Takeaways from Tallahassee — Fighting back

Florida is ramping up its fight against the IRS, which CFO Jimmy Patronis said is targeting the Sunshine State for its conservative politics and rising revenues.

To expose “patterns of discrimination” and combat them, Patronis announced a new Florida IRS Transparency Portal through which residents, businesses and nonprofits can report problems they have with federal tax enforcers.

The Florida Department of Financial Services will then analyze those reports to assess “how citizens of this state are being targeted” and deliver its findings to lawmakers in Washington with IRS oversight.

“There’s an existential threat to the citizens of the state of Florida and our economy,” he said during a Thursday roundtable where he, Sen. Tom Wright, Rep. Toby Overdorf and others criticized federal spending under President Joe Biden and plans to expand and modernize the long-underfunded IRS.

The agency has increasingly taken aim at Florida, Patronis alleged, noting the influx of about 400,000 new Floridians last year who brought with them $39 billion in “new, recurring money” from comparatively tax-heavy states like California, Illinois and New York.

“We will be targeted simply because we’re the beneficiary of these new dollars,” he said. “The IRS, they will go where the fishing is good.”

Patronis’ announcement comes five months after he unveiled a “four-pillar” initiative to prevent the IRS from targeting “Floridians based on their political beliefs or the simple fact that Florida’s economy has fared better than most states.”

Overdorf and Sen. Blaise Ingoglia carried twin bills this year to effectuate Patronis’ initiative, but neither passed.

Patronis’ announcement closely followed news this week that Farmers Insurance, which may have as many as 100,000 policies in Florida, is pulling out of the state ahead of hurricane season. A new report also showed Florida now has the highest inflation rate in the nation.

Florida lawmakers held two Special Sessions in 2022 and passed additional measures this year to address the state’s crumbling insurance market, including new safeguards insurers now enjoy against lawsuits by Florida policyholders.

Coming up, the usual assortment of news, intel, and observations from the week that was in Florida’s capital city by Peter Schorsch, Drew Wilson, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Jordan Sexton and the staff of Florida Politics.

But first, the “Takeaway 5” — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:

—Take 5—

Getting out: Farmers Insurance announced this week that it is pulling out of the state despite recent changes aimed at improving Florida’s property insurance market. The move apparently caught Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky off guard because he sent a letter to the nationally known insurer expressing his “disappointment regarding how this decision was communicated” and the “hastiness” of the decision. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for President, downplayed Farmers’ decision and maintained insurers will begin returning to Florida after hurricane season. Florida Democrats, meanwhile, pinned the blame on the state’s top Republicans, including Patronis, for passing laws to limit lawsuits against insurers instead of crafting meaningful policies to help abate the crisis in Florida’s property marketplace.

State tramples FAU search: The state is launching an investigation into Florida Atlantic University’s presidential search, one week after it announced three finalists for the position. State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues announced the search in a letter to the Chair of FAU’s search committee, saying it was brought about by “transparency breaches” and “anomalies,” including an optional questionnaire that allowed applicants to disclose their sexual orientation, gender identity and preferred pronouns. The questionnaire was provided by the firm FAU contracted for the search. The unraveling of the presidential search comes after state Rep. Randy Fine, an ally of DeSantis who said the Governor’s office encouraged to apply for the job, was not named as a finalist.

Mouse roar: Disney CEO Bob Iger this week pushed back against DeSantis’ criticism of the entertainment giant. During an interview with CNBC, Iger called the Republican Governor’s accusation that Disney wants to sexualize children “preposterous” and “inaccurate.” He added the company does not want to be drawn into a “culture war” but said Disney sued the state because DeSantis retaliated against the company for speaking out against the “Parental Rights in Education” bill that is called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by its critics. Iger added that the feud with DeSantis has not affected the theme park attendance. He said it was misleading to compare 2023 attendance to 2022 because other states had not completely reopened following COVID-19.

She’s got his back: Attorney General Ashley Moody smacked California officials over their push to get federal authorities to investigate migrant flights paid by taxpayers and organized by the DeSantis administration. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland last week and asked for a probe. The request asserted that migrants who were flown to Martha’s Vineyard in September and to Sacramento in June were misled. But Moody sent her own missive on Thursday to Garland that called the request from California a “political stunt” and said that the flights were voluntary and legal. She asserted that the California officials are trying to derail DeSantis’ presidential campaign because they know he will beat President Joe Biden.

