Peter Schorsch
Good Tuesday morning.
Before we move to our celebration of V-Day, we ask you to take a moment to remember the victims of the shooting five years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
We remember Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, and Peter Wang.
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Because it’s Valentine’s Day and because this newsletter is about Florida politics, we wanted to do something romantic to start the day. (But not before I say how grateful I am for the love of my life, Michelle Todd Schorsch, who makes every holiday, EVERY DAY, so special.)
It takes a special kind of person to work in the pressure cooker that is Session. The stakes are high, the demands are relentless, and the days can be verrrrrrrry long.
Is it possible for two of these special people to find each other, fall in love and tackle The Process together?
Not just possible, but highly likely.
With Valentine’s Day here (if you’re hoping to score a dinner reservation or a flower delivery at this point, you are destined for disappointment), we want to share the story of six couples who have found success — both under the rotunda and in their love and family lives.
—Brooke Evans and Patrick Steele
—Tanya Jackson and Robert Beck
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According to the National Retail Federation, cash registers will get plenty of love this Valentine’s Day.
The trade group surveyed thousands of U.S. consumers last month and found that the average shopper plans to spend $192.80 celebrating the holiday — a 10% bump over last year and only a few dollars short of the all-time high recorded in 2020.
NRF also expects Valentine’s Day spending to hit $26 billion nationwide, an increase of $2.1 billion year-over-year. That is the second-highest Valentine’s Day total NRF has found since it started surveying consumers in 2004.
“Shoppers are excited to celebrate the meaningful relationships in their lives this Valentine’s Day,” said Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. “Florida retailers are ready to help find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Whether it’s a friend, partner, spouse or family member, you can ‘Find It In Florida’ and discover the perfect way to say ‘I love you.’”
More than half of consumers told NRF they planned to shop for the holiday, and most have several people on their list. In addition to actual and aspirational romantic partners, they’re eyeing gifts for pets, friends, co-workers, classmates and teachers.
Over half of Floridians plan to purchase their gifts online (35%) or at a department store (34%), while others will shop at discount stores (31%) or specialty stores (18%). FRF encourages more shoppers to “Find It In Florida” and shop at local retailers. The trade group says supporting brick-and-mortar shops boosts the local economy and supports community businesses.
The most popular gift this year is candy, which 57% of consumers said they would buy. It was followed by greeting cards (40%), flowers (37%), a night out (32%) and jewelry (21%).
However, when it comes to dollars spent, evenings out or other “gifts of experience” take the crown — it accounts for $5.5 billion of the overall spend. Jewelry follows at $4.4 billion.
“Men, in particular, are more likely to give a gift of experience compared with last year,” said Phil Rist, the VP of pollster Prosper Insights & Analytics. “Another notable finding is more than half of consumers say they will take advantage of sales and promotions as they celebrate Valentine’s Day this year.”
The 35-to-44-year-old demographic is planning to spend more than any other. Older millennials and younger Gen Xers will shell out $335.71 on average, which is $142.91 more than the average consumer.
Prosper Insights & Analytics conducted the survey from Jan. 3-11. It has a sample size of 7,616 U.S. adult consumers and a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
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Always a fun read: “Valentine’s Day is brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and political associations” via me and Drew Wilson
And … “Looking for a unique Valentine’s Day gift? Try a Florida-grown plant” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics
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Former CSX and Brightline executive Bob O’Malley is founding his own consulting firm.
Right Track Public Affairs will be based in the Orlando area and provide public affairs, business development, and strategic communications support to clients throughout Florida.
Through the new firm, O’Malley will continue to provide consulting services for the development of the Sunshine Corridor, the proposed expansion of passenger rail from Orlando International Airport to Central Florida tourism areas. He also will continue to provide business development support to Railroad Consultants and public affairs support to other railroad clients.
His background has included executive stints involving lobbying and communications with the Jacksonville-based freight railroad giant CSX and with Brightline, the company that runs private passenger trains in South and Central Florida. He recently received the 2022 Harold W. Barley Regional Partnership Award for his work on passenger rail projects in Florida.
O’Malley, who was elected to the Altamonte Springs Commission last year, has also been Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Planning for MetroPlan, the transportation planning agency for Central Florida.
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At the Associated Industries of Florida’s Business Forum, industry representatives vowed to build on the momentum from the Special Session on property insurance and push for more tort reforms during the 2023 Legislative Session.
“It’s clear that Florida’s tort climate poses a significant challenge for the business community and its impacts are felt far and wide across a broad swath of industries in every corner of the state,” said AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis.
One of the familiar targets will be auto glass AOB lawsuits, which auto insurers have sought for years. Another area of torts being eyed for a crackdown is the burgeoning industry of lawsuit finance — Tim Nungesser of NFIB Florida, lawsuit finance companies are picking lawsuits to invest in, then bundling them and selling them to hedge funds.
“Problems like one-way attorney fees persist in other coverages, including PIP and auto glass, and tackling it now will benefit consumers through reduced premiums and increased options in the marketplace,” said Florida Insurance Council President Cecil Pearce.
Florida Trucking Association President and CEO Alix Miller added, “Florida’s legal system has become a feeding ground for unscrupulous personal injury attorneys who prey on industries that are the backbone of our state’s economy, including the trucking industry, and ultimately drive up costs for consumers.”
AIF members also want to squish another acronym: LOP. Short for “letters of protection,” LOPs are letters sent to a medical professional by a plaintiff’s attorney representing the patient. LOPs guarantee the provider payment for medical treatment from a future lawsuit settlement or verdict award. Therefore, if the patient is insured, providers don’t bill the insurers, Medicare or Medicaid.
“If you ask me what is the most important thing you can do on civil justice or lawsuit abuse it’s solving this issue,” Florida Justice Reform Institute President William Large told Business Forum attendees.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
Tweet, tweet:
Today, @GovRonDeSantis gave an exciting update to the House Freedom Caucus about the great work he is doing down in Florida. pic.twitter.com/gnaBDDwrk9
— Ben Cline (@Cline4Virginia) February 11, 2023
—@GovRonDeSantis: Our legislative proposal will ensure that financial institutions will no longer be able to discriminate against hardworking Floridians and small businesses on the basis of political, religious or social beliefs.
—@BJoeWolf: (Ron) DeSantis would rather cut off your kid’s access to AP credits than miss a chance to perform “toughness” for the GOP Presidential Primary audience.
—@CityParklandFL: Parkland residents may experience traffic congestion in the area of Pine Trails Park on Feb. 14, as we remember the 17 victims of the MSD tragedy. There will be a concentration of congestion from approximately 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tweet, tweet:
The Senate will observe a moment of silence tomorrow morning at 10:17 a.m. pic.twitter.com/ksBxeWGSjk
— Florida Senate (@FLSenate) February 13, 2023
—@GovGoneWild: It’s not often you see people jump ONTO the Titanic. Bravo @NikkiFried. Bravo.
