Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 6.16.25

Good Monday morning.

Today, we begin running our list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians until we reach the No. 1 spot on Friday.

As it typically does, this list contains some familiar faces. But it also has surprises, like who landed at the top and who fell off from last year. Some honorees are repeating on the list this year — a few have been included for several years running, but from various positions.

The list continues to shed light on how power and influence vary depending on the position. For example, it should come as little surprise that legislative honorees are more likely to be members of the GOP — after all, Republicans enjoy supermajorities in both chambers. Democrats on this list either find themselves in a minority party forced to soften what they see as bad legislation or leading in areas friendlier to liberal policies and ideas.

So, who wields the clout — and who’s bold enough to flout it? For its annual list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, Florida Politics scoured opinions from the Sunshine Skyway to the Strawberry Festival grounds and far beyond, consulting with the leaders, lobbyists and politicos, each an expert on exerting influence.

A special thanks to RSA Consulting Group, the sponsor of this year’s rankings.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

—@itsJeffTiedrich: (Donald) Trump’s parade could have been an email

Tweet, tweet:

—@Pontifex: In our competitive society, where it seems that only the strong and winners deserve to live, sport also teaches us how to lose. It forces us, in learning the art of losing, to confront our fragility, our limitations and our imperfections. It is through the experience of these limits that we open our hearts to hope. Athletes who never make mistakes, who never lose, do not exist.

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

— DAYS UNTIL —

Leadership Blue Weekend — 4; Special Primary Election for Senate District 15 to succeed the late Geraldine Thompson — 8; Florida Chamber Florida Learners to Earners Workforce Solution Summit — 8; ‘The Bear’ season four premieres — 9; ‘Squid Game’ season three premieres — 11; James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ premieres — 25; ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ premieres on Netflix — 39; ‘Fantastic Four – First Steps’ premieres — 39; Florida Freedom Forum — 47; ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ premieres on Disney+ — 51; Florida Chamber Florida Technology & Innovation Solution Summit — 57; The 13th Annual Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) Summit — 57; Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party begins — 60; Special Election for Senate District 15 — 78; Cowboys-Eagles open NFL season — 80; the Emmys — 90; Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Cabinet will meet — 93; Florida TaxWatch Government Productivity Awards — 94; Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio premieres — 102; Florida TaxWatch Annual Board Meeting — 112; Future of Florida Forum (F3) & Florida Chamber annual meeting — 133; ‘Wicked: Part 2’ premieres — 158; ‘Stranger Things’ final season premieres — 163; Bears vs. Eagles on Black Friday — 165; Florida Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 170; Florida Chamber Annual Insurance Summit — 170; ‘Knives Out 3’ premieres — 179; DeSantis and the Cabinet will meet — 184; ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ premieres — 186; Broncos vs. Chiefs in Kansas City on Christmas Day — 192; Milano Cortina Olympic & Paralympic Games begin — 235; F1 Miami begins — 319; Untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 340; FIFA World Cup™ begins — 360; ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ premieres — 550; Another untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres — 550; Tampa Mayoral Election — 624; ‘The Batman 2’ premieres — 837; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 914; 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Opening Ceremony — 1124; 2028 U.S. Presidential Election — 1240; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres — 1640; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres — 2371.

— TOP STORY —

“Florida’s long-awaited budget cuts spending, saves money for future downturns” via Romy Ellenbogen and Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — After weeks of infighting and stalled negotiations, Florida’s legislative leaders released a slimmed-down budget for the next fiscal year.

The $115.1 billion spending plan aims to limit what lawmakers have described as a trend of runaway spending in Tallahassee and counter uncertainty over federal funding from Washington.

Lawmakers are slashing more than 1,700 vacant positions across state government and stashing millions of dollars for the state’s rainy-day fund but are still funding priority projects with millions of dollars.

“We thought this day would never come, but it did,” Senate budget Chair Ed Hooper said.

Lawmakers are set to vote on the budget Monday evening, ending one of the most contentious Legislative Sessions in recent memory and setting up a potential clash with Republican Gov. DeSantis.

DeSantis, who has been ruthless in cutting lawmakers’ projects in happy times, has until the end of this month to issue vetoes.

Although lawmakers didn’t give DeSantis everything he wanted in the amounts he wanted — including money for his priority Hope Florida program — they still gave him millions for the Florida State Guard and the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Millions also stayed with First Lady Casey DeSantis’ cancer research fund.

— STATEWIDE —

“Here are all the tax cuts included in the Florida Legislature’s budget this year” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — On the 102 days of negotiations about what taxes in Florida to slash, legislative leaders unveiled almost all of their tax package for the coming fiscal year. Nearly $1.3 billion in savings were included, some with revenue costs in the hundreds of millions and others delivering much smaller sums. The biggest tax savings come with the repeal of Florida’s business rent tax. For years, Florida has been the only state to assess a tax, 2% last year, on business leases. Killing the levy will result in a collective reduction in general revenues of $904.8 million. The Legislature also plans to make a back-to-school sales tax holiday permanent for most clothing and school supplies. It has been authorized by the Legislature for most of the years since 1998. Senate President Ben Albritton said he wants it to happen every year now, meaning a recurring cut to state revenues. This year, that means a loss of $167.7 million.

