonperforming Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, refine statutory language on dosage limits per day and require that a testing lab be independent of cannabis companies, testing all forms of marijuana. The Brandes amendment targets nonperforming MMTCs but strikes the rest. The Senate already killed one backdoor THC cap try.
“Hemp program overhaul still needs work as House sends bill back to Senate” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — After a 107-10 vote, the bill will be sent back to the Senate where more negotiations are expected regarding the bill’s final form. The Senate approved the measure (SB 1876) in a unanimous vote. Sen. Bill Montford is behind that bill. But the House twice amended the Senate bill after taking it up. One of those amendments was approved during the second reading. Another was agreed to ahead of the final vote. The amendment struck a provision from the Senate bill stating that licensees “may only use hemp seeds and cultivars certified by a certifying agency or a university conducting an industrial hemp pilot project” under state law. Wednesday’s version rephrased that section.
— TODAY IN CAPITOL —
The Senate will hold a floor session, 10 a.m., Senate Chambers.
The House will hold a floor session, 10:30 a.m., House Chambers.
The Senate Special Order Calendar Group will meet 15 minutes after the floor session adjourns Room 401, Senate Office Building.
The Florida Supreme Court will release its weekly opinions, 11 a.m.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Hemp Advisory Committee is hosting a conference call, 4 p.m. Call-in number: 1-866-899-4679. Code: 304566261.
— TALLYMADNESS —
TallyMadness has come down to Rutledge Ecenia’s Corinne Mixon and Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants lobbyist Justin Thames.
The next 24 hours of voting will determine which of the two gets to call themselves the “best” lobbyist in the state.
Mixon’s run began with a tight match against Katie Flury, followed by a pair of routs. The Final Four pitted her against Becker & Poliakoff’s Nick Matthews, who had earned no less than two-thirds support in any of his matchups heading into the semifinals.
Mixon was the combo breaker, shutting down his as-yet-unstoppable offense to keep her championship dreams alive.
Thames had a solid streak going when he entered the semifinals, notching at least 60% of the vote in each of his head-to-heads. The same was true for Florida School Boards Association lobbyist BillieAnne Gay, who dominated the opposition in later rounds.
Alas, there are no ties in Florida Politics’ annual competition, and one had to be eliminated. Two high-scoring contenders entered the match, and a surge from Thames put him over the top.
All that remains is the final game.
Voting is open through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. The winner will be immortalized as the 2020 TallyMadness Champion in Friday’s Sunburn.
— GOVS. CLUB BUFFET MENU —
Florida corn, sausage and potato chowda; mixed garden salad with dressings; Mediterranean tabbouleh; tropical fruit salad; deli board, lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses and bread; breast of chicken with hunter’s sauce; southern-fried catfish with tartar and cocktail sauces; Chicago-style hot Italian beef with giardiniera; cheddar cheese grits; spring medley of vegetables; summer squash casserole; warm peach cobbler for dessert.
— NEWS BY THE NUMBERS —
— SUNSHINE STATE PRIMARY —
Voters are voting — According to the Florida Division of Elections, as of Wednesday afternoon, Supervisors of Elections have 1,152,413 and Republican vote-by-mail ballots; 616,528 have returned, 411,433 are outstanding, and 3,251 are unsent. There have been 121,201 early in-person votes cast. As for Democrats, Supervisors have 1,354,853 vote-by-mail ballots; 528,433 have returned 617,160 are outstanding, and 5,064 are unsent. There have been 204,196 early in-person votes cast. Those classified as “other,” 248,441 vote-by-mail ballots, 15,669 have returned, 33,105 are outstanding, and 198,076 are unsent. There have been 1,561 early in-person votes cast.
“Nikki Fried, Florida’s top Democrat, endorses Joe Biden” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — Fried, the top elected Democrat in Florida, is endorsing Biden in the Democratic primary. “Joe is bringing together a diverse coalition that reflects America’s greatness,” Fried, the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, said in a statement Wednesday. “And Joe’s record of selfless service is exactly what we need to restore America’s moral compass, heart, and leadership at home and abroad. I’m excited and proud to stand with him today.” Biden has won the support of most of Florida’s top Democrats heading into the state’s presidential primary on Tuesday, but Fried may be the most significant endorsement of them all. She is the de facto leader of her party as the only Democrat to hold a statewide office here.
“Polls: Biden leads Sanders with Florida Hispanics, narrows Latino gap in Arizona” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO — In Arizona, Sanders leads Biden, 47% to 40% among Latinos likely to vote in next week’s Democratic primary, according to the survey conducted for Noticiero Telemundo Arizona by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy. In Florida, Biden is ahead of Sanders among Hispanic Democrats, 48% to 37% — a lead outside the 4-percentage point margin of error in the survey conducted for Telemundo Station Group by Mason-Dixon. The mixed results in the two swing states, which are both holding primaries March 17, underscore the challenging terrain Sanders faces in a one-on-one race with Biden and as he encounters more moderate voters, according to exit and entrance polls. Florida Hispanics have more varied backgrounds.
