Staff Reports
Its origin story is lost in the mists of time, but for decades, during Session, Republicans and Democrats have moved the fight from the chambers to the diamond to fight for bragging rights with a friendly game of softball.
The 2024 King of the Hill game was held Jan. 17 at JoAnne Graf Field, home of Florida State University’s stellar softball team, which made it to the finals of the Women’s College World Series last year.
The Democrats got walloped in this year’s matchup, 27-6.
Just in case you missed the game, which didn’t seem to be covered anywhere, here’s a little inside softball from Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a bona fide sports reporter, offering up somewhat partisan color commentary about the long-standing rivalry between Rs and the Ds. Here’s her recap, with editor’s comments in parentheses:
Welcome to my Sports Report.
Well, the Dems have a great dance team! Great music, too, a lot of R&B and Motown and Earth, Wind & Fire! (Peggy is ever gracious in victory.) We were jealous of that. Tampa Rep. Susan Valdez was so sweet, she said (from the sidelines) “I’m just out of shape and never played sports, but I wish I could.” She led spirited Cuban dances. Very endearing.
Then Rep. Gallop Franklin II stumbled on the baseline and ended up in a full somersault, running into Republican Rep. Joel “Doc” Rudman at first! Doc just had knee surgery. When they collided, we said Doc could diagnose himself and Franklin — who’s a pharmacist — could fill the scripts.
Broward DA Michael Gottlieb pitched for the Dems and put down batters instead of bad guys. Daryl Campbell, the Dem who hit four homers last year, alleged he had a back injury but then showed up with a homer and a triple. So that was a fake out. He is the fastest guy in the House.
Democratic Reps. Katherine Waldron and Lindsay Cross are water buddies of mine (referring to their bipartisan legislation relating to water quality issues) and both played well, but Rep. Robin Bartleman wore a catcher mask the whole game while running the bases and maybe couldn’t see. They guessed she had dental surgery or some other weakness in the head. I mean that literally.
Bottom line is, my class has about six amazing guys who played high school and one college ball and Rep. Kaylee Tuck and I played sports. I played on an intramural coed softball team with football players, and we won every year. Water polo, too, but the football guys sink, so we couldn’t use them as ringers.
Anyway, the Rs were able to load the bases and bring up sluggers for the RBIs. Coaches Chase Tramont and Chuck Clemons put together a great lineup. We also had good arms in the field. The Dems got on base but stranded many or didn’t get on. Veteran player and first-base coach Rep. Bobby P(ayne) scored though! He moves! Guess the Dems need to run some better candidates and scout their sports stats before their voting records. As an aside, Mike Caruso, the third base coach, actually coached my boys in Little League and then me at the game, so he now has coached two generations of the Gossett-Seidman family.
Credit is due to the coaches and everyone for good sportsmanship on both sides — and for playing a full eight-inning game in plummeting temps that bottomed out at 40 degrees. Clemons was presented the game ball and he and Payne got the trophy as senior players.
The event was hosted by the Florida Professional Firefighters, who gave us game shirts with our districts as our numbers. Many of their members braved the cold to cheer us on.
We all had a great time — and that’s what counts.
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 —
Get to work: The House this week passed a bill that would relax state restrictions on child labor laws. The legislation — which was approved largely along party lines — would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work more than 30 hours a week and as late as 11 p.m. on a school night. While House Republicans said the bill allowed more opportunities for families, Democrats sharply criticized the effort. The Senate bill isn’t as permissive and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she supports her chamber’s version of the legislation and not the House version.
Mouse trap: A federal judge in Tallahassee dismissed a lawsuit filed by entertainment giant Disney against Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Disney had alleged that DeSantis and the district board had violated the First Amendment rights of the company and retaliated against one of the state’s biggest employers after Disney objected to a law that banned classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary grades. DeSantis touted the ruling by U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, but Disney quickly filed a notice that it was appealing the ruling.
