Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 3.9.20

With the 2020 Legislative Session winding down, it’s time again to submit nominations for who is emerging from Session as a winner or a loser.

Think about which bills have already died. Or who (or what issue) is a winner no matter what happens during the final week.

(Please avoid nominating the big-ticket items like the Governor or the budget. We’re looking for specific people and issues. And, please, don’t suggest yourself or your firm; we get it, we’re all winners.)

Your answers will be published (but your identity will remain confidential). Send your suggestions to [email protected].

We’ll publish our annual “Winners & Losers of the Legislative Session” as a separate exclusive email right after Sine Die.

Thanks in advance.

___

Please check out this blog post — “How to avoid another FCADV scandal, betrayal of public trust” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics — As shocking, shameful, and indefensible as the scandal is that has mushroomed around the Florida Council Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), imagine what the horror must be like for the many innocent bystanders. Just as important now is figuring out how to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. I went to the accounting firm James Moore & Company website, where I found some smart suggestions that provide a guiding light to a positive path for other organizations to avoid the quagmire surrounding FCADV. It’s time for all of Florida’s ‘good guy’ organizations — in the quasi-public or nonprofit sectors that serve so many people in diverse areas of need — to review their own policies, procedures and protocols.

— TODAY’S SUNRISE —

It’s supposed to be the final week of the Legislative Session, but it won’t be. Senate Budget Chair Rob Bradley says they’ll need to go into overtime, if only for a few days.

— While the budget talks are still a work in progress, several major issues were settled over the weekend.

— VISIT FLORIDA will NOT be abolished, thanks (in part) to the coronavirus.

— Teachers and state workers will be getting a pay raise.

— Hundreds of millions of dollars in the state’s affordable housing trust fund will actually be spent on housing, instead of being diverted to other projects.

— House and Senate leaders have also agreed to the Governor’s request for $25 million to help the state fight the coronavirus. The House has backed off its original position to eliminate 500 positions from the Florida Department of Health.

— But there are still plenty of differences that must be worked out, including criminal justice and the environment.

— The latest on Florida Woman: Deputies say a woman was caught inside a Walmart making a nail bomb with materials she took off the shelves.

To listen, click on the image below:

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@TravelGov: U.S. citizens, especially with underlying conditions, should not travel by cruise ship. #CDC notes increased risk of #COVID19 on cruises. Many countries have implemented screening procedures, denied port entry rights to ships and prevented disembarking.

—@SamStein: Everyone knows the perfect time to switch your chief of staff is when a global epidemic is really starting to heat up

Tweet, tweet:

Viral Katrina rolls on.

CDC has tested 1,583 people for coronavirus https://t.co/yLARPjpKIO

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) March 8, 2020

—@FLOTUS: I encourage everyone who chooses to be negative & question my work at the @WhiteHouse to take time and contribute something good & productive in their own communities. #BeBest

—@Sarah_Nicolas: The fun thing about covid concerns in Florida right now is the pollen is at an all-time high and we’re having 40-degree temperature swings, so people are sniffling all over the place.

—@RWitbracht: I hope everyone is having a good Saturday, except for the people who made the budget PDFs unsearchable 🙂

— DAYS UNTIL —

Super Tuesday II — 1; Last day of 2020 Session (maybe) — 4; 11th Democratic Debate in Phoenix — 6; Florida’s presidential primary — 8; Super Tuesday III — 8; “After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News” premieres on HBO — 10; MLB Opening Day — 17; Quibi launches — 28; Easter — 34; First quarter campaign reports due — 37; Florida TaxWatch Spring Board Meeting begins — 37; TaxWatch Principal Leadership Awards — 38; Last day of federal candidate qualifying — 42; NFL Draft — 45; Mother’s Day — 62; Florida Chamber Summit on Prosperity and Economic Opportunity — 67; Last day of state candidate qualifying — 91; “Top Gun: Maverick” premieres — 109; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 126; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premieres — 130; 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo start (maybe) — 137; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 162; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 168; First presidential debate in Indiana — 204; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 212; Second presidential debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 220; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 227; 2020 General Election — 239; “No Time to Die” premieres (now) — 261.

— TOP STORIES —

“Donald Trump’s mismanagement helped fuel coronavirus crisis” via Dan Diamond of POLITICO — For six weeks behind the scenes, and now increasingly in public, Trump has undermined his administration’s own efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak — resisting attempts to plan for worst-case scenarios, overturning a public-health plan upon request from political allies and repeating only the warnings that he chose to hear. Members of Congress have grilled top officials like Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield over the government’s biggest mistake: failing to secure enough testing to head off a coronavirus outbreak in the United States. But many current and former Trump administration officials say the true management failure was Trump’s.

“Ron DeSantis activates Level II response to coronavirus” via CBS Miami — DeSantis on Saturday ordered the Division of Emergency Management activated to Level II to coordinate a statewide response to the coronavirus in Florida. The move is to provide support to the Florida Department of Health and county health departments. The directive follows Friday night’s announcement from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) that two had died, and two new presumptive positive cases were confirmed in Broward County. On Saturday afternoon, DeSantis was joined by Vice President Mike Pence and other federal officials at Port Everglades to talk about the coronavirus.

“Third Broward resident tests positive for novel coronavirus, state officials say” via the staff of the Miami Herald — Florida health officials on Sunday announced another positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Broward County. The state health department confirmed the new case in a social media post that said the patient, a 67-year-old man, is currently isolated. This marks the 12th confirmed case in Florida during a weekend marked by heightened fears of the spread of the virus and pointed pronouncements from governments in the U.S. and abroad. Speaking on CNN’s Sunday morning program “State of the Union,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Jake Tapper that the country is moving past the point of trying to contain the virus completely. “We’re shifting into a mitigation phase, which means that we’re helping communities understand you’re going to see more cases. Unfortunately, you’re going to see more deaths, but that doesn’t mean that we should panic,” he said. The Florida Department of Health, which announced the new Broward case via Twitter, did not indicate if the man had a recent travel history. The Broward County arm of the state health department did not respond to a request for information Sunday evening.

Tweet, tweet:

Puerto Rico Gov. @wandavazquezg announces a possible coronavirus case on the island: a woman who arrived on a cruise ship from Fort Lauderdale and had previously flown to Florida from Italy. The woman is in the hospital with pneumonia. Her husband is asymptomatic but in isolation

— Patricia Mazzei (@PatriciaMazzei) March 9, 2020

“Coronavirus: Florida’s week of miscues, miscommunication” via John Pacenti of the Palm Beach Post — When a highly contagious New York lawyer got diagnosed with a deadly strain of the coronavirus, health authorities there pulled out all the stops. His synagogue got shut down, along with his daughter’s school. But when Florida learned the man had recently traveled to Miami, state health officials never mentioned it publicly again — only telling a reporter that they were relying on the CDC to let them know whether he infected someone in South Florida. Finally, when pressed, DeSantis’ spokeswoman gave the first insight that Miami might be in the clear. But then within hours, the Department of Health announced on Twitter two deaths ‒ one a case from Lee County that hadn’t even been previously announced.

— RIGHT-HAND MAN —

As chief of staff for DeSantis, Shane Strum is the most important nonelected figure in Florida’s government.

Strum oversees 28 state agencies, troubleshoots issues with lawmakers, and promotes DeSantis’ agenda — which is now facing its most significant challenge to date with the novel coronavirus outbreak.

According to the profile in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Strum “roams a vast political landscape behind the scenes, influencing everything from teacher pay raises to top-level appointments to removing Broward Sheriff Scott Israel from office.”

Strumm began his political career as a member of the Broward County Young Republicans, later as chair of the county GOP, followed by a stint as chief of staff to former Gov. Charlie Crist. He was also an adviser to Gov. Rick Scott as well as an executive at Keiser University and a commissioner — and later senior VP — at Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, the Sun-Sentinel notes. It was there he met up with DeSantis.

Among the issues important to DeSantis, Strum says, is digital driver’s licenses that can be stored in motorists’ smartphones. Also, the Governor is considering waiting until September to name Palm Beach Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court, he says. As the only African American among nine finalists, Francis won’t meet the legal requirements of the position until then.

Strum criticized news reports of DeSantis ducking Capitol reporters in recent weeks. “The Governor wants to talk to everybody,” Strum said. “I don’t think you’ll see him ducking or hiding.”

A challenging job under most circumstances, Strum has it a little bit easier considering DeSantis’ sky-high approval ratings. But he also understands that those things don’t last forever, and rough times could happen sometime in the future.

