Takeaways from Tallahassee — Ready, set, go!

This weekend brings the first Saturday in May and with it, the Kentucky Derby.

That means fancy hats, icy cocktails and, yes, the 150th running of the most exciting two minutes in sports.

While most of the fanfare may be in Louisville, there’s always a Florida connection—or, more specifically, a Florida lobbying connection.

The Kentucky Derby is one of the biggest sports betting events out there. Last year, bettors placed $189 million in tracked wagers on the derby, smashing a record set only the year prior. Indications are the 2023 record could be equally short-lived.

There are many gaming outfits that would be happy to help you get in on the action, or any action. As Yoda would say, ‘A seasonal sport, gambling is not.’

When it comes to gambling, The Seminole Tribe of Florida is king. Not just in Florida, either — the Tribe could go toe-to-toe with some of the biggest casino companies in the world. Just how big is it? Big enough that the new(ish) Gaming Compact is expected to put $4.4 billion into the state’s coffers by the end of the decade.

The Compact is a win-win, but it didn’t materialize out of nowhere — fleets of lobbyists helped hammer out the deal in Tallahassee, and plenty more played a part in getting the feds to sign off and defending it from legal challenges.

The Tribe’s current roster includes Will McKinley and Angela Dempsey of Poole McKinley; Hayden Dempsey of Greenberg Traurig; Charles Dudley of Floridian Partners; Chris Moya and Jennifer Ungru of Jones Walker; and Screven Watson of Screven Watson & Associates.

The Seminoles also have Brian Ballard, Brady Benford and Mathew Forrest on retainer via their Seminole Hard Rock Digital subsidiary.

The Tribe isn’t your only option, however. Floridians can also get their gambling fix at cardrooms and parimutuels across the state.

For those in the Jax area, there’s bestbet. The marquee location ranks as the largest poker room in Florida, featuring over 80 tables of all limits. It also has an expansive simulcast wagering facility and plenty of food and beverage options as well.

Their lobbying team includes Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace, Kaley Anne Flynn, Scott Ross and Chris Schoonover of Capital City Consulting as well as Frank Mayernick, Tracy Mayernick and Rob Johnson of The Mayernick Group.

Of course, gambling is only a destination event if you want it to be. The ubiquity of smartphones has made placing a bet as easy as launching an app and typing in your debit card number.

When it comes to sports betting, the Tribe is the only game in town, but their exclusivity deal doesn’t include fantasy sports — bettors can still download and use options such as Underdog Fantasy, Betr, and PrizePicks. Those three companies are behind a coalition known as the Coalition for Fantasy Sports, which advocates for the continued legality of the industry.

The Coalition relies on Brett Bacot, Mike Grissom, Kimberly McGlynn, and Pierce Schuessler of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney plus Oak Strategies, the young firm founded by former Sen. Rob Bradley and former Rep. Travis Cummings.

Even if you don’t win, place or show, we hope you enjoy your Derby weekend.

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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 —

Six weeks: Florida’s ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect Wednesday. The six-week ban replaces a 15-week restriction that included no exceptions for rape or incest. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the l15 week restriction e during a news conference at a Kissimmee church in April 2022. He quietly signed the six-week ban, dubbed the “Heartbeat Protection Act,” a year later. Meanwhile, the state released a pair of emergency rules making it clear that certain medical procedures — including the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy — are not considered abortions and do not need to be recorded as such.

All but four: Aetna Better Health of Florida, AmeriHealth Caritas Florida, Florida Community Care, ImagineCare, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Sentara Care Alliance and UnitedHealthcare of Florida filed protests with the state announcing their intent to challenge the Medicaid ITN award. The state will attempt to settle the litigation to keep the protests from heading to administrative court. Humana Medical Plan, Simply Healthcare Plans, Sunshine State Health Plan and The South Florida Community Care Network, which operates as Community Care Plan, are the only vendors not challenging the state’s notice to award six-year Medicaid managed care contracts.

No ‘fake’ meat: Florida will soon be the only state in America where cultivated meat cannot be sold. It’s not clear just how far-reaching the law is given only two restaurants in America currently sell the lab-grown product and neither operates in the state. The new law takes effect July 1. The Governor said the development of lab-made meat is a threat to agriculture on par with citrus greening.