Border bound: DeSantis said he was deploying as many as 1,000 members of the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard to Texas’ stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border to help “fortify the border.” DeSantis, who has pounded President Joe Biden over his immigration policies, in May 2023 first sent the National Guard and other law-enforcement personnel to assist Texas authorities with border security efforts. But this is the first time that the Florida State Guard, a World War II-era outfit that was brought back at the urging of DeSantis, has been deployed outside of the state. Democrats denounced DeSantis’ actions as a publicity stunt designed to gain national attention after his presidential campaign fizzled.
Tossed: A lawsuit filed by chapters of pro-Palestinian student groups in Florida over proposed efforts to deactivate them was thrown out by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker turned down a request for a preliminary injunction by chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida that would have protected the groups. The lawsuit was thrown out in part because state universities never deactivated the groups despite a call to do so by DeSantis.
And they’re off: A group pushing to get voters to approve Medicaid expansion in Florida kicked off efforts this week to get on the 2026 ballot. Florida Decides Healthcare needs to gather nearly 1 million signatures in the next two years for the citizen initiative to qualify for the ballot. The amendment would also need to be reviewed by the state Supreme Court. Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion, which was first authorized as part of Obamacare. Passidomo reiterated her opposition to Medicaid expansion when she rolled out her “Live Healthy” initiative for this year’s Session.
— No strings attached —
The FCC is pumping billions into rural broadband expansion and DeSantis says he won’t let the three-letter boogeyman determine how Florida spends its share.
The second-term Republican Governor and erstwhile presidential candidate dished out $223 million in awards this week to fund dozens of broadband expansion projects across 33 Florida counties. The DeSantis administration said the funds will bring high-speed connections to about 27,000 Floridians.
But he wants state residents to know that he’s not a fan of — nor will he abide by — a new FCC rule implementing so-called “diversity, equity and inclusion” practices into the disbursement of broadband expansion money.
The rule sparking DeSantis’ ire prohibits internet service providers from committing “digital discrimination” by making service expansion decisions based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin.
One could interpret the rule as helpful to rural areas, where population density is lower by definition and household incomes are typically such as well, making them less appealing markets for companies in the business of burying fiber optic cable.
Not DeSantis, whose administration said the FCC under the Biden administration is “directly disincentivizing” ISPs from expanding to rural communities because they don’t help them hit “diversity quotas.”
“Connecting Florida’s small and rural communities to broadband internet will help them find jobs, access education resources and expand their businesses,” DeSantis said. “We will continue to make investments in broadband internet that support long-term growth for our communities, without federally imposed strings attached.”
FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly, whose department administers the funds, forwent any mention of DEI but thanked the Governor for and said the money will help rural residents find jobs and “upskill” for future ones. Rep. Kaylee Tuck, whose district is getting a share of the awards, likewise sidestepped the DEI issue.
“Thank you, Gov. DeSantis, for your leadership and for investing in our community,” she said. “The need for reliable broadband access has never been more prevalent, and the strain on rural communities like Hardee County has never been felt more than it is today. This investment will be incredible for our area.”
— Cashing checks —
The Law-Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program has been making it rain.
The program, set up in 2022, aims to lure out-of-state law-enforcement officers to Florida with signing bonuses, home loan assistance and a slew of other pot sweeteners.
The $5,000 signing bonus was the top-billed provision in the law, and as of this week, the state has now delivered bonuses to 4,000 officers who brought their badges and guns to the Sunshine State.
DeSantis presented the milestone bonus check during the Florida Sheriff’s Association Winter Conference, and his administration touted the program’s stats to date.
Notably, the GOP Governor said 340 bonuses had been given to police officers who previously worked in the high-population, Democrat-run states DeSantis and others in his party have criticized for their supposed anti-cop tendencies: Illinois, California, and New York.
“I am proud to award the 4,000th bonus check to newly recruited officers who have chosen to bring their talents to Florida,” DeSantis said. “As the Biden Border Crisis rages on and fentanyl continues to flow over our southern border, it is more important now than ever to support our law-enforcement agencies with the funding and support they need to protect our communities.”
Though DeSantis’ comments focused on the border, and he is seeking authority to send Florida Guard troops to Texas’ stretch of it, the check he presented went to Bay County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Belthrop, who is more likely to book a Spring Breaker stumbling out of the Panama City Señor Frogs franchise than an immigrant crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without the proper paperwork.