“Budget conference: No raises for Cabinet officials” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Members of the Cabinet and the Lieutenant Governor (whoever that ultimately is) aren’t in line for any annual raises in the near-final budget. The Governor’s salary will remain at $141,400, the LG will be paid $135,516, and the Agriculture Commissioner, Attorney General and yet-to-be-appointed Chief Financial Officer will stay at $139,988 each. Other state officials can anticipate pay bumps, however. A Supreme Court Justice is slated to make $264,136, up from $258,957. That 2% raise aligns with the level proposed for state workers.

“Budget conference: House, Senate agree on $500M for emergency preparedness, response” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Florida will again set aside some cash — $500 million, this time around — for declared disasters in the state. After proposing different totals in their respective spending plans, the Senate and House agreed on a sum that fell exactly in the middle. In its budget bill, the upper chamber recommended a $250 million earmark for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, the primary funding source the Governor uses to prepare and respond to disasters and states of emergency that exceed regularly appropriated funding. The lower chamber’s budget bill proposed was triple that: $750 million. The Senate increased its proposal by a quarter billion dollars to $500 million, the same as what was in last year’s signed budget.

“Budget conference: Major hotel tax reform fails to advance” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Major hotel tax reform that would have drastically changed tourist towns like Orlando died during the final budget talks. It’s a blow to some leaders who have been pushing to add more flexibility to the lucrative pot of money for years. Included in HB 7031 are a pair of provisions that allow all counties to use tourist development tax (TDT) funds to pay for lifeguards, and communities adjacent to the “Gulf of America” to use TDT for infrastructure projects. However, there are no significant changes that legislators have been considering in the lead-up to budget talks, as lawmakers prepare to vote on a final budget on Monday.

“Budget conference: Cardrooms, horse racing tracks hit jackpot with tax savings” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Cardrooms and horse tracks will see tax relief from a budget negotiated by appropriations leaders in the Florida Legislature. A tax cuts package includes a 2% reduction in the pari-mutuel tax paid by cardrooms in the state. The state currently charges a 10% tax on cardrooms’ monthly receipts, but the state budget calls for a reduction to take effect in August. Rep. Wyman Duggan, House Ways and Means Committee Chair, said the goal is to ensure cardrooms can still employ people across the state. “Cardrooms, they tend to be decently large employers in their areas, and they tend to generate some property value on their property taxes,” the Jacksonville Republican said. “Think about cardrooms you have been to. They are larger in size, making them a good property tax provider in communities.”

“Budget conference: House Republicans finally land full repeal of Florida’s jet fuel tax” via Jacob Ogles of Florida POLITICO — Lawmakers brought the elimination of a jet fuel tax in for a landing this Session. When the appropriation chiefs for the House and Senate finalized a state budget, a long-sought repeal of the aviation fuel tax was included. That means when various forms of tax relief go into effect in August, a 4.27-cent levy on every gallon of the commodity will disappear. That has been a House priority, advanced initially as a standalone bill (HB 1485) by Rep. Fabián Basabe. After the House Ways & Means Committee advanced the bill on a 12-5 party-line vote, it ultimately was woven into the lower chamber’s budget proposal with other taxation policies. Rep. Duggan said the policy change could make Florida airports more attractive to airlines of all sizes.

“Budget conference: Budget heads agree to kill business rent tax, make back-to-school tax holiday permanent” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Legislative budget leaders unrolled a final tax relief package that eliminates the business rent tax and sets a back-to-school sales tax holiday. In total, proposed tax cuts add up to $1.29 billion in cuts. But after arguments about sales and property tax cuts pushed lawmakers into an extended Session, the bulk of the savings came chiefly in savings to businesses. Nearly $905 million in general revenue cuts come from repealing Florida’s business rent tax, a levy charged by no other state. Lawmakers in recent years steadily rolled back that rate, last year setting the charge at just 2%. Still, the tax accounted for nearly a billion in revenue.

“Budget conference: Governor’s Office gets power to investigate local governments” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Lawmakers are giving DeSantis the power to probe local governments for overspending or fraud and for supporting DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. One of the final provisions finalized late in the budget talks this week allows the Office of Policy and Budget (OPB) within DeSantis’ Executive Office to investigate local government “functions, procedures, and policies” involving misspending and mismanagement of taxpayer money, DEI and redundant functions. Local governments unwilling to provide records or employee access to OPB’s requests would face $1,000 daily fines. The OPB can review personnel costs, administrative costs, contracts, programs, grants and more, according to the new policy.

“Budget conference: House item nixes Miami-Dade College say in school anti-communism Board” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — an eleventh-hour adjustment to Florida’s next budget will remove Miami-Dade College’s (MDC) input on a Board that oversees a new, anti-communism program the school operates out of the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. In its last bump offer to the upper chamber, the House added an item removing an existing provision requiring MDC to approve the Board of Directors of its Institute for Freedom in the Americas. Like “sprinkle list” items included at the last minute in the state’s spending plan each year, the change became part of the budget without requiring an OK from the Senate. DeSantis could veto the item, but it’s unlikely.

