Takeaways from Tallahassee — Putting aside partisan politics for the pets

Adjourn to the Gov Club if you must, but Wednesday, Jan. 24, the “it” place to be after hours is the Red Dog Blue Dog fundraiser in CollegeTown.

As they have done since 2015, teams of Republican and Democratic Legislators will be behind the bar slinging drinks for tips at Township bar from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. to raise money for local animal rescue organizations. To make the night more interesting, it’s a competition, with the winning team earning bragging rights for the next year. Team Red has won a Supermajority of past contests, but there was a Blue Wave last year. The grand total raised in 2023 was $49,705.

“I’m biased, but I think it’s the most fun event every year during Session,” said organizer Sara Clements. “It’s using partisan politics for good.”

The event will once again be held in the Township Bar, 619 S. Woodward Ave.

Red Dog Blue Dog started with just one bartender for each party, but as its popularity grew, so did the team size. This year, organizers have doubled the number of each team so guest bartenders can spell each other during the festivities.

“They are actually bartending and it can get tiring,” explained Clements. Not to mention giving the volunteer legislators a chance to work the crowd.

On the Red Team are Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, Sen. Jonathan Martin, Sen. Jennifer Bradley, Rep. Michelle Salzman, Rep. James Buchanan, Sen. Alexis Calatayud, Sen. Ileana Garcia, Rep. Mike Giallombardo and Rep. John Snyder.

Repping for Team Blue are Rep. Dan Daley, Rep. Daryl Campbell, Sen. Jason Pizzo, Sen. Lauren Book, Sen. Tracie Davis, Rep. Allison Tant, Rep. Lindsay Cross and Rep. David Silvers.

The presenting sponsor for the event is Lisa Miller & Associates, and the bar sponsor is Rubin Turnbull. Gold sponsors include TECO, Moffitt Cancer Center, On3PR, Anheuser-Busch and McGuireWoods Consulting.

Uber is this year’s transportation partner. Using code RDBD24 will get you up to $15 off rides to and from the event.

Township is donating a portion of proceeds from all specialty drinks — including beer in a bespoke RDBD glass mug — as well as a short menu of food items that have been added to the night’s liquid offerings.

If you can’t be there, make a tax-deductible donation online via PayPal at reddogbluedog.org. If you’re bringing a check, make it out to Animal Shelter Foundation. And don’t forget Humane Lobby Day, set for Monday, Jan. 20.

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, 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 —

Cold comfort: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign bet a lot on Iowa and lost. Though he still managed to eke out a narrow second-place finish, the Governor lagged behind former President Donald Trump by 30 points. His prospects in the next few early states aren’t much better — he’s trailing Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in New Hampshire, which votes Tuesday, and in South Carolina, which votes next month. Still, DeSantis said he’s ready for a “long, scrappy campaign” stretching into March.

Passidomo priority passes: The Senate unanimously passed “Live Healthy” the name given to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s priority health care bills (SB 7016/SB 7018). Passidomo’s plan aims to bolster the state’s health care workforce by increasing the amount of money Florida spends on graduate medical education training and loan repayment programs for doctors and dentists. Live Healthy also includes $25 million to encourage community-based clinics to develop residency programs to help train doctors. The Senate trimmed $116 million in spending from the bills before passing them unanimously and immediately certifying them to the House.

Keeping it safe: The House this week unanimously passed legislation (HB 385) that requires each county Sheriff to designate at least one parking lot as a neutral safe exchange location for parents. HB 385 also makes clear that a court can order the exchange of a child to be conducted at the designated safe exchange location if there is evidence that one of the parents or child is at risk of imminent threat of harm. The bill also requires that domestic violence forms be altered to allow a petitioner to request exchanges be conducted in safe places. Sarah Kay, chair of The Family Law Section of The Florida Bar, commended the House for passing the bill, also known as Cassie’s Law, saying it approved meaningful legislation that will protect children and families, and we are grateful for their good, thoughtful work in this area.”

Moving forward: The two Democratic prosecutors suspended by Gov. DeSantis are continuing their fight to regain their jobs. Monique Worrell, who has challenged her suspension to the Florida Supreme Court, this week formally launched her bid to return as State Attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. Andrew Warren, who notched a legal victory from a federal appeals court earlier this month, got another boost when the same court ruled this week that DeSantis and his legal team have until next week to file a motion that seeks to have the court reconsider its decision. In legal filings this week lawyers for the Governor signaled they planned to appeal.