Also of note, Belthrop previously lived in Virginia, which has a Republican Governor and, until last year, a GOP-controlled House of Delegates.
Still, with his check, the state has now doled out $27 million to incoming LEOs — for those wondering about the math, the state covers taxes on recruit bonuses.
— Speedy delivery —
The Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program has approved more than $1 million in Hurricane Idalia recovery loans, Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced this week.
The program launched less than a month ago; it aims to make interest-free loans available to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage from a declared natural disaster.
“Being able to approve over $1 million in recovery loans to our hardworking farmers in less than a month from the program’s inception is a tremendous step in our continuous efforts to support our agriculture community,” Simpson said, noting that the loans would not be available without the support of the Governor, Senate President Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner.
Simpson also thanked Senate President-designate Ben Albritton, Sen. Corey Simon, and Rep. Jason Shoaf, who, in a November 2023 Special Session, championed passage of legislation (HB 1-C) creating and funding the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program and the Silviculture Recovery Program.
Simpson moved quickly to get the loan programs up and running, with his office announcing Jan. 16 the first-of-their-kind loan programs were operational. One week later, Simpson announced the approval of the first Hurricane Idalia recovery loan through the department’s Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program.
Simpson’s office estimated Hurricane Idalia left nearly $450 million in losses and damage to Florida agriculture in its wake. The Legislature agreed to establish the loan programs and appropriated $75 million. Agriculture and aquaculture producers are eligible for low-interest loans up to $500,000. The loans can be used to restore, repair, or replace essential physical property, including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings, or to remove vegetative debris.
Lawmakers appropriated another $37.5 million for the Silviculture Recovery Program. That loan program is available to assist timber landowners with site preparation and tree planting activities through cost-share grants in declared counties damaged by Hurricane Idalia. Grants cover up to 75% of the costs for site preparation and tree planting costs with a maximum award of $250,000.
— Instagram of the week —
—The Week in Appointments —
Board of Physical Therapy Practice — DeSantis appointed Ormond Beach resident Jason Cirolia to the Board. Cirolia is the manager of Clinical Quality and Compliance for Advent Health Central Florida. He is a U.S. Army veteran who currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserve. Cirolia earned an associate degree from Daytona State College, a bachelor’s degree in health science and rehabilitation services from the University of Florida, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, and a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Central Florida.
— Mark your calendars —
Secretary of State Cord Byrd is reopening the historic Union Bank Museum with a press preview and VIP reception at 6 p.m. Tuesday, followed by an invitation for the public to come and take a look starting Saturday, Feb. 10.
The Museum of Florida History, in partnership with the Meek-Eaton Black Archives at Florida A&M University, prepared an exhibition on the history of the Union Bank building which was built in 1841 and initially located on the west side of Adams Street, between College and Park Avenue.
FAMU President Larry Robinson, MEBA Director Timothy Barber and MFH Senior Curator Michelle Hearn will attend the opening reception alongside Byrd.
The building, now situated just east of the Historic Capitol Museum on Apalachee Parkway, is believed to be the oldest surviving bank building in the state.
The bank originally opened as a “planter’s bank” during the antebellum period. Following Emancipation, the building became home to the National Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company. Over the next century, it housed numerous businesses and organizations, including a dance studio, shoe factory, church, youth center, beauty parlor and state and county offices.
This is the second restoration of the building. The first restoration was in 1984, after which the bank reopened as a museum. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
— Lightning round —
House Civil Justice Subcommittee Chair Will Robinson moved at lightning speed Thursday with the panel voting on 15 bills during what was presumably their last meeting of the 2024 Session.
Robinson was able to help steer the debate and take public testimony on 14 bills within the scheduled three-hour time slot and got the OK from House leadership to extend the meeting by 15 minutes to debate the merits of the last proposal, HB 995, a bill that provides the assisted living facility industry protections from lawsuits.
Robinson’s accomplishment was made possible by limiting public testimony on HB 995 and other bills, including HB 979, regarding estoppel certificates; HB 59, regarding homeowners’ association rules and covenants; and HB 347, which amends Florida’s pesticides law to exempt products liability action — including an action for failure to warn — against any pesticide distributor, dealer or applicator. Subcommittee member Rep. Rick Roth has a snappier summary: The “RoundUp bill.”
