Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Senate Health Policy Committee advanced a bill Thursday that would require a two-thirds vote for a future Legislature to enact a single-payer health care system.
SJR 340 by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. has three more committee stops to go. If approved, it would put the question to voters on the 2022 ballot. If it earns more than 60% of the vote, it will go into the state constitution.
The potential amendment campaign already has one major backer: Americans for Prosperity-Florida. The free-market group praised the committee Thursday for greenlighting the resolution.
“Aspects of our health care system need improvement, but a complete government takeover would be a terrible mistake. This bill recognizes that legislators need to protect our state from threats of more government intervention in our health care that would increase costs on taxpayers and make it harder for Floridians to access a variety of quality health care options that best meet their needs,” AFP-FL state director Skylar Zander said.
“This bill serves as a blueprint for the rest of the country to ensure we don’t take control of health care away from patients and caregivers. Instead of more barriers and restrictions on health care, Florida should pass a personal option that reduces costs and puts people in control of their care.”
AFP-FL thinks current problems with the health care system stem from too much “bureaucracy and red tape” between health care providers and patients.
“AFP believes lawmakers should take a different approach than more government intervention in the health care system and focus on removing barriers to innovation in our health care system and empower health care professionals to save more lives,” the organization said.
Coronavirus Numbers
Positive cases:
— 1,720,760 FL residents (+8,434 since Wednesday)
— 31,570 Non-FL residents (+177 since Wednesday)
Origin:
— 14,042 Travel related
— 648,602 Contact with a confirmed case
— 19,113 Both
— 1,039,003 Under investigation
Hospitalizations:
— 73,631 in FL
Deaths:
— 27,698 in FL
Evening Reads
“House impeachment managers ask Donald Trump to testify in Senate trial” via Axios
“Smartmatic files $2.7 billion defamation suit against Fox News over election-fraud claims” via Jeremy Barr and Elahe Izadi of The Washington Post
“Coming soon: The ‘vaccine passport’” via Tariro Mzezewa of The New York Times
“In House debate on her fate, Marjorie Taylor Greene says she no longer believes in QAnon. ‘I also want to tell you 9/11 absolutely happened’” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Here’s the new Democratic plan for $1,400 stimulus checks” via Heather Long and Jeff Stein of The Washington Post
“Ron DeSantis talks 2024 presidential ‘speculation,’ GOP leadership vacuum” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Can Ivanka Trump defeat Marco Rubio?” via Nathan Gonzales of Roll Call
“Matt Gaetz takes to Hannity to defend Taylor Greene despite ‘crazy conspiracy things’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Florida COVID-19 vaccine supply going up again on top of federal push to Publix, Walmart, others” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel
“Florida’s seniors use the grapevine to uncover loopholes and get hard-to-find COVID vaccines” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“DeSantis’ budget on algae blooms offers plenty of irony” via Craig Pittman of The Florida Phoenix
“Florida Democratic Party accused by former staff of not following its core values” via Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times
“Wilton Simpson tells Corps to broaden focus on water storage” via Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida
“Shocking video shows maskless market in Naples, Florida” via Sam Brock of CNBC
“How Andrew Gillum’s marriage survived a night of scandal” via Wesley Lowery of GQ
Quote of the Day
“The children who are sitting in our third grade classrooms today, those will be the children who will be going into our state college or state university system or the workforce in 2030. Those students who are coming into third grade in 2030, they’re going to be born next year.” — Rep. Vance Aloupis, on the need to address childhood literacy quickly.
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