Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
Today’s SachsFact is brought to you by the public affairs, integrated marketing and reputation management experts at Sachs Media Group: It’s Independence Day in the Florida Keys, the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of the Conch Republic. The 1982 “secession” was equal parts jest and legitimate political protest, coming five days after the federal government set up a checkpoint on U.S. 1 to search vehicles for drugs and illegal immigrants. In response, the Keys proclaimed independence, declared war, immediately surrendered – and asked for $1 billion in federal aid. Many Keys residents continue to celebrate the Conch Republic each year, boasting, “We Seceded Where Others Failed.”
DAYS UNTIL Avengers: Age of Ultron debuts: 7: Sine Die: 7; Jacksonville’s Mayoral Election: 25; Major League Baseball All-Star game: 80; Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuts: 244; First Day of 2016 Legislative Schedule: 263; Florida’s Presidential Primary: 325; Florida’s 2016 Primary Election: 494; Florida’s 2016 General Election: 565.
FROM YESTERDAY — THE BEST TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK PICS: Bascom Communications; Slater Bayliss with his daughter; Gus Corbella with his son, Miles; Chris Dudley with his son Colman; Andy Gardiner with his Andrew; Jose Gonzelez with his son; Jack Latvala with his son Chris; Jennifer Martin and her son; Valerie Wickboldt with her son
>>>Gamesmanship…
HOUSE CRAFTS $500 MIL PLAN TO START HOSPITAL NEGOTIATIONS via Matt Dixon of the Naples Daily News
House Republicans on Thursday proposed a $500 million plan as their starting point for negotiations to end the health care funding stalemate that has halted the state’s budget process.
The plan calls for adding $200 million in state dollars to the Medicaid program, which in turn would draw down $300 million in federal money for the health care program that serves the poor and the elderly. The plan so far lacks specific details, but it could get the House and Senate in a position to start final budget negotiations.
The proposal was offered because federal officials and Gov. Rick Scott’s administration have not yet struck a deal on the so-called Low Income Pool, a $2 billion fund that hospitals use to cover charity care.
The House GOP plan does not cover the entire $2 billion of LIP money, so the proposal would still result in drastic cuts to hospitals across the state. If LIP funding was not replaced at all, it would result in a roughly $1.5 billion reduction.
“I don’t think that necessarily hospitals should be held harmless,” said House Speaker Steve Crisafulli. “But if we can find ways to shore them up a little bit, that would be a conversation starter.”
TWEET, TWEET: @Mdixon55: Amy Baker told Sen approps that using GR instead of LIP money”is not new money to the economy,”it is not the helicopter drop from the” feds
NFIB DROPS AD OPPOSING MEDICAID EXPANSION via Matt Dixon of Political Fix Florida
The National Federation of Independent Businesses is getting into Florida’s billion dollar health care funding fight. The group is going up with a television ad opposing Medicaid expansion, and hammer the feds for “forcing Florida to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.”
It’s a reference to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services telling the state they are linking Medicaid expansion to Low Income Pool negotiations. The ad is currently up in the Tallahassee media market, but NFIB has plans to expand to other parts of the state.
The ad comes two days after Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson informed his board that the group will no longer push for Medicaid expansion. They are now focused only on securing LIP funding.
With NFIB’s public entrance into the debate, it means two large business groups lining up behind Gov. Scott and House Republicans as talks intensify.
RICK SCOTT’S EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS MAY BE IN TROUBLE AFTER ALL via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
Senate President Andy Gardiner isn’t making any promises that the Senate will confirm Gov. Scott‘s appointments for agency heads.
Gardiner said he couldn’t make any assurances that the Senate would confirm any of the governor’s appointments, including Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek, who transformed the state’s Medicaid program into a mandatory managed care health delivery system.
Gardiner told reporters earlier in the month that he would not let the impasse over health care financing and Medicaid expansion interfere with Scott’s appointments and that the Senate would not play games.
He defended his position and said it wasn’t a reversal in policy.
Two Senate health committees have recommended Dudek for confirmation: the Senate Health Policy Committee as well as the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee. Another of Scott’s appointments, John Armstrong, who heads the Department of Health, has not been recommended for confirmation by any Senate panel. The Senate Health Policy Committee deferred action on Armstrong after he refused to answer whether he supported a Medicaid expansion and whether a Medicaid expansion would improve health outcomes.
>>>Here’s what’s moving…
BAN ON BACKYWARD GUN RANGES — A compromise between the National Rifle Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association has revived the possibility of a ban on backyard gun ranges in Florida. The House on Thursday amended a bill on Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulations to ban shooting in dense residential areas. The Senate has already adopted a similar amendment.