Tweet, tweet:
Thanks to Ashley Kalifeh of @CapCityConsult, Rick Parker of @_ButlerLegal & Alfred Saikali of @SHBLaw for digging into business’ concerns with third party bad faith, premises liability, data breaches and more, as well as potential solutions, at the #FloridaBusinessForum pic.twitter.com/v7xfIwbiYg
— Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) (@VoiceofFLBiz) February 13, 2023
Tweet, tweet:
Congratulations to Madeline Mellinger for being recognized for her outstanding work in FL Ag. Madeline was recognized today at the @FLStateFair Woman of the Year in Agriculture luncheon. Our Florida Farm Bureau Women are proud to sponsor such a prestigious event. #GrowingForward pic.twitter.com/jXwRHMcNvn
— Florida Farm Bureau (@FlaFarmBureau) February 13, 2023
Tweet, tweet:
Blessed to create these memories with the kids…
We had so much fun at the Florida State Fair! pic.twitter.com/kWu9fRREqK
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) February 12, 2023
—@Comway_Vinny: Rihanna’s unborn child has played in more Super Bowls than Dak Prescott
— DAYS UNTIL —
‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 3; 2023 Florida Chamber Legislative Fly-In — 7; ‘Snowfall’ final season premieres on FX — 8; city of Tampa Municipal Election early voting begins — 13; Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ‘The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival’ released — 14; ‘The Mandalorian’ returns — 15; ‘Creed III’ premieres — 17; The Oscars — 18; Tampa Municipal Election — 21; 2023 Legislative Session convenes — 21; Florida TaxWatch’s State of the Taxpayer Dinner — 28; World Baseball Classic finals begin in Miami — 31; Annual Red Dog Blue fundraiser — 32; ’John Wick: Chapter 4′ premieres — 35; ‘Succession’ Season 4 begins — 42; MLB Opening Day 2023 — 44; Tron Lightcycle/Run debuts in Walt Disney World — 49; Suits for Session — 50; ‘Air’ starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon premieres — 51; Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ Tour in Tampa — 61; final performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway — 61; American Association of Political Consultants Pollies ’23 conference begins — 63; 2023 Session Sine Die — 80; ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premieres — 80; Florida Chamber 2023 Leadership Conference on Safety, Health & Sustainability — 84; Florida TaxWatch’s Spring Meeting — 92; ‘Fast X’ premieres — 93; Florida Chamber 2023 Florida Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit — 101; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ premieres — 108; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 122; Florida Chamber 2023 Florida Learners to Earners Workforce Solution Summit — 133; ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ premieres — 135; ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part One’ premieres — 150; Florida Chamber 37th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School — 157; Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ premieres — 159; ’Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 165; 2023 Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum — 251; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 263; South Carolina Democratic Primary — 344; New Hampshire and Nevada Democratic Primaries — 357; Georgia Democratic Primary — 364; Michigan Democratic Primary — 378; ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Part 2 premieres — 410; ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ premieres — 465; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 528; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres — 528; ‘Blade’ reboot premieres — 570; ‘Deadpool 3’ premieres — 633; ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot premieres — 711; ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’ premieres — 808; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 997.
— TOP STORY —
“Ron DeSantis ponders ending AP classes for Florida students” via Jeffrey Schweers and Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — “So this College Board, nobody elected them to anything. They’re just kind of there and provide this service, and you can utilize those services or not,” DeSantis said when asked to comment on the College Board’s statement over the weekend that the Florida Department of Education had slandered it. “They provided these AP courses for a long time but there are probably some other vendors able to do their job as good and maybe a lot better.”
He said he talked to House Speaker Paul Renner about it, “and maybe the Legislature’s going to look to re-evaluate how they’re doing that.”
The College Board is also the maker of the SAT. Florida students need either an SAT score or one from the rival ACT to apply to Florida universities or seek to qualify for the Bright Futures scholarship program. Currently, more Florida students take the SAT.
If AP courses are not available, students could seek to earn college credit through dual enrollment with state colleges or through other programs such as AICE and International Baccalaureate, but neither is as widely available as AP classes.
DeSantis said he objected to the African American studies course including queer theory, intersectionality and “other types of neo-Marxism in the proposed syllabus.”
On Sunday, the College Board, whose AP program includes 38 courses, accused Florida of “slander” and said it complained about the African American studies class for “their political agenda.”
— DESANTISY LAND —
—”The real reason Trump is calling DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron“ via Matt Lewis of The Daily Beast
“DeSantis is not Scott Walker” via Nate Cohn of The New York Times — The premise is that there’s an important similarity between the two: They both earned the affection of conservatives by “owning the libs” as Governors, rather than by giving soaring speeches or otherwise demonstrating the skills to win a presidential nomination. At least at the beginning of the race, DeSantis is no Walker. He would start the campaign in a very different and far stronger position, even if there is still no way to know whether he “has what it takes” to succeed against Donald Trump. What sets DeSantis apart from Walker? To be blunt: how many people already say they want him to be President.
“DeSantis rolls out anti-ESG legislative proposals in latest blast against ‘woke elites’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis told an audience in Naples that “environmental social governance,” or “ESG,” imposed by so-called “elites,” has “devolved into a mechanism to inject political ideology into investment decisions, corporate governance and really just the everyday economy.” Following last year’s ban of ESG investments on the state level, such as pension funds, the Governor is rolling out this year’s enhancements. These include putting bans on enactment of protections against “discrimination for religious, political and social beliefs,” on the use of “social credit scores,” and against housing deposits in “institutions pursuing this woke ESG agenda.” Additionally, the state will keep ESG out of procurement, contracting and “local and state bonds.”
To watch DeSantis explain, please click on the image below:
“Orange County judge dismisses voter fraud case from DeSantis-touted arrests” via Christopher Cann of the Orlando Sentinel — An Orange County judge Monday dismissed a voter fraud case brought by DeSantis’ new election crimes office, finding statewide prosecutors lacked the authority to charge the Orlando defendant. “If the legislature wants a centralized prosecutor with the power to pursue any perceived illegality throughout the state of Florida, the Florida legislature has the authority to create a centralized system,” Orange County Circuit Judge Jenifer Harris wrote in her ruling. “This court will not facilitate such a concentrated power without legislative authority.”
“Disney: We won’t fight DeSantis on Reedy Creek” via Eric Daugherty of Florida’s Voice — Disney will not go to war with DeSantis over the Florida legislature’s moving forward with stripping its self-governing powers, special privileges, and paving the way for a Governor-appointed Board, Variety reported. Disney reportedly said they are “ready to work with this new framework.” Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said the resort will “continue to innovate, inspire and bring joy to the millions of guests who come to Florida to visit Walt Disney World each year.” The changes strip Disney of its control over the district, ultimately doing away with many of the company’s self-governing powers.