Robinson kicked off the meeting by saying: “We have 15 bills. A few of these bills could traditionally take an hour. We don’t have time for that today. We have a three-hour meeting block and several bills.”
The ALF tort bill was the last bill that subcommittee members voted on, and it may not have made the cut without Robinson’s request for a 15-minute extension to allow the panel to hear the bill, debate its merits and take public testimony.
At times, Robinson was speaking so quickly that he sounded more like an auctioneer than a subcommittee Chair. “Ah,” he said after the Subcommittee voted 12-5 to pass HB 995, sounding like he had just finished a marathon.
He had just enough time left on the clock to say, “I love everyone on this committee, by the way.”
— Honoring a hero —
The Florida Senate Committee on Transportation this week unanimously approved a bill (SB 868) from Sen. Jim Boyd that would honor the life of U.S. Army veteran Nicholas Panipinto.
Panipinto, a Bradenton resident who graduated from Manatee High School, was killed in action in 2019 during an armored transport road test at a base in South Korea.
The bill would name a portion of U.S. Highway 19 the “Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto Memorial Highway.”
“Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto was dedicated to serving his country,” Boyd said. “This memorial highway designation commemorates his life and service in the United States Army. I am proud to honor the legacy and sponsor this legislation on behalf of the Panipinto family.”
The dedication would cover the portion of U.S. 19 running from Palm View Road to Terra Ceia Road in Manatee County. If passed and signed by the Governor, the Florida Department of Transportation would install markers commemorating the span in Panipinto’s honor.
He earned several military awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and Army Service Ribbon. He was also a recipient of the Expert Marksmanship badge.
Panipinto was driving a Bradley Fighting Vehicle in 2019 when it rolled over, killing him. In the aftermath, a series of training failures were uncovered, including the lack of a driver training program or a nearby hospital to treat anyone in the event of an accident.
After the incident, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan successfully passed new military training reforms as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Boyd’s state legislation has two more committee stops before heading to the floor for a full vote. The House companion (HB 1341) has cleared two committees and has one stop remaining before a full House vote.
—Homesteaders —
Legislation designed to expedite verification for disabled veterans and surviving spouses’ homestead exemptions advanced in both chambers of the Legislature this week.
The bills (SB 172/HB 1161) from Sen. Tina Polsky, a Boca Raton Democrat, and Rep. Kristen Arrington, a Kissimmee Democrat, require the Department of Revenue to create a form for local property appraisers to use to provide tentative verification.
“This bill is important to the District 46 community and the state as a whole. We were very excited to have the opportunity to help more disabled veterans get a home of their own with less of a financial burden,” Arrington said in a news release.
Polsky added, “We need to help our veterans in any way we can. This is a simple fix that can make a big difference in the lives of the many heroes in our communities.”
To qualify for the disabled veteran’s homestead exemption, a homeowner must be 65 or older, partially or totally disabled due to combat-related wounds and be honorably discharged from the armed services. The aim of the legislation is to allow disabled veterans to start the homestead verification process before closing on a home.
—Estoppel the estoppel bill —
Editor’s note: HB 979 was amended last month to remove provisions that would have prohibited charging fees for estoppel certificate preparation. The amendment keeps the repeal of the inflationary adjustment of estoppel fees, thereby limiting the base estoppel certificate fee to $250 with $150 additional due if the homeowner is delinquent. It also repeals the authority to charge a $100 rush fee for a three-day reply and shortens the allowable reply time from 10 business days to five business days. Other changes in the amendment include providing for “due at closing” payment of the fee rather than “due on order” and adding that a failure to timely provide a completed estoppel certificate, or charging an unauthorized fee related to an estoppel certificate, is grounds for disciplinary action against a person licensed as a Community Association Manager or management firm. The changes are the same for condominiums, cooperatives and homeowners associations.
Legislation (HB 979) that would prohibit homeowners or community associations from charging homeowners and buyers for estoppel certificates is on the move in both the House and Senate, but it’s receiving significant pushback along the way.