‘Debanking’ ban strengthened: The Governor signed legislation giving bank customers who believe they’ve been discriminated against based on their political affiliations a way to file complaints against the financial institution. The measure (HB 989) includes a provision allowing credit unions to accept deposits from state and local governments for the first time. That provision was heavily lobbied during the Session, with the credit unions arguing it was necessary to allow more options for taxpayer funds and banks claiming it would be unfair to allow the nonprofit credit unions, which pay lower taxes than banks, to compete in the same marketplace. But for DeSantis, who held a bill signing event at Jacksonville-based credit union VyStar, the provision setting up a complaint process for “debanked” customers is the bill’s headlining provision.

Florida joins New York? Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Wednesday her office has joined other states and the District of Columbia in filing suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and how it unfairly restricts athletes from commercially using their name, image, and likeness (NIL) during the recruitment process. Florida joined Tennessee, Virginia, New York and the District of Columbia in the lawsuit.

— Flags for Firefighters —

The Governor ordered flags of the United States and Florida at state and local government buildings to be flown at half-staff to honor firefighters who lost their lives as part of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

“Each year, we honor the fallen firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting their communities,” DeSantis wrote in a memo Friday.

“The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend will be hosted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at the National Fallen Firefighters Monument in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year’s national tribute will honor 226 firefighters who lost their lives, 89 of whom lost their lives in 2023. These 226 firefighters will be remembered for their heroic and noble actions.”

It’s the 43rd installment of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. The memo calls for the flags to be flown at half-staff on Saturday and Sunday.

— Scam alert —

Jury duty scams are on the rise in Florida, and not the funny ones like in the award-winning show.

Scammers purporting to be court officials are calling people and telling them they’ve missed jury duty and they owe fines or face possible arrest.

To warn people about that and other scams, Attorney General Moody released this week “Scams at a Glance: Sham or Summons?” to help Floridians avoid becoming victims. The top tips:

— A court will always send a jury summons through the mail — not by email, phone call or text message;

— Payment will never be demanded by a government office over the phone;

— A fine will never be imposed until after an individual appears in court to explain a failure to appear; and

— Never trust a solicitor demanding payment via gift card, money transfer apps, or wire transfers.

“There has been a recent uptick in reports of jury duty scams, and I have heard personally from many Floridians who received calls from impostors posing as court officials claiming they missed jury duty and face fines or arrest. That is why we are releasing a new Scams at a Glance resource to help ensure Floridians know how to spot, avoid and report these schemes,” Moody said.

To report jury duty scams, contact a local county clerk’s office using the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers website at FLClerks.com.

— Cha-ching, ching —

No fooling: Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’ office returned more than $34 million in unclaimed property in April.

“I want every cent of unclaimed property to be returned to its rightful owner as quickly as possible. An estimated one in five Floridians has unclaimed property just waiting to be claimed,” Patronis said in a statement.

“That’s why I encourage every Floridian to search now for yourself, your friends, your loved ones, and even your business at FLTreasureHunt.gov. Don’t wait, start your treasure hunt today.”

The Tampa Bay region took the crown last month with $7.7 million in returns. The Miami area followed at $7.2 million with the Orlando region ranking third at $6.2 million.

According to the CFO’s office, the most common types of unclaimed property are dormant bank accounts, unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, deposits, credit balances, and refunds. Unclaimed property also includes the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes in financial institutions.

Unclaimed property assets are held by business or government entities for a set period of time, usually five years. If the holder is unable to locate, re-establish contact with the owner, and return the asset, it is reported and remitted to the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Unclaimed Property.

Since taking office in 2017, Patronis has helped return $2.4 billion in unclaimed property.

— Well done, Wilton —

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced this week that the state secured a conservation easement on another chunk of land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

The Holifield Family Farms property, a nearly 160-acre cattle and row crop operation in Dixie County, is being preserved through a $329,300 rural land protection easement made possible by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.

“Partnering with Holifield Family Farms to preserve productive agricultural land through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program marks another significant victory for Florida,” Simpson said in a statement.

“By safeguarding our rural lands through protection easements, we enhance food security, maintain these protected properties within the local tax system, and ensure property owners adhere to state standards for land and natural resource conservation.”