— DATELINE: TALLY —

“DeSantis learned of coronavirus death a day later” via Allison Ross and Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis did not learn of a Lee County woman’s positive coronavirus test until a day after she died. The woman, who was in her 70s and had traveled internationally, checked into a Lee County hospital Wednesday evening with lower respiratory problems, the Governor’s spokeswoman Helen Ferré said. The woman’s conditions met the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for coronavirus testing, and the hospital sent her test sample to the Florida Department of Health’s laboratory in Miami on Thursday. Later Thursday, the woman died. Her results did not come back “presumptive positive” for the virus until Friday.

“Bill Galvano: ‘I decided to not allow’ New College to lose independence” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Galvano made it clear who saved New College from being abolished as an independent institution, and offered a warning to the school that it needs to improve or risk losing independence in the future. “In my view, a merger at this point would be premature, and so I decided to not allow it to move forward,” Galvano said in a statement. A bill that died Friday after it was not heard on the House floor in the waning days of the legislative session would have put New College of Florida in Sarasota and Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland under the umbrella of the University of Florida.

“José Oliva unafraid of scope-of-practice veto” via the News Service of Florida — Oliva brushed aside fears that DeSantis will veto his signature legislation that would broaden the roles that nurses and pharmacists play in Florida’s health care delivery system. The Governor has expressed misgivings about the bills. Oliva told reporters he hasn’t asked the Governor for “some assurance” that he wouldn’t veto the measures. “He’s the Governor. He’s the executive. We have our prerogatives, and he has his. What I have done for two years is explain to him how not only is this the right thing to do, but it’s enormously necessary,” Oliva added. The House passed two bills (HB 607 and HB 7053) that would allow advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to practice independently from physicians.

“Oliva: Senate E-Verify plan on-American” via the News Service of Florida — House Speaker Oliva blasted a plan that would give the DeSantis’ administration the power to randomly audit private businesses to ensure they are not hiring undocumented workers. DeSantis and the Senate have settled on a proposal that would give his administration the authority to review Florida employers to ensure they are verifying workers’ legal eligibility through E-Verify or the “I-9” form, the methods used by the federal government to verify workers’ identities. “Empowering executive agencies to have police powers and do random checks, that is something that is of tremendous concern. We are giving the agency the random ability to show up and do an audit, something about that doesn’t say American to me,” Oliva said.

“Should lawmakers consider coronavirus before enacting E-Verify requirements?” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A mandatory requirement for Florida employers to use E-Verify seems as close to passage as it’s ever been. But could growing concerns about the coronavirus derail the legislation? “To approve an E-Verify proposal is going to push people further into the shadows,” said Yvonne Barnett, an attorney who frequently deals with immigrant issues. “At this time, we need them to come out and get well and assess them and do everything we can. This virus is speeding rapidly across the globe and in Florida as we speak,” Barnett said.

— BUDGET NOTES — 

“Legislature now at $600 million for teacher raises” via Sarah Mueller of Florida Politics — The House recommended $500 million for teacher pay raises, which was what the Senate originally proposed. Senate leaders instead countered with offering $600 million for wage increases. That’s just $50 million less than the House’s initial position. Senate Education Committee Chair Kelli Stargel says they raised it in their offer to help meet DeSantis’ goal of raising starting teacher salaries to $47,500. In exchange, the Senate dropped its base student allocation increase from $40 per student to $18. The House is pushing for it to increase by $50. If lawmakers increase the per-student funding, which is the top source of funding for school districts, that could help offset the cost of the pension legislation.

“Budget deal steers $100 million to Florida Forever” via John Kennedy of USA TODAY — Florida Forever financing has had more ups and downs than a roller coaster in the decades since it began in 2001 as a descendant of a land-buying program launched in the 1980s under then-Gov. Bob Martinez. The $100 million approved for the budget year starting July 1 meets what DeSantis has recommended and tops the $33 million set aside for land-buying last year. Environmentalists had maintained an email and phone campaign to push lawmakers to pump more cash into the program. In announcing the $100 million deal, a lead House negotiator, Rep. Holly Raschein said, “So the emails can stop.”

Election security funding primed to pass — Four years after Russia targeted Florida supervisors of elections offices, lawmakers are preparing to plunk down cash to bolster elections security. As reported by Gary Fineout of POLITICO Florida, Secretary of State Laurel Lee has requested another $11 million. The funds are in addition to the $2.3 million she asked for ahead of the Legislative Session. The extra cash would come from $20 million in federal aid granted to Florida in January. The budget request comes after Lee and the State Department conducted an election security review looking into the extent of Russian hacking in the 2016 election. At least two county elections systems were breached.

“Cybersecurity task force report due date to be extended” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Lawmakers agreed to push back the expiration date and final assessment deadline for the state’s review of its agencies’ cybersecurity readiness. The Cybersecurity Task Force convened in October to review and provide recommendations to improve the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure, governance and operations. But Senators acceded to the House’s request to extend the task force’s final report deadline by three months and its expiration date by four. “When you talk about the threat that we can have in the state of Florida when it comes to our infrastructure and cyber, we need to make sure that we get it right, not that we get this fast,” said Rep. Jayer Williamson, the lead House government operations budget negotiator.

“Nursing homes could get payment bump” via the News Service of Florida — Florida nursing homes will see a $74.8 million increase in their Medicaid rates beginning July 1 under an agreement reached by legislative health care budget writers. Lawmakers have agreed to earmark $28.5 million in recurring general revenue, which draws down federal dollars. Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Aaron Bean and House Health Care Appropriations Chairwoman MaryLynn Magar have been given until 1 p.m. to bridge differences in their chambers’ respective spending plans. Any outstanding issues then will go to Senate Appropriations Chairman Bradley and House Appropriations Chairman Travis Cummings.

“Canadian drug importation money approved” via the News Service of Florida — Health care budget writers have agreed to spend $10.3 million to help carry out a Canadian drug-importation program, about half of what DeSantis sought in a proposed budget he unveiled late last year. The agreement came this weekend as House and Senate negotiators work out details of a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The Legislature in 2019 passed a measure that allows Florida to establish Canadian and international drug-importation programs. The money will be used to hire a contractor that will assist the Agency for Health Care Administration in developing the Canadian importation program. Ultimately, the program still requires approval from the Trump administration.

“Full funding directed to Florida Holocaust Museum” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Sen. Ed Hooper’s $750,000 appropriations request for the Pinellas County museum was closed out in budget conference late Saturday. The money will provide nonrecurring funds to the museum for things like salaries, new programming and education, artifact preservation and technology upgrades. “I am so incredibly grateful to the Legislature and the Department of Education and the whole administration for understanding the importance of Holocaust education in general and our role throughout the state,” said Florida Holocaust Museum Executive Director Elizabeth Gelman.

“Legislature agrees on $5.5 million for Fire College chemical cleanup” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — The project would scrub sites contaminated by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl. Also known as PFAS, chemicals that were formerly commonplace in firefighting foam as well as many consumer products, such as textiles advertised as water or stain resistant. Lawmakers agreed to back the Florida State Fire College effort with $5.5 million. The money would have taken the entire Department of Environmental Protection’s environmental cleanup budget. The House did not previously contemplate the allocation. The request, a Senate priority, was initially set at $10 million.

—“Lawmakers won’t sweep affordable housing fund” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics

—“House, Senate align on road projects” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics

—“Compromise a win for South Florida military museums” via Sarah Mueller of Florida Politics

— LEGISLATION —

“How long is needed for a school turnaround? Lawmakers reconsider.” via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida lawmakers repeatedly have tightened the requirements placed on the state’s lowest-scoring schools. They started by focusing on F-rated campuses and later added to the mix those that received two consecutive D’s. This year, they proposed including all schools that had made a single D. They also recommended allowing the state Department of Education to revoke a school’s improvement plan even as it worked to implement the model. That appears to have been a bridge too far. Educators across the state, and some national experts, said that while the lawmakers’ goal of pressuring continually struggling schools to improve was laudable and necessary, the timeline put forth in HB 7079 was unrealistic.

“House tees up voucher expansion” via the News Service of Florida — The bill, which the House prepared for final passage, would boost the Family Empowerment Scholarship program. The program, created last year, provided vouchers to nearly 18,000 students to attend private schools this year. The proposed changes to the program would create a new formula that would lead to an annual increase equal to 1% of the overall enrollment of public schools, or an estimated 28,902 additional vouchers during the 2020-2021 school year, according to a House staff analysis of the measure. The House on Friday stripped a provision from the bill that would have reduced the number of audits the state conducts on nonprofit organizations that distribute state-funded vouchers, from once per year to at least once every three years.