The amendment, attached to House Bill 995 and Senate Bill 1444, makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to fire a gun for recreational reasons, “including for target shooting or celebratory shooting,” in a residential area with a density of one home per acre or more.
The idea of a ban was revived in negotiations between the police chiefs and Florida NRA chief Marion Hammer, said Amy Mercer, executive director of the association. She said Hammer approved language suggested by the chiefs. (William March of the Associated Press)
BAN ON POWDERED ALCOHOL — The Senate passed the bill Thursday on a 35-2 vote. It would make it illegal to sell, possess or use powdered alcohol. Sen. Gwen Margolis said her bill (SB 998) would only ban the substance for two years so lawmakers can take time to see if problems arise with the product. (via the Associated Press)
BAN ON REVENGE PORN — The Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that would make it illegal to post online sexually explicit photos and videos of someone without their consent. The measure (SB 538) takes aim at people who seek to get back at exes by posting images they took during better times and were meant to remain private.
A first offense would be a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. A second violation would be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
INCREASED PENALTIES FOR PAYING FOR SEX — The Senate passed the bill (HB 465) unanimously Thursday. It attempts to deal with prostitution by going after people who pay for sex. The penalty for a first offense would increase from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree misdemeanor. A second offense would be a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, and a third offense would be a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
GROWLERS — The House is poised for a vote to allow the sale of half-gallon growlers of beer. The 64-ounce jugs can’t be sold by craft brewers in Florida but are a common industry size. If the House assents, the bill (HB 301/SB 186) will head to Gov. Scott’s desk for approval, after three years of failed attempts in the Legislature. The Senate last week passed the bill unanimously. “What we’re trying to do is take the uncertainty and create certainty for the industry,” said Rep. Chris Sprowls, who has shepherded the legislation along with other Tampa Bay lawmakers House Majority Leader Dana Young and Sen. Jack Latvala. (via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times)
PSC/DUKE ENERGY BILL — A Senate bill amendment to bar legislators from serving on the Public Service Commission within two years of leaving office was withdrawn. Sen. John Legg had filed the amendment to SB 288, a PSC bill that was brought up on second reading. The amendment was withdrawn because of a likely rule challenge because the language is contained in another bill SB 170, Legg said. The bill was never heard in a committee.
SB 288, by Sen. Jack Latvala … was replaced by the House version, HB 7109. The bill also would limit PSC members to serving three four-year term and require those who lobby to register the PSC Nominating Council to register as lobbyists. The bill would allow Duke Energy Florida to issue bonds for the shutdown of its Crystal River nuclear plant, which Latvala said would save Duke customers about $600 million. And electric utilities would be required to refund excess deposits submitted by customers after a 12-month “true-up” period. (Via Bruce Ritchie of Florida Politics)
GRABBAG — “Fake service dog bill: Final vote Friday” via the Palm Beach Post; “Sober-home certification bill set for passage” via the Palm Beach Post
>>>Here’s what’s in flux…
AMENDMENT 1 LAND BUYS — (E)nvironmentalists face increasingly long odds that state lawmakers will raise spending on purchasing land for preservation and conservation, setting the stage for a possible legal battle.
Lawmakers … are giving little indication they will budge much from their initial offers last month to provide less than $20 million for land buys. That’s far less than the $300 million minimum anticipated by the supporters of Amendment 1, a ballot measure that 4.2 million voters approved in November.
Supporters of the amendment say that means that Florida Forever, a state program created in 1999 to fund public land acquisition, should have its initial authority to spend $300 million restored. But the House budget provides about $10 million for land buys through Florida Forever. The Senate provides about $17 million. via Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times
WATER — Language from a comprehensive House water bill was added to other environmental legislation in the House over objections from Democrats.
But the water bill language lacks key components of the Senate bill that is important to that chamber’s leadership, raising questions about whether the move represents gamesmanship between the two chambers.
And some environmentalists say they’d prefer to see the bills die, effectively ending what some observers predicted would the “year of water” in the Legislature.
HB 7003 replaces a Lake Okeechobee pollution permitting program with more reliance on water cleanup plans, sets deadlines for establishing minimum flow levels for springs and sets timelines for springs cleanup plans. The bill passed the House 106-9 in the first week of the session.
Through a series of amendments, the water bill language was added to HB 653, a Florida Department of Environmental Protection bill that had cleared its committee stops without opposing votes. Rep. Cary Pigman, a Republican from Avon Park, is the bill sponsor.
The late-session tactic brought the House bill into alignment with the Senate bill, SB 918, said Rep. Matt Caldwell, a Republican from North Fort Myers who is bill sponsor. (via Bruce Ritchie of Florida Politics)
UBER — Uber and Lyft drivers will have to buy special insurance under legislation passed by the Florida Senate and poised for a vote Friday by the House. Lawmakers in both chambers want to create a new kind of auto insurance, which will provide up to $1 million in coverage. The bills’ similarities in the bills stop there.