Defining it: The Florida House passed by a 113-3 vote a bill that would place a broad definition of antisemitism in Florida statutes. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Mike Gottlieb lists many examples of antisemitic rhetoric, including “dehumanizing” stereotypes that Jews hold disproportionate institutional power and secretly control the world economy, Holocaust denial and double standards when criticizing Israel, the world’s only Jewish-majority country. The legislation heads next to the Florida Senate where there may be changes made to the bill before a final vote.

— Electrifying news —

DeSantis announced that more than $35 million is being allocated to 28 Florida school districts and eight state colleges to create or expand semiconductor-related instructional programs for students.

Florida already ranks No. .5 in the nation for semiconductor manufacturing jobs and No. 3 in the nation for semiconductor establishments. DeSantis said the additional funds ensure Florida remains at the “forefront of innovation.”

“By providing workforce education in our classrooms, students learn skills they can use to obtain high-paying jobs in growing industries like semiconductor manufacturing,” DeSantis said. “This investment continues our commitment to making Florida No. 1 for workforce education and positioning our state at the forefront of innovation.”

The following school districts are slated to receive funds: Alachua County School District; Brevard County School District; Broward County School District; Calhoun County School District; Charlotte County School District; Citrus County School District; Clay County School District; Collier County School District; Columbia County School District; Duval County School District; Gadsden County School District; Hernando County School District; Highlands School District; Hillsborough County School District; Leon County School District; Marion County School District; Okeechobee County School District; Osceola County School District; Orange County School District; Palm Beach County School District; Pasco County School District; Pinellas County School District; St. Johns County School District; Suwannee County School District; Taylor County School District; Wakulla County School District; Walton County School District; and Washington County School District.

The following state colleges will also receive funds: College of Central Florida, Florida Gateway College, Northwest Florida State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Seminole State College of Florida, Tallahassee Community College and Valencia College.

“This forward-thinking approach to workforce education underscores Gov. DeSantis’ commitment not only to maintaining Florida’s strong standing in semiconductor manufacturing but also to ensuring that the next generation of professionals are well equipped to lead in this critical industry,” said Manny Diaz Jr., Florida’s Education Commissioner. “We will continue to find ways to provide our students the tools they need to succeed in Florida’s workforce.”

The $35 million is part of the $100 million allocated to the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program. The program provides grants to school district institutions to fund some or all of the costs associated with the creation or expansion of career and technical education workforce development programs that lead to industry certifications included on the CAPE Industry Certification Funding List.

— No way, bro! —

Attorney General Ashley Moody issued an update this week warning Floridians about the dangers of the latest trendy street drug, bromazolam.

It’s not a portmanteau for a bro who deals in alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, but it may as well be. Bromazolam is colloquially referred to as “fake Xanax” because it falls into the same category of pharmaceuticals, benzodiazepines, though it’s often more potent and thus more dangerous.

It’s also seeing a rapid rise in popularity. According to the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, bromazolam went from being present in only 1% of toxicology cases submitted to the National Medical Services Labs in 2021 to 13% in mid-2022.

While there are risks associated with the drug by its lonesome — namely, loss of coordination, drowsiness, dizziness, respiratory depression, coma and potentially death — there have been an increasing number of detections alongside fentanyl, the synthetic opioid responsible for the preponderance of overdose deaths in the Sunshine State.

In other words, there’s a good chance that chill pills on offer from your local dealer could put you on ice.

“It is imperative that Floridians understand how dangerous bromazolam is on its own. It is also reportedly mixed with fentanyl, leading to adverse health conditions, overdoses and even deaths — including here in Florida. Please, never use an illicit substance. Just one pill can kill,” Moody warned.

The Attorney General urged Floridians who are struggling with substance use disorder to visit TreatmentAtlas.org for list of treatment resources. Meanwhile, those thinking of giving bromazolam a try should consider swinging by Moody’s website for a “Dose of Reality” on the dangers of these loosely regulated novel benzos.

— Patronis’ POV —

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis heaped praise on Sen. Rick Scott’s gubernatorial skills at the Florida TaxWatch State of the Taxpayer Dinner this week in Tallahassee.

Patronis was a member of the Legislature during Gov. Charlie Crist’s tenure in the Governor’s Mansion. Crist’s successor, Scott, appointed Patronis as CFO after Jeff Atwater resigned. Patronis was subsequently elected to the position and then re-elected.