— “Florida poised to stamp out Sanders campaign” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO
“Biden coming to Florida — by video” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The former Vice President’s campaign announced his planned appearance at a Miami rally Monday is being canceled. Tuesday night, the campaign canceled his appearance at a Tampa rally that was set to take place Thursday. Both cancellations are the result of growing concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 disease is leading Biden to possibly roll out a radical new approach. The Miami event has not been canceled, exactly. His campaign said it was being converted into a “virtual event,” though it was not clear whether the campaign still expects a crowd to gather somewhere to watch. The campaign said details would be forthcoming.
“Coronavirus fears shut down Florida voting sites at assisted-living facilities” via Allison Ross of the Tampa Bay Times — Eight assisted-living facilities had been slated to be polling places for Tuesday’s presidential preference primary election. But with concerns about voters and poll workers coming into those facilities, the Pinellas supervisor of elections will move those precincts to the next-closest polling location. There are about 12,000 eligible voters at those precincts, spokesman Dustin Chase said. He said his office is discussing accommodations to make sure residents of those assisted-living facilities can still vote. He also said logistics are still being figured out, including how to communicate changes to voters. State law allows elections officials to make temporary changes of polling places in the event of an emergency.
— MORE 2020 —
“Who are the Sanders supporters Biden needs to win over to unify the Democratic Party?” via Amber Phillips of The Washington Post — Even as major portions of the Democratic Party coalesce around Biden, the wounds from 2016 are still obvious each time there’s a primary or caucus: It’s supporters of Sen. Sanders vs. the establishment. If a bona fide member of the party establishment wins the presidential nomination, how is that going to exacerbate the Democratic Party’s divisions? We can’t answer that question yet — Biden hasn’t won the nomination, although he continues to do what he needs to, especially by winning Michigan on Tuesday, a state critical to Democrats’ path to unseating Trump in November. We can look at the constituencies Biden has struggled with to understand the tensions he will face if he’s the nominee.
“Biden surge brings sense of relief to K Street” via Theodoric Meyer of POLITICO — When Sanders won the Nevada caucuses by a commanding margin last month, a Washington lobbying firm sent out a memo to clients girding them for what a Sanders administration might look like. Less than three weeks later, the same firm is preparing clients for a much less worrying prospect: the likelihood that Biden, a more conventional Washington candidate, will win the Democratic nomination. Biden’s comeback has comforted lobbyists and their corporate clients. Scott Eckart, a Democratic lobbyist, said he’d spoken with clients in the days before Biden’s South Carolina victory who expressed reluctance to write checks supporting the party if Sanders became the nominee. “There’s an immense amount of relief,” Eckart said. “Make no mistake.”
— IT SHOULDN’T BE THIS WAY —
A new YouGov/Economist poll finds 61% of Democrats said they were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ worried about personally contracting the coronavirus, while only 37% of Republicans shared this fear. Indeed 24% of Republicans said they were ‘not worried at all’ about catching the virus.
Democrats are taking more preventive measures, too. Some 23% of Democrats have canceled travel plans, compared with just 14% of Republicans. The share of survey respondents who said they had worked from home was 19% and 9% for Democrats and Republicans, respectively. Moreover, 9% of Democrats have donned a medical face mask in public; only 5% of Republicans have done the same.
— CORONAVIRUS —
“Trump fears emergency declaration would contradict coronavirus message” via Anita Kumar of POLITICO — The president is expected to sign within days what the White House calls a more limited designation to allow the federal government to cover small business loans, paychecks for hourly workers and delay tax bills, giving him a way to begin boosting the economy without waiting for Congress to sign off on an economic stimulus package. Any emergency declaration would go significantly beyond that move, bringing in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and freeing up funding and resources for states struggling to contain the rapidly spreading virus. Trump’s concern at this point is that going further could hamper his narrative that the coronavirus is similar to the seasonal flu and could further agitate Wall Street.
“’It’s going to get worse’: health officials warn of coronavirus escalation” via Quint Forgey and Nolan McCaskill of POLITICO — More than 1,000 people in the U.S. have already been diagnosed with the coronavirus in 38 states, leaving at least 29 people dead. But Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told members of the House Oversight Committee that “we will see more cases, and things will get worse.” “You’re going to hear from CDC today and the White House that we’re going to be making recommendations to those local communities about aggressive steps that we think they should be taking, and we’ve been collaborating closely with them on that,” Alex Azar told “Fox & Friends.”
“U.S. coronavirus testing threatened by shortage of critical lab materials” via David Lim and Breanna Ehley of POLITICO — The slow pace of coronavirus testing has created a significant gap in the U.S. public health response. The latest problem involves an inability to prepare samples for testing, creating uncertainties in how long it will take to get results. CDC Director Robert Redfield is not confident that U.S. labs have an adequate stock of the supplies used to extract genetic material from any virus in a patient’s sample — a critical step in coronavirus testing. “The availability of those reagents is obviously being looked at,” he said, referring to the chemicals used for preparing samples. “As people begin to operationalize the test, they realize there’s other things they need to do the test.”