“Bill to merge Florida Poly, New College into UF dies” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — “It wasn’t going to get the support in the Senate, so we abandoned it,” said Speaker Oliva, after the House adjourned without taking up the bill. “It’s a shame, but that’s the process.” The bill was a legislative grenade that was filed at a late stage in Session that critics said felt rushed and haphazard. But bill sponsor Rep. Randy Fine, maintained that combining the schools would result in more efficient use of taxpayer dollars since Florida Poly and New College have a higher-than-average cost per degree to the state. But from the beginning, it was opposed even by influential Republican lawmakers who represented the areas where the schools are located.

“House’s tax package would cripple Miami-Dade’s tourism industry” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Floridians are sure to enjoy the estimated $115 million in savings brought by HB 7097. Still, there’s a catch: it furthers the Florida House’s war on tourism marketing. Nestled in the fine print are extensive changes to how tourism development tax revenues may be used. Statewide, the bill would allow those dollars to be used on water quality projects ranging from septic-to-sewer conversions to algae cleanup. The tourism industry is opposed to the change, as it would divert money from the intended purpose of the tax — developing tourism. Proponents argue that clean water and pristine beaches will help bring in visitors as well as any marketing campaign could.

House bolsters occupational licensing dereg package — Rep. Blaise Ingoglia’s bill to cut regulations on specific occupational licenses tacked on a half-dozen changes on the way to a floor vote. As reported by Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida, the bill’s provision to preempt local food truck ordinances was amended to allow ports and airports to continue regulating such vendors. Other changes include eliminating license requirements for talent agents who don’t represent minors, waving contractor licensing exams for graduates with 3.0 GPA or higher, and giving the Office of Chief Resiliency Officer a seat on the Florida Building Commission. The changes bring the bill in line with the Senate companion.

— MORE LEGISLATION —

“Disabilities revamp gets Senate approval” via the News Service of Florida — The Senate agreed to tee up for final passage a proposal (SB 82) that would redesign part of the state’s iBudget program for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The House does not have a companion version of the proposal, which has been a priority for Senate President Galvano. The Senate approved a change that narrowed a “certificate of need” exemption that would allow 24 new institutional beds for people with disabilities to be brought online every two years. The amendment also makes clear that only three exemptions could be granted and that the exemptions would generally expire 18 months after approval.

“House bill shuts health care licensing loophole” via Jennifer Titus of WTSP — HB 1143, filed by Rep. Chris Latvala, would also flag any employee during the screening process if that person has been arrested or is awaiting final disposition. This bill was filed after 10Investigates uncovered a local CNA accused of inappropriately touching patients was able to continue to work from place to place to place. He also pleaded no contest to the battery of a patient. He worked three more jobs before being arrested again in September of 2019 for touching patients inappropriately and in several different facilities dating back to 2016. HB713 will now make its way to the Senate floor sometime next week. HB 1143 will be heard on the House floor on Monday.

“For-profit eye bank ban ready for House vote” via Florida Politics — The House is poised to pass a bill that would ban for-profit eye banks from operating in the state. HB 563, sponsored by Democratic Rep, Dan Daley, is expected to get a vote by the full House on Monday. Proponents say the bill is needed to keep organ donations flowing. Donors, they say, are squeamish about their tissue being sold as a commodity. Federal law prohibits companies from buying or selling organs outright. Still, the statute is silent on fees for other work required to facilitate transplants — organ transport, for instance, is a chargeable service. Eye transplants have turned into a major business over the past few years when CorneaGen started gaining traction. The for-profit company was spun-off from a nonprofit called SightLife.

“House approves DeSantis’ call to hike environmental fines” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — The House, with little comment, voted 106-0 to pass a proposal (HB 1091) that would make numerous changes in the amounts and duration of penalties for violating Florida environmental laws. The Senate put on hold a similar proposal (SB 1450) but is expected to take up the House bill on Monday. House sponsor Fine said waterways face an “existential crisis.” He said the bill would increase fines for acts such as illegal releases of raw sewage into waterways. He said he is trying to prevent illegal releases from being considered a “cost of doing business.” “The idea is to change the thought process, so they start to do the right things,” Fine said.

“Senate approves water measure aimed at easing algae blooms” via John Kennedy of USA TODAY — A sweeping water quality measure sought by Gov. DeSantis was approved by the Senate, with supporters calling it a major step toward easing runoff from farms and development that have fed algae blooms plaguing the state. Environmental groups warn the legislation (SB 712) doesn’t go far enough and criticized lawmakers for allowing farms to self-monitor their runoff into waterways — although farms would now have to be inspected every two years. Sen. Bradley said, “This might be the most important bill we pass this session. The Clean Waterways Act will have an impact for decades and decades to come.”

Public counsel term limit moves to Senate floor — A bill that would cap the public counsel to three four-year term limits is ready for a vote by the full Senate, Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida reports. The measure is a priority of Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson, who said term limits have been beneficial in the Legislature, and the same could be true for the public counsel, who represents Floridians in cases involving utility companies. “I think anywhere we can bring fresh ideas and fresh opportunities for folks to excel in this system makes it better,” Simpson said. Current Public Counsel J.R. Kelly has been on the job since 2007. If ultimately approved, the clock would start at zero for Kelly, allowing him 12 more years in office.

“Senate sets up vote to overhaul state’s hemp program” via Florida Politics — Sen. Bill Montford‘s bill (SB 1876) includes several recommendations by the Department of Agriculture to clarify regulations around the program approved last year. Montford said the bill added hemp extract to regulated food, provides a method to amend the state plan if needed and offers guidelines regarding THC and hemp extract, including restricting sales to those under the age of 21. The Tallahassee Democrat’s measure would exempt “safe” seeds, as defined by USDA, and synthetic CBD from the definition of hemp extract.

Chambers come closer on tech bill — The House bill to create the Florida Digital Service and allow for better information sharing between state agencies was amended to bring it closer to companion legislation in the Senate. As reported by Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida, the changes mainly relate to the “financial sandbox” portion of the bill, which would allow companies to test financial services software on consumers with the Department of Financial Services oversight. The House bill would now allow for applications from companies that don’t demonstrate financial responsibility to be rejected.

“Not stopping for school buses could be more costly” via the NWF Daily News — The Senate unanimously passed the bill that would increase the penalty for passing a school bus displaying a stop sign from $100 to $200. A second offense within five years could result in a fine and a driver’s license suspension between 180 days and one year. Passing a stopped bus on the side where children enter and exit would rise from $200 to $400 for a first offense. A second offense within five years would result in the fine plus a license suspension between 360 days and two years. In 2019, the Department of Education surveyed 10,136 drivers, showing that on a single day, there were 12,749 illegal passes.

— TODAY IN CAPITOL —

Happening today — Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs Executive Director Danny Burgess will host a ceremony to honor 16 Floridians from the Class of 2019 inducted into the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame, 10:30 a.m., Cabinet Room. Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a ceremonial unveiling of names at the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame Wall, Plaza Level.

Day 55 rules — After the 55th day (March 8) of a regular session, no House bills on second reading may be taken up and considered by the House. Also, the Special Order Calendar shall be published in one Calendar of the House and may be taken up on the day the Calendar is published. Main floor amendments must be approved for filing with the Clerk not later than 2 hours before Session is scheduled to convene on the day a bill appears on the Special Order Calendar in the Calendar of the House; and amendments to main floor amendments and substitute amendments for main floor amendments must be approved for filing not later than 1 hour after the main floor amendment deadline.

Happening today — Rep. Dianne Hart hosts a news conference on medical care for prison inmates, 9 a.m., 4th-floor Rotunda.

The Senate will hold a floor session, 10 a.m., Senate Chamber.

The House will hold a floor session, 1030 a.m., House Chamber.

The Senate Special Order Calendar Group will set a special-order calendar 15 minutes after floor session, Room 401, Senate Office Building.

The House Rules Committee meets 15 minutes after the floor session, Room 404, House Office Building.

— SUNSHINE STATE PRIMARY — 

Voters are voting — According to the Florida Division of Elections, as of Sunday afternoon, Supervisors of Elections have 1,093,597 Republican vote-by-mail ballots; 586,329 have returned, 436,670 are outstanding, and 7,450 are unsent. There have been 63,148 early in-person votes cast. As for Democrats, supervisors have a total of 1,247,218 vote-by-mail ballots; 456,643 have returned 678,861 are outstanding, and 13,935 are unsent. There have been 97,779 early in-person votes cast. Those classified as “other,” 247,434 vote-by-mail ballots, 14,404 have returned, 34,194 are outstanding and 198,192 are unsent. There have been 647 early in-person votes cast.