“I’m one of these unicorns. I was there for the Crist administration, the Scott administration, and now the DeSantis administration. I’ve had a different seat than just about anybody in this room. And you know, I saw Rick Scott see the state of Florida as a business that had potential. You know, it had some financial challenges. It had some weaknesses; it needed some improvements. So, you see, Rick Scott turned the state around and made it a place where you really wanted to do business.”

Patronis also shared his observations of DeSantis, saying he has seen the Governor’s confidence grow since first getting elected in 2018. Patronis also commented on DeSantis’ take-it-or-leave-it governing style.

“I like sometimes his lack of negotiating, or maybe it’s just his lack of communication. Sometimes it’s just the guy’s really busy. You know, it seems like I tell people all the time, he’s a young dad and a young husband,” the CFO said.

— Rebuild and recover —

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson joined legislative leaders this week in announcing the launch of two agricultural disaster recovery programs stocked with more than $112 million to help Florida farmers bounce back from Hurricane Idalia.

Impacted agricultural producers can now apply for the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program and the Silviculture Recovery Program.

In September, Simpson announced the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ estimate of nearly $450 million in losses and damage to Florida agriculture from Hurricane Idalia.

During a Special Session in October, lawmakers passed a bill (HB 1C) that directed funding to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to launch critical recovery programs for impacted agricultural producers.

“Florida’s agriculture industry sustained widespread damage from Hurricane Idalia, and today’s launch of the Hurricane Idalia agriculture recovery programs — the first state-funded programs of their kind — is another important step to get our impacted producers back on their feet,” Simpson said in a news release.

“Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers work day in, day out, rain or shine, to feed our state and nation — and I am proud to stand with Florida’s leaders and once again demonstrate our steadfast support to these hardworking individuals.”

The agriculture and aquaculture fund has a $75 million balance and will dole out low-interest or interest-free loans up to $500,000 for eligible producers impacted by Idalia. An additional $37.5 million is available through the silviculture fund to assist eligible landowners through cost-share grants in declared counties damaged from Hurricane Idalia with site preparation and tree planting activities.

—Instagram of the Week —

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A post shared by Wilton Simpson (@wiltonsimpsonfl)

— The week in appointments —

Environmental Regulation Commission — The Governor appointed Kellie Ralston and John Truitt to the Environmental Regulation Commission. Ralston is the vice president of Conservation and Public Policy for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Florida State University. Truitt is a Shareholder at GrayRobinson and previously served as a top staffer at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kaplan University and his law degree from FSU. In addition to the new appointments, DeSantis announced reappoints for current ERC members Eric Buermann, Thomas Frazer, Jim McCarthy and Cari Roth.

— Veteran roundtable —

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez hosted a roundtable discussion with Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs Executive Director Major General James S. “Hammer” Hartsell and Sen. Danny Burgess, regarding allowing veterans’ spouses to reside in VA nursing homes as envisioned in SB 174.

“Since taking office, we have made meaningful and significant investments for our veterans, active duty service members, and their families,” Nuñez said “With Florida being the most veteran and military-friendly state in the nation, we will continue to make good on our promises in fighting for the men and women who fought for us.”

The roundtable discussion is part of Nuñez’s “LG on Mission” initiative, where she travels the state highlighting the DeSantis administration’s commitment to military and veteran affairs.

Nearly 1.5 million veterans are living in Florida making the Sunshine State the third-largest veteran population nationwide.

“Today’s roundtable in Tallahassee is a great opportunity to showcase our outstanding State Veterans’ Homes program. Expanding the pool of eligible veterans’ homes residents to include veterans’ spouses is the compassionate thing to do and will be well received in Florida’s veteran community,” Hartsell said. “Growing the number of state veterans’ homes from nine to 11 and expanding the long-term care services we provide reinforces that Florida is the most veteran sought-after and veteran-friendly state in the nation.” ‎

DeSantis’s proposed fiscal year 2024-25 budget includes $57 million to the Florida State Guard, $350 million to the Florida National Guard, and an additional $8.9 million to support additional equipment and capital improvements for VA nursing homes and $2 million to help veterans obtain skills-based employment, provide employers with a skilled talent pipeline, and assist veterans in creating and operating a small business. The budget also includes the authority to spend up to $102 million for the construction of the of the ninth VA home, located in Collier County.