— SPRINKLE, SPRINKLE —

“Sprinkle list: Senate, House set aside $137M for nursing home reimbursements” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Lawmakers just broke through an impasse on how much money to allocate for nursing home improvements under Florida’s next spending plan. The Senate and House are setting aside nearly $137 million combined — $78.4 million and $58.4 million, respectively — for the state’s annual nursing home reimbursement rate adjustment through their end-of-budgeting “sprinkle lists.” The Senate funding is more than three times as much as the upper chamber’s next-biggest sprinkle list item. The House provided more than double its next-biggest item. The funds come more than a month into protracted budget talks that required lawmakers to extend the 2025 Session and after the Senate and House were locked in disagreement about how much to provide to nursing homes.

“Sprinkle list: Lawmakers add $25M to Job Growth Grant Fund — far below Ron DeSantis proposal” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund is getting $25 million in next year’s spending plan through a last-minute earmark from the Senate. That’s a third of what DeSantis proposed for the program in his February budget proposal. In its “sprinkle list” Friday, the upper chamber allocated the nonrecurring set-aside from the state’s General Revenue Fund. The move came after the Senate and House disagreed on how much to apportion the program through the regular budgeting process. No similar sprinkle list allocation came from the lower chamber.

“Sprinkle list: Senate sets aside $23M for Florida State Guard operations” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Florida State Guard operations will be supported through a $23 million earmark in the coming state budget, courtesy of a last-minute Senate set-aside. The upper chamber allocated the nonrecurring money for operational funding in its end-of-budgeting “sprinkle list.” Notably, it’s markedly less than the $62 million DeSantis proposed in his “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility” spending plan for equipment, vehicles, debris removal resources, and training. First established during World War II to replace the Florida National Guard when it was federalized, the Florida State Guard had been deactivated for 75 years until the Governor revived it in 2022 to support Florida’s emergency response infrastructure.

“Sprinkle list: Senate to provide $15M for Florida Forever this year” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Florida Forever program will receive $15 million from the Senate, fueling further land conservation efforts in the state. The move came after the House sought drastic cuts in the program this year. The Senate directed the sum as part of its supplemental funding initiatives, known as the sprinkle list. That’s an assortment of projects the Legislature compiles as budgeting processes near closure to provide typically small apportionments to regional items.

“Sprinkle list: Legislature earmarks $10M for Jewish day school security” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Jewish day schools in Florida will get some extra protection in the coming fiscal year through last-minute allocations in the coming budget. In “sprinkle lists,” the Senate and House released hours before a final vote was expected on the state’s 2025-26 spending plan, the two chambers submitted earmarks for Jewish school security totaling $10 million. The Senate set aside $7.5 million. The House allotted $2.5 million. Combined, the sum is $1 million more than DeSantis recommended Feb. 3 in his “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility” proposal to hire school safety officers, upgrade equipment, improve transportation provisions and enhance school hardening and safety measures.

“Sprinkle list: Lawmakers throw multimillion dollar projects at universities” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Florida Polytechnic University stands as a big winner in the House’s sprinkle list because lawmakers want to give $7.5 million to boost the school’s enrollment and an additional $883,000 to build a Student Achievement Center. Another school getting lawmakers’ favor is Nova Southeastern, a private university based in Fort Lauderdale. Both the Senate and House put in $1.4 million for Nova Southeastern’s veterans access clinic on their sprinkle lists. Sen. Alexis Calatayud, a Miami Republican, had sought the money.

“Sprinkle list: House throws $5M to Miami-Dade College for operational support” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — The Florida College System’s biggest institution just got a nice funding bump from the Legislature’s lower chamber. In its just-released “sprinkle list,” the House will allocate $5 million to MDC, which reported awarding more than 18,000 credentials, 14,000 diplomas and 12,000 individual issuances of student financial aid in 2024 alone. The extra, nonrecurring set-aside from the state’s general revenue fund, while surely welcome and useful, is modest compared to the school’s annual budget of $376.5 million. That includes about $205 million from the state’s general fund and Education Enhancement Trust Fund, plus student fees and other revenue streams. No similar sprinkle list allocation came from the Senate.

“Sprinkle list: Senate slots $300K for intellectual freedom survey at schools” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — The Senate wants to spend $300,000 on a controversial intellectual freedom survey of higher ed students and faculty that has seen low participation previously. That line item was one of the projects listed in the Senate’s sprinkle list. The Senate is proposing spending $150,000 for the survey for Florida’s public university system and another $150,000 for the Florida state college system. In 2021, lawmakers passed legislation to initiate annual voluntary questionnaires to gather students’ and employees’ viewpoints through a 20-plus-question survey. In 2024, the survey doubled to 52 questions. Some faculty groups protested the surveys and urged professors not to complete them.

— MORE STATEWIDE —

“Hope Florida charity paid for hotel rooms, perks for DeSantis officials” via Lawrence Mower and Alexandra Glorioso of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis touted last year’s Governor’s Cup charity golf weekend as a fundraising success for the fledgling Hope Florida Foundation, saying it raised “massive amounts of money.” Yet few of the attendees, including officials in the Governor’s administration, his former campaign advisers and state contractors, donated to it. Several said they didn’t even know the charity sponsored it, even though the nonprofit gave them custom golf bags and paid for their rooms, meals and drinks. The two-day event at a private club illustrates not only the overlap between the foundation’s charitable arm and the DeSantis political operation but also the messiness with the financial oversight of the nearly 2-year-old organization.