The House bill has already cleared one of three committee stops — Civil Justice — while the Senate companion (SB 278) has already cleared the upper chamber. It’s a priority of Passidomo.
The measures would block HOAs from charging a fee to prepare the estoppel certificate, which is a document used to outline any outstanding fees owed to the HOA during the home sale process. It protects buyers who would be on the hook for any dues owed.
It typically costs around $300 to prepare the certificate, according to reporting from News Channel 8.
Rep. David Smith, a Winter Springs Republican, voted no on the House version of the bill noting that he doesn’t believe it addresses the root cause of problems with HOA fees.
“I’m very concerned this bill, if it passes in its current form, will create more problems than are existing today,” Smith said during debate on the bill.
Rep. Chip LaMarca, a Broward County Republican, noted during a news conference opposing the legislation that this was an issue he thought was addressed in 2017.
That legislation, signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Scott, capped fees for the preparation of estoppel certificates at $250, with another $150 allowable if there’s a delinquent amount owed to the HOA.
That bill was an effort to shift the cost of estoppel certificate preparation from title agents and Realtors to HOAs.
“We came up with a plan that would cap these fees but at the same time would not be borne by all of the other homeowners and condo owners in communities,” LaMarca said. “This is something I definitely can’t support.”
Opponents worry axing fees for the process would pass costs along to all neighbors, regardless of whether they are selling their homes.
The House bill heads next to Judiciary, its final stop before heading to the floor for a full vote.
— Flying high —
Legislation aiming to designate the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day is moving in the House.
The House Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law & Government Operations Subcommittee approved the bill (HB 1227) on Thursday. Democratic Rep. Bruce Antone is sponsoring the bill, with Republican Rep. Doug Bankson serving as a prime co-sponsor.
According to a news release, the legislation “recognizes the Tuskegee Airmen, African American fighter pilots, who trained near Tuskegee Institute now known as Tuskegee University. The pilots formed part of the 332nd Fighter Group which was comprised of four squadrons of African American pilots in the 15th Air Force during World War II. The Airmen were also known as the ‘Red Tails,’ a nickname acquired from the painted tails of 332nd fighter planes, which flew over 200 missions in the performance of defending heavy bombers from enemy interceptors.”
Thursday’s committee was the first stop for the legislation, which will next head to the State Affairs Committee. If the bill makes it through there, it will be ready for the House floor.
Democratic Sen. Victor Torres is behind the Senate companion (SB 1312). That measure has gotten through one of its three assigned committees so far. It’s expected to get its second hearing when the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee meets on Tuesday.
— Another plate —
Florida already has more than 100 specialty license plates, but it simply wouldn’t be a Legislative Session without scads of bills seeking to give you decision anxiety the next time you go to the DMV.
In 2024, potential new options on the table include metal rectangles that would support the USO and honor the legacy of a multiplatinum Margarita aficionado.
Another plate pitch, HB 121 by Rep. Katherine Waldron, doesn’t fit the typical mold.
The Greenacres Democrat wants drivers to be able to dedicate the half-square-foot block to reducing the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and mental health issues.
A portion of the fees collected from plate sales would go to the aptly named nonprofit “Project Addiction: Reversing the Stigma,” which was founded by a group of residents who gathered in their grief after having lost a loved one as a direct result of addiction or mental health struggles.
Her “Overdose Awareness” plate would allow the org to use as much as 10% of the fees collected to market the tag with the remainder marked for use on their stated mission: “Empowering the lives of those with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Mental Illness through Education, Awareness, and Support.”
Waldron’s bill got the go-ahead from the House Transportation & Modals Subcommittee this week and now heads to the Infrastructure Strategies Committee, which is its final stop before a potential floor vote.
“There is a growing mental health problem and substance use disorder in our state and in our country,” Waldron said, adding, “almost everyone has a family member, friend or colleague who has been impacted by this problem.”
— Holstered —
A push to reduce the age to buy a rifle from 21 to 18 advanced in the House this week but appears headed nowhere in the Senate.
The House Criminal Justice Committee voted 11-5 in favor of HB 1223 over the objections of Democrats. But there’s no companion bill in the Senate, and Senate President Passidomo, a Naples Republican, isn’t likely to take it up in her chamber if the House passes it off the floor.