“I applaud and share (the DeSantis administration’s commitment) to honoring and supporting our state’s heroes in every way possible. This important legislation I have filed will help those veterans living in our state veterans nursing homes by ensuring they are able to remain close to and continue to live with their spouse while receiving the care and assistance they need and deserve,” said Burgess.

— Budget beginnings —

The first concrete steps in forming the budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year start next week, as the chambers’ appropriations subcommittees will release their proposed spending plans, House and Senate aides said.

As in recent years, the plan for both chambers is for the full appropriations committees to consider and add amendments to the budget bills the following week, and then pass the proposals off their respective floors in Week 5 of the Regular Session.

Florida has been flush with cash, thanks to a booming consumer economy combined with inflation that helped boost the state’s sales tax-reliant revenues, as well as the boost from federal funds from the COVID-19 era.

But with those federal funds drying up and revenue growth slowing, House Speaker Paul Renner is eyeing a conservative budget this year.

“The separate issue on the budget is simply looking at where we were pre-COVID in some areas and making sure that we start to align our spending with the decline in the growth of revenue. Revenue has been going up steeply in terms of its growth, and it’s still going up, but the growth is declining sharply,” Renner told reporters Thursday.

“So that means we need to be cautious and not believe that it’s always going to be the best it’s ever been in the coming years and make sure we’re looking carefully at especially recurring spending but also nonrecurring spending.”

We’ll get our first peek at those spending plans this week.

— Hail to the C.H.I.E.F . —

The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida gave House Speaker Renner something to add to his brag board this week.

Citing the Palm Coast Republican’s commitment to supporting the state’s private, nonprofit higher ed institutions, ICUF presented him with a Champions of Higher Independent Education in Florida award.

“Speaker Renner is a staunch advocate for private, nonprofit higher education, and he recognizes that Florida’s independent colleges and universities offer an incredible value to students seeking to earn their degree, launch a career and join Florida’s workforce,” ICUF President Bob Boyd said.

“Speaker Renner has worked tirelessly to support EASE student vouchers and provide Florida students more freedom to choose where they pursue their higher education degree, making him the ideal recipient to honor with the C.H.I.E.F. award. ICUF looks forward to continuing our partnership with Speaker Renner and the entire Florida Legislature to improve access to independent higher education for thousands of Floridians.”

The group, which has 30 member institutions, said the C.H.I.E.F. award was created to recognize “distinguished Floridians who are strong advocates for the independent higher education sector and its students.” Like college degrees, C.H.I.E.F. awards aren’t handed out willy-nilly; they’re earned — Renner is the first honoree in a quarter century.

“I am proud to receive the first C.H.I.E.F. award from ICUF in 25 years,” Renner said in a news release. “Increasing access and opportunity to higher education for Floridians is worth every effort and has the potential to change lives and advance our state in many ways. I will continue working with my colleagues in the Florida Legislature to provide Florida’s students with resources to make the best educational decisions for their future.”

— Naked Rudman? Nah —

DeSantis got a lot of reinforcements in Iowa for his presidential campaign, but few matched the flair of Rep. Joel Rudman, who took his famed rock ‘n’ roll act into subfreezing temperatures to try to help the Governor.

Rudman packed his guitar, which is signed by Ted Nugent, and headed to Indianola, in Warren County, Iowa. Rudman said he spotted an appealing-looking intersection, put up DeSantis signs, and started strumming the guitar, playing Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever,” T Rex’s “Bang a Gong” and Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.”

“We had people honk and there were a lot of a lot of thumbs-up for DeSantis. Obviously, not enough, you know; I wish we had maybe a few hundred more.”

Rudman, who is a physician from Navarre, also learned firsthand how long someone can tolerate subzero temperatures without getting frostbite.

“That limit is approximately eight minutes. Roughly two songs, then you gotta get back in the truck,” Rudman told Florida Politics. “I couldn’t feel my hands after two songs.”

Rudman said playing the guitar in subzero temperatures underscores the lengths of what he was prepared to go through to show his support for DeSantis.

But his support does have its limits.

“You know, up in New York City they have street performers, people who will do anything to attract your attention. I think in Times Square they have a guy with an acoustic guitar called the Naked Cowboy. I wasn’t prepared to go that far for my Governor, but I think I went far enough.”

— For Cassie —

Every county in Florida could soon be required to provide a location for parents to safely exchange custody of their children, thanks to legislation now heading to the Senate floor after clearing the House with unanimous support.