“Lawmakers agree not to fund DeSantis’ Hope Florida call line” via Lawrence Mower of the Tampa Bay Times — Legislative leaders agreed not to fund a call line critical for Gov. DeSantis’ Hope Florida program, dealing a blow to one of his signature priorities. During dealmaking to craft a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, House and Senate leaders decided not to spend $2 million requested by DeSantis to staff 20 Hope Florida call line agents. They also agreed not to give DeSantis four positions in the Governor’s Office to create a new Office of Hope Florida. The decisions come amid intense scrutiny by House Republicans of the 4-year-old program envisioned by First Lady Casey DeSantis, which aims to move Floridians off government assistance.

“‘Farm product’: Florida law fixes issues with local zoning, processing biomass” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Agriculture interests are harvesting two victories this weekend as the Legislative Session comes to an end. HB 211, signed Friday by DeSantis, holds that “farm product” “means plants and plant products any plant, as defined in s. 581.011, regardless of whether such plants and plant products are edible or nonedible, or any animal useful to humans and includes, but is not limited to, any product derived therefrom.” Various byproducts are possible under this language. The law refers to “a farm product, as defined in s. 163.3162, or any biomass material that could be used, directly or indirectly, for the production of fuel, renewable energy, bioenergy, or alternative fuel as defined by law.”

“Astroturf preemption bill signed into law” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Local government regulations of synthetic turf have been mulched in Tallahassee in favor of a statewide regulatory scheme to govern the “manufactured product that resembles natural grass and is used as a surface for landscaping and recreational areas” for homeowners. HB 683, signed into law Friday by DeSantis, requires state rulemaking from the Department of Environmental Protection, and blocks cities and counties from enforcing or imposing their own “ordinance, resolution, order, rule, or policy” to “prohibit … a property owner from installing synthetic turf that complies with Department of Environmental Protection standards adopted pursuant to this section which apply to single-family residential property.”

“You’ll soon be able to drive on Donald Trump Boulevard in South Florida” via Florida Politics — Transportation designations signed into law (HB 987) Friday include a new road named after the President in South Florida. Per the law, the “portion of Southern Boulevard between Kirk Road and S. Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach County is designated as President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.” Palm Beach Republican state Rep. Meg Weinberger said last year that the “honor reflects the sentiments of my fellow Floridians who appreciate his dedication to our state and country” and that she was “proud that he will be memorialized forever on the eastern part of Southern Boulevard.” This is the second road to be named after Trump in recent months. In Hialeah, Palm Avenue was renamed Donald J. Trump Avenue late last year.

“Revised June USDA citrus harvest shows Florida forecast improving” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — The projection for Florida’s citrus harvest season is improving after another positive adjustment to the forecast. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its revised forecast Thursday. Florida farmers are now projected to produce some 12 million boxes of oranges, while analysts predict there will be 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos when the harvest is completed later this year. Those orange figures are up from May’s forecast, which foresaw only 11.63 million boxes. The grapefruit, tangerine, and tangelo harvest forecasts remain the same from May. Florida citrus industry leaders are thrilled with the newest update from the USDA.

— D.C. MATTERS —

“Takeaways from Trump’s military parade in Washington” via Zach Montague of The New York Times — News on Saturday was dominated by a manhunt after the assassination of a Democratic state legislator in Minnesota and the attempted assassination of another. At the same time, warfare escalated between Israel and Iran, with growing concerns about the possibility of a wider, regional war that could draw in the United States and other major powers. Throughout the day, news anchors pulled away from domestic news to show explosions in Tehran and rockets lighting up the sky over Jerusalem. The schedule of events in Washington leaned strongly into themes of patriotism and gratitude for the Army on its 250th anniversary. The festivities included a range of exhibitions, fitness competitions on the National Mall, a recruitment drive and showcases of historical uniforms and equipment.

“Trump shifts deportation focus, pausing most raids on farms, hotels and eateries” via Hamed Aleaziz and Zolan Kanno-Youngs of The New York Times — The Trump administration has abruptly shifted the focus of its mass deportation campaign, telling Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to largely pause raids and arrests in the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants, according to an internal email and three U.S. officials with knowledge of the guidance. The decision suggested that the scale of Trump’s mass deportation campaign is hurting industries and constituencies that he does not want to lose. The new guidance comes after protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration raids, including at farms and businesses. It also came as Trump made a rare concession this week that his crackdown was hurting American farmers and hospitality businesses.

“U.S. judge blocks State Department’s planned overhaul, mass layoffs” via Daniel Wiessner of Reuters — A federal judge in California on Friday temporarily blocked the U.S. State Department from implementing an agencywide reorganization plan that includes nearly 2,000 layoffs. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco said during a virtual hearing that her May ruling barring federal agencies from laying off tens of thousands of employees at the direction of Trump applies to the planned overhaul announced by the State Department in April.

