Staff Reports
Good Sunday morning and welcome back to “Brunch,” a pop-up newsletter about the 2025 Legislative Session.
Even this Nole had to cheer as the Gators rallied from nine points down late to beat Texas Tech 84-79 in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final last night. Congrats to UF on its sixth Final Four appearance.
Speaking of winners, please check out our choices for the Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida Politics by clicking here.
Happy birthday to former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, state Rep. Fabián Basabe and Trent Phillips.
Now, please enjoy Brunch.
– Hometown launch –
The official kickoff for U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ campaign for Governor drew crowds to the Sugarshack Downtown in Bonita Springs. He laid out his agenda, but it was also a time to gather with supporters who knew him the longest.
– Tea Party memories: Donalds and wife Erika Donalds recalled the Congressman’s entry into the political field not so long ago, at a Tea Party rally at Pine Ridge Road and U.S. 41.
– Sharing the stage: Political figures spoke at the event, including U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills and state Rep. Lauren Melo. But Donalds interrupted his own speech to bring on Dianne Harris, a Naples activist who shared how Donalds calmed her nerves at that first Tea Party rally, advising that she speak from her heart.
– Messages from afar: Not every celebrity endorser made the event. Conservative commentators Benny Johnson and Donald Trump Jr. sent recorded videos to hype the crowd.
– Life story: Erika Donalds recalled moving to Collier County to be closer to her parents when Byron Donalds still worked at Cracker Barrel. “Many of you, I see you in the crowd,” Erika said, “and I’m so grateful. You knew us before politics.”
– Toastmasters in the House: The subject frequently came up that Donalds, a finance professional before he was a legislator, honed his public speaking at Toastmasters events in Naples.
– Key message: Donalds’ closing message: “Florida will continue to be the best state in America and show the other 49 how to get the job done.”
– What’s that sound? In one sign of the times, Donalds showed up onstage to the sounds of a hip-hop track. The choice of song? Wrestler John Cena’s “The Time is Now.”
– It’ll be Fine –
Democrat Josh Weil grabbed national attention for outraising Republican Randy Fine 10-to-1. Now, Election Day is just two days away.
– Landing Sanders: The Democrat picked up support from progressive champion U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. “Josh Weil is a working-class father of two and a middle school teacher who knows what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck,” Sanders said. “Unlike his opponent, he does not have any billionaire-backed Super PACs supporting him.”
– DNC boost: New Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin came to Northeast Florida to campaign for Weil with Florida Democratic Chair Nikki Fried. Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign PAC endorsed Weil after Fine slammed the Democrat for being a “bisexual Muslim.”
– Is everything Fine? But Fine has Trump World turning up the heat. In addition to a tele-rally with President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. posted a video urging voters to support Fine on Tuesday. “Democrats are pouring millions into this race to stop our America First agenda,” Trump Jr. said. “We can’t let them win.”
– On the attack: Fine also has backed up his reputation for being pugnacious. Fine said the Sanders endorsement shows “socialist Josh Weil will do anything to grind President Trump’s agenda to a halt.“ On Facebook, he attacked Weil as a “drug addicted, bisexual, Muslim,” citing social media videos, including one where Weil shows a sobriety coin.
– Panhandlers to the polls –
The race in the redder Panhandle has earned less attention, but Democrat Gay Valimont has outraised Republican Jimmy Patronis 3-to-1.
– Gentler message or not: Florida’s Chief Financial Officer hasn’t been as personally provocative a Republican candidate as Fine. But he has put out ads slamming Valimont for involvement with the pro-gun control group Moms for Action and stoking resentment by saying liberals “hate us.”
– Off the chain: Valimont, meanwhile, has brought in some big names of her own, like rapper 2 Chainz, who held a free concert in Pensacola to attract Democrats to polls on the last day of early voting on Saturday.
– To the polls –
Three Miami-Dade County municipalities hold elections Tuesday; two are guaranteed to shake up government leadership.
– Miami Springs: Voters will pick new occupants for a trio of seats at City Hall, including Mayor, with Bob Best and Walter Fajet vying to succeed Maria Puente Mitchell as Miami Springs’ top official. Joseph Dion, Irma Matos and MaryJo Mejia-Ramos compete for the Council’s Group 2 seat. Tom Hutchings is again running for the Group 4 seat, with Fabián Perez-Crespo standing in his way.
– Bay Harbor Islands: Two seats on the Town Council are up for grabs in Bay Harbor Islands, but three people are running for them. Will voters again choose incumbents Stephanie Bruder and Molly Diallo in the at-large contest, or will they oust one in favor of political newcomer Dan Sanchez?