“AFL-CIO scraps Orlando presidential forum” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO Florida — The event was scheduled for March 12 in Orlando, five days before the state‘s presidential primary in which 219 Democratic delegates will be up for grabs. Carolyn Bobb, a spokeswoman for the AFL-CIO, said that the forum was scrapped due to the “ongoing coronavirus outbreak.” Florida looms as a potential make-or-break moment for Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. The former vice president is seen as the front-runner in the state, a status he cemented after former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race Wednesday. Hillary Clinton bested Sanders by 30 points in the Florida Democratic primary four years ago.

“Joe Biden rakes up Florida endorsements” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO Florida — Former Vice President Biden announced more than 20 endorsements from current and former Florida elected officials, including State Sen. Annette Taddeo. Others now backing Biden include state Reps. Loranne Ausley, Kamia Brown, Ben Diamond, Bobby DuBose, and Evan Jenne, as well as Sean Shaw, a former legislator who ran for attorney general in 2018. House Minority Leader Kionne McGhee, who had backed former Mayor Bloomberg, was also included on a list of endorsements released by the Biden campaign.

“Jill Biden wows crowd at Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic gathering” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The former Second Lady spoke to a conference banquet of about 125 people of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, portraying her husband as a big part of the social acceptance and political and legal gains that the gay community received during the administration of President Barack Obama. And she pledged it would continue if Joe Biden is elected president. “He’s going to stop violence against the LGBTQ community, especially against transgender women of color. He’s going to reverse the transgender military ban and ensure that every American who is qualified to serve in our military can do so without having to hide who they are,” Mrs. Biden added, drawing rousing applause.

“Jill Biden to teachers in Boca: Education secretary will be an educator under Joe Biden” via Christine Stapleton of the Palm Beach Post — “Nothing is more important in our democracy than giving our children the quality schools they deserve, and we’re falling short,” Biden said. “It starts with how we invest or don’t invest in our classrooms. Biden has been a teacher for over 34 years. For the last 10 years — including the years she served as Second Lady during her husband’s tenure as Vice President under Obama — she has taught English at a community college in northern Virginia. Biden said she has not taken a leave of absence from teaching since she had a baby more than 30 years ago but is taking off a semester now to campaign for her husband, “because the stakes are too high right now.

“DNC chair Tom Perez plans South Florida stop to promote voter registration” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo and Broward County Democratic Party Chair Cynthia Busch will join Perez at the event. The trio will appear at 11:30 a.m. in Oakland Park at 830 E Oakland Park Blvd, #110. Perez and others are looking to kick off voter registration canvassing efforts as Democrats continue to prepare for this year’s election. Florida is one of six states the DNC is investing in as part of its “Battleground Build-Up 2020.”

Assignment editors — Andrew Gillum joins the Florida Democratic Party, students from FAMU and FSU and representatives of the Biden and Sanders presidential campaigns for a rally to urge early student voting: FSU rally begins at noon, Westcott Plaza; FSU March starts at 1 p.m., march to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center where early voting is taking place. FAMU rally starts at 2 p.m., Florida A&M University, The Eternal Flame, 1601 S Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Tallahassee.

— NEWS BY THE NUMBERS —

— MORE 2020 —

Happening tonight (maybe?):

“Despite virus risk, 2020 hopefuls keep up campaigns for now” via Hope Yen and Will Weissert of The Associated Press — Federal health authorities have been advising older people and those with medical conditions, in particular, to avoid crowded spaces, prompting the cancellation of music and arts festivals and other events around the country. But that so far hasn’t led Trump or his two remaining major Democratic rivals, Sanders and Biden, to cut back on big campaign events. Each man is in his 70s. Sanders said, “in the best of all possible worlds,” the three candidates should probably limit their travel and avoid crowds, “but right now, we’re running as hard as we can.” Sanders planned a meeting in Detroit with public health experts and others to discuss the outbreak.

“DNC debate criteria sets up Biden and Sanders faceoff” via Kate Sullivan of CNN — The former Vice President and Vermont Senator have already met the delegate threshold outlined by the DNC in a news release. They have qualified for the CNN/Univision Arizona debate on March 15. The criteria all but ensures Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the only other Democratic candidate running for president, will not make the debate stage. Gabbard has won a total of two delegates from the nominating contests. Gabbard qualified for some of the DNC debates in 2019, but the congresswoman has not met the debate thresholds this year, and has not polled above 1% in recent national surveys.

“Kamala Harris endorses Biden” via Cleve Wootson Jr. of The Washington Post — In a statement, Harris said she felt that Biden was best prepared to “steer America through these turbulent times.” “When I started my run for president, I said America needs a president who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people; a president who speaks the truth; and a president who fights for those whose voices are too often overlooked or ignored,” Harris said in a statement. Harris is the sixth former rival to endorse Biden since his commanding victory in the South Carolina primary. In her statement, Harris spoke kindly of Biden’s political career, and of Biden’s deceased son, Beau, who was attorney general of Delaware when Harris held the same position in California.

“Biden scrambles to make up ground with Latinos” via Laura Barrón-López and Marc Caputo of POLITICO — Flush with a $22 million cash infusion in five days, the Biden campaign says it’s readying Latino-oriented “six-figure” ad buys in the March 17 primary states in Florida, Arizona and Illinois in the hopes of killing off one of Bernie Sanders’ few mainstays of support. The campaign is hiring and deploying Latino organizers in Arizona and Florida, both swing states crucial to stopping President Donald Trump. And it’s racking up endorsements from prominent elected leaders.

What Fred Guttenberg is reading — “Major gun safety group endorses Biden’s presidential bid” via Avery Jaffe of the Associated Press — “Biden has received the endorsement of one of the nation’s largest gun control advocacy groups, Everytown for Gun Safety, in the latest sign that Bernie Sanders’ spotty record on guns may be weighing him down in the presidential primary.

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund plans to spend $60 million on electoral activities this cycle, some of which will go toward trying to elect Biden. An Everytown spokesman said the group typically airs advertisements and engages in grassroots organizing for the candidates it endorses, though it’s unclear when the group will begin to spend on Biden’s behalf. The group also boasts 6 million supporters and more than 375,000 grassroots donors, numbers that could help boost attention and support for Biden’s presidential bid nationwide.

“Inside the Sanders campaign’s quest to win the Internet via Isaac Stanley-Becker” of The Washington Post — As Sanders seeks to reinvigorate his presidential campaign against a largely unified Democratic establishment, he will tap a political resource unlike any other in Democratic politics — a far-reaching universe of podcasts, YouTube channels, subreddits, Facebook groups and digital newsletters. No other Democrat exercises the same kind of power online. The candidates who competed in the nominating contest’s four early states collectively garnered about 57 million views on Facebook live streams over the past year. Sanders is responsible for 54 million of them, according to an analysis conducted by his campaign using CrowdTangle, a social media tracking tool.

“‘It sounds insane, actually’: Democrats relive 2016 primary all over again” via David Siders of POLITICO — the 2020 Democratic primary is back where it was in 2016. Biden is Hillary Clinton, and Sanders is playing himself. The dramatic differences between the early stages of the two primaries have now faded, and as this year’s contest moves past Super Tuesday, it is taking on a familiar feel.” 2020 is suddenly becoming the Dementia Campaign. Trump‘s own public blunders have prompted recurrent commentary throughout his term questioning whether his cognitive faculties are deteriorating. Now that the 77-year-old Biden is the Democratic front-runner over the 78-year-old Bernie Sanders to take on the 73-year-old Trump, questions about age-related infirmity are taking on a new volume and centrality.

“Elizabeth Warren faces another big choice — whom (if anyone) to endorse” via Annie Linskey of The Washington Post — The choice at hand — between former Vice President Biden and Sen. Sanders — is in a sense the latest version of a choice Warren has confronted throughout her political career, whether to align with the establishment and its leaders or join forces with the outsiders. Warren has long resisted making this kind of decision, or even accepting the conventional notion of insiders vs. outsiders. But the pressure to endorse will only grow stronger as Biden tries to cement his lead, and Sanders attempts a comeback. Another option is to embrace neither candidate until one becomes the nominee.