— LEGISLATIVE —
“Allison Tant, Corey Simon sponsor a bipartisan bill for students with disabilities” via Valerie Crowder of WFSU — Two Tallahassee state lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle are sponsoring legislation to allow parents of students with disabilities to stay informed about their child’s education until they graduate. Rep. Tant and Republican Sen. Simon have filed identical bills, HB 19 and SB 636, to allow parents to stay involved in their child’s individual education plan or IEP until they turn 22 years old. The House Civil Justice Subcommittee will take up the measure on Tuesday. It received unanimous support last month in the House Education Quality Subcommittee.
“Insurers seek to keep momentum, target lawsuit reductions in Session” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — In a December Special Session, lawmakers approved changes designed to limit the cost and number of lawsuits over property insurance claims which were long-sought by insurers. Now, insurers are seeking to broaden their push to reduce lawsuits and costs on a broader swath of cases. At the Associated Industries of Florida’s Business Forum, industry representatives predicted the elimination of one-way attorney fees and assignment of benefits during the Special Session will lead trial lawyers to target other facets of the law to gin up more frivolous suits. “I’m very respectful of the trial bar,” said Michael Carlson, President and CEO of the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, a trade group with State Farm, Allstate, Farmers and Progressive as members.
—TODAY IS SPACE DAY —
Space Florida wants to help you — and lawmakers — fall in love with space today.
Feb. 14 is doing double duty this year, serving as both Valentine’s Day and the 2023 Florida Space Day at the Capitol.
They won’t be bringing flowers or chocolate, but they do have some treats in store, including an appearance by astronaut Tony Antonelli, who flew on two space shuttle missions.
He’ll be joined by representatives from Kennedy Space Center, Space Florida, the U.S. Space Force and several top aerospace companies.
Florida Space Day will also host students who are members of the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team (WCDT) as well as students who previously participated in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition and have chosen to pursue careers in engineering and related science fields.
The students will meet with Florida officials and lawmakers to advocate for the importance of STEM education in the mission to make Florida the ground node for the aerospace industry.
Additionally, aerospace companies will set up exhibits on the 3rd Floor of the Capitol starting at 10 a.m. Among the highlights: An Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 rocket engine.
The day concludes with the Florida Space Day Reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the 22nd Floor of the Capitol. The reception is open to the public.
— LEG. SKED. —
— Florida Breast Cancer Foundation Advocacy Days. Breast cancer patients, survivors, friends, family, researchers and other stakeholders will unite to advocate for access to innovative, affordable a broad range of diagnostic screening tools, treatments, and therapeutics: 8 a.m., Capitol Complex.
— Florida Space Day. This event presents an opportunity to educate and bring awareness to Florida legislators on the significance of the aerospace industry and its impact on Florida’s economy: 8 a.m., Capitol Complex.
— The House Ways & Means Committee meets to discuss homestead tax exemptions: 9 a.m., Room 404, House Office Building.
— The House Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee meets to discuss constitutional amendments and voter registration systems: 11 a.m., Room 102, House Office Building.
— The House Water Quality, Supply & Treatment Subcommittee meets for an update on water quality programs in Florida: 11 a.m., Room 404, House Office Building.
— The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee meets to discuss Medicaid rate setting, among other issues. 11 a.m., Morris Hall.
— The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee meets to discuss the taxation of investigative services: 1 p.m., Room 110, Senate Office Building.
— The Senate Criminal Justice Committee meets to discuss controlled substances: 1 p.m., Room 37, Senate Office Building.
— The House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee meets to discuss partisan elections for School Board members: 1:30 p.m., Room 102, House Office Building.
— The House Civil Justice Subcommittee meets to discuss a half dozen bills: 1:30 p.m., Room 404, House Office Building.
— The House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee meets to discuss motor vehicle liability policies: 1:30 p.m., Morris Hall.
— The Joint Revenue Estimating Conference begins to discuss slots and Indian gaming: 2 p.m., Room 117, Knott Building.
— The Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee meets to discuss public guardians. Motor vehicle insurance for youths and children out-of-home care: 3:30 p.m., Room 37, Senate Office Building.
— The Joint Revenue Estimating Conference begins to discuss the tobacco settlement forecast: 3 p.m., Room 117, Knott Building.
— The Revenue Estimating Conference begins to discuss tobacco taxes and surcharges: 3:30 p.m., Room 117, Knott Building.
— The Senate Transportation Committee meets to discuss trees and vegetation within the rights of way of certain roads and lawful alcohol breath tests: 3:30 p.m., Room 100. Senate Office Building.
— CAP REAX —
First Amendment Foundation warns against shielding child autopsy reports — A bill filed for the 2023 Legislative Session would exempt child autopsy reports from public record, but the First Amendment Foundation could make Florida children less safe. The organization said public autopsy reports would help protect children in the child protection system. FAF cited the 2018 death of a boy, known as R.B., who died two weeks after DCF terminated supervision. FAF and media organizations sued to obtain his autopsy records. “Wholesale exemption of autopsy records in the manner contemplated by HB 273 does not serve the interest of children under state supervision, like R.B. who die tragic deaths as a result of domestic violence. Nor would HB 273 protect siblings and other children at risk themselves. HB 273 would also damage the public’s ability to scrutinize the care DCF provides to our most vulnerable,” the organization said.
Police chiefs support permitless carry, but stress safety training — The Florida Police Chiefs Association said it supports allowing lawful gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit but stressed the importance of proper safety training. “Responsible gun ownership doesn’t begin with the issuance of a government permit. It begins with training in how to safely handle, carry, use and store a weapon, and it continues with maintaining those competencies while complying with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations,” FPCA President and Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry said. “Ultimately, gun safety means that a lawful gun owner who meets the statutory requirements for a concealed-weapons permit, whether obtaining one or not, can protect themselves while not compromising the safety of their family, the community or law enforcement. The Florida Police Chiefs Association supports permitless constitutional carry and looks forward to working with Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature on this important issue.”
— STATEWIDE —
“State economists gather to review children’s health insurance program enrollment” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Florida’s top economists agree enrollment in the Florida KidCare program will increase in the months ahead as the state begins to remove people from Medicaid as part of the end of the public health emergency associated with COVID-19. The group of economists tasked with keeping tabs on Florida health care programs concluded that KidCare, a subsidized health care program for children, will see its enrollment grow as Medicaid begins to pare back its enrollment to pre-pandemic levels. Economists agreed enrollment in one component of KidCare, Florida Healthy Kids, will increase by 22,214 people in May and June.