“Quarantined in China, Tampa nurse alarmed by U.S. coronavirus response” via Justine Griffin of the Tampa Bay Times — Jonathan Woolverton had never seen Shanghai, a city of more than 24 million people, so empty. The 33-year-old registered nurse was quarantined in an apartment for two weeks while he waited for the Chinese government to return his U.S. passport so he could get home. Over the next few weeks, he would be flagged for coronavirus exposure across three continents and experience wildly different responses to the pandemic. “The experience opened my eyes to the reality of how immensely different this crisis has been handled,” Woolverton said. “It has been a profound learning experience to see how well China put protocols in place.” “The farther west I went, the less and less concerned people seemed to be,” he said.
“Dow enters bear market after coronavirus declared pandemic” via Tyler Telford and Thomas Heath of The Washington Post — Wall Street went into a deep slump Wednesday, falling so far and so fast that the Dow Jones Industrial Average officially tipped into a bear market, ending a record 11-year stock rally. The bear market reflects a 20 percent fall from record highs, which the Dow hit less than a month ago, and came after the coronavirus officially became a pandemic. The World Health Organization’s declaration Wednesday signaled that health experts believe efforts should shift from trying to contain the virus to mitigation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average — already deep in the red for the day — tumbled almost 1,500 points after the WHO announcement. It closed at 23,553, a nearly 6 percent decline on the day.
“Rick Scott calls for temporarily shutting down U.S. borders to tourism, quarantining returning Americans due to coronavirus” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Scott is proposing temporarily shutting down all U.S. borders to tourism in an op-ed he penned for Fox News. Scott is also calling for health screenings and 14-day quarantines for all Americans returning from overseas. Scott also calls for immediately opening mobile testing sites nationwide to isolate the at-risk population; closing all schools for 14 days in areas where the virus is being transmitted from person-to-person and not via foreign travel; limiting visits to all hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and senior centers and screening employees; and shutting down government buildings to visitors. Scott also said the Centers for Disease Control should release locations an infected person visited before returning home, including airports, flights and trains.
“As Florida coronavirus cases leap 64%, restrictions ordered on nursing home visitors” via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat — Within hours of the World Health Organization declaring a global pandemic related to the COVID-19 disease, DeSantis announced restrictions on who can visit nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other places for vulnerable, elderly Floridians. The restrictions apply to anyone who has traveled internationally, on a cruise ship, or in a community with confirmed community spread or lives in a community with confirmed community spread for 14 days. Also barred from visiting are anyone infected with the novel coronavirus who hasn’t had two negative tests separated by 24 hours, anyone showing signs or symptoms of respiratory infection, or been in close contact with an infected person who hasn’t tested negative.
“Pasco man, 46, says he’s county’s first coronavirus patient” via Jack Evans of the Tampa Bay Times — Gene DellaSala said the man who visited his home on Feb. 29 didn’t look sick. DellaSala runs Audioholics.com, an audiovisual industry publication. His visitor had just come from a trade show in Tampa and wanted to check out some new speakers DellaSala had acquired. The two sat next to each other and listened. It was an unremarkable visit until stomach cramps and diarrhea hit DellaSala a few days later. Then he woke up exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept. After a hospital visit, DellaSala was diagnosed, becoming the first coronavirus patient in Pasco County. And though the Florida Department of Health said that the lone Pasco County case was “travel-related,” DellaSala said he hasn’t traveled recently.
— MORE CORONA —
“Leaked emails: Norwegian pressures sales team to lie about coronavirus” via Alexi Cardona of the Miami New Times — In the wake of the epidemic, a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) employee in South Florida says some managers have asked sales staff to lie to customers about COVID-19 to protect bookings. “These discussions take place every day. And even during our department meetings, managers tell us that it isn’t a big deal, that more people die from other things,” says the employee. “[They’re] constantly underestimating it.” Emails show that a senior sales manager at NCL’s Miami office came up with canned responses for the sales team to use. “Team,” the email reads in part, “these are one liner’s [sic] to help you close your guests that are on the fence. DO NOT USE THESE unless the coronavirus is brought up.”
“NCAA: March Madness will be played without fans because of coronavirus outbreak” via Matt Baker and Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times — When the NCAA Tournament comes to Amalie Arena next week, it will take place without most fans. The NCAA announced that it would hold upcoming events, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only “essential personnel and limited family attendance.” It’s not specified who qualifies as “essential personnel.” “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sport, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans, and, most importantly, our student-athletes.