“Prayers in Vegas, slumped shoulders in N.H. — inside the final days of Warren’s campaign” via Jess Bidgood and Liz Goodwin of The Boston Globe — The post-mortem of Warren’s presidential campaign is already underway following the campaign’s end. Some supporters wonder where the Bloomberg-slaying version had been all along, lamenting what could have been had her fighter persona been fully unleashed. Others questioned her advertising strategy in Iowa, or her decision to focus on “unity.” Staffers grappled with how, in their minds, the best candidate, the strongest team, and best policies did not translate into more votes, admitting she was squeezed between the center and the left. Warren ultimately had to reckon with the fact that all her meticulous planning and execution could not win the Democratic nomination. And in order to execute the plans, you have to win.

“Tom Steyer: What I learned while running for President” via The New York Times — Meeting Americans has reinforced my sense of deep governmental failure. Whether it’s the warp-speed gentrification of Charleston, the homeless problem in Los Angeles or water pollution in Denmark, South Carolina, Americans deserve so much better from their government. We can afford it. We know better. And it’s the right thing to do. The unwillingness of our government to treat people fairly across racial and ethnic boundaries was especially jarring to me. If you love Americans, watching cruelty based on race — in virtually every aspect of life — is unbearable. It’s even worse when it’s casual and unnoticed. The campaign reinforced my deep misgivings about how the elite media, political insiders and big corporations have an impact on our democracy.

“Citing concern over Sanders’ challenges in Florida, Democratic super PAC postpones ad blitz” via Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald — Priorities USA, a super PAC that says it will spend $150 million on anti-Trump ads this year, had planned to start running TV ads in Florida on March 31. But Sanders’ rise to the top of the Democratic primary — and fears over his unpopularity in the state — persuaded the group to push back the ad campaign until at least May 5. “With the primary still in flux, we want to wait to see who the nominee is before we determine our TV strategy in Florida,” said Josh Schwerin, senior strategist with Priorities USA. “Current data suggests that while both Sanders and Biden have paths to 270 electoral votes, Florida would be more challenging for Sanders.”

“Bookmaker: Val Demings a 14-1 bet for vice president pick” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The heat has turned up under speculation that Demings could be a vice-presidential candidate since she endorsed front-runner Biden, and gambling oddsmakers responded by listing her as a 14-1 pick. It makes Demings a shorter bet than a score of other potential Democratic vice-presidential candidates handicapped in the odds making released by US-Bookies.com. The gambling house says California Sen. Harris is the betting favorite to be the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee, at 3-1, followed by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar at 5-1, Abrams at 6-1, Massachusetts Sen. Warren at 8-1, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 12-1.

 — SOUTHERN REBELS —

White Southern women were a key to Trump’s election in 2016 — giving him 64 percent of the vote — but that hold is becoming tenuous.

Stephanie McCrummen of The Washington Post profiles Miranda Murphey a 39-year-old high school English teacher with a Ph.D., who is part of a voting demographic that was once loyal to Republicans, but now is close to rebellion, which could change the nation’s political map of the country

Trump needs the loyalty of Southern White women like Murphey to remain in power. For decades, it was the support of this group that defined the modern Republican Party.

“Then came Trump, who Miranda found so morally repugnant that for the first time in her voting life, she wrote in the name of the Libertarian Party candidate,” McCrummen writes.

It was when she met a fellow teacher, Elizabeth Hahn, that she discovered her distaste for Trump, the direction of the Republican Party and the vitriol of current politics were not isolated. 

“She had told Miranda about how the rise of Trump had forced her not only to clarify her values but to start expressing them, and what she felt that expression had cost her,” McCrummen writes. “Her father, a Trump supporter, wrote her out of his will. Her oldest son, a Trump supporter, left Augusta to live with her ex-husband, a Trump supporter.”

The story outlines the inner turmoil of a woman who feels out of place, and rebels against the perceived rudeness of the President, and how that support for Trump may just be slipping away in November.

— CORONAVIRUS —

“Why the coronavirus could threaten the U.S. economy even more than China’s” via Austan Goolsbee for The New York Times — Advanced economies like the United States are hardly immune. On the contrary, a broad outbreak of the disease in them could be even worse for their economies than in China. That is because face-to-face service industries — the kind of businesses that go into a tailspin when fearful people withdraw from one another — tend to dominate economies in high-income countries more than they do in China. If people stay home from school, stop traveling, and don’t go to sporting events, the economic consequence would be worse. In a sense, this is the economic equivalent of the virus’s varied health effects. Just as the disease poses a particular threat to older patients, it could be especially dangerous for more mature economies.

“U.S. citizens should not travel by cruise ship, State Department says” via The Washington Post — Warning Americans of the risks they could face if they depart on cruises, the State Department noted that other countries with strict screening procedures have stopped passengers on cruise ships from disembarking or subjected them to lengthy quarantine periods. Americans aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in January and February were eventually evacuated and isolated for two weeks after being stranded for weeks aboard the ship as eight people died and 700 passengers became infected. “While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities,” the announcement said.

“Official: White House didn’t want to tell seniors not to fly” via Mike Stobbe of The Associated Press — The White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that elderly and physically fragile Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention submitted the plan as a way of trying to control the virus, but White House officials ordered the air travel recommendation be removed, said the official who had direct knowledge of the plan. Trump administration officials have since suggested certain people should consider not traveling but have stopped short of the stronger guidance sought by the CDC.

“Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine test” via Lauran Neergaard of The Associated Press — Dozens of research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. Importantly, they’re pursuing different types of vaccines — shots developed from new technologies that not only are faster to make than traditional inoculations but might prove more potent. Some researchers even aim for temporary vaccines, such as shots that might guard people’s health a month or two at a time while longer-lasting protection is developed. “Until we test them in humans, we have absolutely no idea what the immune response will be,” cautioned vaccine expert Dr. Judith O’Donnell, infectious disease chief at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

“Bill Gates-funded program will soon offer home-testing kits for new coronavirus” via Sandi Doughton of the Seattle Times — Testing for the novel coronavirus in the Seattle area will get a huge boost in the coming weeks as a project funded by Gates and his foundation begins offering home-testing kits that will allow people who fear they may be infected to swab their noses and send the samples back for analysis. Results, which should be available in one to two days, will be shared with local health officials who will notify those who test positive. Via online forms, infected people can answer questions about their movements and contacts, making it easier for health officials to locate others who may need to be tested or quarantined, as well as to track the virus’ spread and identify possible hot spots.

“’Maybe I have a natural ability’: Trump plays medical expert on coronavirus by second-guessing the professionals” via David Nakamura of The Washington Post — “I like this stuff. I really get it,” Trump boasted to reporters during a tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, where he met with actual doctors and scientists who are feverishly scrambling to contain and combat the deadly illness. Citing a “great, super-genius uncle” who taught at MIT, Trump professed that it must run in the family genes. “People are really surprised I understand this stuff,” he said. “Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability.” But for members of the public alarmed by more than 300 diagnosed cases in the United States, Trump’s performance was not necessarily reassuring.

“Trump ‘didn’t know people died from the flu.’ It killed his grandfather.” via Gillian Brockell of The Washington Post — “Over the last long period of time, you have an average of 36,000 people dying” a year, the President said, gesturing toward National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci. Trump continued: “I never heard those numbers. I would’ve been shocked. I would’ve said, ‘Does anybody die from the flu? I didn’t know people died from the flu.’ … And again, you had a couple of years where it was over 100,000 people died from the flu.” One of those episodes was 1918. That is the year Trump’s paternal grandfather died. He died of the flu. He was a victim of the first wave of the Spanish flu pandemic.

“Matt Gaetz made light of coronavirus by wearing a gas mask. Now one of his constituents has died.” via Kim Bellware of The Washington Post — Days after Gaetz wore an enormous gas mask during a House floor vote on an emergency funding package for the coronavirus response, the congressman announced that a resident in his northwestern Florida district had died of COVID-19. Gaetz said in a statement that he was “extremely saddened to learn of the first fatality in our district,” a resident who lived in Santa Rosa County. 

— MORE CORONA —

“Can vulnerable Florida contain coronavirus? Experts are concerned.” via Justine Griffin of the Tampa Bay Times — Health analysts point to the state’s large population of seniors, who are most susceptible to the virus, and millions of service workers who rarely get sick leave and are less likely to seek treatment. “In some ways, we are the perfect storm state,” said Anne Swerlick of the Florida Policy Institute in Orlando. It is still unclear whether patients who are administered a coronavirus test by the state health department are expected to pay for it. Some officials have said the test is free. But if a patient is tested at a hospital or urgent care clinic, they are expected to make a co-payment if they have insurance, or pay out-of-pocket if they don’t.