The bill (HB 385), sponsored by Rudman and Democratic Rep. Hillary Cassel, would require all court-approved plans for shared parental custody to include unless otherwise agreed to by both parents, a list of “designated authorized locations” to hand off their children.

In cases where a parent provides evidence they or their child are at risk of harm, a court may require the parents to make the exchange in the parking lot of a county Sheriff’s Office.

The parking lot must be well-lit, accessible at all times, identified with a purple light or sign identifying the area as a “neutral safe exchange location” and have video surveillance. Each Sheriff would have to host at least one exchange site per county, though the measure places no cap on the number.

HB 385 is named for 37-year-old Navarre woman Cassie Carli, who vanished in late March 2022 following a scheduled custody exchange of her daughter at a restaurant parking lot near her home.

Carli agreed to a last-minute location change the father requested despite fears she’d shared with friends that he wanted to hurt her. Police uncovered her body in a shallow Alabama grave six weeks later and soon arrested the father, who faces charges related to her death.

“The Cassie Carli Law builds on the legacy of Greyson’s Law, which established a mechanism to protect children at risk of parental harm during custody or visitation disputes. This bill establishes a mechanism to protect parents at risk of potential harm from their former partners during custody exchanges,” Cassel said after the bill cleared the House.

“Parents posing risks to their children often also pose risks to their co-parents, as Cassie and those who loved her have so horrifically experienced. This bill, which I’m proud to sponsor with my colleague Rep. Rudman, acknowledges and accounts for that reality in order to make Florida a safer place for parents and children alike.”

Rudman, who represents Navarre, said pursuing legislation on domestic violence in custody exchanges was far from his mind when he ran for office in 2022 on an “anti-mask, anti-mandate platform.” Then he met Stacy Cole, a former Alabama police officer and friend of Carli’s who presented him with a “list of items” she believed would have prevented her death.

Rudman wrote Cole’s suggestions on a napkin in the doughnut shop at which the rendezvoused, and those ideas became the “Cassie Carli Law.”

“I’m so proud to stand with Rep. Cassel to bring this bill home for Cassie’s friends and family. This bill demonstrates in a bipartisan way how your government is expected to work,” he said. “Thank you to all of Cassie’s loved ones who helped this bill become reality, and I hope today’s passage brings some comfort to Cassie’s family and friends. Today’s efforts will truly save the lives of hundreds of Cassie Carli’s.”

—Task Force talk —

The Florida Legislative Black Caucus will share the latest news on the upcoming Florida Black History Museum during a Tuesday evening event in Florida’s capital city.

FLBC members, including Orlando Sen. Geraldine Thompson, Orlando Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis, West Palm Beach Rep. Jervonte Edmonds, and Miami Gardens Rep. Felicia Robinson, are all on tap to attend the event, which will highlight the work being done by the African American History Museum Task Force.

During the event, members of the African American History Museum Task Force on insights regarding the location, design, content and long-term independent operation of the proposed Florida Black History Museum and the impact it will have on the educational objectives, perception and tourism economy of the State.

The roundtable comes days after the Task Force, chaired by Thompson, agreed to a list of 12 potential spots across Florida they would consider as the home of an official state museum of Black history.

They include Daytona Beach, Havana, Jackson County, Nassau County/Amelia Island, Opa-locka, Orange County, Panama City Beach, Quincy, Sarasota, Seminole County, St. Johns County/St. Augustine and St. Petersburg.

As for the museum’s content, the proposals include perspectives that might not immediately come to mind when contemplating Black history. An example: Regina Gayle Phillips, Executive Director of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center in St. Augustine, said she’d like to see exhibits dedicated to Black explorers like Juan Garrido, a free African conquistador who was with Ponce de Leon when he made landfall in Florida.

The list of potential sites will be rated on a 110-point scale that makes considerations for things ranging from the location’s historical significance to Black Floridians to its accessibility in regard to local transportation infrastructure.

The FLBC event will be held at the TNL Performing Arts Center, 1533 South Monroe St. in Tallahassee. It begins at 6 p.m.

—Little good, lotta bad —

One of the state’s top defenders of free speech rights has unveiled its wish list for the 2024 Legislative Session, and it’s defined as much by what they don’t want as what they do.

“For nearly four decades, the First Amendment Foundation has worked with the Florida Legislature to promote proposed laws that would benefit open government and free expression, while pushing back against those that infringed our rights,” FAF Executive Director Bobby Block said in a news release.

