Staff Reports
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2019 Legislative Session:
The Last 24
The feds are on the case. U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe announced that his office has served the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence with a subpoena seeking information that could result in the possible criminal prosecution of ex CEO Tiffany Carr. FCADV was the focus of Session a couple of weeks ago, after revelations that Carr received up to $7.5 million in pay over the last three years. The Legislature fast-tracked — and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed — a bill severing the state’s relationship with FCADV, but efforts to bring Carr in for questioning have faced delays due to her residing in North Carolina. She is expected to show up for questioning in the House on Thursday. If she doesn’t show, the committee can hold her in contempt. Here’s your nightly rundown.
Tax cut cut? The Senate Appropriations Committee is reexamining the House tax cut package in anticipation of coronavirus’s impact on the state economy. It’s a “work in progress.”
Scope of practice. Bills expanding the powers of nurse practitioners and pharmacists are on their way to the Governor.
Higher ed. The House approved higher education legislation without opposition after shedding a controversial provision requiring state colleges and universities to survey students and faculty members about their viewpoints.
Clean water. The House followed the Senate in passing the Clean Water Act with a unanimous vote. It now heads to DeSantis.
iBudget. The Legislature gave the OK to an overhaul of the Medicaid-funded iBudget program, which provides in-home care services to Floridians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
DCF accountability. The House OK’d Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson’s DCF reform package. DeSantis is expected to sign it into law.
Pre-K reform. An overhaul of the state’s early learning system and placing it under the Department of Education is at risk of dying as the 2020 Legislative Session comes to a close.
Sea-level rise. The House passed a Senate bill requiring state-funded construction projects to consider the effects of sea-level rise during the design phase.
Shot clock. The House passed a Senate growth management bill after amending it to add a “shot clock” to utility permit applications, giving local governments two weeks to acknowledge an application before its automatically approved.
Nuisance properties. A measure that would define the process for remedying public nuisance properties and expand the definition of what makes a property a public nuisance is headed for a final vote in the Senate.
Poaching penalties. Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. David Smith‘s legislation cracking down on bear poaching has cleared the Senate and now heads to DeSantis.
Light ‘em. Floridians are one signature away from being able to legally buy fireworks for New Year’s and Independence Day.
Quote of the Day
“Everything was a jump ball today, and the committee wanted to add some tax breaks for consideration and this thing moves to the floor. I see that the tax package will ultimately be leaner than what you see.” — Senate Appropriations Chair Rob Bradley, on changes to the tax cut package.
Your Metz Husband Daughton-sponsored question of the day is: What Spanish sport known as “the fastest game in the world” is played and bet on at the Miami Casino?
As always, click here to tweet your answer to @MHDFirm. The first person with the correct answer will get a shoutout in tomorrow’s 60 Days!
Last time, we asked: Florida is the only state with two separate rivers that share the same name; what is that name?
Answer: Withlacoochee. The river in central Florida runs northwest to the Gulf and is believed to be named after the original Withlacoochee, a Suwannee River tributary that merges with the Suwannee River west of Live Oak.
Congrats to Jeremy Smith (@bcomingsuperman), who was again the first to tweet the correct answer!
Thanks to everyone for participating — remember, the more you play, the better your chances of winning!
Bill Day’s Latest
3 Questions
School choice champion Erika Donalds had plenty to celebrate when the House approved a major expansion of educational opportunity scholarships this year. We spoke to her about the state of the choice debate.
Florida Politics: How do you feel about level expansion of scholarships supported by lawmakers in Session?
Donalds: I’m really happy with what the House passed and what we are looking toward so far. The 18,000 additional scholarships approved last Session were filled within three months’ time. So obviously with more people finding out about the program, it’s going to be in higher demand. This provides about 28,000 scholarships with a huge change that should be celebrated. Low income and foster children are still the most important to serve, but it still allows for gap families to be eligible, and that’s far many families I know who make too much to get a scholarship but too little to go to private school. I’d like to see a higher threshold, but lower-income families are the priority. My ideal threshold is no threshold. My goal is universal availability to the scholarships, as much as there is the political will to do, and I would want to increase it every year.
FP: There was discussion about preventing schools accepting scholarships from having discriminatory policies on LGBTQ students. Why was that a conversation school choice supporters did not want to have?
Donalds: There are legal nuances to this as well, and I’m not an attorney, but there’s questions whether you can even tell religious institutions whether they can hold certain values. But I don’t know whether discrimination is actually taking place or not. I do think it would be bad to command religious institutions not to uphold their religious convictions. I would not be in support of that. You can’t tell them not to uphold the Bible. I don’t understand those who want to change religious statements of school, because you can’t change what people believe. Even if what’s on paper says something else, it doesn’t change what you believe.
But it goes back to needing more choices for families, and that is to the better of all students, including LGBTQ students. I’ve certainly seen studies that said LGBTQ students feel safer in private schools than in traditional public schools.
FP: What priorities does the school choice movement heading into the next Legislative Session?
Donalds: What we will continue to see is looking for continued expansion of family scholarships, and we need to see what is working and what is not. What are the barriers to schools to use and expand scholarships? One thing I would like to see is a look at our charter school authorization, and at making sure not only school districts are allowed to authorize charter schools. That will be a game-changer in the industry here, and break down barriers for high-quality charter school operators to come to Florida.
Lobby Up
On this day 128 years ago, the public got their look at a future phenomenon: Basketball.
In March 1892, James Naismith, then teaching at Springfield College, organized the first public hoops game. It was a students vs. teachers match, and the students routed their elders 5-1.
Since then the sport has grown into a cultural and financial juggernaut. The spring is all about March Madness and, come April, all eyes will be on the NBA playoffs.
Florida could have some representation in the field, too. The Miami Heat are currently fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 41-23 record. It’s iffier, but not impossible, for the Orlando Magic, who are currently No. 8 in the East — the top eight teams go.
When it comes to lobbying, however, both teams are annual contenders thanks to some off-court all-stars.
The Magic have Christopher Carmody, Christopher Dawson, Katie Flury, Robert Stuart and Jason Unger of GrayRobinson giving a full-court press in the Capitol.
The Heat, by way of Basketball Properties LTD, have the “Big Three” at Ballard Partners — Brian Ballard, Matthew Forrest and Monica Rodriguez.
Franchises aren’t the only hoops interest in Tallahassee. The NBA itself is also a player. They’ve also got the Ballard squad on retainer, including Brady Benford and Chris Dorworth. The roster also includes Jeremy Kudon and Michelle McGann of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.
In the college game, student-athletes are racking up wins in the debate over whether they can cash in on their names, images or likenesses. The National College Players Association is leading the effort, with an assist from Becker & Poliakoff’s Ellyn Bogdanoff, Mike Grissom and Nick Matthews.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
The Senate will hold a floor session at 10 a.m.
The House will hold a floor session at 10:30 a.m.
The Senate Special Order Calendar Group will meet in Room 401 of the Senate Office Building. The meeting begins 15 minutes after the floor session adjourns.