Another complaint: A formal sexual harassment complaint against Rep. Fabián Basabe was filed with the House. Two male staffers, Nicolas Frevola and Jacob Cutbirth, detailed many of the accusations already described in a lawsuit filed against Basabe in Leon County. Cindy Myers, an attorney for Frevola and Cutbirth, said the staffers suffered severe harassment that made for a hostile work environment. She expressed shock how quickly after winning a close election that Basabe created a sexually charged atmosphere in his office. Myers said both men were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements when they started to work for Basabe and were reluctant to make complaints immediately after the incidents. The attorney said since her clients were state employees, they never should have been asked to sign NDAs. Officials with the House said the complaint will be independently investigated. The new complaint comes shortly after an investigation into an alleged physical altercation between Basabe and a staffer was concluded with an “inconclusive” determination.

—Long time coming—

Nearly three years after Hurricane Sally hit the western Panhandle, the DeSantis administration announced that the state is handing out $187 million in federally funded Rebuild Florida awards.

Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly said that the grants will “help Northwest Florida rebuild and become more resilient following Hurricane Sally.

“From repairing and replacing homes to championing workforce development and supporting infrastructure projects, these disaster recovery funds will ensure Hurricane Sally-impacted communities have the resources they need to be made whole again.”

Rebuild Florida money is used by local governments to strategically rebuild homes and harden infrastructure to prevent or mitigate losses from future disasters.

The grants are going into several key areas, with the largest awards helping pay for infrastructure projects.

The city of Pensacola is getting nearly $40 million that will be used for a stormwater infrastructure project and repairs at the Port of Pensacola, among other things. Escambia County will receive nearly $53 million to build a new energy-efficient and resilient Escambia County Area Transit Center and to make regional stormwater drainage improvements in low-and moderate-income neighborhoods. The town of Century is receiving nearly $13 million to demolish the old Century High School gym and build a new shelter that can be used as a multi-purpose facility.

Rebuild Florida is also awarding grants of $25 million for the construction of new workforce affordable housing, nearly $15 million to Escambia County and Pensacola to rebuild or repair homes damaged by Hurricane Sally, as well as more than $8 million to purchase properties in flood-prone areas. There is also nearly $16 million for the Rebuild Florida Hometown Revitalization Program to help facilitate the return of businesses.

—Hallway Heroes—

Attorney General Ashley Moody launched a new initiative recognizing law enforcement officers this week.

“Hallway Heroes” highlights the best school resource officers in the state and encourages youth to form positive bonds with the SROs on their campuses. In addition, the program includes resources for school-aged children and encourages them to report suspicious behavior to the police through the statewide tip-reporting line, **TIPS.

“I am excited to launch Hallway Heroes ahead of the 2023-2024 academic school year. This new initiative will help strengthen the relationship between students and law enforcement to increase safety in schools and beyond,” Moody said in a news release.

The rollout was announced at the 2023 Florida School Resource Officers Association Summer Conference, where Moody also introduced Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Donald Roenbeck as the School Resource Officer of the Year.

Moody’s office said Roenbeck is known for “going above and beyond” to engage students at Spring Creek Charter School. Once, a student qualified for a Washington, D.C. trip but couldn’t afford to go, but Roenbeck stepped in and personally paid for the trip. He also volunteers to help the school’s sports booster programs and travels with the teams to support student-athletes.

“His commitment to serving his school is exemplified in the way he engages with students and the relationships formed from these meaningful interactions. Master Deputy Roenbeck’s unwavering dedication and compassion are making lasting impacts on the students he serves,” Moody said.

—Treasure Hunt—

Floridians were reunited with $31 million in unclaimed property last month, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced.

Unclaimed property is CFO jargon for cash — unfortunately, nobody who works in state government is hanging on to the shoebox full of Pokémon cards you mistakenly left in your childhood home.

But money takes about as many forms as pocket monsters. A non-exhaustive list of what’s in the state’s unclaimed property account: dormant bank accounts, insurance proceeds, to stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances and refunds, or even inheritances.