“This year is no different. The 2024 Florida Legislative Session currently underway has many dreadful bills and a handful that are pretty good.”

First, the “dreadful.”

FAF’s 2024 Legislative Priority List spotlights four bills that it says would trample on what many consider the most important edit to the United States’ founding document.

They include measures that would ban certain student groups from college campuses (HB 465/SB 470), shield the names of police in officer-involved shootings (HB 1605/HB1607), weaken decades-old legal protections for journalists and news outlets (SB 1086/SB 1780/HB 757) and create a public records exemption shielding the names of shareholders and applications for new state banks and financial institutions (HB 85).

“Some of these bills — especially the ones trying to make it easier for rich and powerful people to sue their critics for what they write or say online, on the airways, and in print — are among the biggest threats to free expression in the nation,” Block said.

Now, the “pretty good” bills that FAF plans to support.

The first is a proposal (HB 117/SB 234) that would revise the list of people prohibited from disclosing testimony of a witness examined before a grand jury or the evidence it receives but creates an exception for request by media or an interested person. The second (SB 1494) would boost public records law by increasing penalties for violations related to public records and decreasing fees associated with public records requests.

FAF has opinions on several other issues up for debate this Session. A full listing of their monitored bills is available online.

— IT overhaul l —

Florida TaxWatch released a report it co-authored with Associated Industries of Florida that cites the state’s 25-year history of what it calls “poorly executed large-scale information technology (IT) projects” and includes recommendations to improve the oversight of the digital technology procurements.

Key among those recommendations included in the report, dubbed It’s Time to Reform Florida’s Information Technology Procurement and Oversight, is the establishment of a joint legislative committee dedicated to IT oversight that has exclusive authority over the governance of Florida Digital Services, which was established in 2020. Other recommendations include providing signing and or recruitment bonuses, for agency IT staff.

“Hardworking Floridians deserve for the state’s multiyear, multimillion-dollar IT projects — funded by their tax dollars — to be delivered on time, within scope, and within budget,” Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro said. “Florida TaxWatch proudly presents this report as a resource for policymakers and their staff and looks forward to engaging with them to reform the state’s IT procurement and oversight processes during the 2024 Legislative Session.”

The report includes details on the planning and oversight of some of the state’s IT platforms, such as the Department of Economic Opportunity’s (now FloridaCommerce’s) CONNECT, the Department of Management Services’ SLERS-2, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ iConnect and the Agency for Health Care Administration’s Florida Health Connections, called FX.

FX is the replacement for the state’s current Medicaid Management Information and, when complete, will connect Florida Medicaid IT systems with other state IT systems. The Florida Health Care Connections (FX) Executive Steering Committee voted unanimously in December to halt for at least 12 months’ work on its $154 million IT contract with Gainwell Technologies for “core” services and instead to complete work on two other IT-related contracts by December 2024.

“Florida is a national leader in many areas and clearly needs improvement to lead in the area of IT. It is important that we look to find ways to improve how Florida handles IT processes and to ensure the long-term success of the FL[DS],” AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis said.

—Canadian RX praise —

The Florida Pharmacy Association this week reiterated its support of the Food and Drug Administration’s two-year approval of Florida’s Canadian Drug Importation Program saying it is committed to working with the state to make it operational.

“As the most accessible and frequently visited members of a patient’s health care team, we believe pharmacists and pharmacies can play an integral role in the implementation of the program,” FPA interim executive vice president and CEO Michael Jackson said in a statement. “We look forward to a future where high-quality health care is more accessible and affordable for every resident of Florida.”

The FPA also denounced pharmacy benefit managers (PBMS) in its statement.

“We recognize that the high cost of prescription drugs is often a result of predatory practices by PBMs. PBMs do nothing but raise the cost of prescription drugs by leveraging tactics like extorting and retaining rebates from manufacturers and monopolizing the current U.S. drug supply chain through their vertically integrated sourcing techniques,” Jackson said.

“We further acknowledge and appreciate the meticulous efforts made in developing a program that seeks to ensure the safety and integrity of the U.S. prescription drug supply through a comprehensive regulatory framework that includes a robust drug validation process. The program’s safeguards are consistent with our support of maintaining the highest standards of patient care and strict safety requirements for prescription drugs.”

— Mr. and Ms. Law —

The Student Bar Association at Florida A&M University has spoken: Knicholas Boston and Peg Nonez have been picked as Mr. and Ms. FAMU College of Law for 2023-24.

