Takeaways from Tallahassee — Year in review

2024 was a big year for Florida.

It was so packed, storylines that would otherwise be front-page fodder debuted as B-sides. While discussing our various top stories lists, the newsroom’s common refrain was: “Wait, that was this year?”

Memory problems aren’t to blame … we took the peanut butter test to be doubly sure. The reality is that 2024 was news-dense. Some stretches might even be described as “weeks where decades happen” — the law requiring Florida kids to learn about the guy who said that was passed this year, right? OK, phew.

On the bright side, it took all of five minutes to come up with an all-killer, no-filler list for the Top 10 Stories of 2024. On the other hand, all the time we saved was spent trimming the list down. Pruning isn’t very fun, so we put down the shears after a few minutes and settled on a Top 15 list. Even then, there are some decent options on the bubble.

Our list isn’t numbered and that’s by design. There was enough debate over what should make the cut, quibbling about what should go where is another can of worms.

The only exception is our No. 1: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ use of state agencies and the bully pulpit to combat the Amendment 3 and Amendment 4 campaigns.

There was never ambiguity on DeSantis’ position regarding either ballot amendment — to the surprise of nobody, the Governor is not a pot guy; meanwhile, his signing of a restrictive abortion bill last year was what fueled the early momentum for the abortion rights campaign.

Before this year, citizens’ initiatives had generally proceeded without elected leaders actively trying to squash them. While DeSantis campaigning against both was expected, putting state agencies and employees on the front lines wasn’t.

The most glaring example of this tactic came from the Florida Department of Health, which sent cease and desist letters to TV stations airing a pro-Amendment 4 ad featuring a woman who, after finding out she had fatal brain cancer, obtained an abortion so that she could receive life-extending chemotherapy.

The DOH letters threatened TV stations with criminal prosecution if they continued playing the ad, which the department said made false claims about current abortion law. One TV station, CBS affiliate WINK-TV in Fort Myers, caved to the threat.

It was clear that not even everyone within DOH was on board with the plan — DOH General Counsel John Wilson, who had signed his name on the letters, resigned shortly after they were postmarked.

“A man is nothing without his conscience. It has become clear in recent days that I cannot join you on the road that lies before the agency,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

DeSantis’ power flex would probably still make the list if one or both amendments passed. But both measures failed despite having loads of cash behind them and generally favorable support in the weeks leading up to the election.

Would the outcome have been different if DeSantis adhered to the legacy rules of engagement? It’s impossible to say, and we aren’t going to speculate here. If all you want is someone or something to blame, however, we’d suggest pregnant pigs.

The end-of-year list continues below and the usual TFT fare will return to your inbox in the new year, but first comes the “Takeaway 5” — the Top 5 stories from the week that was:

— Take 5 —

Conservation is king: The Governor and Cabinet members, as part of their duties as the Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, approved conservation easements protecting more than 62,000 acres of farmlands across the state from future development. The easements allow agricultural lands designated as farm or ranch lands to continue in their current capacities. The approval protects property valued at a combined $206 million, the largest ever approved at a single meeting. “Today marks another historic milestone in Florida’s effort to preserve working agricultural lands,” Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said after the meeting.

Long arm of the law: Florida’s Attorney General says the state is seeking an arrest warrant for a man thwarted in his attempt to kill President-elect Donald Trump. Speaking in Stuart, Ashley Moody said a warrant had been filed in Martin County to apprehend Ryan Routh to “pursue state law charges for state law violations.” Moody notes that the federal government has been uncooperative in working with the state on this issue, adding that Routh’s attempted escape endangered the life of a 6-year-old girl, which she says merits charges of “attempted felony murder.” The state-level warrant is filed in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Moody acknowledged Routh is “being held in federal custody” but that the state would pursue charges.

Find somewhere else: No one in Florida will be able to access Pornhub, the most trafficked pornography website worldwide, as of Jan. 1. Officials with Aylo, the parent company of the site, confirmed it will deny access for all users geo-located in the state. An email from the company made clear that the restriction would happen in protest of new age verification requirements imposed by state law (HB 3), which will be put into effect at the start of 2025. Lawmakers scoffed at the web publisher’s tactic. “The fact that they’ve chosen to shut down instead of complying to ensure that children aren’t accessing their site tells us exactly who their real target audience is,” said state Rep. Chase Tramont, a Port Orange Republican and the prime sponsor for the age verification bill passed this year.

