Staff Reports
Sixty Days — A prime-time look at the 2023 Legislative Regular Session:
The Last 24
A controversial defamation bill is dead in the Legislature. Sources in both the House and Senate confirm they have ceased negotiations on the measure. The legislation, which drew criticism from media voices across the political spectrum, would have lowered the threshold to sue media outlets and others. Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Lake Mary Republican, sponsored the bill in the Senate (SB 1220) and Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican, carried it in the House (HB 991). The legislation was a priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who earlier this year held a roundtable discussion with individuals holding grievances against the mainstream press. Here’s your nightly rundown.
Ultimate punishment: DeSantis has signed a bill (SB 450) that would allow a two-thirds supermajority of jurors to impose capital punishment.
Choke charge: A bill (HB 1375) that would classify strangulation as felony assault passed the House unanimously.
Share alike: Legislation (SB 1328) that would require public schools to share a portion of school tax collections with charter schools is teed up for the Senate floor.
Brew a cup: A bill (SB 136) setting forth standards for the regulation, production and sale of kratom is now on its way to the Senate floor.
Hemp rules: A bill that once imposed onerous THC caps and a controversial ban on synthetically derived cannabinoids was softened in the House, and now the Senate version matches that bill.
‘Stop Wake Act’: After a 4:45 a.m. “test” alert from the Division of Emergency Management, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia is vowing to ban late and early emergency tests.
Cash crunch: A state-run program using federal money to help low-income residents pay utility bills ran out of funding authority, and lawmakers are trying to work on a fix.
Quote of the Day
“I’m 100% serious. I’m going to call it the ‘Stop Wake Act.’ I need a House sponsor.”
— Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, on the early morning DEM alert.
Bill Day’s Latest
3 Questions
The Florida Dental Association has worked this Session to change how telehealth can be used to provide dental services. One proposal under consideration would require any company, corporation or dentist using telehealth to render services to have a dentist licensed to practice in Florida perform an in-person examination of a patient. Alternatively, the dentist could obtain records from an in-person examination conducted on the patient in the past six months. In addition to the substantive bills (SB 356/HB 503), the FDA also is pushing lawmakers to fund programs that help increase access to dental care. To date, neither the House nor the Senate budget has included the request in their respective budget proposals, but FDA Chief Legislative Officer JoAnne Hart is working to change that. Hart spoke to Florida Politics about the money the FDA is seeking and how it would be used.
Q: Let’s talk about the budget and some of the issues the Florida Dental Association would like to see get funded this year.
Hart: So our biggest issue is — and for the life of me, this is one of those things that’s a no-brainer because it’s a win-win for the state and the community — is for the Legislature to appropriate $1.773 million in recurring funding in the Department of Health budget for the dental student loan repayment program, and the donated dental services program.
We don’t have a budget shortfall. And if anyone is concerned about trying to improve access to dental care in rural areas, this is how to do that. This is how the Legislature can help increase access to dental care.
The $1.773 million also includes $200,000 in general revenue for a program that is functioning right now through grant and donations funding. And it is a program where our dentists volunteer to take on a patient who may need a dental clearance to get chemotherapy, but they don’t have a dentist. Or they have a medical surgery procedure like a knee transplant or knee replacement, and they have to have dental clearance before the physician will do the surgery. Because if you have an oral health infection, if you have periodontal disease, gum infection, then it could compromise your overall medical procedure, right? So our dentists actually are helping people get lifesaving medical procedures through our program. The $200,000 in funding that we’re asking for that program will go toward administrative costs for two full-time coordinators to administer the program and to recruit more volunteers into the program.
Q: Didn’t this get vetoed from the budget last year?
Hart: This was included in the budget last year and it was vetoed. And what we were told by the Governor’s office is that the Governor has no problem with our policy — dental student loans or donated dental services, which has been around since 1997. But because this is a recurring program, we needed recurring funding. And what the Legislature allocated last year was nonrecurring funding.
Q: Why has this been such a tough sell?
Hart: I think a lot of folks — and it’s unfortunate — correlate this to student loan forgiveness. We’ll hear people misname our program, and we’re like, ‘No, we’re not forgiving anybody’s loan.’
We think that you need to commit yourself to an area and work. The money will go directly to the financial institution. It is not going to the dentist. So, they’re not pocketing any of the funding. So, I think a lot of people when they hear it, even though we’re saying ‘loan repayment,’ I think people think about ‘loan forgiveness.’
A lot of folks feel like nothing should be for free. And we’re not asking for anything to be free. These individuals would, you know, work in these areas and provide much-needed dental care. So, I think maybe that could be the confusion.
Lobby Up
Pick it, pack it, fire it up. Whether you choose to celebrate or roll your eyes, there’s no denying that 420 is the weed world’s biggest holiday (sorry, Danksgiving).
Medical marijuana is big business in Florida, and there’s a chance recreational marijuana will be as well in a couple of years. Here’s a rundown of some of the major players in Florida’s growing cannabis industry.
The biggest name in the legal cannabis biz is Trulieve. The Tallahassee-based company became the largest medical marijuana company in the nation two years ago following a $2.2 billion acquisition of Harvest Health & Recreation, and it isn’t done growing — the company is the principal supporter of the proposed ballot amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State.
The company’s lobbying roster reflects its largesse. Its contract lobbyists include the teams at two top-5 firms — Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace, Megan Fay, Andrew Ketchel, Scott Ross and Chris Schoonover of Capital City Consulting as well as Brian Ballard of Ballard Partners. It also has lobbying deals with Katie Webb and Amanda Fraser of Colodny Fass, Brecht Heuchan of The Labrador Company, and Sean Pittman of the Pittman Law Group.
Curaleaf also has a substantial footprint in Florida. The Massachusetts-based operation serves more than 350,000 registered patients across 23 states. It’s also in the recreational marijuana business in states that have voted to legalize it. Its team in the Capitol includes Warren Husband, Jim Daughton, Douglas Bell, Leslie Dughi, Allison Liby-Schoonover and Karl Rasmussen of Metz Husband & Daughton.
Another major is VidaCann. The Florida-grown operation touts itself as “one of the largest and most advanced providers of medical cannabis in Florida.” The Jacksonville-based company has retained Marty Fiorentino, Davis Bean, Shannan Boxold, Joe Mobley and Mark Pinto of The Fiorentino Group, the top lobbying firm in Northeast Florida.
In addition to corporate interests, multiple associations and advocacy groups have either sprouted or set up shop in Florida in the years since voters legalized medical pot.
They include the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, represented by Michael Bronstein; Floridians for Safe Medical Cannabis Care, which is repped by Bill Rubin, Heather Turnbull, Erica Chanti and Chris Finkbeiner of Rubin Turnbull & Associates; and the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida, which has a deal with Jeff Sharkey and Taylor Biehl of Capitol Alliance Group.
Breakthrough Insights
The Next 24
9 a.m. — The House Appropriations Committee will consider a bill (HB 5) that would eliminate Enterprise Florida, a public-private group that recruits businesses to expand or move to the state. Room 212, Knott Building.
9 a.m. — The House Ways & Means Committee will consider a bill (HB 451) related to the valuation of timeshare units. Room 404, House Office Building.
Full committee agendas, including bills to be considered, are available on the House and Senate websites.