“It’s a non-starter for me,” Passidomo told reporters Thursday.
The bill has riled Democrats and gun control activists because it would roll back a provision that was part of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act passed by the Legislature in 2018 following the massacre at the Parkland high school that left 17 dead, including 14 students.
The Parkland shooter was a former student who was 19 at the time. He used an AR-15 semi-automatic weapon.
The MSD Act included two other gun law restrictions, a ban on bump stocks and a required three-day waiting period or the completion of a background check to purchase a firearm. GOP leaders in the Legislature at the time of the massacre, along with then-Gov. Scott, approved the legislation.
—Walk in the Park —
Several lawmakers joined the Florida State Parks Foundation and Live Wildly for a reception at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum to celebrate Florida State Parks Day.
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez was behind a Senate resolution designating Jan. 31 as Florida State Parks Day at the Florida Capitol. Rodriguez was featured as a guest speaker at Wednesday’s event, along with Reps. Jennifer Canady and Sam Garrison, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton and Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher.
The event aimed to showcase the state’s beautiful array of state parks, featuring art inspired by those locations.
“This evening presented an incredible opportunity to share the beauty and significance of our state parks and wildlife corridor,” said Lisa Shipley, CEO of Live Wildly. “The Florida Historic Capitol Museum provided the perfect setting, and, as always, our state parks and wildlife corridor spoke for themselves to everyone who attended.”
Florida’s parks system features 175 parks, trails and historic sites across the state. In 2023, nearly 30 million people visited those parks, generating more than $3 billion, per estimates.
“Our state parks are the best in the nation, and our lawmakers here in Tallahassee play an important role in ensuring that they have all they need to maintain that status,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “We are grateful to everyone who attended the reception, and we hope that they left with a better understanding of what Florida State Parks and the Florida Wildlife Corridor mean to this state and its people.”
— Power struggle —
HOAs can be notoriously persnickety. Ask a handful of Florida homeowners and you’re bound to hear a horror story or two. They may even pull up a snide email about how their choice of roof tiles doesn’t vibe with the rest of the neighborhood.
There’s a Senate bill that’s advancing this year that could take them down a notch or two. At least that’s the way we’re choosing to interpret it.
SB 600 by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia would allow homeowners to install hurricane protection systems, such as fixed generators and fuel storage tanks, no matter what their HOA says.
Unfortunately, the bill won’t render panels of nosy neighbors completely powerless. They would still be allowed to dictate the color and style of hurricane protection products — they live for Edward Scissorhands-level uniformity, after all.
Still, the bill does give homeowners more control over how and whether they’ll keep the lights on when the next tropical cyclone comes through town. The Florida Natural Gas Association, which represents companies that deal in products such as fuel storage tanks, is also a fan.
“When a hurricane hits, Floridians depend on natural gas because it is delivered through safe, underground pipelines to homes and businesses,” FNGA Executive Director Dale Calhoun said. “But if an HOA will not allow natural gas generators, residents’ ability to harden their homes is drastically decreased. Thanks to Sen. Ingoglia and the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries for advancing this important measure.”
Following its unanimous approval in the Regulated Industries committee, SB 600 heads to Community Affairs. It’s expected to be taken up during the panel’s Tuesday meeting. Assuming it gets the OK, its third stop is in Rules.
— Electric performance —
Speaking of getting the lights back on, the Florida Municipal Electric Association this week celebrated the people who ensure Floridians without generators don’t have to toss out everything in their fridges when a hurricane tears through the state.
FMEA represents the state’s public utilities, which provide power to an estimated one in seven Florida residents. With such a large customer base, the 33 municipal providers put in just as much work as their investor-owned brethren — and, when duty calls, they’re ready to help elsewhere through mutual aid agreements.
This week, the association recognized the member utilities it thought shined brightest over the past year by presenting them with “Restoring Communities Awards.”
The awards highlight “exemplary power restoration efforts” both within their own service area as well as their employees’ deployments to other outage-impacted regions.
