Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on SB 700, the “Florida Farm Bill,” backed by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
It hits a laundry list of conservative priorities.
The bill includes a statewide ban on adding fluoride and other substances to city water supplies, on the advertising of plant-based meat and milk substitutes with those words if most other southern states adopt the same language, on psychedelic shrooms, on ESG policies affecting agricultural lending, and on turning solar fields back to farmland (thereby blocking the “Green New Deal,” and blocking charities for fundraising for China, Russia, and Iran.
He signed it at Simpson Lakes, honoring the former Senate President with his presence. And in a sign of the times in Tallahassee, current Senate President Ben Albritton was also on hand.
The Governor treated the crowd to a lengthy preamble before introducing other speakers and signing the bill.
“Use fluoride for your teeth,” DeSantis counseled, but it’s “forced medication” when added to municipal water.
He also noted that he doesn’t “do soy milk” and that First Lady Casey DeSantis’ use of soy milk to make macaroni and cheese didn’t go over well with their children.
Some provisions of the bill were less controversial, including a ban on flying drones over farmland or harassing people with drones anywhere in the state. Simpson noted this will stop people from trying to “harass” livestock without a farmer’s permission.
The legislation would also offer a ballot initiative where voters could exempt agricultural lands from property taxes.
Read more on Florida Politics.
Evening Reads
—”Donald Trump’s real Secretary of State” via Isaac Stanley-Becker of The Atlantic
—”Republicans’ health care plan: Dr. AI will see you now” via Andrew Perez of Rolling Stone
—”Why a $10,000 deduction is blocking the GOP’s $3.8 trillion tax bill” via Benjamin Oreskes of The New York Times
—“U.S. tech visa applications are being put through the wringer” via Lauren Goode of WIRED
—“No Democrat is safe from David Hogg’s attack” via Mary Harris of SLATE
—”A rare warning from Walmart during a U.S. trade war: Higher prices are inevitable” via Anne D’Innocenzio of The Associated Press
—”Deal to trade Florida forest to golf developer is dead, state says” via Emily L. Mahoney and Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times
—“Jeff Kottkamp promises Florida TaxWatch will guard tax dollars at every level of government” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“Chamber conference: Mental health, well-being key to Florida’s economic rise” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics
—”Boca Raton could be the next U.S. city to launch this self-driving shuttle” via Abigail Hasebroock of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—”’Dry texting,’ explained” via Anna North of Vox
—“Why these startups think zeppelins could be the future of air travel” via Nicolás Rivero of The Washington Post
Quote of the Day
“I believe we are making progress; however, we are not in a position to begin budget conference next week.”
— Senate President Ben Albritton, confirming that the OT Session is far from over.
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.
Rep. Fabián Basabe has pitched a few half-baked ideas since joining the House, but his post-Session dunk tank proposal gets him a Thumbs Up … and make it a double.
Marion Hammer was the face of the NRA’s Florida operation for decades, but a recent lawsuit filing indicates she and the gun rights group are slinging back Nuclear Meltdowns.
Gumshoes all around for the crack detectives at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, whose detectives are once again making the case for state investment in an emerging DNA testing method.
Sorry, Phishheads, you’ll have to make do with a Baker’s Dozen and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s next time they swing through town now that shrooms are joining Florida’s no-no list.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Inter Miami faces Orlando City on Sunday
The two Florida Major League Soccer teams will meet in Orlando on Sunday evening for a regular-season fixture (7 p.m. ET, Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass).
Inter Miami hosts Orlando City for the first time this season. The two sides faced one another in a preseason friendly on Feb. 14 that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Miami (6W-4D-2L, 21 pts.) is coming off a 3-3 at the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. Though he has not played every match, Lionel Messi leads Miami with five goals in eight games while Luis Suarez has contributed seven assists and a pair of goals in nine games.
Orlando City (5W-6D-2L, 18 pts.) beat Charlotte FC 3-1 in Orlando on Wednesday. Martin Ojeda scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the victory.
Based on Wednesday’s outcomes, Orlando City is one point behind fifth-place Inter Miami in the MLS Eastern Conference standings. Orlando City has a U.S. Open Cup match in the Round of 16 against Nashville scheduled for Wednesday.
The two sides are scheduled to meet only one other time this season, on Aug. 10, when Miami goes to Orlando.
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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.