The Senate proposal (SB 1298) by Sen. David Simmons … which passed by a 28-12 vote … simply requires drivers for ridesharing companies to have insurance. While there are passengers in the car, that insurance will hit $1 million in coverage. … In the House, proposed legislation (HB 817) has a much wider reach … by Rep. Matt Gaetz … would ban local governments from regulating or taxing companies like Uber and Lyft. Gaetz also attached language to a larger economic development package (HB 7067) that will stop local governments from collecting transportation impact fees on new development if they regulate ridesharing companies. (via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times)
WHO TO WATCH AS 2015 REGULAR SESSION WINDS DOWN via Allison Nielsen of the Sunshine State News
Senate President Gardiner and House Speaker Crisafulli will of course be key figures in the coming days, but here’s who else to keep an eye on as the 2015 regular session putters out:
Richard Corcoran … has wielded his strong arm in the state’s budget showdown — he boldly declared earlier this month the House wouldn’t be accepting the Senate’s $2 billion plan to expand Medicaid, setting the stage for a political showdown which will likely lead the Legislature into a special session.
Bill Galvano … involved a lot of behind-the-scenes work and is close to Senate budget chair Tom Lee. As majority leader, Galvano will have a great deal of sway within the Senate. He’s already made it clear the Senate won’t be backing down from its push to expand Medicaid.
Rene Garcia … has warned about the potential fallout that could occur if the state doesn’t expand Medicaid. Blaise Ingoglia … might be a newcomer to the Florida House, but he’s no stranger to political drama in the Sunshine State.
Jack Latvala … on six committees, Latvala has working knowledge of a lot of bills making their way through the Legislature. A strong ally for causes he supports, Latvala can be equally as devastating for causes he does not support. Tom Lee … one of the most powerful positions among state legislators as the Senate’s budget chief. Lee is in the middle of the biggest struggle taking place during this year’s legislative session.
Bill Montford … a quick favorite among education groups statewide. Also serving as chief executive officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, Montford wields significant power and prowess when it comes to education issues and has been highly critical of the state’s standardized assessment rollout, which has been littered with technical malfunctions.
>>>My takes…
FOR SOME FLORIDA SENATORS, HEALTHCARE BUDGET STANDOFF ISN’T BUSINESS, IT’S PERSONAL Full story here
As the 2015 Legislative Session winds down – and the state’s budget standoff heats up – money is on everyone’s mind. With that, the darkening prospects of the House and Senate settling differences over Medicaid expansion leads a casual (and maybe not so casual) observer to ask the obvious question.
Why?
Certainly, hospitals have led the charge to expand Medicaid. But there are also several Florida senators, or their spouses, whose livelihoods depend on the healthcare industry. They are key players in the Senate proposal to replace billions in federal Low Income Pool money tied to Medicaid expansion.
The Senate leaders include Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner, who also serves as Vice-President of External Affairs and Community Relations for Orlando Health hospitals. Julie Galvano, the wife of Senate Majority Leader and future Senate President Bill Galvano, is director of business development for Blake Medical Center in Bradenton.
Deputy Senate Majority Leader Denise Grimsley also works as Administrator for Florida Hospital Wauchula, which prompted her to step down recently as Health Appropriations Chair. Current Health Appropriations Chair Rene Garcia was previously Vice President of Miami’s Mercy Hospital in Miami and is still listed on its website as a member of the Board of Trustees. Sen. Aaron Bean has worked for UF Health Jacksonville (formally Shands Jacksonville) as Relationship Development Officer.
In the chatter over a looming budget showdown, and all those column inches in the press, it is a big deal when the Senate President, Majority Leader, and Deputy Majority Leader each have a dog (in one way or another) in the Medicaid expansion fight.
With nearly every major Florida media organization opining in support of expanding healthcare to uninsured Floridians, few have focused on the elected officials who back public policy that would directly benefit their employers.
SAY WHAT? DEMOCRATS WHIP VOTES AGAINST MORE REGS ON OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
SB 1372 is a common sense reform proposal that will ruffle a few privileged feathers in order to accomplish a good-government public policy goal: restricting taxpayer-funded “golden parachute” severance packages for hospital employees.
But as the bill stands now, it falls somewhat short of its admirable intentions. In the Senate rules committee, an unfriendly amendment was added that would exempt hospital CEOs from these restrictions. This provision both waters down the material policy substance of the bill in an unfair way, and weakens the spirit that inspired the legislation in the first place.
Amendment 381578 sponsored by Sen. Arthenia Joyner, always on the lookout for the interest of Tampa General, adds a special exemption to the way institutions that receive public funds are regulated, carving out hospitals so that they can continue to offer heaps of state funds for their already well-heeled CEOs.