“As coronavirus spreads across Florida, Mike Pence asks cruise lines to beef up containment.” via Andres Viglucci, Taylor Dolven, and Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — As the number of known people infected by novel coronavirus in Florida ticked up by four, federal officials pushed the state’s shaken cruise industry for stricter measures to contain the spread of infection on its vessels, while Tallahassee ramped up its response to the growing outbreak. There were also increasing signs of impatience and political friction over the often-slow release of information on coronavirus cases and the paucity of details provided both to officials and the public in the Sunshine State. Pence, tasked with spearheading the U.S. response to the novel coronavirus, met with executives of South Florida-based cruise companies and told them the industry needs to do more to limit health risks to passengers and crew.

“Cruise off Florida OK’d to dock after virus test of 2 staff” via the Associated Press — The Regal Princess was supposed to have docked Sunday morning in Port Everglades but was instead sailing up and down the coast. The crew members in question had transferred more than two weeks ago from the Grand Princess cruise ship in California, where nearly two dozen onboard have tested positive for the virus, including 19 crew members, according to Princess Cruises. The cruise line said in a statement earlier Sunday that the crew members of the Regal Princess did not exhibit respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and were well beyond the advised 14-day virus incubation period. Based on that, “these crew members should not pose any risks to the health and welfare of anyone aboard Regal Princess,” the statement said.

“Florida asks insurers to look for ways to cut costs of coronavirus tests, treatment” via the News Service of Florida — Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier sent a memo to health insurers advising them to consider “all practical options to reduce the barriers of cost-sharing for testing and treatment” of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. “Consumers may seek a variety of forms of health care in connection with COVID-19, including, but not limited to, physician office visits, laboratory testing, urgent care services, and emergency services,” Altmaier said in the memo. “It is important to remove actual or perceived barriers to testing for COVID-19. Consumers could be reluctant to seek testing or treatment due to other anticipated costs.” The Office of Insurance Regulation said the memo went to 311 insurance companies.

“The heat is on: Will Florida’s warm weather help or hurt coronavirus?” via Gabrielle Calise of the Tampa Bay Times — Temperatures start rising into the upper 80s as soon as next week. The three-month outlook calls for above-normal temperatures in Florida, the eastern and southwest U.S. this spring, according to the National Weather Service. “Everyone is hoping that a seasonal change will stop the spread,” said Dr. John Sinnott, an immunologist and chair of internal medicine at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.

“The struggle to find information on coronavirus is even harder in Spanish” via Juan Carlos Chavez of the Tampa Bay Times — Officials advise calling the Health Department or your doctor if you suspect you have coronavirus. But as a state of emergency enters its second week in Florida, it’s still not so easy if you speak only Spanish. Government agencies broadly recognize the need to translate their messages into Spanish, but Health Department offices were struggling to adapt this philosophy to the growing health concern. A call to the 24-hour state Health Department number in Hillsborough on Thursday was answered with a recording in English that offered coronavirus information at the punch of a button and an option to hear a menu in Spanish. But there was no mention of coronavirus on the Spanish menu.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Rick Scott decries lack of transparency regarding Florida coronavirus deaths” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — “The lack of publicly released information surrounding these cases is alarming and unfair to millions of families across the nation who are worried about their well-being,” Scott wrote in a letter to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Federal Aviation Administration Director Steve Dickson and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield. He also included leadership for the Departments of Health in Lee and Santa Rosa counties, where two Florida residents died of coronavirus this week. Scott demands the release of several pieces of information regarding the two deaths, including any inbound or outbound flights the victims flew and the airports they may have visited.

“After NAS Pensacola attack, Scott brings out proposal reforming training for foreign nationals” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — Scott introduced the “Secure U.S. Bases Act.” U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is co-sponsoring the bill. “The Secure U.S. Bases Act requires a thorough vetting process before a foreign student enters the U.S.; creates a special, limited visa for foreign students; and establishes a review process so that DOD is not operating training programs in the U.S. that would be better operated abroad,” Scott’s office noted. The terrorist behind the December attack was a lieutenant in the Saudi Arabian Air Force who was training at NAS Pensacola.

“Matt Gaetz: Florida ‘right home’ for space command HQ” via Jim Thompson of the Panama City News-Herald — Gaetz’s assertion came in response to a request for comment on the news that U.S. defense officials have reopened the search for a Space Command headquarters location. A bipartisan swath of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Gaetz, began pushing early last year for Florida’s selection as headquarters of the Space Command. Gaetz’s district includes Eglin Air Force Base, which houses the 20th Space Control Squadron, already part of the Space Force as a unit of the 21st Space Wing headquartered at Colorado’s Peterson Air Force Base. “Florida is the right home for Space Command headquarters,” Gaetz said Friday. “Space is a warfighting domain of the future, and Florida is uniquely positioned with our existing installations and hardware to house this dynamic mission.”

“Gus Bilirakis backs preventing drug shortages act as FDA warns about impact of coronavirus” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning about drug shortages due to coronavirus impacting China, a congressman from the Sunshine State is backing U.S. Rep. Scott Peters’ “Preventing Drug Shortages Act.” U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is supporting Peters’ bill as a co-sponsor. “The Preventing Drug Shortages Act would help mitigate these shortage triggers by enhancing transparency throughout the drug supply chain process and strengthening FDA interagency efforts to fend off drug shortages. The bill would also empower the FDA to enforce greater reporting standards on drug and active pharmaceutical ingredient makers to identify and correct vulnerabilities in their supply chains,” the congressman’s office said.

Happening today — U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist hosts a discussion about efforts to restore the voting rights of ex-felons, 10 a.m., Childs Park YMCA, 691 43rd St. South, St. Petersburg.

Assignment editors — U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ted Deutch will meet with local officials to discuss the newly enacted federal emergency response package and the various issues that South Florida faces in confronting the coronavirus epidemic, 9:30 a.m., Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions Building (Terry Building), 5th Floor — Chancellors Dining Room, 3200 South University Drive, Davie.

“Washington, D.C., gets its first coronavirus pop-up shop” via Ashraf Khalil of the Associated Press — As local stores sell out of masks and hand sanitizer, Adilisha Patrom, owner of a coworking and event space next to Gallaudet University, saw an opportunity and jumped on it. Inside, her storefront, different models of face masks and hand sanitizer bottles in various sizes are displayed along with a stack of information sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Florida native who came to Washington to attend Howard University, Patrom, 29, sells her masks for between $5 and $20, depending on the model. She also puts together prevention kits with masks, surgical gloves and sanitizer, which sell for $20 to $30.

“Ted Cruz to self-quarantine after contact with man infected by coronavirus” via Rishika Dugyala of POLITICO — Cruz announced he would self-quarantine for 14 days because he interacted with the person who tested positive for coronavirus at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference. In a statement released on Twitter, the Texas Republican wrote that he was informed of the interaction on Saturday night, and that he had engaged in a brief conversation and handshake with the affected individual. Cruz said: “Given that the interaction was 10 days ago, that the average incubation period is 5-6 days, that the interaction was for less than a minute, and that I have no current symptoms, the medical authorities have advised me that the odds of transmission from the other individual to me were extremely low.”

 

— STATEWIDE — 

“If coronavirus closes Florida schools, how will kids learn?” via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — Research has shown that while short breaks have limited impact on student performance, extended school closures can have a negative effect. So districts are laying the groundwork to keep teaching even if kids aren’t physically in the classrooms. E-learning days are getting a close look. “We have some teachers who do this every day. We have the model,” said Kevin Hendrick, associate superintendent for Pinellas County Schools. But they must be cautious, suggested Ball State University associate professor of computer technology David Hua, who has studied the model in Indiana. Because while e-learning can be effective if used properly, Hua said via email, it requires different skills that many teachers have not mastered.

“Florida group funded by pro-Trump organization tied to voter registration fraud arrest” via David Smiley of the Miami Herald — More than 120 voter registration forms submitted recently by Florida First Inc. were marred by forged signatures, unauthorized party registration switches and bogus personal information, according to Lake County Supervisor Alan Hays. At least 18 of the forms improperly led Hays’ office to change Democratic and independent voters to Republican. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Clermont woman and charged her with 10 felony counts of submitting false voter registration information. Florida First, which registered with the Florida Division of Elections in August as a third-party voter registration organization, has been working with America First Policies, a social welfare organization founded by some of Trump’s top advisers.