“Judge orders reinstatement of product safety regulators fired by Trump” via Todd C. Frankel of The Washington Post — A federal judge ruled that Trump lacked the power to fire the three Democratic Commissioners on the five-person Consumer Product Safety Commission, reversing their abrupt dismissals from last month and setting up a fresh test of presidential power to control independent agencies. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox found that Trump failed to identify any neglect or malfeasance by the Senate-confirmed Commissioners to justify their firings, as required by law, clearing the way for the three officials to resume their work at the nation’s product safety regulator.

“Amid NASA cuts, popular social accounts for Mars rovers, Voyager going dark” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — Trump’s NASA budget plans look to cut its public relations funding by half, but already the agency is shuttering social media accounts that include those dedicated to popular missions including Mars Curiosity, Mars Perseverance and Voyager. Those three in particular have quite the fanbase on X, with Curiosity’s account touting more than 4 million followers, Perseverance and its little flying buddy Ingenuity have more than 2.9 million followers, and Voyager nearly 900,000. The X handles for the robotic missions have taken whimsical approaches to posting over the years. And after NASA announced the planned consolidation of accounts, prompting an outpouring of support online, each posted thankful responses.

“New digital, TV ad campaign targets Carlos Giménez and Mario Díaz-Balart over Trump’s deportation policies” via Sergio R. Bustos of WLRN — A new digital and cable TV ad campaign being unveiled this weekend bashes Miami Republican congressional members, Giménez and Díaz-Balart, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for supporting Trump’s aggressive deportation policies. The ad features images of an armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent pounding the doors of Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Haitian and Cuban families with deportation orders from Trump and Rubio. It specifically targets U.S. Reps. Giménez and Díaz-Balart, both Miami Republicans, for taking no action to stop the administration’s actions.

“Ashley Moody, Laurel Lee pitch legislation in Congress to step up immigration measures” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — Moody is picking up the effort to promote legislation to increase immigration enforcement. The Republican Florida U.S. Senator sponsored two pieces of legislation she said will tighten immigration enforcement. The Reimbursement for Immigration Partnerships with Police to Allow Local Law Enforcement (RIPPLE) Act would enable states to participate in immigration enforcement. Moody also introduced the Stop Government Abandonment and Placement Scandals (Stop GAPS) Act. That proposed measure would require the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to work with states when relocating unaccompanied migrant children to a place with an adult or an entity seeking custody. Moody said the measures are designed to counteract conduct regarding immigration under the administration of Joe Biden.

“María Elvira Salazar says she has ‘revolutionary’ legislation to fix immigration system” via Sergio R. Bustos of WLRN — U.S. Rep. Salazar said she and a Democratic Congresswoman from Texas will be teaming up to introduce “a revolutionary piece of legislation that will offer real solutions to fix our immigration system and finally bring order to chaos for good.” In her post on X, Salazar said she is working on the bipartisan legislation with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing El Paso, Texas. In her latest social media post on X, Salazar said Trump’s aggressive deportation policy was affecting “longtime workers, many of whom have built their lives in this country, are being taken away,” noting the construction, hotel and agriculture industries.

“Laurel Lee misses House votes while recovering from horse-riding accident” via Gary White of The Lakeland Ledger — Lee, who serves in Florida’s District 15, posted on X on June 3: “Thanks to all who have reached out with prayers and support. I had a fall from a horse while in the district and will be staying home this week to continue treatment and recover.” Lee posted again on June 12 after missing the U.S. House vote to rescind $9.4 billion in spending that Congress had appropriated. “Today, the House took a critical vote to codify the rescissions package,” Lee wrote. “While I was unable to travel to D.C. this week due to a recent horseback injury, I remain engaged and supportive of efforts to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.” Lee has missed all votes since the House returned from a break on June 3.

— ELECTIONS —

Happening tonight:

— LOCAL: S. FL —

“‘What democracy looks like:’ Protesters march to Mar-a-Lago as part of ‘No Kings’ anti-Trump rallies in South Florida” via Shira Moolten, Angie DiMichele, Lauren Brensel and David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Chanting “No Kings, USA,” demonstrators marched across the bridge toward Trump’s Palm Beach estate, in one of the many anti-Trump protests held across the United States. Sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers stood across the bridge on the Palm Beach side, wearing helmets and carrying shields. Across the street, separated by the law enforcement officers, a single Trump supporter stood near a truck bearing a “go ICE” slogan. During the march, demonstrators denounced the arrests of immigrants, the dramatic cuts in social services and what they saw as Trump’s push toward authoritarian government, as exemplified by the spectacle of tanks rolling through Washington, D.C., in a military parade ordered by the President.

“Ex-Miami Commissioner faces high-stakes appeal in marina shakedown lawsuit” via Francisco Alvarado of the Florida Trident — In an ongoing Miami-Dade County civil racketeering case, Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz determined there were “proffered sufficient facts” for a jury to conclude then-Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla and two cohorts had taken part in an attempted shakedown of lobbyist Manny Prieguez involving Díaz de la Portilla’s vote on a marina redevelopment project. But in the same January ruling, Ruiz handed Díaz de la Portilla a free pass by summarily dismissing him from Prieguez’s lawsuit on a technicality. The judge found that the Miami Republican’s position as an elected Commissioner provided him with legislative immunity from his allegedly illegal actions. Prieguez is now petitioning the 3rd District Court of Appeals to overturn Ruiz’s dismissal.

