Last Call for 11.20.24 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

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

Ed. Note — Sunburn will be taking the night off and will return on Friday morning. Thanks again for your support! Have a great evening, and please stay safe.

First Shot

Despite entering the 2024-26 term as a superminority, Democrats are granted some sway on the Florida Senate’s top committees.

In a Wednesday memo listing his committee Chair picks, incoming Senate President Ben Albritton said he wanted to ensure members of both the majority and minority caucuses “feel heard and their input valued.”

To that end, Democratic Senators will hold the Vice Chair slot on the Appropriations, Fiscal Policy and Rules committees.

“As our largest committees, they serve as the last stop and gateway to the Senate Floor for each piece of legislation. It is important to me that both the Majority and Minority Caucuses have a significant role on these committees. Additionally, many of our vice chairs within our subject-specific appropriations committees are members of the Minority Caucus,” Albritton wrote.

“In recent years, our budget has almost always passed the Senate unanimously. To me, that record is indicative of a process where all Senators feel heard and their input valued, which I want to continue during our new term.”

The picks: Sen. Darryl Rouson will serve as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Rosalind Osgood will take the No. 2 spot on Fiscal Policy and Sen. Shevrin Jones will be Vice Chair of the Rules Committee.

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Top Florida insurance industry officials will gather in Orlando next month for the Florida Chamber of Commerce Annual Insurance Summit.

Set for Dec. 3-5, the Summit will delve into the most pressing issues in Florida’s insurance market, and many of the people most in tune with the current lay of the land have been confirmed as speakers.

The list includes Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. President and CEO Tim Cerio, Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Florida State Board of Administration Executive Director Chris Spencer.

“With Florida’s evolving insurance needs and recent legislative reforms, this Summit offers an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas and solutions that will shape the future of Florida’s property, auto, and liability insurance markets,” said Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson. “By bringing together the brightest minds in the industry, we can collaboratively address the challenges impacting families, local businesses, and our economy.”

This year’s summit comes nearly two years after the enactment of insurance legislation meant to stabilize the state’s market, which had been in a tailspin with many well-known insurers exiting the Florida market and several small- to midsize carriers going belly up.

At the time of passage, policymakers said the legislation, which brought several changes to the insurance claims process, would take time to take root and improve the market. There have been some positive indicators, though premium costs remain high for many Floridians, especially those living in coastal communities.

The Summit’s relevance only increased this week when now-House Speaker Daniel Perez said insurance issues would be a major focus of his during his term leading the chamber.

Though he didn’t give specifics, Perez said Floridians “need to know that our state’s insurance laws are not being written by and for the insurance companies.”

The Summit will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek. There will be an opening reception on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m., with the main program beginning at 8:30 a.m. the following morning. A full agenda and registration information can be found on the Florida Chamber website.

Evening Reads

—“Republicans were ready to torch Elon Musk for blowing the election. Then Donald Trump won.” via Miles Klee and Asawin Suebsaeng of Rolling Stone

—“Hopium comes at a high price” via Nate Silver of the Silver Bulletin

—“Judiciary Committee Dems request Matt Gaetz files from FBI” via Rachael Bade of POLITICO

—“House panel was told Gaetz paid two women $10,000, in part for sex” via Jacqueline Alemany, Liz Goodwin, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Meryl Kornfield of The Washington Post

—”Past nominees have been undone by far less than what surrounds Trump picks” via Carl Hulse of The New York Times

—“How science lost America’s trust and surrendered health policy to skeptics” via Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal

—“Could Trump actually get rid of the Department of Education?” via Ellen Ioanes of Vox

—“How Linda McMahon might approach the Dept. of Education” via Sharon Otterman of The New York Times

—”What to read if you’re angry about the election” via Ruth Madievsky of The Atlantic

—”Florida lawmakers won’t delay deadline on condo rules” via Ana Ceballos, Alexandra Glorioso and Rebecca San Juan of the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times

Quote of the Day

“The people here have had very good representation and they don’t want any knockoffs … They want someone who can stand strong and stand firm and take those arrows. The way I see it, I’m the heir apparent to that. I carry on the legacy that Matt has left for us.”

— Rep. Joel Rudman, announcing his bid for Florida’s 1st Congressional District.

Put it on the Tab

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

Perhaps a Hard Sell would help U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is continuing to talk to Senators and whip up votes for his Attorney General nomination.

Order up a Doc’s Dram — on the rocks, of course — for Rep. Joel “Doc Rock” Rudman, who is jumping into the Special Election for Florida’s 1st Congressional District.

The Tallahassee Police Department’s Autumn Moore gets an Armchair Detective — not because she’s doing a lousy job, but because she’s doing so well that she deserves the chance to lounge with a drink in hand.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Magic streaking into LA

The red-hot Orlando Magic look for their seventh straight win as they face the Clippers in Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network – Florida).

Orlando (9-6) opened the season by winning three of four before losing five straight road games. Since returning home from the trip, Orlando’s defense has led the way to victories. In five consecutive games played at the Kia Center, Orlando held all five opponents under 95 points, limiting four to 90 points or fewer. Orlando is the best-scoring defense in the league, holding the opposition to 102.2 points per game.

On Monday, the Magic continued their winning streak with a 109-99 victory over the Suns in Phoenix. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 32 points, marking the ninth straight game in which Wagner led the team in scoring.

Wagner has picked up the load with star Paolo Banchero out of the lineup since an Oct. 30 torn oblique muscle. In the 10 games since Banchero’s injury, Wagner has averaged 25.4 points per game and has topped the 30-point plateau three times.

The Clippers (8-7) have won consecutive games, beating the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz at home to snap a three-game losing streak.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.