“Big payday for USF’s new cybersecurity leader. But no national search.” via Marlena Carollo of the Tampa Bay Times — Cyber Florida’s new executive director, J. Michael “Mike” McConnell, will make $450,000 a year. As the leader of the state-funded cybersecurity center housed at the University of South Florida, he’ll make more than twice what his predecessor made. McConnell will also only be required to work on the Tampa campus two days a month, too. The retired 76-year-old Navy vice admiral will mainly work in Washington D.C., where he lives. But McConnell said he took a pay cut from his position as vice chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense and intelligence contractor, to come to Tampa Bay.

“Where mermaids play, a nasty water fight” via Julie Creswell of The New York Times — The clash started when the family that owns the land around the Ginnie Springs recreational compound filed a water permit renewal with state water regulators. For years, the family has allowed various corporations to draw water from the springs and move it through a pipeline to a nearby plant. However, the family said it planned to quadruple the amount of water historically pumped from Ginnie Springs to the full amount allowed under the permit, more than a million gallons a day. That water would be sold to Nestlé. And so began a debate that has reverberated across the state: Is there enough water to go around? And who gets to make money off this natural resource?

— THE TRAIL —

First in Sunburn — “Alex Penelas celebrates $340K in February fundraising, crosses $3.5M collected overall” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Penelas is raising money through his campaign and his political committee, Bold Vision. Penelas waited until October to launch his campaign, though he started raising money through his PC several months prior. Through January, Penelas was leading the race in overall fundraising. His rivals have not yet reported their February numbers. Penelas previously served as Miami-Dade County Mayor from 1996 to 2004. The Penelas team says they are sitting on about $3.1 million in cash on hand going forward. “Our message is clearly resonating, and our campaign will remain focused on offering Miami-Dade County residents a path forward that brings our diverse community together to work toward a brighter future for everyone,” Penelas said.

“Clearwater robocall sounds like it’s from Scientology. Republicans did it.” via Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times — In a robocall, 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.

“Naples election: Bill Barnett and Teresa Heitmann cross paths again in 2020 mayoral race” via Brittany Carloni of the Naples Daily News — Both have served on the Naples City Council. In 2016, Barnett and Heitmann ran for Mayor. This election season in Naples, the two candidates are meeting again. On March 17, Naples voters will go to the polls and choose. Early voting polling sites are open from March 7 to March 14. The election has put the state of the city in focus. Barnett has highlighted Naples’ accomplishments over the past four years, such as the opening of Baker Park. Heitmann points to traffic and development as items she says affect the quality of life in the city. Barnett’s election signs throughout the city declare: “He’s our Mayor.” Heitmann’s say: “It’s time for a change.”

“The Safety Harbor Mayor’s race is being shaped by Tampa politics. Here’s how.” via Kirby Wilson of Florida Politics — In February, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn made a political endorsement that continues to reverberate across the Tampa Bay area. It was Buckhorn’s endorsement for Mayor of Safety Harbor, a fetching town of about 18,000 across the bay from Tampa. Buckhorn threw his support behind incumbent Joe Ayoub, who faces challenger Tanja Vidovic, a Tampa firefighter, in the March 17 election. Vidovic and Buckhorn have a history. In 2017, Vidovic successfully sued Tampa for discriminating against her when she was pregnant. A jury awarded her $245,000 in damages.

— LOCAL —

“Coronavirus: PBC says man who attended convention center tested positive” via Tony Doris of the Palm Beach Post — A Pennsylvania person who attended a Palm Beach County convention in February has been diagnosed with Coronavirus, Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner said. The Pennsylvania Department of Health notified the county that the individual, now back in that state, was at the Biogen pharmaceutical company’s booth at a Feb. 28 conference on Multiple Sclerosis, Kerner said. He declined to identify the person’s gender, condition, or the hotel they stayed in. There are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Palm Beach County, Kerner and health agency Director Alina Alonso said. The only people affected would be people who were in close contact with the person, they said.

“Central Florida feeling economic blows of coronavirus fears” via Ryan Gillespie and Marco Santana of the Orlando Sentinel — The cancellation of two of the conventions — a giant conference of health information technology professionals and an industrial products trade show — leave an 11-day hole in the Orange County Convention Center’s events calendar, when the first of the conventions was scheduled to begin and feature an appearance by Trump.

“Bayfront Health Port Charlotte staff barricades main entrance with couch” via Taylor Crehan of NBC 2 — A couch was blocking the main entrance of Bayfront Health hospital in Port Charlotte. The main entrance of the facility, located at 2500 Harbor Blvd., is closed as a precaution, according to staff. Charlotte County Fire confirmed that they spoke with security at Bayfront Health and there is no longer a couch in front of the doors. The blue couch was propped up against the doors, barricading the entrance. People are being directed to go through the ER to get inside. All patients and visitors are being asked to fill out forms about the coronavirus, according to staff.

“Coronavirus: Veterans’ honor flights from PBIA to D.C. grounded” via Tony Doris of the Palm Beach Post — With the most vulnerable among us being urged to avoid air travel, coronavirus fears on Sunday led Stuart-based Southeast Florida Honor Flight to cancel its two spring flights that treat war veterans to visit memorials in Washington, D.C. The regional nonprofit is believed to be just the second of its parent’s 125 hubs in 45 states to cancel flights in light of the disease’s global spread. Rochester (N.Y.) Honor Flight was the first. “This was difficult for us, knowing that for a lot of these veterans, their clock is ticking, and they’ve been waiting to go for so long,” said Kathy Sreenan, spokeswoman for the Southeast Florida group.

— MORE LOCAL —

“Families at Panama City FEMA camps still in despair despite 6-month extension” via Jacqueline Bostick of the Panama City News-Herald — “We’ve tried everything,” said 37-year-old Hollie Johnson. “I’ve gotten nowhere with any of it. So, I’ve got no idea what we’re going to do. We’ve talked about actually leaving,” to move to Dothan, Alabama or Columbus, Georgia. Johnson has lived at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Group with her husband Chris Brockman, 34, and their two school-age daughters, since January last year — three months after Hurricane Michael ripped through the area. In response to the loss, FEMA has provided rent-free temporary housing units for 925 displaced families in the Panhandle. As of Feb. 28, FEMA reported more than half the families have found “a more permanent home,” according to a news release announcing the new Oct. 11, 2020 deadline.

“30A residents try to hold onto ‘last frontier’ in proposed South Walton development” via Tom McLaughlin of the NWF Daily News — If there is support for the Draper Lake development, it didn’t show up in Freeport to stand with David Smith, the representative from Innerlight Engineering Corporation charged with defending the planned development before a room full of detractors. Technical Review Committee Chairman Mac Carpenter told the packed house he had not received any correspondence in support of the project and one woman clicked off the names of 16 subdivisions she said had rallied to fight against it. Consideration of the proposal was ultimately postponed until April 1. The Walton County Planning Department staff presented a three-page list of items the engineering a firm must correct, amend or clarify before its initial submission will be considered for Technical Review Committee approval.

“Lobbyist sought city benefits for Westside property he owned with ex-JEA CEO Aaron Zahn” via Christopher Hong of the Florida Times-Union — Local lobbyist Deno Hicks sought financial incentives from City Hall for a Westside property he co-owns with JEA’s now-fired chief executive officer Aaron Zahn and that he is now trying to sell to a company affiliated with Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Florida’s former lieutenant governor. Zahn’s business partnership with Hicks came under scrutiny in his final days at JEA, which had hired Hicks’ former lobbying firm during Zahn’s tenure. Zahn didn’t disclose his ownership stake in the land to JEA’s ethics department, according to an official in that department.

“A new downtown may rise near the Everglades. Here’s the plan to make it happen.” via Lisa Huriash of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Broward wants to recruit a monster company with a ton of money willing to relocate there to help create a mix of redevelopment. The county’s efforts to find this large company soon will kickoff. It has ambitions of searching far, even internationally. In 2016, the county agreed to turn the asphalt around the arena into development. A year later, a study for the site said potential uses could include an 840-room hotel, an indoor water park, 1.1 million square feet of office space, 1,000 apartments and a casino. In 2018, the planning for a blueprint began. The county’s plans fit into Sunrise’s decadeslong dream to create a downtown-like atmosphere near the fringes of the Everglades.