“As Disney seeks to reassure investors, one analyst firm predicts U.S. theme parks will need to close amid coronavirus pandemic” via Gabrielle Russon of the Orlando Sentinel — As Bob Iger took the stage at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting, he immediately sought to reassure investors over the coronavirus just days after a notable analyst report said many investors expect the company will be forced to close its U.S. theme parks. “We’re all sobered by the concern that we feel for everyone affected by this global crisis,” Iger, now the new Executive Chairman, said. “But it’s also important to note that throughout our company’s nearly century-long history, Disney has been through a lot, including wars, economic downturns and natural disasters. And what we’ve demonstrated repeatedly over the years, is that we are incredibly resilient. Our future has always been bright, and it remains so for good reason.”
“Virgin Voyages is delaying the launch of its new cruise line amid coronavirus fears” via Taylor Dolvin and Jane Wooldridge of the Miami Herald — A spokesperson at Virgin Voyages, the new Plantation-based cruise company from Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has confirmed that the company is delaying the launch of the new line. The naming ceremony for its first ship, the adults-only Scarlett Lady, was set for March 19. “In light of the current global headlines, we want to ensure everyone feels it is the right time to celebrate with us. While Virgin Voyages has not been affected, we feel that postponing our launch celebration to a future date is the responsible thing to do,” wrote Michelle Estevam, senior manager for PR and lifestyle media, via an email.
“What coronavirus fears are doing to people with anxiety disorders” via Bonnie Berkowitz of The Washington Post — The stress of a new thing to worry about can exacerbate the symptoms of PTSD or trigger more frequent panic attacks in people who are prone to them. And it can be especially rough for the approximately 5 percent of adults annually who have an illness anxiety disorder, formerly known as hypochondria, and are already predisposed to fear disease. “When people suffer with anxiety, it’s because they’re believing and focusing on the lies, distortions and exaggerations in their imagination,” said Ken Goodman, a therapist who treats anxiety disorders in California and a board member at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Some mental health experts think coronavirus fears may cause people with anxious tendencies to topple into a full-blown illness.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Trump administration to delay April 15 tax deadline for most individuals” via Kate Davidson, Richard Rubin and Andrew Restuccia of The Wall Street Journal — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the delay would apply “to virtually all Americans, other than the superrich,” and said officials would likely announce a decision quickly. Mnuchin told lawmakers during a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee that the Treasury doesn’t need Congress to approve the delay. “This we can do on an administrative basis,” he said. Extending the tax filing deadline would effectively act as a bridge loan for individuals and businesses facing disruptions from the virus.
“Trump administration wants hundreds of thousands of federal workers to be ready to telework full time” via Lisa Rein of The Washington Post — The Office of Personnel Management, which oversees policy for the workforce of 2.1 million, has urged agency heads in recent days to “immediately review” their telework policies, sign paperwork with employees laying out their duties, issue laptops and grant access to computer networks. The administration has not issued a widespread mandate, but some offices have already acted. The Securities and Exchange Commission became the first federal agency in Washington to clear 2,400 employees from its headquarters after discovering that an employee might be infected. The International Trade Administration started sending staff home to self-quarantine if they have traveled out of the country.
“Trump allies got coronavirus tests despite lack of symptoms and shortage” via Mike DeBonis and Carolyn Johnson of The Washington Post — Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mark Meadows both said in statements that the tests showed no infection after exposure to a coronavirus carrier at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last month in suburban Washington. The two lawmakers also said they were exhibiting no symptoms of respiratory illness, raising questions of why they were tested at all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that health care providers prioritize tests for hospitalized patients who are exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, elderly and medically fragile individuals, along with others who have shown signs of illness after contact with a known or suspected coronavirus patient. Gaetz, 37, and Meadows, 60, are not known to belong to any groups at high risk for infection.
“Charlie Crist calls for paid sick leave for some missed work stemming from coronavirus outbreak” via Mark Bergin of Florida Politics — U.S. Rep. Crist sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer suggesting additional provisions to bolster the upcoming coronavirus response package. The letter asks for the package to include paid sick leave for tipped employees of at least $15 per hour, energy bill assistance for workers who have to stay home, and emergency funds to make it easier for states to expand Medicaid. “I have heard from both public health officials and constituents that the government response should reflect the realities on the ground. This package reflects those needs,” Crist said in a news release. “Today, I am suggesting additional measures to further strengthen the bill.”
“Gridiron Dinner, an annual D.C. tradition, canceled over coronavirus concerns” via Caitlin Oprysko of POLITICO — “I’m sorry to have to announce that the Gridiron Club & Foundation is canceling its 135th-anniversary dinner this coming Saturday,” the group’s president, Craig Gilbert, said in an email to club members. while no one had asked that the dinner be canceled, those discussions began in recent days in light of a rapidly shifting public health landscape and questions and concerns raised by club members. “We’ve had the dinner in wartime, we’ve had it amid civil strife, we’ve had it amid all kinds of upheaval and turmoil,” he said. “But this was a different case because it just raised health issues, you know, issues of public health. And we didn’t want to put people at risk.”