Hospital chief executives are kind of like the head football coaches of state-salaried workers: many of the highest paid public employees in Florida are executives in the health care industry. Donald Jernigan, CEO of Adventist Health System, takes home a reported $1.98 million annually for his work as head of the non-profit hospital organization which often draws down state money, as well as more than $250,000 in incentives and bonuses. Jackson Health System’s Carlos Migoya earns a quarter of a million per year, besides $160,00 in incentive pay; and James Nathan of Lee Memorial makes $745,000, to take but a few examples.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with valuable executives making six or even seven figures while working in the public sector, but the public deserves the kind of safeguards against excess in Gaetz’s bill in its unadulterated form.
YOU WANT MORE ESTOPPEL? I GOT YOUR ESTOPPEL RIGHT HERE Full story here
I like to think of myself as a centrist and I genuinely think good ideas come from both sides of the aisle.
With that said, I must admit, that it’s kind of nice watching the Senate getting along pretty well. The vast majority of bills are moving through the upper chamber with almost no dissent and even at times, the dissent is itself bipartisan.
It was kind of cool, for example, watching Joe Negron and Tom Lee genuinely and effusively support a recent amendment in committee by Jeff Clemens (D-Iconic Democrat) to ensure that an election-related bill wouldn’t be used to sweep folks from the voter rolls.
What had evolved into a compromise bill to end abuses by homeowners’ associations has now devolved into an all-out face beating of those very same homeowners. The opponents of the measure are calling it a grotesque price-fixing bill that tells HOAs how much they can charge to prepare a legal document known as an estoppel certificate – and now the price cap is really, really low. Further, the Senate version has no guarantees that the homeowners even get reimbursed for their troubles.
So here’s the question: Will the GOP-controlled House let a bill with – and there really isn’t any other way to say this – government-mandated price caps go through?
Will the House stand up to the Senate and say, “That’s just a little too much government interference for us?” You may not be watching an arcane estoppel bill … but I am getting out the popcorn on this one.
LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE
HOUSE HOLDS FLOOR SESSION — The House holds a floor session starting 9 a.m.
SENATE HOLDS FLOOR SESSION — The Senate holds a floor session starting 10 a.m.
>>>Elsewhere
MIAMI SCHOOL DISTRICT DUMPS ALMOST ALL YEAR-END TESTING via David Adams and Zachery Fagenson of Reuters
The Miami school district, the nation’s fourth largest, said on Thursday it was eliminating most end-of-course exams, including all those for elementary school students, the latest blow to standardized testing in the state.
“We have taken a responsible and logical approach to assessing students, in order to restore valuable teaching and learning time,” Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said in an announcement on Facebook.
The move comes amid mounting statewide pressure to roll back standardized testing in Florida public schools, as well as recent computer glitches on computerized tests.
It is also puts a dent in the educational legacy of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a possible Republican presidential candidate, who championed standardized testing while in office to grade schools and teachers based on student achievement.
Because of the Miami school district’s size, the decision could have an impact on other districts, said Robert Schaeffer, public education director for FairTest, a nonprofit group focused on limiting the use of standardized tests.
“It will certainly be a precedent for other districts in Florida which are equally fed up,” he added.
CHARLOTTE’S WEB HEARING TO ENTER SECOND DAY, GLITCH BILL STILL ON SENATE CALENDAR via James Call of Florida Politics
Baywood Nurseries of Seffner insists the proposed rule to enact the 2014 Charlotte’s Web law by the Florida Department of Health is unfair to smaller nurseries;; blocking them from applying for one of the five licenses available to grow marijuana. The DOH response: Baywood has no case.
“We shouldn’t be here for a hearing and another delay,” protested DOH lawyer Eduardo Lombard.
Judge W. David Watkins denied Lombard’s motion to dismiss a challenge based on whom DOH selected for a negotiated rule making committee. Lombard had pointed out that a previous court had ruled the committee’s composition was not a challengeable point and therefore Watkins’ denial was “fundamentally unfair.”
“We’ll let the appellant court sort it out,” responded Watkins.
At the same time, during a daylong hearing, Watkins steadily ruled in Baywood’s favor. A working theory among courtroom observers is that by providing Baywood every opportunity to make it’s case, Watkins is reducing the likelihood that the battle over the Charlotte’s Web law will move from administrative to appellant court.
For example, in cross examination, DOH attorney Robert Vicenza walked Baywood’s owner Robert Hogshead through a series of Department of Agriculture certificates, in an attempt to demonstrate Baywood did not meet the statutorily eligibility requirements. Baywood received a certificate for a 400,000-plant inventory on April 10, 2015. When they challenged the rule March 24, it had a certificate of fewer than 200,000 plants.