Fast results: Rep. Susan Valdés landed a plum Committee post just days after announcing she had changed her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. It’s a safe bet that had Valdés remained a Democrat, she wouldn’t have been named Vice Chair of the powerful House Budget Committee, formerly known as Appropriations. The Tampa Democrat-turned-Republican was also named to the Education and Employment Committee and Subcommittees for Government Operations, Education Administration, Industries and Professional Activities, and Insurance and Banking. Valdés announced last week that she had swapped parties. She said in her announcement that Democratic leadership expected her to “ignore the needs” of her community. Valdés claimed she had been ignored and said joining the Republican Party would allow her to serve her constituents better.

Rumor mill: Early in the week, there were rumblings Trump would appoint yet another Florida elected official to a high-level post in his administration by selecting U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz to lead FEMA. Though a Democrat, Moskowitz is known to reach across the aisle and led the Florida Division of Emergency Management during the first half of DeSantis’ first term. The second-term Congressman from South Florida shut down all speculation on Wednesday, saying he will remain in Congress and will run for another term representing CD 23 in 2026. “To be clear, nothing was ever offered,” he tweeted.

— Why can’t we be friends? —

The new year brings age verification requirements and restrictions on social media use for Floridians under age 16. But it was tough to convince DeSantis to hit the like button on the legislation.

The Governor signed the bill (HB 3) on March 25, but only after vetoing a prior version passed in the House and Senate. Speaker Paul Renner made the social media bill a priority this Session and said modern technology has compromised the mental health of youth. But DeSantis initially objected on the grounds of parental rights, tossing the first version passed by the Legislature aside.

The second version, attached to more broadly supported legislation also imposing age verification requirements on pornography sites, allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to use social media so long as parents provided explicit permission to log on.

The legislation doesn’t identify specific platforms in the language but covers those with features like infinite scrolling and video autoplay, and where a substantial portion of teen users spend more than two hours a day actively using the service.

The law goes into effect in January, covering platforms publicly sharing user-created content, such as YouTube and TikTok, but not those featuring only licensed content, like Netflix. It also covers microblogging platforms that widely disseminate posts in public forums such as Facebook, X and Instagram, but not private messaging programs like Snapchat or WhatsApp.

— Goodbye, Jimmy —

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz’s resignation from Congress prompted the impending departure of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis from the Cabinet.

Patronis, a Panama City Republican, has filed to run in an April 1 special election to fill Gaetz’s seat and, per Florida law, resigned his statewide office, effective at the end of March.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Florida’s CFO for nearly eight years,” Patronis wrote in a letter to DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd.

Patronis was first appointed CFO by then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2017, after former CFO Jeff Atwater resigned to become President of Florida Atlantic University.

Since his appointment, Patronis has won two full terms as CFO, most recently defeating Democrat Adam Hattersley in 2022. By the time he leaves office, he will have served in his current position longer than any current statewide elected official (assuming U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has already taken the reins as the nation’s Secretary of State).

DeSantis will name a replacement to serve out the remainder of Patronis’ term, which comes up for re-election again in 2026.

— Instagram of the week —

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A post shared by Governor Ron DeSantis (@flgovrondesantis)

— The week in appointments —

Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees — DeSantis appointed Jonathan Satter and Tina Vidal-Duart to the FAU Board of Trustees, effective Jan. 7. Satter is a Managing Director and the COO of White Wolf Capital Group. He previously served as Secretary of the Florida Department of Management Services and is currently appointed to the Space Florida Board of Directors. HE earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Rollins College and his MBA from Nova Southeastern University. Vidal-Duart is the CEO at CDR Health Care and the executive vice president of CDR Companies. Active in her community, she serves as the Chair of the Florida Grand Opera Board of Directors, the Vice Chair of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, and is a member of the Florida International University Foundation Board of Directors. Vidal-Duart earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international business from Florida International University.

Florida International University Board of Trustees — The Governor appointed George Heisel and reappointed Carlos Duart to the FIU Board of Trustees, effective Jan. 7. Heisel is the Shareholder of ExpoCredit. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Babson College. Duart is the CEO of CDR Companies. He is a member of the FIU College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board and the FIU Transportation Center’s Steering Committee. Duart earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and his master’s in taxation from FIU.