“Florida could be back in the running to host Space Command headquarters” via Chabeli Carrazana of the Orlando Sentinel — Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett told the House Armed Services Committee of the decision to open applications, seeming to invalidate a shortlist released last year delineating the six locations — four in Colorado, one in California and one in Alabama — that were finalists to host the headquarters. The recently formed command would coordinate space-related military activities across branches of service. Florida, like other locations across the country, had prepared an aggressive campaign to snag the headquarters, despite Colorado’s position as the clear front-runner. The current Air Force Space Command is based in Colorado Springs. “We have the workforce, we have the infrastructure, we have the history of space launches and space exploration,” said Rep. Michael Waltz.
“Rubio wants to increase scrutiny of foreign home buyers in Miami with new legislation” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — Miami residents are competing for housing with foreign and out-of-state buyers, who are often able to pay cash and above asking price, and their ability to keep pace is dwindling as local wages remain stagnant. In response, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is introducing a bill that would reduce foreign speculation of residential real estate in urban centers like Miami by increasing the tax rates of real estate sales by foreign investors. And Rubio would combat real estate transactions funded by illicit activity or money laundering by prompting the Treasury Department to report the natural identities of foreign buyers and the source of funds received by the seller.
— STATEWIDE —
“Court: Florida shooting defendant can’t shield expert names” via The Associated Press — A ruling from the Florida Supreme Court means school shooting defendant Nikolas Cruz cannot shield from public disclosure the names of expert witnesses who have interviewed him in jail. The court declined to review an earlier decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal that the names of mental health providers who met with Cruz in jail must be public. Cruz’s lawyers had argued that disclosure of the identities would threaten his right to a fair trial. Broward County prosecutors and news outlets opposed shielding the names under state public records laws. “The constitution and the public records act do not authorize redacting the names of the experts visiting petitioner in jail,” the appeals court ruled.
“Court backs state in fight over transgender inmate” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — Overturning a Tallahassee federal judge’s decision, a split appeals court ruled that Florida corrections officials did not violate constitutional equal-protection rights when they refused to allow a transgender inmate to dress and groom like a woman. A majority of the three-judge panel found that corrections officials “chose a meaningful course of treatment” to address Reiyn Keohane’s gender dysphoria. “For better or worse, prisoners aren’t constitutionally entitled to their preferred treatment plan or to medical care that is great, ‘or even very good,’ ” Judge Kevin Newsom, citing another court decision, wrote in Wednesday’s 40-page majority opinion. In a scathing 51-page dissent, Judge Charles Wilson acknowledged that prison administrators are allowed to make judgments balancing security and health concerns.
— MOTHER NATURE —
“Nestle water pumping plan not in public interest, foes say” via Cindy Swirko of the Gainesville Sun — An application to pump more water from the Ginnie Springs area is now tied up in court, but a crowd still showed up at the Suwannee River Water Management District Governing Board meeting to speak out against a pumping permit. Speakers said approval to allow up to 1.152 million gallons a day to be pumped to the Nestle Waters bottling plant would harm the Santa Fe River system, reduce water for public use and is not in the public interest. Seven Springs Water Co., owned by members of the Wray family that owns Ginnie Springs Park, has applied for the permit for water bottled by a nearby Nestle plant. A previous permit expired, but pumping can continue under district policies.
“Scandal-prone Joel Greenberg for Congress? Stephanie Murphy should hope so” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — A while back, Greenberg shared a Facebook post that suggested he could unseat U.S. Rep. Murphy, a Winter Park Democrat. And last weekend, several readers said they were polled on the subject. On Wednesday, Greenberg denied having any interest in running against Murphy. (Which makes it odd that someone wasted money on a poll full of questions that praised Greenberg, criticized Murphy and asked: “If the General Election for Florida’s 7th Congressional District was held today, who would you vote for? Stephanie Murphy? Joel Greenberg? Undecided.”) Though Greenberg said the race against Murphy was “entirely winnable,” he said he wasn’t “willing to spend millions of dollars to fund a congressional race.”
“Laura Loomer cancels petition drive citing coronavirus concerns, will pay ballot fee instead” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — “While voter engagement is a passion for me and our campaign volunteers, following the White House and CDC’s recommendations I felt it best to limit the community’s exposure to the coronavirus in every way that I could,” Loomer wrote in a statement. Karen Giorno, a consultant to Loomer’s campaign, also added a statement explaining the move. “Our volunteers and staff are healthy, and we plan to stay that way. Our tactics are changing out of necessity and will not slow down the growth and enthusiasm of winning this campaign.” Loomer is attempting to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel.
“Jim Boyd expands fundraising lead in race for SD 21” via Florida Politics — Republican Boyd is dramatically outpacing Democrat Amanda Linton when it comes to campaign contributions in the race. Boyd has raised a total of $245,125 through February. In that month alone, Boyd had $39,350 contributed to his campaign. It was his second-best month since he entered the race last summer. Boyd scored the most contributions in one month during October when he landed $107,900. Boyd has plenty of financial ammunition as his campaign has spent only about $58,000 leaving around $186,500 in the bank. Linton lags way behind; The Bradenton educator been in the race since July and has managed to raise only about $18,000 for her campaign. Of that, she spent about $12,000.