And with last year bringing the unprecedented landfall of Hurricane Idalia in the Big Bend region, in addition to more run-of-the-mill outages, FMEA’s members proved their mettle — a whopping 16 earned an award. The awards also recognize public power utilities providing supplemental crews to fellow utilities for large-scale projects like infrastructure upgrades.
This year’s recipients: Beaches Energy Services; City of Blountstown; City of Chattahoochee; Gainesville Regional Utilities; Green Cove Springs; Town of Havana; JEA; Kissimmee Utility Authority; Lakeland Electric; City of Newberry; New Smyrna Beach Utilities; Ocala Electric Utility; Orlando Utilities Commission; City of Starke; City of Tallahassee; and the City of Williston.
“A strong network of in-state and out-of-state mutual aid support, along with millions of dollars in continuous investments into their electric grids and system infrastructure, has led to fewer outages and faster restoration times for Florida public power communities, often surpassing service reliability metrics of other utilities in Florida,” FMEA Executive Director Amy Zubaly said.
“Thanks to all of our utilities for the work they do each day to strengthen their systems and the extra hours they put in to get the power back on after weather or other emergency events. Also, my sincere admiration and appreciation goes to the utilities that offered support to other FMEA member utilities during the completion of their significant resilience and reliability projects.”
— Rise up for RAISE —
Lawmakers created the “Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence” (RAISE) program in 2021 to improve literacy rates. Three years later, they appear poised to expand it.
The Senate this week unanimously passed SB 46, sponsored by Sen. Linda Stewart, which would expand the RAISE program to include after-school tutoring.
The companion bill, HB 315 by Rep. Patricia Williams, has one more committee to clear in the House before it’s ready for a floor vote in that chamber.
The bills allow for RAISE tutoring to occur after school and allow school districts to provide a stipend to students and instructional personnel participating in the program. The bill also clarifies that unpaid hours for instructors can be counted toward community service hours required for high school graduation.
“I am pleased to see the Senate joining me in supporting legislation to improve education,” Stewart said. “By passing SB 46, we can give proper compensation to participating educators, students, and incentivize participation in tutoring.”
— Seven-figure celebration —
Thursday marked FSU Day at the Capitol, an event to celebrate the Tallahassee-based university, which traces its origins to the West Florida Seminary, one of two state-funded seminaries the Florida Legislature voted to establish in 1851.
During the celebration, FSU alum and Rep. Adam Anderson presented a $1 million check to FSU President Richard McCullough to establish the FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases.
Anderson’s son, Andrew, died from Tay Sachs Disease at age 4. It is one of 7,000 known rare diseases that collectively impact more than 350 million people worldwide and 30 million people in the United States, 15 million of whom are children.
Since his son’s death, Anderson and his family have been active in advancing rare disease research through the Cure Tay Sachs Foundation and their AJ Anderson Foundation. Anderson worked with former House Speaker Chris Sprowls to establish Tay Sachs Awareness Day in Florida on Aug. 10, Andrew’s birthday. Last year, Anderson successfully convinced his legislative peers to appropriate $1 million FSU to establish the Institute.
“It’s my long-term goal to position Florida as the nationwide leader in genetic research and gene therapies. This new Institute at Florida State is not just a step in the right direction, it’s a giant leap forward in advancing that vision. I’m so proud and thankful to President McCullough and the folks at my alma mater who share this vision,” Anderson said.
McCullough said the Institute will bring together an interdisciplinary group of FSU’s top scientists, clinicians and educators who will work collaboratively to tackle rare pediatric diseases through the use of artificial intelligence and DNA sequencing to develop new treatment options, such as gene therapies.
“This is a unique opportunity for our faculty and students to join forces and work together to develop novel technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric rare diseases,” said Dr. Pradeep Bhide, Executive Director of the institute.
“We deeply appreciate the support of the state of Florida in funding this research for the benefit of all children and families — not just here in Florida, but everywhere. We have made tremendous progress in just a short time, and Florida can truly make a difference in the lives of our youngest citizens.”
— New ball coach —
Strike, strike, strike, and strike again! Florida A&M University introduced James Colzie III as the Rattlers’ 19th head football coach this week.