The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program purchases the development rights to the agricultural properties through voluntary rural land easements, which prevent the future development of the land and allow agriculture operations to continue.

— Instagram of the week —

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— The week in appointments —

DeSantis has reappointed Moshe Popack to the Florida Development Finance Corporation.

Popack gave the Governor’s now-closed political committee $225,000 worth of in-kind contributions in 2022. He also chipped in $25,000 to the PC and another $300 to DeSantis’ campaign account through the real estate company he owns with his wife Yaffa Popack, Lauderhill Lakes-based YMP Real Estate Management.

Also in 2022, the couple hosted an event at their 10,000-square-foot waterfront mansion to raise funds for DeSantis’ re-election campaign.

The couple each gave DeSantis’ presidential campaign maxed-out, $6,600 donations.

Popack, who lives in Miami Beach, is also the co-founder of Neighborhood Farms USA, a self-described national nonprofit dedicated to promoting wellness and nutritional education through the development of community gardens and healthy food programs. He’s a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the South Florida Business Journal Trust.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University and a master’s degree in business administration from Long Island University. Popack also has a law degree from Touro University.

The Florida Development Finance Corporation is a special development financing authority established in 1993 to issue industrial bonds in Florida counties through interlocal agreements. The group supports economic development by assisting for-profit and not-for-profit businesses with capital, primarily through tax-exempt and taxable bonds, according to its website. The organization does not receive state appropriations.

Popack’s reappointment is subject to Senate confirmation, which should not be a problem for the current board member, whom DeSantis first appointed in 2020.

According to previous reporting, Popack has donated funds and in-kind contributions to DeSantis’ campaigns, including $1,425 to the Florida GOP, $10,000 to the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County, $5,600 to U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, and $2,900 to U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez.

— Hardee County, Salute —

The Governor this week announced a $6 million award for the Hardee County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to build a new manufacturing facility.

The money will be managed by The Development Group and used to build a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the 264-acre Hardee County Business Park. The facility will house SafeGage America Manufacturing, which makes medical gloves.

“With this investment in Hardee County, our business park is poised to be the manufacturing hub for the region. The recruitment of SafeGage America Manufacturing, Inc. is a testament to Hardee County’s prime location and business-friendly climate,” said Denise Grimsley, a former state Senator and CEO of The Development Group.

“With this investment in Hardee County, our business park is poised to be the manufacturing hub for the region. The recruitment of SafeGage America Manufacturing, Inc. is a testament to Hardee County’s prime location and business-friendly climate.”

As part of the deal, SafeGage will make between $10 million and $16 million in private investments and expect to create 184 new jobs in the county.

— Hook, line and sinker —

Get those calendars out because the 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational season has been announced — and it includes both a Summer and Fall season.

That means anglers can spend Father’s Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving doing their thing.

“I am proud to announce that this snapper season will be the longest season since our state took over red snapper management in the Gulf,” DeSantis said. “Florida is proud to be the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World.”

The 61-day summer season will begin on June 1 and continue through July 31. The 42-day fall season is the longest to date and includes every weekend in September, October, and November, including Thanksgiving weekend, when anglers are welcome Thursday through Saturday.

“Under Gov. DeSantis’ bold leadership, we are maintaining Florida as the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World with another record-breaking Gulf recreational red snapper season,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chair Rodney Barreto. “We are proud to continue providing Floridians and visitors the world-class fishing opportunities we are known for.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Roger Young praised the Governor and the Legislature for investing in the State Reef Fish Survey which, he said, gives the state the data it needs to determine the length of the season.

“Anglers from all over the country look forward to Gulf recreational red snapper season and the iconic fishing opportunities Florida provides yearly,” he said.

— Safety first —

Parrish Thompson of Sumter County was named as the 2024 Victor Heller Hunter Safety Instructor of the Year during and FWC meeting in Daytona Beach this week.

The Victor Heller Award recognizes a volunteer who significantly advances the cause of safe hunting through extraordinary service in training and education.

Thompson, a retired FWC officer, has taught hunter safety courses for more than 40 years and has encouraged his students to get involved by becoming hunter safety instructors themselves.

