Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
Ed. Note — As Peter, Michelle and Ella mourn the loss of their beloved companion Beauregard, Sunburn will take a short hiatus and return to your inboxes early Monday morning. Don’t forget to check out Takeaways from Tallahassee, delivered to you fresh Saturday morning — along with a brand-new Capitol Directions!
Thanks for your support! Have a great weekend, and please stay safe.
First Shot
While budget negotiations are ongoing, significant progress has been made, and leaders in the House and Senate have indicated that a budget will be ready for legislative approval by June 16.
Offers were coming in rapidly throughout Thursday. The latest budget proposal for Transportation and Economic Development projects reveals that many items have already been finalized following agreements between the chambers.
One noteworthy item is a $150 million reduction in recurring budget authority for affordable housing programs, which is likely to attract attention.
The chambers have also agreed to allocate $50 million for increased funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and $150 million for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR).
For military programs and infrastructure, lawmakers have agreed to allocate $16.4 million for Camp Blanding, a military training facility located south of Jacksonville, and $4.8 million for positions to support Florida State Guard operations. An additional $3 million has been set aside for the general maintenance of certain military facilities.
Counties that have hosted Special Elections this year can expect reimbursements, with $2.5 million agreed upon to cover the associated costs.
The chambers have also reached consensus on $6 million to support individuals considered transportation disadvantaged.
With hurricane season approaching, lawmakers have agreed to allocate $3.2 million for a statewide emergency alert and notification system, as well as $204 million for state operations related to federally declared disasters.
Additionally, lawmakers have set aside $1 million in funding for the Florida Museum of Black History.
While plenty of work remains, progress is being made, and it appears that the process is moving forward.
Evening Reads
—“Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ losing momentum in Senate” via Alexander Bolton of The Hill
—“Trump’s travel ban is set to begin Monday. Here’s what to know” via Kaia Hubbard and Camilo Montoya-Galvez of CBS News
—“Trump-Elon Musk feud explodes as Trump floats cutting the billionaire’s government contracts” via Betsy Klein, Hadas Gold and Alayna Treene of CNN
—“Florida Bar complaint accuses Pam Bondi of ‘misconduct’ as U.S. Attorney General” via Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald
—“Ben Albritton pushes for permanent back-to-school, hurricane preparedness tax holidays” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“Budget conference: Another DeSantis dis? House includes zilch for early detection cancer program” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics
—“Budget conference: Law enforcement bonuses are back on the table” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics
—“Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez charged with racketeering and suspended from office, according to Ron DeSantis order” via Cristóbal Reyes of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Parents fight dismissal of lawsuit on Florida’s book ban policies” via Stephany Matat of the Tallahassee Democrat
—“UF Trustee calls state’s rejection of Santa Ono ‘deeply disappointing’” via Ian Hodgson of the Tampa Bay Times
—”Acclaimed chef goes rogue, demolishes Orlando restaurant without permits” via Laura Kinsler of the Orlando Sentinel
Quote of the Day
“The judge, if she wants to lock me up in jail, I’m willing to take that. I’m not going to cave and renege on my oath to uphold and defend our state constitution and laws.”
— Attorney General James Uthmeier on his refusal to tell law enforcement to stop enforcing the state’s new immigration law amid a court order.
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.
Gov. Ron DeSantis just threw Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López out of office on racketeering charges. So, pour his successor, Christopher Blackmon of the Florida Highway Patrol, a Racketeer.
Time to mix a Fireman’s Sour in honor of the first responders receiving new protection per a newly signed measure. The law adds health protections and suicide prevention provisions, among other items, and was passed unanimously.
Order a Jolly Roger for Roger Chapin, the newest entrant in the Orlando City Council District 3 race. He’s one of six candidates running to succeed Robert Stuart.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Seminoles open Super Regional play Friday
The Florida State Seminoles face Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional starting Friday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
The Seminoles are two wins away from the 25th trip to the College World Series in program history and the second under head coach Link Jarrett.
The Seminoles advanced through the regionals held at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee with a 5-2 win over Mississippi State on Sunday. FSU won all three games in the regional, beating Bethune-Cookman to open play and then topping Mississippi State twice.
The teams share several similarities. The Seminoles (41-14) finished the regular season ranked seventh in the D1Baseball.com Top 25 poll. Oregon State (45-13-1) ended the regular season ranked eighth in the same poll. Both teams are among the top 20 teams in the nation in home runs.
Both teams have potential high first-round picks in the Major League Baseball Draft. Florida State pitcher Jamie Arnold and Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette are both among the top prospects for the draft, scheduled for next month.
Arnold (8-2, 3.12 ERA) is one of three pitchers projected to be drafted in the top five. Arquette (.352 batting average, 18 home runs, 65 RBI) is one of five shortstops projected to be top 10 picks.
The Beavers did not play in a conference this season after the Pac-12 dissolved.
Oregon State has made the College World Series seven times and won national championships in 2006, 2007, and 2018.
This is the first time Florida State and Oregon State have ever met in baseball.
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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.