— TOP OPINION —

“The coronavirus is coming for Trump’s presidency” via Ross Douthat of The New York Times — The President can still be reasonably held responsible for the urgency with which the bureaucracy attacks the problem, the speed at which rules get suspended and workarounds enacted, the pressure brought to bear on state and local authorities to take a possible pandemic seriously, and the use of presidential rhetoric to encourage private citizens to do the same. And on all counts, the White House has been failing. There should have been a public face of the anti-coronavirus effort long before Mike Pence was finally elevated, with the power to respond quickly to bureaucratic bottlenecks. Trump fell into the same trap as the cosmopolitan sophisticates — acting as if the specter of panic is worse than the disease itself, focusing on the more reassuring estimates of the virus’s fatality rates instead of recognizing the widespread of possible scenarios — while mixing in his own short-termist fixation on the stock market.

— OPINIONS —

“Coronavirus might be in Broward, and all the health department can say is, ‘wash your hands?!’” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Sorry, but Paula Thaqi’s aggravatingly uninformative press briefing to discuss the two cases were practically a dereliction of duty. To be fair, her hands were tied, she said, by guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As questions from frustrated reporters were repeatedly rebuffed with Thaqi’s response that she was following CDC rules, or that HIPPA rules prevented her from violating patients’ privacy, she finally said, “We are providing the public with specific information,” punting again and again to floridahealth.gov. No, she wasn’t. “Let’s not panic” appeared to be the mantra. But, because Thaqi wasn’t more forthcoming, residents could not be blamed for doing just that, panicking.

“Bryan Avila: House’s tax package works for all Floridians” via Florida Politics — As a state representative and sponsor of this year’s statewide tax package in the Florida House, I think about my mom a lot. I know how tax relief for that small business she worked for propelled many Floridians to great success, provided dozens of jobs, and how it helped my parents improve our lot in life. Our tax package, HB 7097, does more. It includes a communications services tax reduction, which will help cut costs for anyone paying for a cellphone, cable or satellite service plan in the state. It also covers fuel tax rate cuts for commercial air carriers, which could lead to savings that can be passed on to consumers. Does that sound like “corporate welfare” to you?

“Shane Abbott: Rural communities most affected by predatory PBM middlemen” via Florida Politics — Unless significant reforms are made to Florida’s broken PBM system, patients will be put at risk due to lack of access to prescription drugs — especially those who live in smaller, more rural communities like mine. Local pharmacies have been under attack for some time by predatory middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs. The three largest PBMs control 85% of the prescription drug market, and these operators are driving neighborhood pharmacies out of business. In a free market, different businesses should be able to compete. What I can’t live with is a system where the companies managing the health care options for millions of Floridians also own PBMs who sets my prices and the prices of my competitors.

“Census time, Floridians. Stand up and be counted.” via the Tampa Bay Times editorial board — Given the stakes, Florida should have done what a majority of states did — contribute dedicated state money for a variety of outreach programs to ensure the fullest participation. But that work has fallen to civic groups, activists, nonprofits and volunteers, who are coordinating efforts to achieve an accurate count. These outreach programs are critical, especially given Florida’s experience in 2010 with counting its hard-to-reach population in the rural, northern Florida counties. Organizers will need to be vigilant in counting the homeless, undocumented immigrants, renters, college students, and others who historically have been less likely to respond to the census. These are Florida residents, too, whose presence and impact on the state need to be recognized at the federal level.

“Why not just junk petition campaigns once and for all?” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — You know that’s what they really want. People with the ability and self-importance required to win elections are naturally inclined to resent commoners telling them what to do, so our lawmakers have become quite adept at ignoring or twisting mandates imposed on them at the polls. But if they could lock the doors, turn off the TV cameras, take an unrecorded vote and swear everyone to secrecy, the Republican leadership of the House and Senate would probably be glad to rip the petition signature provision out of the Constitution, throw it in the middle of the Capitol courtyard and stomp on it. A few Democrats might even join the fun. Fortunately, voters would never ratify such an amendment.

— MOVEMENTS —

“Watchdog group says Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s Hong Kong lobbying broke the law” via Alex Daugherty of the Miami Herald — A Washington-based advocacy group filed a complaint with the Justice Department on Friday alleging that former Miami Republican Rep. Ros-Lehtinen broke the law when she signed on as a consultant for the Hong Kong government during her one-year lobbying ban after she left office. In April 2019, Ros-Lehtinen was named a “team leader” for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as part of her work with Washington-based firm Akin Gump, according to a filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Ros-Lehtinen retired from Congress in January 2019 and was barred from lobbying Congress for one year. The one-year lobbying ban also includes a blanket ban on any work for a foreign government for at least a year.

“Florida Legislative Black Caucus announces new leadership team” via Florida Politics — The Florida Legislative Black Caucus (FLBC) announced its newly elected officers for 2020-2022: Chair — Sen. Bobby Powell, Jr. of West Palm Beach; Vice-Chair — Rep. Kamia Brown of Orlando; Secretary — Rep. Tracie Davis of Jacksonville; Treasurer — Rep. Patricia Williams of Pompano Beach; Parliamentarian — Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa.

 New and renewed lobbying registrations:

Jim Horne, Strategos Public Affairs: ScanStat Technologies

Theadore Hutchinson: FWD.US

Elnatan Rudolph, Converge Government Affairs of Florida: Florida Education Association

Eugene Yoscovits, Rock Central

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

 

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Yesterday at Main Street Subs, AFLO co-founder Scott Martin met with Senator Rick Scott to discuss management of Lake Okeechobee water levels as well as the Senator’s support for federal funding to #SlowTheFlow and construct storage and treatment north of the lake. Senator Scott has always been a champion for Florida’s anglers and shares our vision for a healthIer Lake Okeechobee and coastal estuaries!

A post shared by Anglers for Lake Okeechobee (@anglersforlakeo) on Mar 7, 2020 at 12:06pm PST

— ALOE —

“Here’s how Padma Lakshmi and other expert cooks say you should stock your pantry for a coronavirus quarantine” via Jane Black of The Washington Post — “The first thing I would do, right now, before there is a panic, is start cooking,” Lakshmi said. “Involve the whole family in making huge batches of different dishes: turkey chili or green chili with white beans, things that are stew-y and freeze well. Then pack them in quart containers so you can take out just what you need.” This plan has two benefits. It lessens anxiety but it also allows you to cook with what’s fresh. You’re not stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables and hoping they don’t rot. Bulk up your condiment supply with shelf-stable sauces and concentrates that can create variety.

“SpaceX launches station supplies, nails 50th rocket landing” via Marsha Dunn of The Associated Press — The Falcon rocket blasted off with 4,300 pounds of equipment and experiments for the International Space Station. Just minutes later, the spent first-stage booster made a dramatic midnight landing back at Cape Canaveral, its return accompanied by sonic booms. “And the Falcon has landed for the 50th time in SpaceX history!” SpaceX engineer Jessica Anderson announced amid cheers at Mission Control. “What an amazing live view all the way to touchdown.” The Dragon capsule, meanwhile, hurtled toward a rendezvous with the space station. It’s the 20th station delivery for SpaceX, which has launched nearly 100,000 pounds of goods to the orbiting outpost and returned nearly that much back to Earth since it began shipments in 2012.

“Still the happiest place on Earth — even as coronavirus hits Florida” via Brittany Shammas of The Washington Post — This week, busloads of people streamed into the Magic Kingdom, the world’s most-visited theme park. Children cheered as Mickey and Minnie skipped across the steps of Cinderella’s Castle. Costumed Disney characters embraced fans and held them close for photos. Lines for rides stretched an hourlong late into the afternoon; conversations revolved around which rides to try or memories of past visits. The coronavirus was on the front pages of the newspapers stacked in Disney resorts but not on the forefront of visitors’ minds.

“Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is popular — and wonky. Here’s how to score a seat.” via Johanna Berkman “of The Washington Post — Get there early. You can gain access to the ride through the My Disney Experience app. The moment the park officially opens, the words “Join Boarding Group” light up on the Rise of the Resistance page. You then tap that link, add the members of your party, and your group will automatically be assigned a boarding group number. When your boarding group is called, you get a push notification on your phone and typically have about one to two hours to make your way to the ride. Bring blankets and food. Orlando at 6 a.m. can be cold, dark and windy. Have the app ready to go, and refresh often. Be ready to play along.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Happy birthday to the great Kristy Campbell, Melissa Akeson of The Rubin Group, David Bennett, former state House candidate J.B. Bensmihen, my friend Adam Smith of Mercury Public Affairs, the greatest legislative aide ever, Vanessa Thompson, and Jamie Van Pelt

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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, A.G. Gancarski, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.