University of Central Florida Board of Trustees — DeSantis named John Evans to the UCF Board of Trustees, effective Jan. 7. Evans is the co-founder and president of Promising People and the Founder and President of Evans and Evans Consulting. He previously served as the Head of Business and Corporate Partner Development at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. He was recently named a Hometown Hero at Orlando International Airport. Evans earned his bachelor’s degree in English and economics from the University of Florida, his MBA from the University of Miami, and his doctor of Education in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University.

— Leave those parks alone —

Messing with Florida state parks is always tricky business. But Floridians made it clear: anyone advocating development in the bastions of nature should expect severe backlash.

DeSantis found out the hard way in 2024 that plans for new golf courses, pickleball courts and hotels built in state parks just wouldn’t wash with Floridians who have sentimental attachments to the lands they pay tax money to preserve.

DeSantis found himself in a rare moment of contrition when he backed off the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s “Great Outdoors Initiative,” which would have impacted several parks, with some even having swanky hotels added to the grounds.

A series of public meetings and town halls scheduled for public input on the proposals were canceled due to the unexpected backlash. There were even public protests at state parks by residents who were outraged at any suggestion the state should bulldoze natural habitats in favor of what they viewed as frivolous projects.

DeSantis would eventually throw in the towel and change his tune on the park plans, calling them “half-baked” as his public approval rating started to dip below 50% among Floridians heading into September, sparking some Republicans to worry the flap could impact the November elections. It didn’t.

— Hurricane havoc —

It was a rough and tumble 2024 hurricane season. And a costly one at that.

Three hurricanes struck Florida, and none of them let the state off easily. The most massive was Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on the Gulf Coast near Sarasota on Oct. 9 and then plowed through the peninsula, exiting into the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 10 near Fort Pierce.

What made Milton so challenging for state officials was the preparation. Florida was still mopping up from extreme damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which had hit just two weeks earlier. That storm pounded the Big Bend area on Sept. 26 before moving north inland to wreak havoc in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

However, in preparation for Milton, DeSantis ordered the cleanup of Helene’s debris to be accelerated, assuaging fears that the debris would become projectiles in the next storm. Even after M, the cleanup reached new levels as the trail of destruction crossed the south-central area of the state on both coasts.

However, few injuries were reported, though Milton caused a few deaths mainly due to tornadoes spawned by the massive storm. Evacuations for both storms were successful, as Floridians are accustomed, and they dealt with three this year, including Hurricane Debby, which also struck the Big Bend on Aug. 5.

While state and local law enforcement officials generally maintained order, Patronis was keen to send out dozens of inspectors to prevent recovery scams in many areas that were being rebuilt.

Federal aid assistance was signed into order by President Joe Biden, U.S. National Guard troops helped maintain order and DeSantis enacted emergency bridge loans to help get businesses back into operation.

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, insurance estimates for all three storms total $5.455 billion.

— Abortion draws intense tension —

Reproductive rights were the subject of a political fight in Florida with national implications. Even some Republicans questioned the six-week ban, which the Florida Supreme Court upheld.

The abortion ban was implemented in May after the state’s high court said the state measure met constitutional muster. DeSantis led the charge on the ban and signed it into law. The measure was a more severe restriction after the state earlier implemented a ban on abortion after 15 weeks.

Even some Republicans, including now-President-elect Donald Trump, called the restriction “too harsh.” Others worried that the six-week ban could have put Florida in play as Democrats rallied around the issue.

DeSantis not only defended the restrictions but rebuffed Trump and said the restrictions were not too harsh and were an example of how such policies should be set by the states, not the federal government — that argument echoes the one Trump himself has made following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The abortion dispute did not weigh as heavily on state politics as feared. Every statewide office up for election went to Republicans, while the proposed amendment that would have superseded the state’s abortion law failed.

— You kid, you lose —

In 2023, the Legislature agreed to allow more low-income families access to a subsidized children’s health insurance program called Florida KidCare.

A year later, none of the 42,000 children economists estimated to qualify for the program had been enrolled under the new rules.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the waiver necessary to expand the program, which is contingent on Florida’s adherence to a federal law requiring it to keep eligible children enrolled for 12 months regardless of whether they pay premiums.

The DeSantis administration is challenging the federal mandate, included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. CMS explained the requirement in a “frequently asked questions” document, which the DeSantis administration unsuccessfully challenged in a federal court in Tampa. The ruling has been appealed.

Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Chief of Staff Alecia Collins accused the Biden administration of playing politics after it approved the waiver request. It said Florida would not be accepting CMS’ terms and conditions.

— Artsy fartsy doesn’t fly —

Arts were not held in high esteem in Florida this year, at least in state funding.

DeSantis stifled arts spending this year, slashing millions of dollars in funding that would have gone to various cultural organizations and venues, including museums and similar facilities.

When he finished reviewing the state’s budget, DeSantis vetoed $32 million in line-item arts funding cuts. The funding elimination was extreme: $26 million was stripped from cultural and museum grants and another $6 million was eliminated for cultural facilities.

Critics called the arts cuts by DeSantis out of hand. “Unprecedented” was another word often used by those decrying the slashing.

“The veto of all cultural and museum grants from the budget is unprecedented,” said Carlos Guillermo Smith, a former Orlando Representative just elected to the Senate.

“I’m not aware of any Governor who has ever vetoed that line item because of how devastating it would be to the hundreds of organizations who rely on that funding. It’s never happened.”

While the arts funding cuts were broadly derided, they represented only a small portion of DeSantis’ line-item vetoes, which stripped $900 million out of the $117 billion budget approved by lawmakers.

— Hard Rock on! —

Anyone in Florida who watches live television events has probably seen the Post Malone Hard Rock Bet commercial. And Hard Rock Bet billboards are visible throughout many of Florida’s large metros.

Online gambling, primarily via phones, is more popular (and more normalized) than ever. But there was some back and forth this year in Florida and in the courts about the status of online gambling.

Earlier this year, the Seminole Tribe of Florida celebrated as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case against the Tribe’s mobile gaming functions. West Flager Associates had filed a writ of certiorari. They requested that the U.S. Supreme Court take up the case as they claim the Seminole Tribe of Florida violated the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The case has been raging on since 2021 and has bounded back and forth between multiple federal courts, with West Flager Associated claiming that the Gaming Compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe should be invalidated.

Many have questioned the Seminole Tribe having a literal monopoly on mobile wagering in Florida. Still, only U.S. Supreme Court Justice and beer enthusiast Brett Kavanaugh voted for the West Flager Associates petition.

Now, go ahead and place that bet on the College Football Playoffs. It’s about time you learned what it feels like to lose money from the comfort of your home!

— Camping controversy —

Many big cities across the nation have a consistent issue — homelessness.

Homelessness was a major topic in Florida this year. The Legislature passed HB 1365, barring homeless people from sleeping in public. The measure also prohibits counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or on public property without explicit permission, allowing local authorities to round up violators and move them elsewhere.

The areas where homeless people are sent are required to have clean restrooms, running water, security on-premises, and a ban on drugs and alcohol. Many critics claimed the law essentially criminalizes homelessness, and some officials in Jacksonville believe the bill was written to target the Bold City specifically.

Democrats in the Senate pushed back and questioned the logistics and humanity of the policy.

“I don’t understand what we’re doing to human beings,” said Sen. Geraldine Thompson as she went on to estimate that this plan would cost localities $500 million a year to impose.

Many have questioned the vagueness of the bill and how it could account for the wide range of needs, be it mental health or otherwise, among various segments of the homeless population.

When it comes to mental health for homeless individuals, DeSantis agrees that it’s “important” but said Florida doesn’t want “Sodom and Gomorrah” style homeless camps.

— Delta Dub —

It feels like in every strip mall and off every highway exit, there is a smoking product shop that has some name like “Vape Haven” or “Smoker’s Paradise” in bug blue LED letters.

These shops, over the years, have shifted from more traditional tobacco-based products to things such as “Delta 8” and other hemp-based products that mimic marijuana but can be legally sold without a medical card due to potency loopholes.

Throughout the year, these shops have been fearful of their business models. SB 1698, which passed the House and Senate unanimously, would’ve capped the permissible amount of Delta-9 in hemp extracts to 5 mg per serving or 50 mg a container and imposed bans on a series of non-CBD compounds with affinity to the CB1 receptor — that’s fancy talk for chemicals that produce a similar high to THC but artificially.

This was all sold on the idea that it would help with consumer safety and ban products that are “attractive to children.”

But ultimately, DeSantis vetoed the bill, shocking many and being applauded by those in the hemp industry.