“Politically connected interim president of New College gets $699,000 salary plus perks” via Divya Kumar of the Miami Herald — The newly remade Board of Trustees at New College of Florida voted Monday to give the Sarasota school’s interim President Richard Corcoran a pay bump of nearly $400,000 over his predecessor. The Board decided that Corcoran, a former Florida House speaker and state Education Commissioner, will receive a base salary of $699,000, plus an annual housing stipend of $84,000, a $12,000 automobile stipend and an annual retirement supplement of $104,850. Former New College President Patricia Okker, who was fired last month amid a conservative transformation of the Board, had a base salary of $305,000. Her housing stipend was $40,000 a year.
Trulieve pours more cash into recreational pot effort — The world’s largest legal cannabis company continues to stake a 2024 ballot proposal that would legalize recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State. According to campaign finance reports, Florida-based Trulieve sent another $5.5 million to the political committee Smart & Safe Florida last month. Including the January contribution, Trulieve has contributed all but $124 of the $25.5 million raised by the committee backing the proposed constitutional amendment. Records show that the committee had spent $24.9 million as of Jan. 31, including $5.75 million last month. The majority of the expenditures are related to signature-gathering efforts. As of Monday, the committee had gathered about one-third of the 891,589 signatures required to make the November 2024 ballot.
“Giffords blasts Florida GOP for holding permitless gun carry hearing” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Gun violence prevention group Giffords is blasting Republican lawmakers in Florida for their timing of a hearing on legislation to allow concealed carrying of a firearm without a permit. Tuesday marks five years since a shooter murdered 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. On Feb. 20, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee will take up a bill (SB 150) by Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins ending the license requirement for Floridians to carry a concealed firearm. “Instead of working to address gun violence in the state, Florida Senate Republicans introduced dangerous legislation that will drive gun violence up and further jeopardize the safety of our families and communities,” Giffords Florida senior adviser and former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell said in a statement.
“Why did voter turnout drop in 2022 versus 2018? Strict voting laws, voter arrests, say voting rights advocates” via Douglas Soule of USA Today Network — Will Forrester wants to vote, but he’s not sure he’s eligible because of a previous felony conviction, even after Florida voters approved an amendment to allow him and hundreds of thousands of others disenfranchised the right to vote. An outstanding $965 fine he cannot afford to pay keeps him from immediately registering to vote, but more worrisome for the Orlando man: the fear of being targeted by Florida’s newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security. “I’d be scared to go vote,” he said, “and I don’t know if I would or not. I don’t want to get into any trouble.”
“Paul Renner appoints Chase Tramont to RPOF State Executive Committee” via Florida Politics — House Speaker Renner is appointing Rep. Tramont to the Florida State Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Florida. “To be chosen as one of a handful of House Republicans to help guide and oversee our Republican Party of Florida is a true honor,” Tramont said in a news release. “I greatly appreciate the faith Speaker Renner has placed in me and will most certainly carry out this duty with the passion, integrity and workmanship to continue building on the 2022 success both he and Gov. Ron DeSantis fought so hard to achieve.”
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Joe Biden’s Cabinet members seem to really like their jobs” via Nathaniel Rakich and Alex Newman of FiveThirtyEight — Being a member of the Presidential Cabinet can be a high-stress job, no matter who is sitting in the Oval Office. So, it makes sense that just over two years into President Biden’s administration, some of his initial appointees are heading for the exits. But compared with other modern Presidents, especially his immediate predecessor, Biden’s Cabinet has had an unusually low turnover. Biden is tied with former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush for the fewest Cabinet resignations in the first two years of their presidencies.
“Why would Mitch McConnell do that to Rick Scott?” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — Ever since Biden delivered the moment Republicans perhaps feared in his State of the Union address Tuesday, seizing on Sen. Scott’s plan to sunset all federal programs, which would include Social Security and Medicare, Scott and others have worked hard to cast it as a lie. And now Sen. McConnell has undercut Scott’s entire effort, delivering a rebuke that’s remarkable for a number of reasons. “I mean it’s just a bad idea. I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own re-election in Florida, a state with more elderly people than any other state in America,” McConnell said.
“Florida seems like a lock for Republicans. But is it a sure thing for Scott?” via Stephany Matat of The Palm Beach Post — In deep-red Florida, Republicans have had an edge. Will that be the case for U.S. Sen. Scott, too? Scott, now in his fifth year in the U.S. Senate, said last month he would seek re-election next year. But while Republicans enjoyed red-storm routs in Florida in 2022, Scott had never enjoyed those kinds of dominant wins in his home state. In fact, for Scott, 2022 was a year of political setbacks. Leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he had one key objective, winning a GOP majority in the chamber. That effort did not end well as the Republican minority lost ground.
“GOP senator: ‘Vast majority’ want ‘a different direction’ than Scott on Social Security” via Olivia Olander of POLITICO — Most Republicans don’t agree with Sen. Scott‘s plan to sunset programs including Medicare and Social Security, Sen. Mike Rounds said, even as he left the door open to other changes. “The vast majority of us would say that we prefer to look at it in a different direction, one of managing it, as opposed to a discussion about having everything start over again,” Rounds said.
“Latest Lincoln Project ad targets Scott” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — The minutelong “It’s In The Plan” is predicated on an interview Scott did on Fox News Sunday last March, where the Florida Senator explained his plan to “rescue America.” That interview included a surprisingly contentious back and forth with host John Roberts and saw Scott accuse his interviewer of using “Democrat talking points” when accusing him of wanting to sunset Social Security and Medicare. “It’s not a Democratic talking point! It’s in the plan,” asserted the generally low-key Roberts.
Assignment editors — U.S. Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Maxwell Frost will hold a media availability on the five-year remembrance of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: 7:30 a.m. directly across the street from Marjory Stoneman Douglas, 5901 Pine Island Road, Parkland.
“An inauspicious start to House GOP hearings” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — Shortly before the House, newly under Republican control, launched its first big hearings of 2023, a poll suggested that the American people were quite skeptical of them. It showed that the public felt — by 56% to 36% — the newly created select subcommittee on the “weaponization of the federal government” was “just an attempt to score political points,” rather than a legitimate committee. At both a House Oversight Committee hearing and at a later “weaponization” panel hearing, Republican lawmakers spun an elaborate theory. The crux: that the FBI and/or other government officials interfered in the 2020 election by getting social media companies to suppress a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“U.S. defends takedowns of highflying objects” via Gordon Lubold, Brian Spegele and Nancy A. Youssef of The Wall Street Journal — Biden administration officials defended on Monday their decisions to shoot down unidentified flying objects over North America this weekend and disputed new claims by Beijing that the U.S. violated Chinese airspace with high-altitude balloons. Chinese officials said that the U.S. had flown high-altitude balloons over its airspace more than 10 times since the start of 2022, fueling an escalating diplomatic standoff between the countries that has derailed efforts to reset relations. The White House disputed China’s claims, while also defending stepped-up aerial surveillance that led to jet fighters scrambling to shoot down three unidentified flying objects following the destruction of the suspected Chinese spy balloon.