In most cases, these assets were once held by businesses. However, they will only yell into the void so many times, and the harsh reality is that the balance of your grandmother’s abandoned checking account won’t cover Chris Jacobs’ going rate to track you down.

Getting down to brass tacks, Florida’s largest metro area, Miami, once again topped the regional breakdown with $8.5 million returned in June. The Tampa Bay area was close behind at $7 million, followed by West Palm Beach at $5 million, Orlando at $4.7 million, Jax at $1.5 million and Fort Myers/Naples at $1.4 million.

Surprisingly, the Gainesville and Tallahassee areas — miniscule by comparison — each topped $1 million in June returns. Pensacola and Panama City each recorded six-figure totals in June.

If you missed out in June, worry not, there’s still plenty to go around.

“Currently, Florida has unclaimed property accounts with a total value of nearly $2.7 billion. I am encouraging every Floridian to search now for unclaimed property for yourself, your friends, your loved ones, and even your business at FLTreasureHunt.gov. It’s your money, claim it today,” Patronis said.

Patronis noted that since he entered office in 2017, more than $2 billion has been returned to Florida citizens.

—Instagram of the Week—

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—The Week in Appointments—

Florida’s 6th District Court of Appeal — DeSantis appointed Paetra Brownlee of Winter Park to the 6DCA. Brownlee has served as a Judge on Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit Court since her appointment by DeSantis in 2020. Previously, she served as a partner at The Brownlee Law Firm. She received her bachelor’s degree from Emory University and her law degree from Florida State University. She fills the judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jay Cohen.

Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit Court — The Governor appointed Jessica Marra of Plantation to a judgeship in the 17th Circuit. Marra has been a partner with the Kelley Kronenberg law firm since 2014. Previously, she served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 17th Circuit. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and her law degree from Nova Southeastern University. Marra fills the judicial vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patti Henning.

Governor makes raft of JNC appointments — DeSantis announced a slate of appointments to state Judicial Nominating Commissions. The Friday afternoon announcement included the Supreme Court JNC, six appeals court JNCs, and a dozen circuit court JNCs. DeSantis named 38 appointees in all. Read the full list on Florida Politics.

—Give it up for Ocala—

Ocala Main Street is getting kudos from Secretary of State Cord Byrd.

Byrd announced this week that Ocala’s main street has been designated the July 2023 Florida Main Street Program of the Month.

“Since its founding in 1985, Ocala Main Street has exemplified the ideals of a successful main street community,” Byrd said. “I am very excited to showcase their success in revitalizing downtown Ocala during this year’s upcoming Preservation on Main Street Conference.”

Ocala was first incorporated as a city in 1885 — four years after rail service had reached the city, which completed a connection with the Oklawaha and Silver rivers. On Thanksgiving Day in 1883, a fire wiped out four blocks of the business district surrounding the downtown square. The burned-out buildings were replaced by brick structures and Ocala became known as “Brick City” when construction was completed in 1888.

A non-profit organization, Ocala Main Street, works to promote events and celebrate the area’s history. OMS was designated one of the first five Main Street Communities in 1985 and since then the organization has secured over $60 million in public and private investments and helped more than 100 businesses open.

Ocala Main Street oversees many activities, including historic walking tours. It also helps with First Night Ocala, an annual event to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The organization also helped advocate for expansion of golf cart access into the business district as well as a pop-up retail incubator program.

“Our Main Street District is the heart of our community, and we are working to make Downtown Ocala exceptionally vibrant and economically successful,” OMS executive director Jessica Fieldhouse said.

—Summer reading, hold the rainbow—

Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. completed an increasingly difficult task this week: announcing his picks for the “Commissioner’s Book of the Month” program.

The mid-month announcement comes amid seemingly weekly reports of book removals from school media centers across the state, many for quizzical reasons. One Leon County mother, for example, claims “I am Billie Jean King” harmed her child because it acknowledges the tennis legend is gay.

Diaz’s July list is a wellspring of jingoism, a purposeful decision in light of the recent Fourth of July holiday.

“As we reflect on our nation’s history, I am honored to recommend books that will promote patriotism and help students further understand the founding of our great nation,” Diaz said. “This month’s selections celebrate American heroes, including those who gave their life to safeguard our freedoms.”