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>>>On the campaign trail
HILLARY CLINTON CASH AUTHOR IS TARGETING JEB BUSH NEXT via Joshua Green of Bloomberg Politics
The past week can’t have been very pleasant for Peter Schweizer. … New York Times revealed that his forthcoming book, Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich, was roiling the political world—“the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle still in its infancy,” as the Times put it.
That landed Schweizer squarely in the crosshairs of the Clinton team and allied liberal groups, which have launched a campaign to discredit Schweizer as “disreputable” and blinded by partisan animosity. Anyone familiar with Schweizer’s work knows better: he wrote a well-regarded book about the Bush dynasty and another, detailing insider trading in Congress, that led to a new law, the bipartisan STOCK Act of 2012, which aims to curb these abuses.
That hasn’t quieted the left-wing clamor that Schweizer is simply out to get Hillary Clinton. But maybe this will: Schweizer is working on a similar investigation of Jeb Bush’s finances that he expects to publish this summer.
“What we’re doing is a drill-down investigation of Jeb’s finances similar to what we did with the Clintons in terms of looking at financial dealings, cronyism, who he’s been involved with,” Schweizer told me on Wednesday. “We’ve found some interesting things.”
Schweizer says he and a team of researchers have been pouring over Bush’s financial life for about four months. Among other things, they’re scrutinizing various Florida land deals, an airport deal while Bush was governor that involved state funds, and Chinese investors in Bush’s private equity funds.
BUSH DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM JAMES BAKER via MJ Lee of CNN
Bush sought to distance himself from former Secretary of State James Baker, one of his foreign policy advisers, saying in a closed-door meeting that he does not believe Baker should have recently addressed the liberal-leaning Israel advocacy group J Street. He also pledged that his foreign policy team would also consist of younger experts, according to two attendees.
Bush … was asked about Baker’s March J Street appearance during a question-and-answer session at a “meet and greet” hosted by the Manhattan Republican Party.
Baker made waves with controversial comments that were strongly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bush has come under fire from conservatives since then for not denouncing Baker’s remarks or his appearance before the group. Baker was secretary of state under former President George H.W. Bush, Jeb Bush’s father.
According to the two sources in the room, Bush — in a light-hearted tone — remarked that people like Baker and George Shultz, secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, were over 85 years old, drawing some laughter from the audience. Bush went on to emphasize that he plans to surround himself with foreign policy advisers who are from a different generation than those who served in previous administrations.
Bush’s latest remarks represent a striking example of the ways he has sought to distance himself from the policies of his father as well as his brother, former President George W. Bush, as he explores a path to the White House.
IN FUNDRAISING, BUSH IS ON DEFENSE via Eli Stokols of POLITICO
This weekend in Miami, Bush will huddle with a group of his top donors at a brand new “nature-centric,” $700-a-night South Beach hotel, replete with four pools, a Tom Colicchio restaurant and an 11,000-plant “living green wall.”
The point, though, isn’t tranquility and relaxation – it’s survival.
For a time, it looked like Bush would steamroll the GOP field with a cash-flush juggernaut that might raise as much as $100 million in the first quarter, using a variety of super PACs to push the boundaries of campaign finance laws and dominate the field.
But that was before New York hedge fund magnate Robert Mercer pledged more than $15 million to Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio gained the full-fleged support of Miami billionaire Norman Braman and became the front-runner to win casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s backing. Another rival, Scott Walker, recently became the favorite of billionaire David Koch, who seemed to tip his support for the Wisconsin governor at a fundraiser this week.
“Everyone has looked at Jeb’s fundraising strategy of ‘shock and awe’ as him ‘going on offense’,” said a Bush bundler, one of several who spoke to POLITICO for this story on the condition of anonymity. “The reality is: it’s defense. He’s going to have all of these other Republicans, each with their own super PAC funded by their own billionaire, coming after him. He’s going to have to withstand what could be a $50 million onslaught.”
Added another Bush donor: “These folks may have – altogether – somewhere in the neighborhood of $50-70 million in the primary, and we may see them come to a collective decision to try to take Jeb out. Democrats, if there’s an opportunity, may throw some money on top of all that to help.”
Hence, the calculation that Bush may need to raise $100 million “as a matter of survival.”
“With Mercer, Adelson, Braman, the Kochs, and talk radio and the blogs, it’s like ‘Game of Thrones’ out there,” said a longtime Bush donor.
SHOT — “Rubio takes lead in Sheldon Adelson primary” via POLITICO : The billionaire casino mogul is drawn to the Florida senator’s life story and hawkish foreign policy views,” by Alex Isenstadt: “Adelson, who spent $100 million on the 2012 campaign, … has told friends that he views Rubio, whose hawkish pro-defense views and unwavering support for Israel align with his own, … is ‘the future of the Republican Party.’ He has also said that Rubio’s Cuban heritage and youth would give the party a strong opportunity to expand its brand.”