Ballard Partners signs major clients — Since Jan. 1, the team at Ballard Partners has signed lobbying deals with a half-dozen major clients. Among the additions are SunCoke Energy, a raw materials processor known as the largest independent producer of coke in the Western Hemisphere. The company is being represented by Eugene O’Flaherty, who joined Ballard Partners as part of the firm’s expansion into the Boston area. Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, a recent addition at Ballard, has brought over health care clients Abbott Diabetes Care and LHC Group. Other clients signed so far this year include Radom Corporation, algicides maker SePRO Corporation and the Lee County Commission.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Georgia judge will release parts of report on Donald Trump election inquiry” via Danny Hakim and Richard Fausset of The New York Times — A Georgia judge said he would disclose parts of a grand jury report later this week that details an investigation into election interference by Trump and his allies, though he would keep the jury’s specific recommendations secret for now. In making his ruling, the judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, said the special grand jury raised concerns in its report “that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.” But the eight-page ruling included few other revelations about the report, the contents of which have been carefully guarded, with the only physical copy in the possession of the district attorney’s office. The ruling does, however, indicate that the special grand jury’s findings are serious.
“How my work for Trump and Rudy Giuliani sought to make Ukraine defenseless” via Lev Parnas for TIME — My connection to Trump came through Giuliani, with whom I had done business, and through the large campaign donations I had made to Trump’s campaign. Giuliani, who desperately wanted to be Secretary of State, recruited me to help him further Trump’s interests overseas. I had no official position, but my primary task was to be their go-between with Ukrainian and Russian oligarchs and government officials. In retrospect, I concluded that my real job was to help undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian government. Trump and Giuliani argued that Ukraine’s leaders were corrupt and anti-American, but I believe there were other reasons Trump had it in for them. He viewed them as political enemies who had supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, hurting his feelings and engaging his unquenchable thirst for revenge.
“Trump used folder bearing ‘classified’ wording to block light keeping him awake at night, lawyer says” via Summer Concepcion of NBC News — A lawyer for Trump shared a surprising explanation for what the former President was doing at his Mar-a-Lago resort with a folder bearing “classified” wording that was recently turned over to federal investigators. The lawyer, Tim Parlatore, described the folder as “one of the more humorous aspects of this whole thing.” The folder was in Trump’s bedroom, and the former President was using it help him sleep better at night, Parlatore said. “He has one of those landline telephones next to his bed, and it has a blue light on it, and it keeps him up at night,” Parlatore said. “So he took the manila folder and he put it over it so that it would keep the light down so he could sleep at night.”
“Trump picks an interesting time to change his tune about Mike Pence” via Steve Benen of MSNBC — Trump’s Jan. 6 rhetoric about his Vice President has been well documented. After weeks of private and public lobbying, the Republican targeted Pence in his pre-riot remarks that riled up his radicalized supporters, only to make matters worse with a tweet during the attack on the Capitol that insisted that the then-Vice President lacked the “courage” to overturn the election. Very recently, Trump decided to adopt an entirely different attitude. He touted Pence as an “honorable man” following reports that Pence had received a subpoena from the Department of Justice’s special counsel investigating Trump. Trump also recently published an item to his social media platform that referred to Pence’s classified documents controversy: “Mike Pence is an innocent man. He never did anything knowingly dishonest in his life. Leave him alone!!!”
— LOCAL: S. FL —
“Parkland victims’ families create and expand foundations to keep memories of loved ones alive” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — “I can’t imagine what you are going through,” people often say to Jennifer Montalto. “You are right,” she thinks to herself, “you can’t. You shouldn’t have to imagine, but I have to live that life that is unimaginable.” Jennifer lost her 14-year-old daughter when a shooter killed Gina while she worked on a project in the hallway at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018. The five-year commemoration of that day is particularly hard for Jennifer, who usually shies away from talking publicly about her loss. “Losing Gina is torture … it’s not something I would wish upon anyone in any circumstance,” she said.
—”five years after Parkland, families cope through good works” via The Associated Press
—”Fred Guttenberg talks about five years since Parkland shooting” via WCTV
—”‘It’s always on my mind’: Five years since the Parkland massacre, survivors’ pain is fresh” via Grace Hauck of USA Today
—”The Parkland killer’s trial is over. Our personal trials continue” via Howard Dvorkin for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Parkland youth activists find new ways to fight back against gun violence” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — You know them from their passionate speeches at the nation’s capital or from their faces on the cover of Time magazine. They were the celebrity youth activists from Parkland who led marches and told the world “Never Again” after gun violence took the lives of 17 people at their high school in 2018. They are the teenagers who took it upon themselves to step up for gun-control legislation instead of waiting for adults or lawmakers to do it for them. Today, some are in college, some are in the real world. Most no longer want the spotlight. They have shrugged off the adult pressure to “fix” gun violence, acknowledged their struggles with delayed grief, and found new ways to effect change.
—”Symphonic composition in honor of Parkland victims” via NBC 6 South Florida
“Earlean Smiley agrees to $300K salary as Broward’s interim Superintendent” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Smiley is expected to start Wednesday as Broward’s interim Superintendent, with a salary of $300,000. Smiley negotiated a package with School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff. The rest of the Board will vote on it during a meeting Wednesday, and she’ll start immediately after the vote. The School Board tapped her for the job to replace Vickie Cartwright, whose tumultuous 18-month tenure ended Feb. 7 after she mutually agreed to separate from the district at a cost of about $277,000. The contract will be for a year or until a permanent Superintendent is in place. The School Board has set a goal of July 1, although Board members say it could take longer.
First in Sunburn — Mike Grieco campaign for Miami Beach Mayor cites strong polling, favorability — Former Rep. Mike Grieco is less than two weeks into running for Miami Beach Mayor, but he already has polling showing he’s a strong candidate for front-runner. Grieco’s campaign Tuesday released the results of a survey of city residents from last year by Sarasota-based SEA Polling & Strategic Design. The firm spoke with 350 people in Miami Beach for the survey, which had a 4.5-percentage-point margin of error, Christian Ulvert, an adviser to Grieco, told Florida Politics. Pollsters found Grieco holds citywide favorability across political lines and demographics. Overall, 50% of respondents said they held a favorable opinion of Grieco. Just 16% said they viewed him unfavorably.