In a transmittal letter, DeSantis said the bill would “impose debilitating regulatory burdens” and “dramatic disruption and harm” on the businesses in the sector. Your local smoke shop popped Delta-8 infused Champagne to celebrate.

— Bob leaves big shoes to fill —

Democrats across the nation and especially across Florida, are yearning for leadership especially after the 2024 Elections. And with the passing of former Florida Governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, the leadership shoes feel even harder to fill.

For those wondering if politics is more divisive now than in the past, consider this: When Graham resigned as Governor in 1987, he left office with an approval rating of 83%.

The two-term Governor and three-term elected Senator died at 87 on April 16. On May 11, 2024, a memorial service was held at Miami Lakes United Church for the Democratic legend, where around 200 people gathered.

Robin Gibson, who was Graham’s General Counsel, gave a eulogy speaking highly of the Harvard Law School graduate’s demeanor in and out of the public eye: “There was no macho profanity. There was no agenda. There was no pettiness. There was no gossip. It was, ‘How do we get to make the best decision for the best reason?’ It was that simple.”

Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, the eldest of Graham’s four daughters, also spoke at the funeral, describing her father as an inspiration and a shining light: “There has never been a day I haven’t been proud to be Bob Graham’s daughter.”

— Swing and a miss —

While most of the Christian Ziegler sex scandal became public before the New Year, it wasn’t until early 2024 that he ultimately fell from grace. The full executive Committee for the Republican Party of Florida met in Tallahassee on Jan. 8 and voted to formally remove the embattled party Chair and to elect Vice Chair Evan Power as his replacement.

Ziegler, embroiled in scandal for months, did not show up for the vote. That was a different tactic from a few weeks prior when he pleaded his case to the party’s state executive Committee at a special meeting in Orlando.

At the time of his removal, Ziegler remained under active criminal investigation for sexual battery and video voyeurism following accusations from a longtime acquaintance who said he raped her in October at her Sarasota apartment. Ultimately, police decided not to pursue rape charges, determining the sexual encounter was likely consensual, and the State Attorney’s Office decided against the voyeurism charge, saying there was insufficient evidence to prove Ziegler filmed the encounter without permission.

The most significant damage had already come as far as the party was concerned. Throughout the criminal investigation, Ziegler and wife Bridget, a Sarasota County School Board member and co-founder of Moms for Liberty, admitted to past threesomes and infidelities. Both previously built political careers on social conservative platforms, and while Ziegler shook the threat of criminal charges, the stain of public hypocrisy held fast. The state party’s fundraising all but ceased for months due to the scandal.

Christian won one more battle in the year, convincing a court not to publish the contents of his mobile phone, but he didn’t run again for his state Committee member job, leaving the party entirely.

— Indictment, defeat, diversion —

A grand jury in August brought four felony charges against Rep. Carolina Amesty, a Windermere Republican. While State Attorney Andrew Bain would drop the matter days after the election, the criminal allegations led to Amesty becoming the only Republican lawmaker to lose re-election to the Florida Legislature.

The grand jury found Amesty in September 2021 falsely notarized a form listing Robert Shaffer as an employee at a private Orlando school founded by her father, Juan Amesty. Shaffer maintained he had never worked there. He did teach at a K-12 school operating under Central Christian University’s umbrella.

The Representative was ultimately charged with forgery, uttering forgery, false acknowledgment or certification by a notary public and notarizing her own signature. She always maintained her innocence, entering a not-guilty plea in court.

Bain, an appointee of DeSantis, pursued the charge through the election when Amesty narrowly lost to Democratic Rep. Leonard Spencer by less than two percentage points. The loss occurred even as Republicans statewide netted a one-seat gain in the Florida House. Notably, Bain also failed to win the election.

Just over a month after the vote, Bain dropped all charges, and his office said that Amesty had agreed to trial diversion conditions, including completing a financial literacy course and performing 30 hours of community service.

— Ghost candidate can’t handle the truth —

Elections are tight here in Florida. At least, they used to be.

In a state where every vote matters, what happens when someone runs a campaign just to take away votes from the opposition?

Well, turns out that’s not technically illegal. Still, former Florida Senator and avid racial slur user Frank Artiles has been sentenced to 60 days in jail, 500 hours of community service, and 15 years of probation for the “ghost candidate” scheme he helped orchestrate in 2020.

When he handed down the sentence, Judge Miguel de la O criticized Artiles for his role in undermining an election.