CHASER — Florida Politics reported March 31, “Is Marco Rubio’s fundraiser an indication he’s winning the Sheldon Adelson primary?“
MARCO RUBIO RAKES IN DONOR MONEY BY TOUTING IMMIGRATION RECORD — BEHIND CLOSED DOORS via McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed
Ever since a right-wing backlash blew up the bipartisan immigration bill that Sen. Marco Rubio helped champion in 2013, the ambitious Republican has struggled to find his political footing on the issue. For two years, he has hemmed and hawed; ducked and dodged; retracted, retreated from, and repeatedly revised his immigration rhetoric in a ploy to appease conservative activists without fully forsaking his position. These days, when the subject comes up in town hall meetings or TV interviews, the silver-tongued senator — now officially running for the GOP presidential nomination — is often reduced to reciting a few stilted talking points, and then angling to change the subject.
But there is one setting where Rubio frequently and unabashedly touts his immigration record to great effect: closed-door meetings with the GOP’s elite, high-dollar donors.
According to a half-dozen Republican fundraisers and contributors who have been courted by the Rubio camp, the candidate’s aggressive advocacy for the Senate’s 2013 immigration bill has proved to be a substantial draw within the GOP money crowd — and his campaign has shown little hesitation about cashing in. Even as Rubio labors to publicly distance himself from the legislation so loathed by conservative primary voters, he and his aides have privately highlighted this line in his resume when soliciting support from the deep-pocketed donors in the party’s more moderate business wing.
None of the donors who spoke to BuzzFeed News suggested immigration was the central or solitary selling point in Rubio’s fundraising efforts. The senator’s well-informed foreign policy tough talk holds special appeal to neoconservative hawks, while others are enthused by his reform-minded policy proposals — like a re-imagination of the high school education system that emphasizes vocational training and professional apprenticeships for students not interested in college.
But every source interviewed said that no matter how radioactive Rubio’s immigration record might be to the right, it has done nothing but help him in this early stage of the primaries, when filling the campaign war chest is the chief concern. Two Republican fundraisers who have met with Rubio — requesting anonymity to candidly assess his efforts — even expressed surprise at how enthusiastic the candidate has seemed in private to promote his work on the Senate’s immigration bill, given his strong reluctance to do so in public.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS — MARCO’S FIRST OFFICIAL IOWA TRIP (h/t to POLITICO): Rubio will make his first visit to Iowa as a declared presidential candidate on Saturday, with an ice cream social at the home of state Senator Jack & Rachel Whitver and a speaking slot at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off.
ODD READ — BUSH, THE ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY SAFE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL via Michael Bender of Bloomberg Politics
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush was doing what he does best: Displaying his breadth of knowledge by fielding questions on a range of issues, and giving his opinion on how best to solve nearly every one.
The ninth of 12 questions that Bush took … was from a woman who began her inquiry by telling the likely Republican presidential candidate that, “One of the largest threats that we have in our country right now is the EMP threat, whether it’s from foreign…”
“We have to fortify the grid, obviously.” Bush cut her off. But not for the reason you might expect.
“EMP, in English, is the electromagentic? The pulse?” he said. “Oh, I read about this.”
“Right,” the woman continued. “It could be a solar thing, or it could be something that’s going on. If we had one of those? With our dependence on electronics? What would you do to secure our system?”
It might sound like something better discussed among Star Trek fans, or from underneath tin-foil, tri-corner hats. But fears about an electromagnetic pulse—and the ensuing chaos from the theoretical meltdown of the nation’s grid that such a blast would cause—appears on the verge of breaking into mainstream Republicanism. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has said it may be the “catastrophe that ends civilization.” Paul Singer, the billionaire Republican donor, told his investors last year that it was the “one risk that is head-and-shoulders above all the rest.” The Congressional Electromagnetic Pulse Caucus was founded in 2011 by U.S. Representative Trent Franks, an Arizona Republican.
And now count Jeb Bush, the son of one former president and brother of another, among the fearful.
FUN READ –– RAND PAUL, SUPERHERO via Kriston Capps of the Atlantic
Rand Paul almost has the superhero thing down. There’s his unlikely rise as a Tea Party champion. The family legacy pushing him to fight for free markets. Some shadowy questions lingering over his origin story. And crucially, the overarching quest for glory: On April 7, he announced his campaign for the White House. All he needs is some theme music, and maybe some larger guiding heroism.