“Miami Spanish-language TV station to be sold for $64M — and there may be on-air changes” via Andres Viglucci of the Miami Herald — Miami-based Spanish Broadcasting System, which describes itself as the country’s largest Hispanic-controlled publicly traded media company, has agreed to sell its Mega TV division to a new Texas group whose founders say their mission is to promote conservative politics and “family values.” The $64 million sale agreement, announced Monday by SBS, is the latest ownership change in a fast-changing Spanish-language media landscape in South Florida. The sale requires Federal Communications Commission approval. SBS will retain its core radio division, which focuses mainly on music and entertainment and includes Miami FM station El Zol, as well as its live events division.
“Stuart City Manager David Dyess to step down, take job as Juno Beach Town Manager” via Lina Ruiz of Treasure Coast Newspapers — City Manager Dyess is slated to leave Stuart to become Town Manager of Juno Beach in Palm Beach County. The Town Council there selected him at a special meeting Wednesday. Dyess has been in his current job for more than four years. A former Stuart Police Chief, he was interim City Manager for six months before the City Commission named him to the permanent post in November 2018. Dyess’ departure is the result of a Florida retirement program requiring enrolled employees to leave their posts after a specific amount of service. Dyess, 54, has been employed by the city for 33 years and had two years left before he had to switch to a new employer or retire.
— LOCAL: C. FL —
“Disney CEO Bob Iger hints at possible theme park expansions” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Universal’s biggest expansion to build a new theme park in Orlando is no secret to theme park enthusiasts. Now, some Disney fans are posing the question: What next, Mouse? The Walt Disney Co. CEO Iger addressed the importance of theme park expansions during an earnings call, his first one since returning to lead Disney. He didn’t provide details about future projects at Disney World although he revealed Disneyland is getting an “Avatar experience” following the box office success of the sequel. “We’ll be sharing more details on that very soon. Avatar represents yet another core franchise for the company,” Iger said during the call.
“Prosecutors ask federal judge for leniency when sentencing former Joel Greenberg associate” via Martin E. Comas of the Orlando Sentinel — Federal prosecutors say that an associate of former Seminole County Tax Collector Greenberg deserves a lighter sentence after “providing substantial assistance” in their case against Michael Courtney Shirley, a former Republican operative and Greenberg campaign consultant charged with paying bribes and receiving kickbacks worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from the tax collector’s office. Keith Ingersoll “also provided information (to prosecutors) to assist in another, nonpublic investigation” besides Shirley’s case, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Chancey Bratt in a motion filed Thursday in federal court asking for a more lenient punishment. Ingersoll, a longtime friend of Greenberg, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to taking part in a real estate scheme that defrauded a wealthy investor.
“DeLand police captain placed on leave pending outside investigation” via Mark Harper of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — A DeLand police captain is on administrative leave after the city began an investigation into unspecified actions he took. Francisco “Frank” Williams was placed on leave on Friday, said Chris Graham, DeLand community information manager. The city hired a third party — former Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron, the owner of Marathon-based Bill Cameron & Associates Consulting, Inc. — to conduct the investigation, Graham said. The nature of the investigation is not yet a public record and will remain sealed until it’s complete, Graham said Monday. Williams was hired in August 2021, Graham said. A bio the city posted online states Williams was an award-winning officer in the Jersey City Police Department for 26 years.
“Palm Bay Council member Pete Filiberto charged with DUI, cocaine possession” via J.D. Gallop of Florida Today — Palm Bay City Council member Filiberto was arrested Saturday night on charges of riding his motorcycle while impaired and carrying 10 grams of cocaine in his shoe, court records show. Filiberto, 34, elected to office in 2022, was charged with possession of cocaine, reckless driving, DUI alcohol, no motorcycle endorsement and refusing a DUI test. The powdered cocaine was found after Filiberto was taken to the police department’s holding cell and ordered to remove his shoes, arrest records show. Court records show that the arrest was Filiberto’s third on DUI charges.
“Port Orange sets plans to fill vacant City Council seat following Kat Atwood’s resignation” via Brenno Carillo of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Following Port Orange Council member Atwood’s resignation last month due to medical reasons, the City Council set out its plan to fill the position temporarily before a Special Election takes place Aug. 22. During a meeting Tuesday night, the four Council members agreed to appoint an interim Councilor to the vacant District 2 seat during the Feb. 21 meeting. They will review applications as they come in. The deadline to submit an application is Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. Candidates must live in District 2. The interim will serve in that capacity until a permanent Council member is determined at the August election or the November runoff, the city said in a news release.
“Flagler County judge elected to state leadership role, shows new judges the ropes” via Frank Fernandez of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — Flagler County Judge D. Melissa Distler recently returned from college: judge’s college. But she wasn’t a student. She was the teacher. She taught trial skills, such as managing a trial from start to finish, to rookie circuit and county court judges during Phase I of Florida Judicial College last month. “It is like a role play; the judges are kind of on the spot having to make decisions on different scenarios,” Distler said. “The new judges are always very eager and anxious and nervous at the same time, so it’s a combination of being excited about the job and being scared,” Distler said.
— LOCAL: TB —
“DeSantis wants Hillsborough to refund sales taxes. How would that work?” via C.T. Bowen of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis ordered the refund in his proposed state budget for the coming year. If the Legislature agrees, the state Department of Revenue is charged with retaining a third-party administrator to manage the refund process. Requests would be due from people who think they’re owed money by Feb. 29, 2024, and be completed by April 1, 2024. Whatever remains would be earmarked for transportation projects within Hillsborough County. So how much might be refunded to the public? Nobody seems sure. Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan said the number of $150 million has been kicked around, but he couldn’t verify the accuracy of the estimate. How might the refund process work? The Department of Revenue isn’t speculating publicly.
“Lawsuits keep piling up for Tampa Bay property insurers” via Christina Georgacopoulos of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — A barrage of lawsuits and legal notices have been filed in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties since early January, when the 90-day period expired for insurers to resolve claims from Hurricane Ian, attorney Ali Kadir pointed out. State law requires insurers to pay policyholders within 90 days of receiving a claim, and Hurricane Ian made landfall more than four months ago. “It’s hard to say, but in my experience, a lot of insurers aren’t making a decision within the 90 days because they’re overwhelmed by the amount of claims they’re getting,” Kadir said. At least six Tampa Bay property insurers were sued between Feb. 1 and 8, including Tampa-based Heritage Insurance, St. Petersburg-based UPC Insurance and Sarasota-based Centauri Specialty Insurance.
