Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Disney is already facing political consequences from Florida Republicans for its stance on the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and a new poll shows its reputation may have taken a hit among the broader public as well.
The annual Axios/Harris Poll 100, which measures the reputations of top American companies, shows Disney has fallen from its No. 37 ranking last year to No. 65 this year.
The 28-spot dip was not solely attributable to Republican ire, the pollster said, but due to the company’s perceived wishy-washy stance on the Parental Rights legislation.
Notably, Disney contributed significantly to some of the now-law’s backers and was mum on the measure until it was already en route to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk.
Their handling of the situation had few fans on either side of the aisle — it spurred an employee walkout among those opposed to the measure while their later vow to fight against the bill led to a Special Session that put their special district on the chopping block.
“Disney’s about-face shows the reputational hit that comes when the public perceives you as being calculating rather than clear in what you believe in and stand for,” said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.
The result for Disney is a trustworthiness score on par with Fox News, a products/services ranking below nipping at the heels of Big Lots, and ethics ranking far below Wells Fargo, which is only a few years removed from a massive, companywide fraud scandal.
The Axios/Harris Poll 100 is based on a survey of 33,096 Americans in a nationally representative sample and was conducted from March 11 through April 3.
It was conducted in two steps. In the first, the pollster gauges “top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter in society.” The second asks a different group of Americans to rank companies across seven key dimensions to produce a final ranking. The list includes the “most visible,” or publicly known, companies and not necessarily the largest ones.
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The International Hunter Education Association on Tuesday announced that it had bestowed its highest honor — The Gladney Davidson Memorial Award — on Marion Hammer for her significant contributions to hunter education.
Hammer, a well-known gun rights advocate who once served as NRA President, earned the award for her role in creating gun safety educational programs and media content for children. It all started in 1988 with the “Eddie Eagle Gun Safety” program.
Eddie Eagle is considered the NRA’s gun safety mascot and has starred in numerous educational videos that instruct children on proper firearm safety.
One of the most famous — or infamous — was hosted by Jason Priestly at 90210-fueled zenith and featured Eddie’s animated family members, which include the geriatric, jet ski-riding Theodore as well as Amelia, whose hobbies include dumping retardant chemicals on children’s campfires.
Hammer’s later efforts included the launch of Florida’s Junior Hunter Safety Program, which was modeled after the successful Eddie Eagle curriculum. She was also lauded for her assistance in growing the Hunter Education Challenge and her work to support the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s summer camp programs.
Evening Reads
—“Central Florida ‘ghost’ candidate, other figures tied to scandal charged” via Annie Martin and Jeff Weiner of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Florida Legislature takes up Surfside-inspired condo-safety bill during its Special Session” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix
—“Cord Byrd: Setting up election police is a ‘top priority’” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—“Joe Biden commits $265 million for South Florida reservoir, key component of Everglades restoration” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—“The Ron DeSantis administration gave $16.5 million. The Ron DeSantis campaign got $200,000.” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents
—“Swiss banking leak shows how Miami Beach men tied to oligarch reaped a fortune in Ukraine” via Shirsho Dasgupta of the Miami Herald
—“‘Let’s get to work’: House Dems elect Fentrice Driskell as Leader-designate” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
—“Florida special tax districts like Disney’s Reedy Creek, explained” via Jay Cridlin and Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Two years after George Floyd’s death, protesters reflect on what changed” via Lateshia Beachum of The Washington Post
—“Fed searches for the magic number to cool a red-hot U.S. housing market” via Nick Timiraos and Nicole Friedman of The Wall Street Journal
—“Tallahassee judge dismisses Pinellas lawsuit challenging state election law” via Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times
—“The viral online challenge is never coming back” via Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Atlantic
Quote of the Day
“I’m the only Senator in that chamber who lives in a condo with his family. It’s very personal. It’s very real. When my wife goes to the supermarket, when I’m on the street or at my kids’ baseball game, this is what people are talking about. I’m just so very happy — cautiously optimistic — that, in the next couple of hours, we’ll pass this.”
— Sen. Jason Pizzo, on the post-Surfside condo inspection reform bill.
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