Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
A federal judge has blocked a 2024 Florida law banning most minors from holding social media accounts.
In a 58-page opinion, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the law violates First Amendment rights.
“An established principle in the First Amendment context is that enabling individuals to voluntarily restrict problematic content at the receiving end is preferred over restricting speech at the source,” Walker’s ruling reads.
The social media ban targeted platforms with features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay — a list that includes YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook — and required these platforms to verify the age of people using their services. Walker’s opinion stated that the law was not narrowly tailored enough.
“Although this court today finds that Florida’s challenged law is likely unconstitutional, it does not doubt that parents and legislators in the state have sincere concerns about the effects that social media use may have on youth, nor does it render parents or the state powerless to address those concerns,” it reads.
His ruling leaves in place a provision that requires social media platforms to terminate any account held by a child under 16 upon request of one of their parents or guardians.
A priority of former House Speaker Paul Renner, the ban was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2024. It prohibits children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental permission for those aged 14 and 15. It was considered one of the strictest social media bans in the country.
The state is expected to appeal the ruling.
Evening Reads
—”As Donald Trump says he’s stamping out antisemitism, he advances similar tropes” via Peter Baker of The New York Times
—”Elon Musk left the White House, but Tesla’s protesters aren’t finished” via Neal E. Boudette of the New York Times
—”Musk’s reign of corruption chronicled in Elizabeth Warren report” via Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone
—”China’s new trade negotiator is ready to play hardball” via Lingling Wei of The Wall Street Journal
—”The GOP’s new Medicaid denialism” via Jonathan Chait of The Atlantic
—“Nineteen companies pulling back their support for Pride” via Judd Legum, Rebecca Crosby and Noel Sims of Popular Information
—”Black Democrats fume over 2024 while ‘searching for a leader’ in 2028” via Sabrina Rodriguez of The Washington Post
—”Budget conference: Chambers mostly align on cybersecurity, but $15M local gap persists” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—“Santa Ono falls at final hurdle to become UF President” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”Florida’s lawsuit reform is working — so why undo it?” via Jeff Brandes for Florida Politics
—”The midlife crisis is coming for millennials lol” via Alex Abad-Santos of Vox
Quote of the Day
“You all decided today is the day we’re going to take somebody down.”
— Mori Hosseini, on the Board of Governors treatment of failed UF President nominee Santa Ono.
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.
The folks at Net Choice get a Ban Hammer following the court’s ruling striking down the social media ban.
Lawmakers are still hashing out the details on a lot of big-ticket budget items, but they get an Over and Out for avoiding another SLERS fight.
Still, with a $5 million gap on Gaming Control Commission funding, they’ll have to chase it with a Double or Nothing.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Rays open homestand vs. Rangers
The Tampa Bay Rays open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers tonight in a matchup of teams trying to stay in the wildcard picture (7:35 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network Sun).
Tampa Bay (30-29) sits six and a half games behind the American East-leading New York Yankees, in third place in the division, and two games back in the wild card race. With the season more than a third of the way through, the postseason races are in their infancies.
Similarly, the Rangers (29-31) are in third place in the American League West, four games behind division-leading Seattle and three and a half games out of the wildcard.
The Rays continue to struggle to build a home-field advantage at Steinbrenner Field, the team’s temporary home. This season, Tampa Bay has posted an 18-19 home record.
This is the second series of the season between the Rays and Rangers. Texas swept a three-game set in Texas in April, part of the Rays’ season-long five-game losing streak.
Tampa Bay has won nine of the last 12 games, including a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays and winning a series from the Minnesota Twins, and splitting a four-game series in Houston against the Astros.
The series marks the start of a six-game homestand for the Rays that includes three games against the Miami Marlins starting on Friday.
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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.