“Miami doubles down on proposal to delay election, teeing up battle with the state” via Tess Riski of the Miami Herald — Miami officials are moving forward with a controversial proposal that would push the November election back to 2026 and give the city’s current elected officials an extra year in office, defying a written opinion from the Florida Attorney General and a public rebuke from DeSantis, both of whom say the change requires voter approval. Miami City Attorney George Wysong authored an opinion stating that the City Commission has the authority to move the election, rather than the change going to voters in a ballot referendum. Wysong’s opinion landed the day after Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an opinion stating that such a change must be approved through a ballot referendum.

“Broward judge denies violating judicial conduct code over deepfake AI call” via Angie DiMichele of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Broward County Judge Lauren Peffer in a new court filing formally denied the ethics charges filed against her, stemming from her promotion of a scandalous book and a deepfake AI recording during her campaign last year. In the routine filing with Florida’s Supreme Court, Peffer denied the Judicial Qualifications Commission’s charges filed last month that she violated judicial ethics rules that govern “inappropriate political activity.” Peffer, a first-time judicial candidate, won her seat in August and began her term in January.

“Tri-Rail, citing a lack of riders, will halt late-night trains to and from Miami” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The idea sounded plausible enough: Run late-night Tri-Rail trains to and from downtown Miami and Miami International Airport to serve swing-shift workers, late-night revelers and air travelers who arrive after sundown. But a pilot program started last year by South Florida’s publicly subsidized commuter line failed to draw enough riders to justify the service, a spokesperson confirmed this week. The trains will stop running effective June 30. The affected segments include southbound trains after 9 p.m. and northbound trains after midnight. “The discontinued trains ran for the last year as a pilot program to gauge demand for late-night service,” Vince Sciullo, project manager for public affairs, said in an email.

— LOCAL: C. FL —

“St. Cloud Council strips Deputy Mayor of post after Pride Month proclamation controversy” via Silas Morgan of the Orlando Sentinel — The St. Cloud City Council stripped its Deputy Mayor of his position this week after he publicly accused the Council of blocking efforts to issue a proclamation for Pride Month. Shawn Fletcher, the Council’s first openly gay member, was removed from his post at the tense meeting by a unanimous vote of the five-member Council, with Fletcher also voting to remove himself as “Deputy Mayor.” Though voters elect the city’s Mayor, other Council members select the Deputy Mayor. Fletcher did not explain why he also voted to remove himself from that post.

“Survivors, families tour Pulse, but questions persist” via Skyler Swisher, Martin E. Comas, Silas Morgan and Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Laly Santiago-Leon sat on the floor inside the Pulse nightclub, the exact spot where her close cousin died with his partner in one of the nation’s worst mass shootings nine years ago. “It helped with closure,” she said with tears on the ninth anniversary of the massacre. “But there will never be closure, but an understanding.” Santiago-Leon was among more than 90 survivors and family members who visited the Pulse nightclub this week before it is torn down and replaced with a permanent memorial. Until this week, few people, other than the investigators, had gotten a chance to go inside the shuttered LGBTQ-friendly nightclub where a shooter killed 49 people and wounded 53 others on June 12, 2016.

“Apopka children, lawmakers seek return of Guatemalan immigrants seeking visa” via Cristóbal Reyes of the Orlando Sentinel — The children of two Guatemalan immigrants called for their parents’ return, after their father was deported and their mother detained despite their yearslong pursuit of a visa meant to protect victims of crime. Dozens of people, including Central Florida lawmakers and activists, gathered outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Orlando to speak to reporters on the plight of Esvin Juarez and Rosmeri Miranda. The couple have lived in the United States for 24 years, settling in Apopka with their four children. It is the latest controversy in the Orlando region involving the apprehension of immigrants who, though they entered the country illegally, would previously have been considered to have an opportunity to stay in the U.S.

“Osceola deputies shoot, kill armed 18-year-old during mental health crisis call” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — Deputies who were responding to a mental health crisis call shot and killed an 18-year-old man with a gun who charged them, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. The shooting happened at 12:49 p.m. near Chirpine Lane in St. Cloud, said Osceola County Chief Deputy Dan Weis during a news conference. Two deputies arrived on-site after the 18-year-old’s family had called about him having a gun to his head. Weis said he approached the deputies naked from the nearby woods with a gun in hand. Deputies ordered him to put the gun down, but he did not, Weis said. “The individual had the gun and charged at the deputies and the deputies fired,” Weis said.

— LOCAL: TB —

“Tampa Bay residents gather in 1,000s at ‘No Kings’ protests across region” via the Tampa Bay Times — Residents gathered in droves across Tampa Bay on Saturday to protest Trump, his scheduled military parade in Washington D.C., his recent policies over immigration and the mass deportations happening across the country. Rallies began Saturday morning in Largo, where a line of protesters grew to several hundred along East Bay Drive in front of Largo Central Park. Attendees waved signs as drivers passed, many honking and waving in support. Those numbers grew into the thousands outside of Tampa City Hall on Saturday afternoon, as protesters chanted and stood in solidarity for the “No Kings” rally tied to hundreds more happening in cities across the nation.