“Adam Botana, Jason Maughan neck-and-neck in HD 76 fundraising” via Florida Politics — Botana and Maughan are running relatively close to each other in terms of contributions. However, Botana is outpacing his opposition in terms of straight campaign contributions. Botana has about a $15,000 lead in the money race through February. Botana, a businessman from Bonita Springs, had a total of about $149,000 in contributions through last month. But Botana has been frugal with his campaign funding thus far, only spending about $16,500. That leaves about $132,182 in reserve. Maughan, a Sanibel City Councilman, has been equally tight with his cash so far. While he has raised about $134,000 in contributions through February, he’s only spent about $17,000 on campaign expenditures. Republican Rep. Ray Rodrigues is vacating the seat due to term limits.
“Jenna Persons crosses $300K raised in race for HD 78” via Florida Politics — Persons has garnered about $194,000 in campaign contributions through February. She drew about $14,000 in contributions last month alone, her best fundraising month since June. Persons still has plenty of cash on hand as she’s only spent about $28,000 on expenditures so far, leaving some $166,000 yet to be utilized. Bolstering Persons’ financial power is her political committee, “Conservative Legacy Fund.” The committee had a total of $117,000 in total contributions through February and spent only about $8,800. Republican Roger Lolly has raised about $44,600 through February. Lolly has already spent about half his contributions, racking up about $22,000 in expenditures.
“Rhonda Rebman Lopez crosses $200K raised, tops HD 120 fundraising for sixth straight month” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Republican candidate Rebman Lopez has now added more than $200,000 in her bid to replace Rep. Holly Raschein in House District 120. Lopez topped the HD 120 field in fundraising for the sixth straight month, adding more than $18,000 in February. The newest entrant in the race, Democratic candidate Clint Barras, managed to place second with more than $12,000 added. So far, Lopez has held pole position in monthly fundraising every month since she joined the race in September.
— LOCAL —
“Florida officials wanted town to stay quiet on possible COVID-19 case. Town went ahead.” via Aaron Leibowitz of the Miami Herald — On Wednesday morning at 10:58, the head of human resources for the small town of Bay Harbor Islands sent an email to all staff and elected officials that began: “The Town is aware one of our employees is under medical attention as a presumptive positive case of the coronavirus.” Also, the town’s Mayor signed a memo on official town letterhead declaring a state of emergency. But that was wrong. According to Florida health officials, no Bay Harbor Islands employee has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. According to Division of Emergency Management director Jared Moskowitz, Florida officials asked Bay Harbor officials not to release any information until more was known.
“If coronavirus hits a cruise ship from Miami, county ready to quarantine passengers” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — “We’re with the cruise lines in the good times,” Mayor Giménez said during an emergency meeting of the County Commission on the coronavirus threat. “And we’re going to be with them in the bad times.” Gimenez said cruise CEOs asked him for advance permission to dock if a Miami-based ship has crew or passengers with suspected or confirmed coronavirus diagnosis. Port director Juan Kuryla said the port is finalizing plans that would allow it to convert an existing warehouse into a medical facility with room for 200 people. He said Miami-Dade is working with a company tapped by cruise lines to operate “a processing facility to disembark those passengers that need some kind of isolation or treatment.”
“Miami-Dade Mayor plans to declare state of emergency over coronavirus threat” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Mayor Giménez said he is declaring a state of emergency over the novel coronavirus, days after a similar statewide edict from DeSantis. The World Health Organization said it was officially declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Gimenez announced while in Washington, D.C., on a visit to the White House with cruise executives to meet with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin on the industry’s response to the coronavirus. “When I fly back, I will be declaring a state of emergency in Miami-Dade,” Gimenez said. “Because there are additional powers that I think are necessary. … We can then take more preemptive steps to limit the spread of this COVID-19 in Miami-Dade.”
“Miami-Dade Commissioner complains he’s ‘tired’ of hearing about coronavirus” via Jerry Iannelli of the Miami New Times — “I’m glad we’re not at this point even considering canceling any events,” Joe Martinez said from the dais. He joked that his own county commission meeting ought to be canceled too. “Because if not, let’s cancel this one. Let’s cancel the Legislature. Let’s cancel Congress.” The Commissioner’s comments came after the City of Miami canceled the famous Calle Ocho Festival, and organizers nixed the popular events Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference. “I don’t know if even Al-Qaeda was able to do what fear of this virus is able to do,” he said. Martinez recommended the county “keep things in perspective.”