The picks: “Good Night America” by Adam Gamble for PreK kids, “You’re a Grand Old Flag” by George M. Cohan for K-2, “The Bald Eagle” by Norman Pearl for third- through fifth-graders, “George Washington, Spymaster” by Thomas B. Allen for middle schoolers, and “D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944” by Rick Atkinson for high schoolers.

Diaz specifically recommended the young readers’ adaptation of “D-Day,” presumably because the gruesome details of German MG 42s firing into squads of Americans would be more damaging to young minds than knowing one of the greatest tennis players of all time is homosexual. On that, most would probably agree.

Still, parents looking to read along would likely appreciate the unedited version of Atkinson’s book, “The Guns at Last Light,” which is widely regarded as one of the best works in its genre — upon its release, the New York Times described it (and the broader Liberation Trilogy) as “a monumental achievement … densely researched but supremely readable.”

—Real-time training—

With lessons learned from Hurricane Ian still fresh, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) this week held its annual Human Services Summit.

The five-day event brought the division’s human services branch together with representatives from the state’s health and human service agencies; emergency response organizations; and faith-based organizations. Workshops were offered on mass care, sheltering, and feeding with an emphasis on building local sheltering capacity and long-term recovery efforts for disaster survivors.

The summit culminated with a real-time exercise on information sharing using WebEOC for human service missions and improving logistical efficiency during planning stages.

“Our human services branch plays a critical role in the State Emergency Response Team’s responsibility to meet the needs of disaster survivors,” said Division Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “This annual Summit provides attendees with a great opportunity to learn from previous disaster responses and make continued improvements to maintain Florida’s status as a leader in emergency management.”

During the Hurricane Ian response, DEM’s human services branch distributed more than 4 million hot meals, and 15 million-plus Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). It also distributed more than 500,000 food boxes and over 2 million kits with cleanup and supplies.

On Friday, DEM, working alongside the Department of Elder Affairs, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities and 100 volunteers, spearheaded efforts to prepare and distribute disaster preparedness kits to seniors and people with unique abilities.

Disaster kits were assembled by volunteers at the state’s 11 Area Agencies on Aging and delivered to seniors and people with disabilities who are homebound, low-income, or identified as being at-risk.

The kits included flashlights, weather radios, first aid supplies, water, can openers, batteries, and other materials helpful in an emergency. Items were acquired through a donation by the WellMed Charitable Foundation to support the mission of Hope Heroes in helping seniors with disaster relief and recovery.

—High and dry—

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested 94 vessel operators for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the Fourth of July weekend as part of “Operation Dry Water” efforts.

“Tragic accidents occur when irresponsibility is present,” said Col. Brian Smith, Director of FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement. “Operating a vessel while impaired puts the vessel operator, everyone on board and everyone around them in danger. I have no doubt that the hard work our officers and partner agencies put in over the holiday weekend saved lives.”

In Florida, it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher, the same as in a vehicle.

Now in its 15th year, Operation Dry Water is a year-round BUI awareness campaign aimed at reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-related boating incidents and fatalities.

For more information about boating safety visit MyFWC.com/Boating.

—K-9 Days of Summer—

With the oppressive heat it’s no surprise to learn we are in what’s known as the “dog days of summer.”

That means there’s no better time for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to celebrate its K-9 units. To that end, FDLE has renewed a social media campaign this week that will feature its team of 10 K-9 pooches and their handlers.

Two new K-9’s will be getting social media love: Joze, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and Hunter, a Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd mix.

Two-year-old Joze assisted with her first search warrant on June 22. She is trained in electronic storage detection and has been assigned to Special Agent Vannessa Carmona in the Pensacola Regional Operations Center.

Hunter is assigned to Capitol Police Officer Getavius “Taye” Zachary, and searches the exterior and interior areas of state offices for explosives. Hunter also has assisted the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, FAMU Police Department, Tallahassee Police Department and FDLE.