“St. Pete City Council works to make downtown cleaner and help the unhoused population” via Casey Albritton of ABC Action News — City Council members are looking for ways to help improve the cleanliness and safety in St. Petersburg. Council members are considering a new program that would focus on the downtown area. The city is considering a new program, called the “Clean and Safe Program.” It would bring more cleaning services, safety ambassadors and homeless resources to the community. City Council members are exploring ways to fund the program, but one thing many Council members agree on is that helping the unhoused population should be a priority.

“F. Dennis Alvarez, former Hillsborough Chief Judge, dies at 79” via Dan Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Times — Alvarez, who as Hillsborough County’s longtime Chief Judge championed reforms that became staples of the local criminal justice system and helped the careers of many prominent lawyers, died at home in Tampa. His close friend, Simon Canasi, said Alvarez had been in hospice care. He’d received a heart transplant about 15 years ago and had experienced declining health in recent years. He was 79. “He was an icon in the courthouse and a great friend,” Canasi said. “There wasn’t a place he could go that people didn’t know who he was.” He was a man once said to know politics like a jeweler knows stones, an always-smiling, always-hand-shaking statesman who genuinely loved people and the city that made him.

— LOCAL: N. FL —

“City of Gainesville gives final approval for Special Election; GRUA readies second lawsuit” via Elliot Tritto of the Gainesville Sun — For the second time in less than a year, the Gainesville City Commission voted to pass a second reading of an ordinance that will place the future of the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) Authority in voters’ hands — the latest to be held in a Special Election this November. The vote passed 6-0, with Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut absent. Mayor Harvey Ward said before the vote that the GRU Authority Board had already planned to file a second injunction on June 11 in an attempt to keep the Special Election from happening, even though the Commission had yet to finalize plans for the referendum. “But already the lawsuit train is moving!” Ward said with a laugh.

“DeSantis appoints longtime Panhandle civic player to Florida Housing group” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — A long-time government official in the Panhandle has been appointed to the Florida Housing Finance Corp. DeSantis tapped Fox “Reynolds” Henderson to serve on the panel that advocates for affordable dwellings in the Sunshine State. DeSantis announced the appointment to the Board this month. Henderson is a managing partner of Continental Pacific (CP), a real estate company that has international investments and development. The company has not only developed property in the United States, but also in Chile and Uruguay. Reynolds was also a founder of real estate investment companies Henderson Barrett and FRH Holdings, which own commercial and residential properties in areas such as Rosemary Beach and DeFuniak Springs, where he is a member of the Community Redevelopment Agency.

“DeSantis appoints David Biddle to fill vacant Gilchrist County School Board seat” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — A veteran government official and Republican political operative will be the latest member of the Gilchrist County School Board. DeSantis announced this month that Biddle will be joining the panel overseeing the school district for the county in the Nature Coast area. DeSantis had to make the appointment after previous School Board member Christie McElroy stepped down from the panel. McElroy resigned for somewhat of a promotion or at the very least a lateral move, though she’s no longer an elected representative. McElroy quit the District 1 School Board post to become Assistant Superintendent of the school system, which is headquartered in Trenton. McElroy was the former Chair of the School Board as recently as 2024.

— LOCAL: SW. FL —

“DeSantis sends decision on single-member districts to Lee County voters” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Voters in Lee County will get to decide whether to adopt single-member voting for County Commission seats. DeSantis has signed a local bill (HB 4001) that will put the issue on countywide ballots in 2026. If a majority supports the referendum, single-member districts will go into effect beginning in 2028. That would be a change from the current system, where all five Lee County Commissioners must live in their respective districts but are elected through countywide elections. The county, with nearly 835,000 residents, is the largest in Florida that currently elects all County Commissioners through at-large votes.

“Bradenton is searching for new City Council member to replace Josh Cramer” via Chris Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Bradenton is reaching out to anyone interested in replacing Cramer as the Ward 3 representative on the City Council. Résumés and statements of interest are being accepted through July 9. All applicants must reside in Ward 3 and are required to be registered to vote in the city of Bradenton. The individual will serve out the remainder of the current term, which runs through January 2027. Cramer was recently named as Bradenton’s new Police Chief, replacing Melanie Bevan, who served for nine years. Cramer started his BPD career in 1995, rose to Assistant Chief in 2016, and then retired to become a City Council member. He has served on the Council for the last three years and was Vice Mayor.

“Property tax rate cut off the table as North Port starts 2025-26 budget discussions” via Earle Kimel of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — When the North Port City Commission examines the proposed 2025-26 budget on June 16-17, Board members will see a plan by the City Manager that includes as much as $331.4 million spending requests. About $97.4 million of that spending would be from a general fund budget that includes a projected $39.4 million from property tax revenues. What the Commissioners will not see is a proposal to reduce the property tax rate of 3.7667 mills, which reverses a direction they contemplated during a March budget workshop. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value.