“Charlie Miranda self-funding City Council campaign” via Florida Politics — Tampa City Council member Miranda, as he often does, waited until close to the last minute to file for re-election. On Jan. 5, he threw his name in the hat for District 6, a departure from his current District 2 for which he is facing term limits. The same day, he cut his campaign a check for $40,000, enough to make him the best-funded candidate in the five-person race. After that, he raised just $9,360 through Feb. 3, from just 16 individuals or entities. Miranda’s check, paired with the massive name recognition that comes from serving eight terms on City Council, variably since 1974, means he’ll have the resources to secure another term on City Council. But it raises questions about whether support might be waning.
“Tampa Bay lost 12% of its seagrass in two years; some areas at historic low, study shows” via Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times — Tampa Bay lost 12% of its seagrass in recent years, a survey shows, leaving the upper bay with an all-time low amount of the plant crucial to life in Florida’s largest open-water estuary. Seagrass in Tampa Bay declined by more than 4,100 acres between 2020 and 2022, according to mapping results unveiled Monday by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Now harboring 30,100 acres of seagrass, Tampa Bay is at its largest deficit since 2010 after nearly a decade of restoration progress peaked at 41,600 acres in 2016. The bay has lost nearly 30% of its seagrass since then. This is the first time scientists have logged a decline in Tampa Bay’s seagrass in three consecutive studies since biennial tracking began in 1988, according to the district’s data.
“Hillsborough and Pinellas counties net $28M for septic-to-sewer conversions” via Henry Queen of the Tampa Bay Business Journal — DeSantis announced last week the allocation of $240 million across the state for wastewater projects, including $28 million for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Hillsborough is expected to receive an estimated $13 million in state money for a septic-to-sewer conversion project in Gibsonton and $5 million for a Palm River septic-to-sewer conversion project. Pinellas is set to capture $10 million for its own septic-to-sewer project. Nearly 20,000 septic systems are expected to be replaced across the state with this money, which is funneled through the Wastewater Grant Program set up in Florida’s Clean Waterways Act of 2021. The full Gibsonton project is expected to cost roughly $87 million and be finished by 2026, according to Hillsborough County.
— LOCAL: SW. FL —
“‘There’s no Spring Break here’: Florida’s Gulf Coast fights to rebound after Hurricane Ian” via Shannon Sims of The New York Times — On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa, a barrier island northwest of Cape Coral and Fort Myers. On a recent afternoon, sitting at a table outside the Sanibel Grill, which roof and water damage kept closed for months, the Mayor of Sanibel, Holly Smith was blunt. “There’s no Spring Break here,” she said. “As far as the recovery of tourism, we have a long way to go.” Smith said that during the storm, the island had “a complete wash over” — the 12-foot storm surge covered everything.
“Charlotte concludes storm debris collection” via the Port Charlotte Sun — Charlotte County’s storm debris contractor has concluded its operations, the county announced Monday. AshBritt collected a total of 95,547 loads containing 4,657,693 cubic yards of debris, including 4,060,589 cubic yards of vegetative debris and 577,727 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, according to a news release. Between Oct. 6 and Saturday, when all Charlotte County storm-debris drop-off locations ceased operations, residents dropped off 50,410 loads of debris at four locations from Punta Gorda to Englewood. The county’s two mini-transfer and recycling facilities will reopen with normal pre-storm business operations on Tuesday.
“Sarasota climate expert urges preparation for climate change as Florida faces ‘triple threat’” via Anne Snabes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — A climate expert warned that Florida is facing a “triple threat from water” in a warming climate at a recent conference in Sarasota. Those three threats are sea level rise, storm surge and extreme rainfall, said Bob Bunting, the CEO of the Sarasota-based Climate Adaptation Center. He forecast that the sea level will rise in Sarasota by 11 to 12 more inches by 2050. Bunting encouraged local governments to prepare their infrastructure for sea level rise. “When we build a road, have we raised it so that we can get people off the barrier islands? When we build a performing arts center, is it going to survive the 2030s and 2040s?” he asked.
“Was downtown Bradenton ready for Bird scooters? Rental program quietly comes to an end” via Ryan Callihan of the Bradenton Herald — After several attempts to kick-start the program, the city of Bradenton is walking away from a scooter partnership with Bird. Bradenton leaders voted last week to approve a mutual agreement ending the exclusive contract with the scooter company. In July, Bird became the city’s scooter rental operator, offering as many as 200 pay-as-you-go vehicles for use along the Riverwalk and designated areas downtown. City leaders celebrated the launch and applauded Bird for offering alternate transportation aimed at reducing the number of cars on Bradenton’s congested streets. But the partnership fell victim to “mixed feelings” and technological hiccups, City Administrator Rob Perry said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald.
— LOCAL: N. FL —
“Developer seeks $7M CRA loan for a 7-story apartment on vacant lot in downtown Tallahassee” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — A planned development on a vacant lot in downtown Tallahassee could bring 300 apartment units online for “workforce housing” if the project can secure a $7 million loan from the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA will decide how to move forward with possible funding for the project on the lot at the corner of Bronough and West Tennessee streets. The CRA’s Downtown Redevelopment Commission meets for a preliminary review of the project Tuesday. The CRA only has $3 million in unallocated funding for 2023 meaning staff are looking for ways to produce another $4 million or to secure a $7 million loan, according to agenda materials. Construction could start as soon as October 2024 with the units move-in ready by late 2027.
“Rayonier, Nassau County settle dispute over former County Attorney” via Wes Wolfe of Florida Politics — It was a bright day in Nassau County as, after years of litigation, the county government, Rayonier and its subsidiary Raydient ended their dispute over the work of former County Attorney Mike Mullin. “Nassau County is a great place to live,” said Chris Corr, Rayonier senior vice president of Real Estate Development. “We look forward to continuing to work together with Nassau County officials to create a better quality of life for everyone and preserve everything we love about Nassau County.” Mullin first worked for Rayonier on its East Nassau Community Planning Area project, part of which is commonly referred to as Wildlight.
“Emergency Management software failure, human error led to fake school shooter alert mishap” via Benjamin Johnson of the Pensacola News Journal — After an anonymous person falsely reported there was an active shooter at Pensacola Catholic High School Wednesday, Escambia County Emergency Management plans to fix their system that led to mass confusion in the community. “This is the first time we had used that platform for mass notifications of that magnitude,” Escambia Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said. “What we thought the system would do, and what we were trained on what the system would do, didn’t actually work like it was supposed to, I’ll be honest with you.” Gilmore said they are working with Everbridge, the company that owns the software, after the geofence notification system failed. Although there were technological errors that day, Gilmore said human error was also involved, which garnered more confusion throughout the community.