Thanks to Bluewater Productions, Paul now has his own comic book. Political Power: Rand Paul, a pocket biography in graphic-novel form, illustrates the journey of the junior senator from Kentucky—as well as the rogue’s gallery that has helped define him. This far out from the election, while Republicans are struggling to distinguish themselves, a comic book provides a vivid frame for telling a candidate’s story. Whether it helps Rand Paul is a different question.
Rand Paul is the latest entry in a series of comics that Bluewater intends to publish on the 2016 candidates. In past cycles, its Political Power line has published comic-book biographies of such political luminaries as Colin Powell, Michele Bachmann, and Jon Stewart—even Rand’s father, Ron Paul. Female Force: Hillary Clinton, Road to the White House, due out in May, is a followup to her 2008 graphic novel debut. Comic books for Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Elizabeth Warren (does Bluewater know something the rest of us don’t?) are planned for this summer.
SILLY READ — WE TURNED EIGHT DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS INTO SIMS AND DROPPED THEM IN THE WHITE HOUSE via Dave Jorgenson of IJReview.com
Recently, eight Republican presidential hopefuls were turned into “Sims” and thrown into IJReview‘s version of the White House:
“The Sims” is a life simulation game that allows users to create virtual human beings, build their houses and guide them through their lives. We chose not to guide them and let the computer simulate their actions for us.
Ben Carson survived the longest after many unfortunate departures by his GOP rivals, and was hence declared winner of the Sims GOP White house … Now we bring you, the “Demosims”: Starring … Democrat Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton … Martin O’Malley … “Uncle Joe” … Bernie … Ready for Warren … Jim Webb?:
Everything remained exactly the same as the GOP White House simulation – with one small exception … A cemetery … Where our brave GOP candidates were laid to rest and eight ominous new spaces await.
Immediately, every Democrat flocked to observe the new lights that had recently been installed at the White House … Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley were absolutely ecstatic about the lamps [insert “Anchorman” reference here].
At first, everyone was getting along well … But not for long – Joe Biden and Al Gore ruined the good vibes … This really killed Bernie’s conversation about lamps … Eventually, everyone went upstairs to play foosball. But no one wanted to play with Joe.
Hillary walks in … leaves joe alone. Meanwhile, Jim Webb was the first in the Oval Office. He read a book about “Commitment Issues” … Not long after, Hillary read a story to Joe Biden and Al Gore to put them to sleep. But the peace wasn’t meant to last. After a crow literally flew across the screen … Hillary was hungry almost immediately and we forgot to build a Chipotle. Then the fights broke out. First Bernie and Elizabeth Warren:
Hillary and Liz Warren peed themselves, and Joe rushed to clean it up both times … Demosims would randomly stop what they were doing and sprint to the cemetery. Turns out it was haunted – by the ghost of Rand Paul.
BOCA RATON BUSINESSMAN JOSEPH BENSMIHEN TO RUN FOR LOIS FRANKEL’S HOUSE SEAT via George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post
Bensmihen, a founder of home health care businesses who describes himself as a moderate Republican, says he’ll open a campaign for the Palm Beach-Broward District 22 House seat held by Rep. Lois Frankel.
Democrats have a 40-to-31 percent registration advantage in the district and Frankel was re-elected with 58 percent last year against Republican challenger Paul Spain.
Bensmihen, 46, founded Boca Home Care Services and United Elder Care Services. Born with cerebral palsy, he has been an advocate for people with disabilities.
Bensmihen said he doesn’t believe Frankel is accessible enough to her constituents. He said his top issues are protecting seniors, spurring economic growth and supporting Israel.
Bensmihen has tapped Todd Richardson as his general consultant. Richardson has experience in District 22, having worked on several of former Republican state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff‘s campaigns in a district that shares many voters with the congressional district.
@JohnKonkus: .@CookPolitical rates #FL22 only a D+3. Very winnable for @JosephBensmihen who will focus on the district.
RENE PLASENCIA, TOM GOODSON TO SHUFFLE HOUSE SEATS NEAR SPACE COAST via Ryan Ray of Florida Politics
Titusville Rep. Tom Goodson from District 50 will not seek re-election there, instead opting to run for an adjacent House seat, freeing up Rep. Rene Plascencia to make a run at the Republican-oriented seat.
The latest move in Central Florida legislative musical chairs was first reported by Frank Torres of the Orlando Political Observer.
Plascencia narrowly defeated Rep. Joe Saunders in a tightly-contested race that saw the Democratic incumbent go down by a margin of fewer than 700 votes. Goodson’s swapping seats gives “Coach P,” as Plascencia is familiarly known, a chance at a safer seat in a 2016 likely to favor Democrats in his current liberal-leaning District 49, which was won handily by President Obama in 2012.