Since starting to teach, Thompson has been recognized as a Top-Certified Student Producer for the state of Florida and has won the Area Coordinator of the Year Award for the Southwest Region. He also volunteers as a Hunt Master for the Youth Hunting Program of Florida and as a state official for the National Archery in the Schools Program.

“Parrish’s contributions to hunter safety are invaluable to the state of Florida,” said Bill Cline, FWC’s Section Leader for Hunter Safety and Public Shooting Ranges. “It is an honor to present this well-deserved award to him.”

Those interested in learning how to become a volunteer hunter safety instructor can go to MyFWC.com/HunterSafety and select “Volunteer.”

— Hollywood for Haiti —

The City of Hollywood is lending a helping hand and a truck to Haiti, and state Rep. Marie Woodson couldn’t be prouder.

“At a time where Haiti is facing so many challenges, I wholeheartedly want to thank the City of Hollywood for providing this much-needed truck that exemplifies a great act of kindness and I know it will be put to good use,” said Woodson, whose district includes Hollywood.

The truck is being donated to Save North West, a nonprofit based in Miramar that will ensure its transport to Port-de-Paix, Haiti, where it will be actively used to help clean trash off the streets.

The donation will be highlighted during an event at Balboa Street between A1A and Surf Road on Monday at 10 a.m.

—To your health —

The praise for a new law that puts pharmacists on the front line of HIV and AIDS prevention continues to earn praise.

The Florida Retail Federation lauded the Governor for signing HB 159 into law this week. Sponsored by Rep. Gallop Franklin and Sen. Alexis Calatayud, the law allows pharmacists to screen adults for HIV exposure and provide the results of the screening.

Moreover, the law will enable pharmacists who enter into collaborative agreements with physicians to dispense post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for people who do not have HIV but are at a high risk of exposure.

Florida Retail Federation President and CEO Scott Shalley thanked the Governor for what he called “lifesaving” legislation.

“Our certified Florida pharmacists are dedicated to community health, wellness and HIV prevention efforts. HB 159 will expand vital access to HIV screenings and treatments for Floridians at pharmacies statewide. We are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Gallop Franklin, Sen. Alexis Calatayud, and Sen. Shevrin Jones on this measure,” he said.

The new law is named the John W. Rheay Act in memory of the late brother of Rep. Dana Trabulsy.

— JMI dishes on AI —

While many Americans and companies have embraced artificial intelligence, the Biden administration and some state governments have sought to establish guidelines that could halt the benefits AI promises.

In its new paper titled, “Bringing Government into the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence and State Government Operations,” The James Madison Institute outlines potential state government uses of artificial intelligence.

“Artificial Intelligence has the power to streamline state government operations, not just here in Florida, but across the country,” said Edward Longe, of The James Madison Institute.

JMI hopes to illuminate the ways emerging technologies can make government work better for citizens in the coming years. We also hope to show why state lawmakers should be embracing these technologies and not rejecting them.”

— They’ve only just begun —

For thousands of students, this weekend marks their moment of departure from Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

FSU plans to confer degrees on more than 8,000 students who are graduating with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees as well as those who have made it through medical and law school. More than 1,200 students from FAMU’s 14 colleges and schools are expected to receive their degrees as well.

The degrees will be handed out during a two-day ceremony series that kicked off yesterday. FSU is holding the event for one of its largest colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences.

The two universities were also bringing in a line of distinguished guests to give commencement speeches.

FAMU students graduating on Friday night heard from LaToya Myles, deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air Resources Laboratory. Myles was the first doctoral graduate under FAMU President Larry Robinson when he headed the Environmental Sciences Institute.

Scotty Barnhart, director of the Count Basie Orchestra and a famed trumpeter who graduated from FAMU’s music education program, will give the commencement address on Saturday morning while business executive Gregory Gerami is scheduled to address students graduating in the afternoon. Gerami is the founder/CEO of Batterson Farms Corp. and is a champion of sustainable agriculture and biodegradable hemp products.

“We are fortunate to have three accomplished and inspirational speakers to address our 2024 spring graduates,” said Robinson who added, “I can’t wait to hear the wisdom they will share.”

U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, who represents the Tallahassee area, gave the Friday night commencement address at FSU. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, an FSU alum, is booked for the Saturday night commencement.