In a news release, FAMU Law said Boston was an ambitious child who always knew he wanted to be when he grew up: President of the United States. While the road from aspiring lawyer to Commander in Chief is a long one, his latest accolade — earned by securing overwhelming support from his peers — serves as a worthy checkpoint.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be voted as the male representative for FAMU Law,” Boston said. “I’m looking forward to serving our community and making a difference.”

The one-L from West Palm Beach added that he wants to be a lawyer to influence the world and help the Black community: “Through the law, I want to help our people be paid, respected, and educated. Along with being an attorney, I also want to be a professor one day as well as a political representative.”

Nonez, meanwhile, says she is eager to serve as the college’s ambassador and plans to represent with poise and grace. The second-year law student who also hails from West Palm Beach looks forward to her future legal career and is glad to be at FAMU Law.

“I want to serve as a relatable liaison between underrepresented communities and the legal profession,” said Nonez. “With my Haitian-Dominican background, I look forward to using translation to effectively represent clients in their respective matters.”

The duties of Mr. and Ms. FAMU Law are to represent the College of Law at community events and to serve as a liaison between the FAMU College of Law and FAMU’s main campus in Tallahassee.

— Capitol Directions —

DeSantis 2024 — Down arrow — By next month, the campaign bus will be Columbo’s 403.

Ron DeSantis — Crossways arrow — Regret is a tough but fair teacher.

Jeff Roe — Down arrow — More like Jeff No.

James Uthmeier — Up arrow — We’re not sure he deserves an up arrow, but Scott Ross says he does, so …

Jeremy Redfern — Down arrow — Basements are usually deeper than 6 feet, my man.

Fentrice Driskell — Up arrow — She still leads a superminority, but a little less so now thanks to her work on Tom Keen’s campaign.

DCF — Down arrow — Why is the agency pushing a bill to make adoptions harder, especially after the demise of Roe v. Wade?

Manny Diaz Jr. — Down arrow — He’s so good at his job that two-thirds of Florida voters think teachers should strike!

Wilton Simpson — Up arrow — It pays to have an ag guy running FDACS. Literally.

Wilton Simpson, Part 2 — Up arrow — He may be an egg farmer, but he’ the only statewide elected who doesn’t chicken out confronting the Governor.

Wilton Simpson, Part 3 — Up arrow — And to top it all off, he puts his money where his mouth is.

Kathleen Passidomo — Up arrow — “Is there a doctor in the house?” Why, yes, $800 million worth of them.

Paul Renner — Up arrow — He came through on permitless carry. Celebrate that for more than six months before asking for more.

Jim Boyd — Up arrow — If he lowers our property insurance premiums, he gets up arrows for life.

Travis Hutson — Up arrow — Some people drop quarters in parking meters. Others name screening centers after the Senate President’s parents. Three cheers for random acts of kindness.

Corey Simon — Up arrow — If you’re under 18, roofs are solely WWE re-enactments.

Erin Grall — Up arrow — GATE will get a lot of kids back on track.

Carolina Amesty — Up arrow — Is caring for newborn as fun as jury duty? Future moms may never know.

Webster Barnaby — Down arrow — That was more painful than reading a SparkNotes book report.

Linda Chaney — Up arrow — She’s one shell of an advocate for Florida wildlife.

Jervonte Edmonds — Up arrow — Welcome to The Show.

Joel Rudman —Up arrow — Did he dip his mitt in Spider Tack?

Bad cops — Down arrow — Are we living in a Paul Verhoeven movie?

Pace Center for Girls — Up arrow — Their turnout game is strong.

Parents’ rights — Down — They only apply in school media centers.

Porch pirates — Down arrow — Sorry, Florida has a strict no tricorns outside of Gasparilla rule.

Teachers — ??? — The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher … well, apparently, they start looking for jobs in other states.

Florida TaxWatch — Up arrow — The “eyes and ears” of taxpayers is on high alert this Session.

CRNA’s — Crossways arrow — A duck by any other name still quacks ‘scope is scope!’

Fred Baggett — Up arrow — His 50-year career ended with a fitting fête.

Eric Edwards — Up arrow — It’s nice to see when good things happen to a great person.

Brendan Farrington — Up arrow — We know he and the rest of AP are itching to say, “drag him,” but they’re too classy for that.

ACC v. FSU — This one may get uglier than the Orange Bowl.

Monkeys — Crossways arrow — Time to test the infinite monkey theorem, Bainbridge.