—“Leon County EOC activated in coronavirus coordinating effort” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat
—“UCF, other universities to move all classes online — for now — because of coronavirus” via Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel
— MORE LOCAL —
“Clearwater robocall sounds like it’s from Scientology. Republicans did it.” via Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times — In a robocall sent to voters, the person on the line sounded like a Church of Scientology member talking to fellow parishioners. She urged them to vote for Kathleen Beckman, a candidate for Seat 3 on the City Council. “Beckman stands with Scientologists, and we must stand with her,” the woman declared. The call, however, was the work of Republican operatives, a bit of political misdirection just days before a landmark city election on March 17. A group of parishioners indeed endorsed Beckman, but she suspects the call was designed to turn voters against her by linking her to the controversial church. She called it dishonest.
“Tampa Bay transit authority consultant reveals findings after studying hyperloop, gondola systems” via Veronica Brezina-Smith of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — After studying those future technologies, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority’s consultant WSP USA Inc. planner Christina Kopp presented an update to the TBARTA board. The state has allocated $1 million for the Innovative Transit Technology Feasibility Study. The technologies were offered as solutions to combat Tampa’s congested roads with more transit options and ways to connect travelers over waterways. The firm conducted interviews with technology manufacturers/developers, such as Virgin Hyperloop One and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Gondola companies included Doppelmayr and Leitner-Poma; the sky taxi companies interviewed were Lilium, which TBARTA members have talked with, and Uber.
“Hernando commissioners rezone lots for Blaise Ingoglia’s homebuilding company” via Barbara Behrendt of the Tampa Bay Times — Hernando County commissioners endured nearly four hours of criticism from Spring Hill residents who argued that the board’s decision to sell planned parklands as home sites was at least underhanded or at worst corrupt. Hartland Homes, which bought the lots, is the homebuilding company owned by Ingoglia. The five commissioners are all Republican. Months ago, the commission marked as surplus six county parcels totaling 40 acres. But the county never marketed the lots in a way that attracted the attention of Spring Hill residents who live near the lots. For years, they have used the small green spaces as play areas for their children, walking trails and scenic locations to walk their dogs.
“Here’s how nearly $1 million in donations after Pulse shooting was spent” via Kate Santich of the Orlando Sentinel — A report by the philanthropic Central Florida Foundation details the impact of the Better Together Fund — created alongside the better-known OneOrlando Fund that paid $30.8 million in donations directly to survivors of the 2016 mass shooting and the families of the 49 people killed. Better Together fueled critical support programs — including nearly $200,000 for mental health counseling for survivors and more than $45,000 to train counselors on how to deal with trauma and shooting victims. Perhaps the fund’s most lasting impact, though, will be the $100,000 awarded to the fledgling One Orlando Alliance — a coalition formed after the shooting to unite the region’s varied LGBTQ nonprofits so they could work toward common goals.
“Leon Circuit Judge Martin Fitzpatrick stepping down to become U.S. Magistrate Judge” via the Tallahassee Democrat — The 2nd Judicial Circuit, based in Tallahassee, now has a second vacancy with the announcement this week by Fitzpatrick that he will be stepping down. Fitzpatrick’s decision, detailed in a letter Tuesday to Gov. Ron DeSantis, comes on the heels of the resignation by Circuit Judge James C. Hankinson in January. While Hankinson announced he would be stepping down in June, Fitzpatrick’s departure comes because he will be soon be a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Florida, according to 2nd Circuit Chief Judge Jonathan Sjostrom.
— TOP OPINION —
“David Hart: Don’t increase taxes on select few — vehicle leasing, rental car industry is major economic driver in Florida” via Florida Politics — While there are several proposals debated in the Legislature that one could easily describe as a tax cut or a tax break. The proposal they are debating is actually fixing a bad tax policy that was a result of an oversight — an oversight that has led to an increase of millions of dollars in annual taxes on a single industry. To explain, at the federal level, the tax paid on vehicle lease and rental assets remains the same as it did before the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, federal reforms changed the federal theory of taxation, but the state did not address this change in methodology in 2018 or 2019.
— OPINIONS —
“Trump campaign lawsuits are just a political ploy” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — The President has recently abused the legal system by having his campaign committee file frivolous libel suits against The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN. None of these petitions looks likely to survive a motion to dismiss, but they weren’t filed with any legal purpose in mind. Trump, who said during his 2016 campaign he’d like to “open up” libel laws and make it easier to cripple major media, has enough lawyers around him to know he has no case. His suits are meant to impress his MAGA-hatted followers, the fans who jeer journalists at his rallies when he rails against “fake news.” Reinforcing the image of Trump as a hounded, wounded victim is a tactical campaign ploy.
“It’s ‘Gov. DeSantis,’ not ‘Dr. DeSantis,’ right? Don’t dispute coronavirus experts” via the Editorial Board of the Miami Herald — We mean no disrespect, but when the world-renowned guru of infectious diseases, who’s also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and who opened our eyes to the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s says that there has been community spread of the coronavirus in Florida, whom should we believe — Dr. Anthony Fauci, said guru, or DeSantis, who says, Nope, there’s no community spread of the virus in the state? In fact, the DeSantis administration has gone into a Trump-like denial of the coronavirus’ spread, surprising and disappointing for a governor who has been fairly transparent about the disease. Why not confirm it first, Governor? This knee-jerk, nothing-to-see-here response is dangerous.
