Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Chamber of Commerce announced three more speakers for its Legislative Fly-In next week.
The new additions include Sen. Corey Simon, Rep. Kaylee Tuck and Rep. Fiona McFarland. All three lawmakers were backed by the Florida Chamber during the 2022 Elections.
Tuck is in her second term representing a chunk of Florida’s heartland. Notably, she is the prime sponsor of the House Speaker’s priority bill (HB 1) expanding school choice scholarship eligibility to all Florida families.
Simon, whose victory in North Florida’s SD 3 was perhaps the GOP’s most significant pickup last cycle, is sponsoring the Senate companion to the school choice bill (SB 202).
McFarland, also in her second term, represents the Sarasota area and has filed bills tackling high-profile topics such as ticket resellers (HB 317) and workers’ compensation benefits for 911 operators and crime scene investigators suffering from PTSD (HB 337).
The Chamber’s Legislative Fly-In will be held Feb. 21-22 and will include insights on Florida’s economic, political and legislative landscape alongside the reveal of the influential business group’s priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session.
Previously announced speakers include Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senate Majority Leader Ben Albritton, House Judiciary Committee Chair Tommy Gregory and House Infrastructure Strategies Committee Chair Bobby Payne.
Visit the Florida Chamber website for more details and registration information.
Evening Reads
—“Ron DeSantis rolls out anti-ESG legislative proposals in latest blast against ‘woke elites’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”New College offers Richard Corcoran nearly $700K for interim President job” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“The College Board’s rocky path, Through Florida, to the AP Black Studies course” via Anemona Hartocollis, Dana Goldstein and Stephanie Saul
—“Looks like DeSantis is going after the century-old College Board, known for AP classes, SATs” via Danielle J. Brown of the Florida Phoenix
—”Florida straight up lied about AP African American studies course, College Board says” via Paul Blest of Vice
—”The Supreme Court showdown over Joe Biden’s student debt relief program, explained” via Ian Millhiser of Vox
—”New U.S. parole program for Haitians leads to long passport lines, cops fleeing the country” via Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald
—”Inflation is falling, and where it lands depends on these three things” via Gwynn Guilford of The Wall Street Journal
—”House Democrats push back against recent GOP bills passed during Special Session” via Issac Morgan of Florida Politics
—”Nikki Fried launches bid for Florida Democratic chair” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel
—”Disney CEO Bob Iger hints at possible theme park expansions” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics
—”Tampa Bay lost 12% of its seagrass in 2 years; some areas at historic low, study shows” via Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Did this Miami woman get rich selling real estate — or scamming COVID loans?” via Andrea Marks of Rolling Stone
Quote of the Day
“When it comes to ESG, many of us have been boiled like a frog.”
— CFO Jimmy Patronis, on DeSantis’ anti-ESG legislation.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