Joze and Hunter join:

—Cache, a 19-month-old English Labrador trained in electronic detection who works out of the Fort Myers Regional Operations Center;

—Layla, an American Labrador trained in electronic storage detection who works out of FDLE’s Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center;

—Rocket, a black Labrador assigned to FDLE’s Tallahassee Regional Operations Center who assists with search warrants, victims interviews and demonstrations;

—Laya, a Golden Retriever trained in a variety of military grade and homemade explosives who has been assigned to the Capitol Police in Tallahassee;

—Babs, a Yellow Labrador Retriever assigned to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Miami and one of two ATF explosive detection canines in Florida;

—Gatsby, a Yellow Labrador Retriever who searches vehicles and small trucks entering the Capitol and also has been loaned to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, FSU Police Department, and FAMU Police Department;

—Baxter, an English Labrador Retriever assigned to Orlando Regional Operations Center Cybercrime Task Force who has has been deployed on more than 100 searches in two years; and

—Maple, who has been deployed on 109 scenes and taken part in 32 community demonstrations since being deployed in 2019. Maple retires this year after successfully undergoing chemotherapy after her lymphoma diagnosis in September of 2022.

—Back to school—

The next school year is around the corner, and Rep. Anna V. Eskamani wants to make sure kids and teachers show up prepared when they return to the classroom.

The Orlando Democrat this week announced an ongoing school-supply drive — the Team Anna Back to School Drive with A Gift for Learning. Accepted items include unopened #2 pencils, dry-erase markers, notebooks (composition and spiral), block erasers, and loose-leaf paper.

Those able to make a donation can swing by Eskamani’s district office, situated at 1507 E. Concord St., on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. now through August 18.

“We want to make sure that all of our teachers and students are ready for school,” Eskamani said in a news release. “That’s why every year we are grateful to our community’s generosity in helping to ensure every kid in Orange County has the supplies they need to succeed.”

The donation drive is being coordinated in partnership with A Gift for Teaching, a nonprofit organization that helps students and teachers in Orange and Osceola counties. They provide eligible teachers with free supplies and help integrate art curriculum into low-income schools.

—Love and marriage—

There were 7.5 divorces per 1,000 women in Florida in 2021, a dip from the 2011 rate of 9.9 divorces per 1,000 women, recently released Census data shows.

Despite the decrease, though, Florida ranked No. 24 in terms of state divorce rates, and Florida’s divorce rate continues to outpace the national divorce rate of 6.9.

Idaho, which has 11.1 divorces per 1,000 women, leads the nation, followed by Arkansas and Mississippi, with divorce rates of 11 and 9.7, respectively.

On the flip side, U.S. Census figures show that first-time marriage rates for women in Florida dipped over the past decade and were “significantly lower” than the national average.

There were 13.8 new marriages in Florida for every 1,000 women in 2021, down from the 14.1 marriage rate in 2011. Nationally, there were 14.9 new marriages for every 1,000 women in 2021.

Alaska, Utah and Colorado have the highest marriage rates in the nation in 2021 at 28.5, 22.3 and 19.8, respectively.

The data is culled from the American Community Survey, an ongoing effort that collects demographic data to help inform how trillions of dollars in federal funds are distributed each year.

Marriage and divorce rates reflect activity within the past 12 months.

While marriage and divorce data also is collected on men, previous studies indicate that women more consistently report data for themselves and tend to report their marital history more accurately, leading ACS to use female data.

—Getting trivial for a cause—

Do you really KNOW Tallahassee?

Are you competitive?

Test how good your trivial knowledge really is this Thursday at Ology for the Tallahassee Trivia Townhall, a fundraising event supporting the Second Harvest of Big Bend.

Elected officials from the city, county and state Legislature have been invited to participate in the event. To date, Tallahassee Commissioners Jack Porter and Curtis Richardson have agreed to serve as team captains in the three-round competition, sponsored by the FSU Masters of Applied American Politics & Policy (MAAPP) program.

Teams will be asked to answer questions from three categories: Tallahassee general knowledge; Tallahassee food; and Tallahassee history.

Ben Johnson, a student in the MAAP program, said the goal is “to raise funds and awareness for a local food bank.” He said that a portion of drink proceeds will be directed to the Second Harvest of the Big Bend. Donations can also be made, Johnson said, via a MAAP developed website and QR code.

Director of Advocacy & Strategic Marketing at Second Harvest of the Big Bend Tobey Gable will be at the fundraiser to discuss the role of the food bank.