President Robinson, during a news conference at iconic Bragg Memorial Stadium’s Ken Riley Field, welcomed Colzie and thanked those who helped contribute to the selection, including the FAMU Board of Trustees, Chief Operating Officer Donald Palm, Ph.D., who worked with the search committee, the FAMU National Alumni Association, the Rattler “F” Club, Rattler Boosters, the 220 Quarterback Club, the FAMU Foundation Board of Directors, faculty, students, and student-athletes.
“Thank you for what has led to this day,” Robinson said to applause from an appreciative crowd in the east side stands.
Colzie was appointed interim head coach following the departure of head football coach Willie Simmons to Duke University on Jan. 1.
“Today begins a new era in FAMU football. Today, we will add a new name to the legacy of FAMU football coaching greats. There was a large number of interested and experienced candidates who were considered. And at the end of this process, James Colzie III emerged as the right person at this time to lead FAMU football,” said FAMU Vice President and Athletic Director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes.
Colzie joined the FAMU coaching staff as cornerbacks coach in 2022. At the end of that campaign, Simmons promoted him to assistant head coach. Before FAMU, Colzie was head football coach at Saint Mary’s University in Canada where he had a 23-19 overall record.
Colzie has an extensive defensive background. Before Saint Mary’s, Colzie spent two seasons at the University of British Columbia as their defensive coordinator and defensive back coordinator. In 2015, he helped the Thunderbirds win their first Vanier Cup Championship since 1997. A former FSU football and baseball player, Colzie has also had coaching stints at Simon Fraser University, Southern Arkansas, West Georgia, Valdosta State University and elsewhere.
In his remarks, Colzie invoked the names of past Rattler coaching greats — Jake Gaither, Ken Riley, Rudy Hubbard, Billy Joe and Simmons.
“Thanks for setting the standard. I will do my very best to keep that standard,” said Colzie, who was a member of FSU’s 1993 National Championship team.
Winning the Florida Classic, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship (SWAC) and the Celebration Bowl, a historical and important expectation for FAMU fans, is Colzie’s goal.
“I want to make sure we do it with class. The FAMU standard is going to be about winning, but also about the right culture,” he said. “We already have a contagious culture. I can’t wait to add to that.”
— Capitol Directions —
Ron DeSantis — Crossways arrow — If we’d seen more of the DeSantis we saw this last week, he’d be campaigning in South Carolina right now.
The DeSantis family — Up arrow — Looks like someone treated their toy doggie well enough to get a real one. Welcome to Tally, Liberty!
Disney — Down arrow — Their lawsuit flopped harder than Treasure Planet.
Florida State Guard — Question marks — A free trip to El Paso is not what they signed up for.
The Lost Cause — Down arrow — Does Dion really want to protect Confederate monuments, or does he just want a participation trophy for his presidential campaign?
Kathleen Passidomo — Up arrow — Non-starter means non-starter, capiche?
Paul Renner — Double up arrow — Watch Zuck’s apology and tell us HB 1 is out of pocket.
Jennifer Bradley — Up arrow —’Smile and Dial’ has a nice ring to it.
Debbie Mayfield — Down arrow — It’s like finding a $20 bill in a jacket you haven’t worn since last winter … times 50,000.
Angie Nixon — Crossways arrow — “It is so damn hard working in a building alongside people that don’t want you to exist.” And that’s just your friends.
16-year-olds — Crossways arrow — Sure, you can work an asphalt roof in August, but you can’t dance the mainstage?
Capitol elevators — Down arrow — They’re like the Brightline of vertical lifts.
Coastal developers — Up arrow — Historic or not, some of those old buildings are going to have to come down.
Alix Miller — Up arrow — Thank her for the drop in urgent 10-100s on your shortwave.
David Rancourt — Down arrow — Your G.B.F. would get more laughs from Dave Chapelle’s Netflix special.
Bears — Down arrow — Sorry, Boo-Boo, it’s about to be open season.
Marc Caputo — Crossways arrow — The Messenger went kaput-o, but Marc always lands on his feet.
Duke Energy — Up arrow — Those solar panels are starting to pay dividends.
Mike Martin — Halo — Heaven is getting a Hall of Famer.
Jim Sebesta, Maureen O’Toole — Halo — Gone but not forgotten.