FSU alumnus James Seneff, founder of Orlando-based private investment management firm CNL Financial Group, spoke during the business school commencement on Friday. Christopher Iansiti, the Chair of the FSU Foundation board and who founded and recently sold his consulting firm, is the speaker for the Saturday morning ceremonies.

FSU students graduating from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences on Saturday afternoon are getting a commencement speech from an FSU Seminoles legend: Coach Odell Haggins.

Haggins is the longest-tenured assistant football coach in the country and has been a member of the Florida State Seminoles coaching staff since 1994. He played for Bobby Bowden and then spent time as a pro football player before turning to coaching. He has now worked for the past four FSU head coaches and has twice been interim head coach. GO NOLES!

— Isn’t he a Gator? —

Ron Sachs was named the chair for Opening Nights at Florida State University’s Development Council for the 2024-2025 season.

In that post, Sachs will be a chief advocate for the Opening Nights event and charged with strengthening the relationship between the community and the renowned FSU performing arts event.

“For many years, our family and work family have been strong supporters and sponsors of Opening Nights for its wonderful track record of bringing some of the greatest new and legendary talents in the world to our Tallahassee community,” Sachs said in a statement. “By creating and sustaining this positively impactful performing arts series, FSU has also helped to consistently unite our community, region, and state on the common ground of enjoying world-class entertainment.”

Sachs Media has been supporting Opening Nights since 2011 and has sponsored acts including Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, The Four Tops and, most recently, the sold-out “Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.”

Opening Nights interim director Michael Blachly said in a statement he was pleased Sachs agreed to serve in the position “as the overall program continues to evolve for both Florida State University and the Leon County community,”

Sachs, an Emmy Award-winning newspaper, magazine and television journalist. He also served as former Gov. Lawton Chiles’s communications director, a post he held for three years before launching Sachs Media in 1996.

Sachs has served as Chair of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of the Big Bend’s board of directors and annual fundraising campaign. Sachs also created Tallahassee’s “Best & Brightest” scholarship program to recognize and reward high school seniors for their academic achievements. The program has honored more than 2,500 students in 19 years, with nearly $1 million in scholarship awards.

Sachs earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida, and he hopes to someday earn an FSU graduate degree. (Once again, GO NOLES! But also, GO GATORS!)

— Capitol Directions —

Your Summer vacation plans — Down arrow — We hope you paid Delta the $11 ‘just in case’ fee.

Ron DeSantis — Up arrow — Doesn’t it feel like DeStella has got his groove back? We hear he’s even hitting straight on the golf course!

Ron DeSantis, Part 2 — Up arrow — He helped Peacock wrangle a few thousand new subs with both hands in his pockets.

DEP — Down arrow — Someone remind them what the P stands for.

Gallop Franklin, Alexis Calatayud — Up arrow — Their Rx refills just moved to the front of the line.

Jay Collins — Up arrow — The only thing we want cultured is yogurt.

Lab meat — Down arrow — Stick a fork in it!

Sprinklers — Up arrow — Would you rather huff tear gas?

Debbie Mayfield — Up arrow — Complete and Total Endorsement!™

Dana Young — Crossways arrow — If we’re making tone-deaf requests, ask our Mexican visitors to bring a bunch of ‘legal’ fentanyl, too.

Jeff Brandes — Up arrow — ‘Former Senator’ usually means ‘formerly relevant,’ but not in his case.

Joe Harding — Crossways arrow — His prison stay was about as short as his second term.

Sick kids — Down arrow — Turns out you can put a price on health: $15 a month. Cough it up.

Venmo — Up arrow — Let’s be real … we’re not going to check ‘goods and services,’ we’re going to take the 7% discount.

Brevard GOP — Down arrow — Skip the Lincoln-Reagan dinner and make the check out to the Humane Society instead.

Douglas Anderson — Down arrow — ATTN: PR firms looking for pro bono hours. Here’s your next client.

Cows — Crossways arrow — So … how long before they need vaccine passports?

Eastern indigo snakes — Down arrow — Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?

Poco Vino — Crossways arrow — We’ll miss the brick-and-mortar, but Poco Vacays piqued our interest.

FSU Men’s Tennis — Up arrow — Game. Set. Match.

Marcus Outzen — Halo — Pour one out for The Rooster.