—‘Women at War’—

It was named one of the 10 best art exhibitions of 2022 by The Washington Post. Now, “Women at War,” which highlights the works of contemporary female artists who are creating in Ukraine, is at the Florida State University Museum of Fine Art.

“The exhibition offers an insight into Ukrainian and other Eastern European feminisms, which are significantly different from the Western mold,” said curator Monika Fabijanska, a New York-based art historian.

“It contributes to the discourse about how national identity is tied to the perception of women’s role in society. There are parallels between the fight for Ukraine’s independence and the fight for the equality of Ukrainian women.”

The exhibit was done in collaboration with the Voloshyn Gallery, a prominent art gallery in Kyiv. It is on loan from the Fridman Gallery in New York.

Participating artists include Yevgenia Belorusets, Oksana Chepelyk, Olia Fedorova, Alena Grom, Zhanna Kadyrova, Alevtina Kakhidze, Dana Kavelina, Lesia Khomenko, Vlada Ralko, Anna Scherbyna and Kateryna Yermolaeva.

“Women at War” will be on display at MoFA July 13-Oct. 28. Admission is free.

—Taking reservations—

It’s the workers’ compensation event of the year.

And now those attending the 77th annual Workers Compensation Institute’s Educational Conference can schedule appointments to meet and speak individually with staff at the Florida Division of Workers Compensation to discuss any pressing regulatory issues.

The division is dubbing the opportunity “Ask the Regulator” and all you have to do to take advantage of the opportunity is register.

“These one-on-one meetings will help maximize your time at the conference and provide the Division with an informal setting to interact with workers’ compensation stakeholders,” an alert announcing the opportunity notes.

The Division of Workers Compensation is scheduling appointments for Aug. 22 between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The division is asking that people register in advance so the appropriate staff can be on site.

The Annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference and Safety & Health Conference is slated for Aug. 20-23.

The yearly event draws a crowd of thousands. Basketball legend and Hall-of-Famer, Bill Walton, is this year’s keynote speaker. The band Collective Soul headlines the entertainment for the event.

Capitol Directions

DeSantis ‘24 — Down arrow — ‘Just wait until he announces’ is now ‘Just wait until he wins the Iowa Caucuses!’

DeSantis ‘24, Part 2 — Down arrow — More like ‘Fox and Frenemies.’

Ron DeSantis — Down arrow — Nero didn’t care about property insurance, either.

Iger — Up arrow — He’ll be around to kick the Governor during his lame-duck stretch.

Nikki Fried — Up arrow — She’s raising cash and Farmers handed her a bludgeon.

Manny Diaz — Down arrow — If it ain’t broke, break it.

Jimmy Patronis — Down arrow — Wake up, Jimmy, J.K. Simmons & Co. are not leaving the state because they’re woke.

Farmers — Down arrow — Buh buh-buh-buh buh buh bye.

Citizens — Two up arrows — Those up arrows aren’t a comment on the insurer of last resort’s work but rather a comment on its growth: now at 1.7M policies.

Special Sessions — Down arrow — It’s English for Inemuri.

Jeff Brandes — Up arrow — With the further erosion of the property insurance market, the former lawmaker’s reputation as the Cassandra of Florida politics is reinforced.

Fabian Basabe — Double down arrow — Where there’s smoke …

HD 35 voters — Crossways arrow — DeSantis will get to you sometime after the first debate.

Sadaf Knight — Down arrow — Hands off our “Freedom Summer.”

Florida Colleges — Up arrow — Tony Carvajal is a slam dunk hire.

Floridians Protecting Freedom — Dollar signs — They’re getting the signatures. And the dollars.

Erika Booth — Up arrow — The path isn’t clear, but her odds got a big boost this week.

Jack Latvala — Up arrow — It appears the Florida Commission on Ethics is ready to move on.

Ray Treadwell — Up arrow — Lawson Huck Gonzalez added another heavyweight.

Kimberly Leonard — Up arrow — Check out the new Playbook Florida next week (after Sunburn, of course).

Brian Welch — Crossways arrow — He’s not wrong, but a handful of signs won’t change anything.

Moms for Liberty — Down arrow — Stop adding books to our summer reading list, please.