Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Gov. Ron DeSantis is promoting the upcoming sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and camping supplies as he urges Florida lawmakers to pass an open carry law.
DeSantis has said he would support the measure and would sign it, but legislation to allow anyone in Florida to carry firearms openly has not advanced in recent years.
DeSantis took shots at one of his favorite targets — House Republicans — and, speaking at a Monday news conference, blamed them for not passing an open carry bill.
DeSantis accused “all those Republicans all running, saying they’re Second Amendment, all banging their chest in the primaries, then get up to Tallahassee and not follow through.”
“We’ve got almost a 3-1 majority in the Florida House of Representatives,” DeSantis said. “Thirty-eight states have open carry. It’s not something that’s controversial. The sky isn’t fallen in any of those. Why not pass that out of the Florida House of Representatives? And I’ve said for years that that’d be something that I would sign.”
DeSantis did not bring up the fact on Monday that Senate President Ben Albritton, who is also a Republican, opposes open carry. Albritton previously pointed to the Florida Sheriffs Association opposing open carry.
“They oppose it. I trust my law enforcement officials, and that’s where I stand,” Albritton said in 2024.
The Second Amendment sales tax holiday begins Monday and runs through Dec. 31.
Read more on Florida Politics.
Evening Reads
—“Jeffrey Epstein estate documents come to the Hill” via Kadia Goba and Marianna Sotomayor of The Washington Post
—”Epstein birthday letter with Donald Trump’s signature revealed” via Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo of The Wall Street Journal
—“Can Trump bully the entire world?” via Chris Cillizza of So What?
—”The Abundance Delusion” via Mike Solana of The Atlantic
—”Local Sheriffs are turning their jails into ICE detention centers” via Allison McCann of The New York Times
—”The Southern takeover of American culture” via Jonquilyn Hill of Vox
—”Poll: Byron Donalds’ already crushing Primary lead is growing” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics
—”Ready to rock? Ron DeSantis hints at releasing his actual playlist” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”Florida AG demands Monique Worrell drop Orange murder case amid ‘Stand Your Ground’ defense” via Cristóbal Reyes of the Orlando Sentinel
—”Questions grow about Florida labor supply as Trump chips away at immigrant protection programs” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Quote of the Day
“If what, your six-year-old didn’t take a hepatitis B shot? You know, that’s a sexually transmitted disease. Like sitting in a classroom in kindergarten, I think the chance of contracting Hep B is probably pretty low.”
— Ron DeSantis is suggesting that ending the vaccine mandate will boost shots’ popularity.
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.
It doesn’t qualify for the sales tax exemption, but this week is better than any to enjoy an Ammunition.
Gov. Ron DeSantis gets a Night Train — a proper cocktail, not a serving of terrible wine — for potentially releasing his playlist.
Whether or not the mysterious comment disappearances trace back to FWC Chair Rodney Barreto, he gets a Temper Tantrum … we have to get rid of this blueberry vodka somehow.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Marlins trying to hang on in wild-card race
The Miami Marlins try to hang on to faint wild-card hopes as they open a four-game series against the Washington Nationals tonight (6:40 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Florida).
With nine games remaining, the Marlins are ten games out of the wild card race. Still mathematically alive but with no margin for error. While teams ahead of them in the wild card chase, like the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Louis Cardinals, have won seven of ten games, the Marlins have lost five of the last six, including being swept by the Nationals in a series in Washington, D.C.
Washington should, in theory, provide a good opportunity to make up some ground. Aside from the historically bad Colorado Rockies, no team in the National League has been outscored by more runs than the Nationals. Washington is 17.5 games out of the final wild card spot and could be eliminated during the series if the Marlins can take care of business.
Miami will send Janson Junk to the mound tonight. Junk (6-2, 4.09 ERA) was activated from the 15-day injured list last week in advance of tonight’s start. He had been dealing with an elbow injury. Junk earned a win against Washington in June as the Marlins swept a series from the Nationals.
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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.