— Surfside: In a Special Election, voters will decide whether to amend the Town Charter to limit the floor area ratio for new detached single-family homes in the H30A and H30B districts to 0.5, or half the size of the lot area. If approved, exceptions to that limit would require approval by the Town Commission and 60% of voters.
– Who will show up? Turnout varies for these local races, based on Miami-Dade Elections Department data. In March 2023, just 21% of the Miami Springs voters and 24% of voters in Bay Harbor Islands cast ballots, while 39% of Surfside voters did so in the town’s General and Special Elections the year prior.
Don’t tune out yet. On the Tuesday after April 8, Coral Gables and Miami Shores will hold elections, too.
– Miami spice –
The release of a video celebrating 30 years of Republican leadership in the House may have heated a simmering beef between Speaker Danny Perez and former Speaker José Oliva.
– Time lapse video: The video shared by Perez covers achievements in the three decades since Daniel Webster became Florida’s first GOP Speaker. The video includes sound bites from some of the more prominent Speakers like Marco Rubio in that period, but it doesn’t cover all 15 men to hold the gavel.
– Noticeable snub: Still, the video shouted out every other Speaker to preside over the chamber during the tenure of the current senior class in the House except one: Oliva. The Miami Republican served from 2018 to 2020, Perez’s first full term in the chamber.
– Rapid response: Oliva, in a comment on X, commented on the video by calling Perez a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “All you have done is support overriding spending cuts and obstruct the efforts of the country’s most conservative Governor,” Oliva wrote.
– Context clues: Oliva had disagreements with Ron DeSantis as Governor, particularly over E-Verify. But he never engaged in the feuding seen in Special Sessions this year between the Governor and Perez. Moreover, Oliva is widely considered a favorite whenever DeSantis names a new Lieutenant Governor.
– Senate side –
The Senate’s first proposed spending plan for Fiscal Year 2024-25 came in at $117.36 billion. That’s $1.3 billion below last year’s mark.
– Agriculture, environment and general government: Senate President Ben Albritton is focusing on a “Rural Renaissance” this Session. As for the budget aspect, the Senate is putting forward $10.4 billion to help the ag industry. The budget contains $3.5 billion for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Community Services, including $250 million for a Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and $37.7 million for the Department of Citrus.
– Transportation, tourism and economic development: Senate negotiators include $18 billion for transportation issues. A big bulk of that – $13 billion – would go to the transportation work program in the Florida Department of Transportation. FloridaCommerce secured $1.7 billion
– Higher ed: The state is spending $8.7 billion on higher education. That includes $4.25 billion for the State University System, $1.75 billion for the Florida College System, $1.07 billion for financial aid and just under $820 million in School District Workforce funds.
– House rules –
The overall House number came in even lower than the Senate’s, at just under $113 billion.
– Human services: The House is spending the most in this sphere, at nearly $47 billion. That includes $36.2 billion for the Agency for Health Care Administration, $4.75 billion for the Department of Children and Families and $4.03 billion for the Department of Health.
– Education: House appropriators are slotting $30.85 billion for education. Among those spending provisions are $19.48 billion for public schools, $4.55 billion for universities and $1.77 billion for colleges.
– Environment and transportation: This is the other significant spending pot, at $21.18 billion. The Department of Transportation would get $15.38 billion, with $2 billion going toward the Department of Environmental Protection.
– Vroom, vroom –
No-fault auto insurance is again nearing the chopping block in Tallahassee. Legislators on both sides of the political road voted in committee last week for a bill to replace Florida’s existing requirement for motorists to buy personal injury protection (PIP) with a fault-based arrangement that would increase their liability.
– Pay up: Under the proposed change, Florida would swap its existing mandate requiring drivers to carry PIP coverage of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per incident with one of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident. After an accident, the victim could sue the offending driver directly rather than their insurer.
– Disputed charges: Opponents of the legislation, including insurance lobbyists and representatives from the health care industry, contend that the bill (HB 1181) will increase costs and drive some motorists to forgo auto coverage altogether. Proponents, including Hillsborough Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez, the bill’s sponsor, say the change will bring about more parity and cut costs instead.
– Street legal: More than a hundred motorcyclists traveled to the Capitol on Thursday wearing shirts that read “Trump Bikers” and “Insurance Reform” to support Alvarez’s proposal. Joshua Lipton, a personal injury lawyer from the Tampa Bay area, noted that the current PIP law applies only to vehicles with four or more wheels, which excludes bikers and puts them at financial risk disproportionate to their car-driving counterparts.