— TOP OPINION —

“America is losing sight of its political culture” via Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal — I’m going to say something old-fashioned. It’s a thing we used to say a lot, but then we got bored with it or it seemed useless. “We don’t do that.” If we don’t say it, we’ll forget it, so we have to keep it front of mind.

This week, Trump gave a speech at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It wasn’t like a Commander in Chief addressing the troops; it was more like a Trump rally. The President spoke against a backdrop of dozens of young soldiers who appeared highly enthusiastic. It was as if he were enlisting them to join Team Trump. Presidents always want to convey the impression they have a lot of military support, especially with enlisted men, but the political feel to the event was more overt than in the past. “You think this crowd would have showed up for Biden?” The audience booed the idea.

The President’s language and imagery were unusually violent. For 250 years, American soldiers have “smashed foreign empires… toppled tyrants and hunted terrorist savages through the very gates of hell.” Threaten the U.S. and “an American soldier will chase you down, crush you and cast you into oblivion.”

“We only have a country because we first had an army, the army was first,” the President said. No, the Continental Congress came first, authorizing the creation of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775. The next month, they chose George Washington to lead it.

The President turned to Los Angeles. “Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and Third World lawlessness here at home, like what is happening in California.”

He was partisan in the extreme. The troops cheered. Previous Presidents knew to be chary with this kind of thing, never to put members of the military in a position where they are pressed or encouraged to show allegiance to one man or party.

We don’t do that. We keep the line clear. In part from a feeling of protectiveness: When you put members of the military in the political crossfire, you lower their stature. People see them as political players, not selfless servants. It depletes the trust in which they’re held.

— MORE OPINIONS —

“Millions of Americans like Trump better in theory than in practice” via David French of The New York Times — It’s not often that a single poll result can help you understand several things at once: why Trump is politically vulnerable, why he is politically resilient and why millions of Americans still don’t truly understand the MAGA movement. But I recently saw a single graphic that did just that. It came from a poll released last week, and the most important finding was one that at first blush doesn’t seem that interesting. CBS found that a majority of Americans approve of the goals of Trump’s deportation program by a 10-percentage-point margin, 55 to 45. At the same time, a slightly larger majority (56% to 44%) disapproves of Trump’s methods. A majority of Americans like what Trump wants to do, but they don’t like how he’s doing it. A similar analysis applies to Trump’s approach to tariffs. Americans are evenly split about the goals of Trump’s tariff-and-trade program, but a large majority (63%) disapprove of his methods.

“I was worried about Trump’s Army parade — until I saw it” via Max Boot of The Washington Post — I arrived for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington on a drizzly Saturday afternoon with considerable consternation and concern. I knew that Trump had been agitating for such a spectacle since 2017, but that his first Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, had refused, because he viewed this as something that occurred in dictatorships such as Russia and North Korea. In private, Mattis reportedly said he would rather “swallow acid” than have troops parading through the capital. Now, Trump has a far more accommodating and far less qualified Secretary of Defense in Pete Hegseth, thereby opening the door to the politicization of the U.S. armed forces.

“Trump wants you to get used to this” via Ruth Ben-Ghiat of The New York Times — In the space of a week, the American public has been treated to two highly unusual sights: first, federalized National Guard members and active-duty Marines dressed for combat on the streets of Los Angeles; then an extravagant military parade in Washington on the 250th anniversary of the Army’s founding — and on Trump’s birthday — generating footage of tanks massed on the streets in numbers more often seen in countries where a coup is underway. Trump also appears to be seeking to get the American public accustomed to seeing our armed forces in a new light. In the President’s version of America, the military should be seen less as an apolitical body loyal to the Constitution. Rather, it should be viewed as an institution that serves at the behest of a leader and his ideological and political agendas, regardless of how much these depart from democratic understandings of the military’s role.

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

— ALOE —

“Is Father’s Day getting more respect? Depends on who you ask” via The Associated Press — Is Father’s Day starting to get a little more attention as a holiday? Not if you check some social media. In an expletive-filled post on TikTok and X, rapper Plies, best known for his collaborations with T-Pain and DJ Khaled on hits “Shawty” and “I’m So Hood,” complains about how Father’s Day on Sunday carries about as much clout as Groundhog Day, saying it might as well be removed from the calendar. “The disrespect to Father’s Day is real ” declares a separate Reddit post, which adds, “We get it, fathers aren’t important to corporations, but damn, can’t I at least get some free donuts or chicken strips?”

“Rory McIlroy ends his U.S. Open on a high note with a 67. The next major is in his home country” via Noah Trister of The Associated Press — McIlroy could leave Oakmont feeling like he accomplished something, even if it took the whole four days for him to produce a truly impressive round. McIlroy shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday, finishing the U.S. Open at 7 over and giving himself a performance he can build off as he works toward the year’s final major — next month’s British Open at Royal Portrush in his home country of Northern Ireland. “It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere and see a lot of people,” McIlroy said. “I’m really looking forward to it. It was nice to end this week with a bit of a positive note with the way I played today.”

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Happy birthday to our dear friend Natalie King of RSA Consulting, Omar Khan of WSP USA, Kurt Kelly of the Florida Coalition for Children, Anna Grace Lewis of Metz, Husband & Daughton, and Ramon Maury.

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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.