“Rick Scott’s moment” via Neal Freeman of The National Review — You know Florida’s senior Senator, Marco Rubio, as a man of innate mediagenic qualities and polished rhetorical skills. You may not know his junior colleague, Scott, who was born without those qualities. Scott’s no show horse. He’s a man of real accomplishments, two of them salient to the current crisis. Scott proved himself to be a crisis manager of surpassing skill. He gathered information quickly, cut through professional jargon, communicated unambiguously. (Scott does nouns and verbs. He leaves the adjectives and adverbs to Rubio.) Scott is the man to lead America’s response to the coronavirus attack. Most politicians shrink in a crisis. Scott comes up large and in charge. Would he accept the job?
“Controlling attorney fees a good first step in legal reform” via Julio Fuentes for the Orlando Sentinel — Florida’s legal climate costs the average family $4,442 a year in lawsuit abuse “taxes,” according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and a new study released by the National Federation of Independent Business in Florida estimates that excessive tort costs to the Florida economy result in $10 billion in annual direct costs. Florida families and our elected officials cannot afford to turn a blind eye to such staggering numbers. There is a lot of work to be done to create a more fair and balanced judicial system, and lawmakers should not head home until they pass common-sense legal reform efforts. House Bill 7071, which addresses the use of contingency fee multipliers, is a great place to start.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Personnel note: LSN Partners promotes Nicole Gomez to Director of Client Relations” via Florida Politics — Full-service consulting firm LSN Partners announced it is promoting Gomez to Director of Client Relations. She had previously worked as the firm’s Associate Director of Client Relations. LSN said the bump comes after a demonstrated positive impact on client services since Gomez joined the firm in 2018. Gomez’s expertise has benefited the firm’s work on a wide array of state and local matters, and she’s played a vital role in building client relationships nationwide. “Nicole has been an integral part of the growth of our local and national business, and she continues to exceed all expectations,” LSN Co-Managing Partner and Founder Alexander Heckler said. Before joining LSN, Gomez served as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor and Commission for the City of North Miami Beach and led the Division of Public Affairs and Community Engagement. She also served as Deputy Director of Scott’s 2014 gubernatorial reelection campaign.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Alex Alamo, Becker & Poliakoff: City of Miami
Joanna Bonfanti, Ronald Brise, Julie Fess, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart: The Haskell Company, Scientific Games Corporation
Marc Dunbar, Peter Dunbar, Larry Williams, Dean Mead: Lee County Board of County Commissioners
Foyt Ralston, Foyt Ralston & Associates: Friends of the Ortega River
Jeff Sharkey, Capitol Alliance Group: United States Polo Association
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“MLB prefers teams flip sites if virus shuts parks” via Ronald Blum of The Associated Press — If Major League Baseball can’t play in front of fans at a team’s home ballpark because of the virus outbreak, the sport’s first preference likely would be to switch games to the visiting team’s stadium if possible. MLB starts its season on March 26. Among the games on opening day is Texas at Seattle — the Seattle area has been hit hard by the virus, with 24 deaths. MLB anticipates government officials will decide whether it is safe to play in front of fans in each city. If changes to the schedule are necessary, MLB would make determinations at the point when a ballpark has been ruled out.
“NFL teams propose 7 rules changes, including extra officials” via The Associated Press — Two NFL teams have suggested changes to game officiating, including a “sky judge” utilized by colleges, among seven rules proposals that will be presented to team owners later this month. Also proposed is revamping overtime to minimize the coin toss impact and returning OT to its original 15-minute length, and providing alternatives to the onside kick — which is considered a dangerous play — for a scoring team to attempt to keep the ball. The Ravens and Chargers are seeking what they call a booth umpire as an eighth game official, as well as adding a senior technology adviser to the referee to assist the officiating.
“Uber may suspend accounts of riders, drivers who test positive for coronavirus” via Reuters — The company, which has already taken action in some affected markets, said it had a team working round-the-clock to support public health authorities in their response to the epidemic. The team is the same group in charge of handling communication with global law enforcement. Uber said its agents were only evaluating accounts if contacted by health officials about someone confirmed to have contracted or been exposed to the virus. Uber laid out the company’s detailed policy on the outbreak for all riders and drivers on its website, outlining the steps the company has taken to manage the situation.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to my friend (yeah, I’m gonna get him in trouble that way) Frank Mayernick, one of the best dads and fathers from which I have the benefit of learning. Also celebrating today are U.S. Rep. Val Demings, former Sen. Alan Hays, Steve Bousquet, the still brilliant Brian Franklin, Abby MacIver, Sarah Revell, and Jeff Ryan.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.