“Our politics are poisoned. We have become tribal. I think our tribal, poisoned politics got the better of you, Mr. Artiles, and you lost sight of right and wrong. And I’m sure the money was nice, but I suspect that the rush of beating the other side was also a motivation,” said de la O.

It was agreed that in late September, Artiles tampered with election proceedings by offering $48,000 to a machine parts salesperson named Alex Rodriguez to run as a third-party candidate to siphon enough votes away from the similarly named incumbent Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez in Senate District 37 to deliver the seat and victory to Republican Ileana Garcia, a former radio host and founder of “Latinos for Trump.”

Alex Rodriguez received more than 6,000 votes, but Garcia went on to win by 32 votes. She has denied any knowledge of the scheme and in 2022, she won re-election by 18 points. But Tonya Harding also denies knowing anything about the Nancy Kerrigan accident, so take her denial as you will.

— Capitol Directions —

Ashley Moody — Up arrow — It’s looking more and more likely her new title will be U.S. Senator.

James Uthmeier — Up arrow — … and if Moody’s headed to D.C., guess what Uthmeier’s new title could be?

Wilton Simpson — Up arrow — Santa Claus is coming to town; permission slips in hand!

Blaise Ingoglia — Up arrow — Not sure if it will be in time for Christmas, but we’re hearing he might get a present from DeSanta Claus.

Jason Pizzo — Up arrow — Did Jared Moskowitz just take himself out of the ‘26 Governor’s race?

Ben Albritton — Down arrow — You can’t advocate for the state’s most vulnerable and leave the ‘dream’ children of immigrants behind.

All the smart ladies — Up arrow — The fab five setting the health care agenda for the next two years: Reps. Josie Tomkow, Kaylee Tuck and Lauren Melo and Sens. Colleen Burton and Gayle Harrell.

Alex Andrade — Up arrow — He’ll need some OJT, but he’s overseeing the biggest budget silo of the bunch.

Linda Chaney — Up arrow — She’ll rout out government waste like a machine.

Tiffany Esposito, Vicki Lopez — Up arrow — No, you didn’t misread the memo; these two sophomores scored subcommittee Chair slots.

Chip LaMarca, Toby Overdorf, David Smith — Down arrow — Meanwhile, these three doing the study hall and SDS routine for their senior terms.

Fentrice Driskell — Down arrow — Her record as House Democratic Leader doesn’t exactly scream “higher office material.”

Jason Shoaf — Up arrow — North Floridians battered by recent storms need a win, and they’ll likely get more than one with Shoaf chairing the TED Budget subcommittee.

John Snyder — Up arrow — He snagged the top spot on the combined budget/policy IT Committee.

Kaylee Tuck — Up arrow — She’s chairing a major health sub, a Deputy Majority Leader and has a seat on the Budget Committee — it’s going to be a busy two years.

Susan Valdés — Up arrow — When is the last time a party flip worked so well and so quickly?

Taylor Yarkosky — Up arrow — Even if it’s a temporary Band-Aid, he pulled a coup when he beat Commissioner Blackface’s pick for Lake County REC Chair.

SW FL — Up arrow — Committee assignments make clear Southwest Florida will have significant sway on everything from disaster response to economic and education policy.

Presidential libraries in Florida — Up arrow — New legislation will pave the way for them; only question is which university will get the honor?

Cape Canaveral — Up arrow — The Great Bird of the Galax thought the San Fran shipyards would be our gateway to the stars, but Space Florida has $65 million that says otherwise.

Pornhub — Down arrow — Something tells us VPN subscriptions are going to skyrocket next month.

FDOT —??? — The one time the public wants to read a dry-as-dirt transportation safety report they to cover it in Sharpie.

City of Perry — Up arrow — Will Santa Claus bring the beleaguered town a lobbyist?

Alexis Lambert — Up arrow — Confirmed.

Erin Isaac — Birthday cake — Happy birthday to the FRSCC’s favorite comms operative!

Andrew Wiggins — Up arrow — The Leon GOP is in good hands.

Disney — Down arrow — Who’s bright idea was it to put Imagineers in payroll and accounting?

Hard Rock App — Up arrow — A bettor’s paradise this Saturday. Three CFP games and two NFL contests!

Mike Norvell — Up arrow — It was a put up or shut up situation and he put up $4.5 million.

Tally restaurant scene — Down arrow — Hey, at least we still have the Golden Corral on Monroe.