Last Call for 12.14.23 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wants lawmakers to set aside $5.5 million in the 2024-25 budget to bolster services aiding Florida policyholders.

“The reforms are working, but there is still much more work to be done. Every year as your CFO, I have worked to pass vital reforms to keep policyholders first, and this year will be no different, Patronis said.

The largest request on Patronis’ wish list is a $3 million appropriation to promote the Insurance Consumer Helpline and Mediation Program. Other funding items include $793,000 to add staff to the Department of Financial Services mediation program and consumer services, specific to residential and auto insurance; $636,000 for across-the-board pay raises in consumer services; and $560,000 for tech upgrades to speed up service times.

The CFO is also looking for funding that would help set up regional programs “to provide real-time insurance village-type support.” The so-called “insurance villages” are pop-up events aimed at helping policyholders through the claims process in the weeks immediately following a storm. Patronis’ office hosted 18 insurance villages after Hurricanes Ian and Idalia.

Patronis jabbed at former CFO Alex Sink, a Democrat who served from 2007-11, for closing regional offices and reducing services to policyholders. Republican Jeff Atwater held the Cabinet seat from 2011-17, when Patronis, also a Republican, was appointed to the position and subsequently elected and re-elected.

“During her term of office, 9 of the 10 regional offices were shuttered, 21 insurance assistance positions were eliminated, and the remaining positions were consolidated into the Tallahassee or Largo Offices. As you can imagine, this massive reduction in offices and staff has led to a void in insurance assistance in the state of Florida, and for years, we’ve had to do more with less,” he said in remarks delivered at the 2023 Florida Chamber Insurance Summit.

“I’m happy to announce that, thanks to support from the Florida Legislature, this session we will ‘un-Sink’ this agency and ramp back up the ability to provide Floridians with the best insurance customer services in the nation.”

Evening Reads

—”Ron DeSantis bragged about a COVID study during Gavin Newsom debate. Not so fast, lead author says” via Rong-Gong Lin II of the Los Angeles Times

—“Do Nikki Haley and DeSantis stand a chance?” via The New York Times

—”Newsom: DeSantis isn’t anti-woke, he’s ‘anti-Black’” via Lora Korte of POLITICO

—“Republicans are playing House” via David A. Graham of The Atlantic

—“Why Joe Biden may give in to Republican demands on immigration” via Andrew Proko of Vox

—“Comparing the Jim Jordan and Hunter Biden subpoena fights” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post

—”Florida Supreme Court expediting case of North Florida’s Black congressional district” via Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix

—“Florida company sold products as ‘100% American.’ They were from China, feds say” via David J. Neal of the Miami Herald

Quote of the Day

“I’ve heard more reasonable demands from toddlers.”

— Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, on Christian Ziegler’s buyout request.

Put It on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

DeSantis is rolling out national finance advisory boards and, based on the most recent Michigan poll, he should probably start spending money on Wolverines and Spartan Splashes.

Embattled RPOF Chair Christian Ziegler is reportedly asking for a $2 million buyout to step aside. Meanwhile, the party officials who will decide his are rolling their eyes and sipping on an LOL martini.

Citizens Property Insurance CEO Tim Cerio finds the recently announced U.S. Senate probe a “bit infuriating.” Help him calm down with a Liquid Valium … just don’t mix it with a real one.

According to a pair of top insurance attorneys, insurance reforms passed by the Legislature are starting to get results in court. That earns Rep. Tommy Gregory and every other lawmaker who helped get the torts bill through a Better Late Than Never.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

NFL stretch run begins

Has there been an NFL season in recent memory that has better lived up to the adage, “It’s a week-to-week league?”

Last weekend, for the first time, six of the eight division leaders lost games in the same week.

While the NFC has separated into the top contenders (the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys) and the rest, the AFC is wide-open. Eleven teams have seven wins or more and the race for the top seed continues to percolate.

On Sunday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5) host the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens (10-3) in a game that could change the course of the AFC playoff picture (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). 

The contenders for the AFC’s top seeds are the division-leading Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and, yes, still the Jaguars. Here’s what the contenders have left on the schedule:

— The Ravens travel to San Francisco, then return home to face Miami and finish the regular season at home against Pittsburgh. Not an easy stretch. 

— The Chiefs travel to New England on Sunday, then return home to face the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals before finishing at the Chargers. 

— The Dolphins host the Jets and Cowboys, travel to Baltimore and then finish with the Buffalo Bills in South Florida. 

Kansas City’s schedule appears to be the easiest of the contenders. Still, the Jaguars schedule of the Ravens, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, home against Carolina and at Tennessee offers opportunities if they can beat the Ravens on Sunday. 

On the other hand, should the Ravens win, they would be in the driver’s seat for the top seed, even with a challenging finishing schedule.

TONIGHT

7 p.m. — East Carolina Pirates @ Florida Gators

7:30 p.m. — Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat

9 p.m. — Tampa Bay Lightning @ Edmonton Oilers

10 p.m. — Florida Panthers @ Vancouver Canucks

FRIDAY

6 p.m. — NCAAW: Trinity Baptist @ Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

6 p.m. — NCAAW: Marshall Thundering Herd @ JU Dolphins

7:30 p.m. — Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics

SATURDAY

Noon — NCAAM: La Salle Explorers @ Miami Hurricanes

2 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida Gulf Coast Eagles @ Mercer Bears

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Howard Bison @ Florida Atlantic Owls

4 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida Atlantic Owls @ St. Bonaventure Bonnies

4 p.m. — NCAAM: Loyola Chicago Ramblers @ South Florida Bulls

5 p.m. — NCAAW: North Florida Ospreys @ Kansas State Wildcats

5 p.m. — NCAAW: Miami Hurricanes @ Baylor Bears

4:30 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida A&M Rattlers @ Iowa Hawkeyes

7 p.m. — NCAAM: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats @ Purdue Fort Wayne Mastadons

7 p.m. — NCAAW: NC State Wolfpack @ South Florida Bulls

8 p.m. — Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat

10 p.m. — Florida Panthers @ Edmonton Oilers

10 p.m. — Tampa Bay Lightning @ Calgary Flames

SUNDAY

1 p.m. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers

1 p.m. — New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida State Seminoles @ Drexel Dragons

2 p.m. — NCAAW: Morgan State Lady Bears @ Stetson Hatters

3 p.m. — NCAAW: Florida Gators @ Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs

3 p.m. — Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics

6 p.m. — NCAAM: Florida A&M Rattlers @ Iowa State

8:20 p.m. — Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars

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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.