“Westbound span of Pensacola Bay Bridge opening to traffic Tuesday morning” via Kevin Robinson of the Pensacola News Journal — It might not be the most romantic Valentine’s Day gift, but it’s one that Pensacola and Gulf Breeze commuters have surely been longing for. After years of construction, both spans of the new Pensacola Bay Bridge will finally be open to traffic this morning. The westbound span of the bridge from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola is expected to open by 6 a.m., according to the Florida Department of Transportation. Initially, both the westbound and eastbound spans of the bridge will be limited to two lanes of travel. While traffic will soon be open on both spans of the bridge, miscellaneous tasks remain to complete the project. These include work on the U.S. Highway 98 tie-ins and median areas, the wayside park in Gulf Breeze, bridge painting and other final items, according to FDOT.
“North Florida Land Trust conserves Intracoastal Waterway marsh by Atlantic Boulevard” via Steve Patterson of The Florida Times-Union — Marshland stretching more than a mile around the Intracoastal Waterway from Atlantic Boulevard has been deeded over for preservation by heirs of the first Mayor of Atlantic Beach. Court records show the nonprofit North Florida Land Trust’s purchase of 218 acres for just $5,000 was recorded Feb. 3. The deal continues earlier work by the Jacksonville nonprofit to conserve marshlands east of the Intracoastal, this time by protecting property held for decades by the family that controlled the Atlantic Beach Holding Company. “The generosity of this family allows us the opportunity to protect most of the marsh grass on the eastern side of the Intracoastal from Butler Boulevard almost to Mayport,” Land Trust President Allison DeFoor said in an announcement about the deal.
— TOP OPINION —
“Guess who loses after Florida and Texas bar ESG banks?” via Matthew A. Winkler of Bloomberg — Companies committed to ESG favor protection of natural resources, human rights, health and safety, community engagement, transparency, compliance with regulatory policies, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Investors like the potential.
Asset allocation based on ESG criteria has grown to be at least a $35 trillion industry, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. The iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has expanded 3,400 times to $20 billion since its inception in 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Elected officials in Florida and Texas decry ESG as “woke,” ignoring its original meaning as a watchword for Black Americans derived from a Mississippi Delta blues song warning euphemistically of labor exploitation in the early 20th century mills.
These southern states, where racist laws prevailed 50 years ago, now prohibit the biggest Wall Street banks from arranging and selling their new bond offerings because they’re “woke,” often assigning the job to smaller firms that may not have the resources or reach to ensure that the borrowers are getting the lowest possible borrowing costs.
For all his venom toward ESG, DeSantis is poisoning the market for AAA-rated Florida debt. Shorn of the liquidity that comes from a robust group of underwriters, Florida now pays 43 basis points more in yield (or $4.3 million for every $1 billion of bonds sold) than California with an inferior credit rating, or 0.35% more than it did before 2022. The Florida deterioration is a record.
This is what happens when socialism comes to the Lone Star and Sunshine States.
— OPINIONS —
“Florida leads the nation in cybersecurity: hospital hack shows more must be done” via Ed Longe for Florida Politics — For the 300,000 people who call Leon County home, and the thousands who live in the surrounding areas, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) is a lifeline. Despite the importance of the hospital to the health of northwest Florida, a cyberattack on Feb. 2, 2023, forced the hospital to turn patients away and operate under “IT system downtime procedures.” These measures included shifting from electronic records to paper, canceling non-urgent surgeries, and diverting patients to nearby hospitals. While hospital officials and law enforcement agencies remain quiet on the exact nature of the incident, it is widely believed to be a ransomware attack. In 2022, it is believed around 290 hospitals in the United States were targeted by ransomware attacks.
“Michelle Flowers: Florida lawmakers can improve patient access to necessary treatments” via Florida Politics — Copay assistance programs, known to some patients as copay coupons, help reduce out-of-pocket payments for specialty medicines. Unfortunately, newer health insurance policy language known as copay accumulator programs, penalize patients for using copay coupons by not applying them to a patient’s insurance plan deductible and out-of-pocket maximums. In Florida, Gov. DeSantis announced his effort to lower prescription drug prices by addressing the role of PBMs in the health care supply chain. I thank Florida Sen. Tom Wright for introducing Senate Bill 46, which would ban copay accumulator programs in our state. I encourage lawmakers to support SB 46 and the federal HELP Copays Act to make prescriptions more affordable for patients and look forward to seeing additional legislation to lower costs for patients while preserving our access to innovative treatments that we enjoy.
— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —
— ALOE —
“‘You can’t be upset’: C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s mom, fans grateful despite Super Bowl loss” via Rick Neale of Florida Today — Lowering his shoulder, Philadelphia Eagles safety. Gardner-Johnson crashed into Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco at high speed, sending him spinning to the turf — and spurring C.J.’s mom, Del Johnson, to spring from her chair, clapping and cheering and fist-pumping. Del Johnson had already been too nervous to eat since Saturday night, a full day ago: “I tried to eat this morning. I couldn’t. I tried.” Johnson also watched little of her son’s game. Instead, she bustled about hosting a Super Bowl watch party for more than 200 fans at King’s Grill, her new sports-themed restaurant set to open March 1 on Barton Boulevard in Rockledge.
“Disney passholders’ shot at Tron rolling closer” via DeWayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney World annual passholders are getting closer to their preview dates for Tron Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom. Emails sent to passholders on Monday indicate that registration will open for the event on Thursday. Disney did not share the dates or times for the passholder previews yet. Earlier previews, such as for Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind last year, have assigned windows of ride opportunities upon registration. Disney World cast members have been previewing the Tomorrowland attraction for several days, and it opens to the public April 4.
“With friends and family in Turkey, FSU students host donation drive for earthquake victims” via Tarah Jean of the Tallahassee Democrat — Florida State University freshman Barkin Ozturk, who came to the U.S. as an international student from Istanbul, Turkey in August, was fortunate enough to find out that his family was not impacted by the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey-Syria Monday. But with his close friend 20-year-old Nezir Golge living in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, along with others dealing with the aftermath, FSU’s Turkish Student Association has started a donation drive and fundraiser Tuesday to help the victims. “He told me he had to live in a car for the first few days because the shelters around the area were gone after the earthquake,” said Ozturk, who is a member of the student association majoring in film at the university.
“Gas prices 19 cents cheaper than in January” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Gas prices in Florida fell for a second straight week, declining 19 cents per gallon altogether. That includes a 10-cent fall over the last seven days. As of Monday, motorists in the Sunshine State could expect to pay an average of $3.40 per gallon. There’s a likely price increase on the horizon, according to Mark Jenkins, spokesperson for AAA. “The downward trend at the pump may not last much longer,” he said in a statement.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Belated best wishes to Alex Burgos, a former aide to U.S. Sen Marco Rubio and now Public Affairs Director for Meta. Celebrating today are Kari Hebrank, R.J. Myers of Shumaker Advisors, Cari Roth, VP of Governmental Affairs at Lykes Bros, and former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala.
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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