– Dead end? The bill cleared its first of three committee stops 13-2, with Democrats joining Republicans in voting up the bill. But there may be a rocky road ahead; DeSantis vetoed a similar proposal lawmakers passed in 2021 and signaled he’s keen on doing it to this year’s bill if it reaches his desk.
– Final Four-bound Gators –
A furious second-half comeback on Saturday sent Florida to the Final Four for the first time in 11 years.
– Clayton stars: Trailing Texas Tech by as many as 10 points in the second half, Florida closed the game on an 18-4 run led by Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 30 points. Clayton, the first Gator to earn first-team All-American honors, did not score until the 8:47 mark of the first half.
– Final 4 for 6: The Gators (34-4) advanced to the Final Four for the sixth time in program history. The last time Florida earned a spot in the national semifinals, they were a No. 1 seed, as they are this year. This time, Florida knocked off the third-seeded Red Raiders to earn a spot in San Antonio. It is the first Final Four appearance for head coach Todd Golden.
– Who’s Next? The Gators will face the winner of Auburn and Michigan State. The top two seeds in the South Region face one another this evening at 5:05 p.m. ET in Atlanta. The Gators beat Auburn in SEC play, topping the Tigers 90-81 when Auburn was ranked No. 1 in the country. Florida has won 10 straight games overall.
If Florida wins two more games and clinches the program’s third national championship, it would be the 49th team national championship in school history. If the Gators cut down the nets, they would tie Villanova for eighth on the all-time list with three men’s basketball national titles.
– Heat, Magic in playoff run –
With weeks left until the postseason, the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat face very different paths to the playoffs.
– Orlando: The Magic trails the Milwaukee Bucks by five games for the final automatic spot in the playoffs. The Magic have six games remaining in the regular season, including Monday’s matchup with the Clippers at the Kia Center. If Orlando does not close the gap and finish as high as sixth, they will have to earn a spot in the playoffs in the play-in round. Orlando currently holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.
– Miami: The Heat sit six games ahead of 11th place Toronto with nine games to play. They are most likely in the play-in round and could surpass the Chicago Bulls for ninth place. Miami is hitting its stride at just the right time. After losing 10 straight games between March 5-21, Miami has won four consecutive games, including Saturday night’s 118-95 victory at Philadelphia.
– Health a factor: Both teams are dealing with some health issues. Orlando lost both center Moritz Wagner and shooting guard Jalen Suggs for the year; point guard Cole Anthony has been sidelined with a toe injury. Miami played without forward Andrew Wiggins on Saturday, and the team does not expect him to play in road games in Washington and Boston this week.
The possibility exists that Miami and Orlando could meet in the play-in round, with only one of the Florida teams advancing to the main playoff bracket.
– Talk of the town –
The Filibuster, a members-only club in Tallahassee, is living up to its name by offering a new lunch menu that gives members plenty to discuss.
– Details: The special selection runs throughout Session from Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
– Grab a bite: The club, located in the old Andrew’s basement, is offering neo-Neapolitan pizzas named after Florida leaders, as well as Italian salads and tapas for those looking for a quick bite between committee hearings.
– That’s not all: While Session is still ending at a reasonable hour, you can head over to The Filibuster for evenings from Tuesday through Saturday when doors are open from 5 p.m. until someone invokes cloture.
– Brunching out –
Midtown & 3rd is an ambitious new restaurant and lounge just north of downtown Tallahassee. It offers food and beverage options on three levels: Sunday brunch, lunch, dinner, a lounge, nightlife, a full bar, and outdoor seating.
– Backstory: Eric McKinnon and Apryl Lynn officially opened Midtown & 3rd on Jan. 17. The last spot there was the Chinese restaurant, The Joy Luck Place. McKinnon and Lynn are betting they can turn this location into a popular gathering spot. McKinnon is already well-known in Tallahassee because of his long-standing Leola’s Crab Shack, which opened in 2007. McKinnon closed Leola’s restaurant but is still operating a food truck.
– Setting: The venue features tables and TVs on its outdoor decks, which vary in size to accommodate a group of friends or a larger event. There’s a more formal bar and lounge on the top level and a restaurant on the ground level.
– The Menu: Leola’s fans will find many of their favorites here – crab and seafood boils and platters with homey sides such as corn on the cob, fries and coleslaw. We ordered breakfast staples for a recent breakfast there, including eggs, cheesy grits, hash browns, bacon, sausage, biscuits and pancakes. It’s easy to feast. The menu adds lunch-type choices such as breaded and fried catfish or salmon bites. The full bar prepares signature cocktails such as a Midtown Margarita and Peach Porch Punch.
– Details: Midtown & 3rd is located at 1002 Monroe St.; 448-230-2590. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday brunch.
