Last Call for 1.6.25 – 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.

First Shot

Florida environmentalists are celebrating a long-awaited victory: President Joe Biden has banned oil and gas drilling off the state’s coast.

The Democratic President issued an order weeks before the end of his term to withdraw areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, including all areas off the coast of Florida, from housing new leases for offshore oil and gas exploration. No leases exist there now.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, applauded the decision. She had previously sponsored the Gulf of Mexico Economic and Environmental Restoration Act, legislation to ban drilling in the eastern Gulf, but it never passed Congress and reached a friendly President. Castor said Biden’s order would preserve the state’s coast for years.

“Clean water and clean beaches are central to Florida’s healthy environment, economy and way of life,” she said.

“Floridians voted in 2018 to prohibit oil drilling in state waters (only nine miles offshore), but oil and gas companies still had their eyes on federal waters in the eastern Gulf. I ran for Congress to champion permanent coastal protections and to keep oil drilling away from Florida, so I am thrilled that President Joe Biden answered our call to ban drilling off the Florida Gulf Coast and thereby safeguard our communities, fishing and tourism economies.”

Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director for Progress Florida, said the fact Biden cited the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, legislation upheld by the Supreme Court over the desires of former President Donald Trump during his first term, likely means the impact remains even after Trump returns to the White House.

“This latest move by President Biden is the closest we have come to permanent protection in this now 40-year-plus fight,” Ferrulo said. “Because the mechanism used and the Act used to issue these protections was already upheld by the federal courts when Trump was President gives me a lot of confidence this permanent ban will hold. My understanding is only an act of Congress can overturn it.”

Read more on Florida Politics.

Evening Reads

—“For Kamala Harris, an awkward election task: Certifying the vote she lost” via Peter Baker of The New York Times

—“Still a day of infamy” via Rick Wilson of Rick Wilson’s Substack

—“He got away with it” via Asawin Suebsaeng of Rolling Stone

—“Joe Biden bans new offshore drilling along most of the U.S. coastline” via David Hodari of NBC News

—”TikTok should lose its big Supreme Court case” via Ian Millhiser of Vox

—“A Florida jury will decide if CNN defamed security contractor” via Jeremy Barr of The Washington Post

—”How do people survive plane crashes that kill nearly everyone else?” via Jo Craven McGinty of Timothy W. Martin of The Wall Street Journal

—“Monique Worrell invites public to events amid Democrats’ fears she will be blocked from office” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics

—”‘We’re not Lawton Chiles’ party anymore’: Audrey Gibson makes case for FDP Chair run” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—”Celebration of life for former Gov. Buddy MacKay scheduled for Jan. 15” via Florida Politics

Quote of the Day

“You can’t wait until it’s election time to start having conversations.”

— Former Sen. Audrey Gibson, making the case for her FDP Chair run.

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.

With another stellar tourist development tax report, Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej is due for a Big Money.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority customers can afford to snag a Free Ride now that they no longer need to pay fare money.

Members of the dozen or so civilian review boards across the state could use a Sunset now that a new law has dissolved them­ — at least temporarily.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Magic hobbles into New York for Knicks matchup

The Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic face the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network Florida).

Since winning 12 of 13 games in a stretch from early November to early December, the Magic (21-16) have lost nine of 15 but still hold the top spot in the division by two games over the Miami Heat. Orlando is coming off a 105-92 loss at home to the Utah Jazz.

The Magic are suffering from a series of key player injuries. Last month, forward Franz Wagner tore his right oblique and has not played since. Before the injury, Wagner averaged over 24 points, five rebounds, and nearly six assists per game.

Orlando’s leading scorer, Paolo Banchero, returned from an oblique injury in the loss to the Jazz. Guard Jalen Suggs injured his back on Friday in a win over Toronto and did not play against Utah.

The Knicks (24-12) trail the Boston Celtics by two games in the Atlantic Division. After winning nine straight games, New York has lost its last two on the road at Oklahoma City and Chicago. New York has two key players dealing with injuries. Point guard Jalen Brunson (calf) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (knee).

After playing in New York, the Magic return to Orlando for three straight home games starting on Thursday. 

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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.