Goodson defied expectations recently when he opted to run for term-limited Speaker Steve Crisafulli’s Brevard County-based seat, as most expected him to take a crack at the Distrcit 14 Senate seat currently occupied by President Andy Gardiner, also leaving after 2016 due to term limits. The move sets Goodson up to run for Congress should U.S. Rep. Bill Posey retire in the near future.
Plascencia, should he throw his hat in the ring as many expect, would face a challenge from Republican businessman Chadwick Hardee, who has already opened a campaign account in District 50.
JUDITHANNE MCLAUCHLAN THINKING SERIOUSLY OF RUNNING IN HD 69 NEXT YEAR via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
USFSP Political Science professor Judithanne McLauchlan endured a rough and tumble campaign in her first bid for political office in 2014, but the Madeira Beach-based Democrat says her continued frustration with the Florida Legislature is prompting her to seriously consider a run for the Legislature in 2016.
She’s considering a run in House District 69, currently occupied by Pasadena Republican Kathleen Peters. The district encompasses southern Pinellas County, stretching from Redington Shores to St. Pete Beach.
“I’m thinking about it,” McLauchlan told Florida Politics. She says that while a “number of people” have approached her about running for the seat, her main consideration at the moment is getting through the spring semester and final exams, which take place next week.
She challenged Republican Jeff Brandes in the SD 22 contest last year in her first ever try at public office, but was soundly defeated, 57-43 percent, in a rough and at times intensely personal race. A bankruptcy that occurred back in the 1990s due to a health concern became cannon fodder in the campaign, as did a controversial charge that she was part of a group that once supported a state income tax in Florida — as dangerous a third rail as there is in this state with no state income taxes.
***Smith, Bryan & Myers is an all-inclusive governmental relations firm located in Tallahassee. For more than three decades, SBM has been working with our clients to deliver their priorities through strategic and effective government relations consulting that has led us to become one of Tallahassee’s premier governmental relations firms today.***
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Brady Benford, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart: RVNB Holdings, Inc. d/b/a All My Sons Moving and Storage
Paul Bradshaw, Laura Boehmer, Electra Bustle, Chris Dudley, James McFaddin, David Shepp, Jim Smith, Southern Strategy Group: Sunshine Gasoline Distributors
Robert Hawken, Leath Consulting: Associations, Inc.
Jerry Paul, Capitol Energy Florida: Silver Spring Network, Inc.
Stephanie See: International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions
CONTEXT FLORIDA: FOLLOW THE MONEY, HEALTH CARE SOLUTION, ASSISTED LIVING REFORM AND WOMEN’S HEALTH
On Context Florida: Darkening prospects that the House and Senate will mend differences over Medicaid expansion lead a casual (and maybe not so casual) observer to ask the obvious question. Why? Peter Schorsch says one possible explanation lies in an old axiom: Follow the money. Floridians send their hard-earned money to Tallahassee and to Washington. State Sen. Garrett Richter says we deserve a return on the money. Comedian W.C. Fields quipped, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit.” Brian Lee says it seems that Florida lawmakers need to field his advice as their debate over proposed assisted living reform draws to an unceremonious close. Once again, the leadership of the Florida Legislature has decided to play politics with women’s health writes Julie Hauserman and Laura Goodhue. Case in point, the “mandatory abortion delay” bill. If this bill becomes law, even when a woman has already received state-mandated counseling and made a deliberate and fully informed decision, she will still be forced to wait 24 hours before having an abortion. This serves only to further a political agenda at the expense of women’s health.
Visit Context Florida to dig in.
FACEBOOK POST OF THE DAY via former Tampa Bay Times writer Jeff Klinkenberg: “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the bean counters running Florida newspapers these days are not rocket scientists. Today’s case in point: The Miami Herald has eliminated my friend Sue Cocking‘s job as outdoors writer. South Florida is arguably the outdoor sport capital of the free world, with thousands (if not millions) of residents choosing to live or visit because of the fishing, sailing, offshore boating, birding, kayaking, hiking and even hunting. Sailors and fishers usually have money–their sports are expensive. They’re just the demographic, by the way, most likely to read a newspaper. Newspaper managers clearly are in full-scale panic and seem out of touch with readers. In fact, this makes me wonder if the Herald has given up.”
ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE ROTUNDA
Trimmel Gomes’ newest episode of The Rotunda covers president Obama’s first visit to the Everglades to press his climate change agenda along with subtle jabs at Republicans like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Gomes talks with Bloomberg News Washington Bureau reporter, Toluse Olorunnipa, who traveled with President Barack Obama during his Earth Day trip. The chaos and countdown in Tallahassee continues, as it appears everything including the kitchen sink is up for consideration to end the budget stalemate.
At the age of 23, Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, the youngest woman to be elected to the Florida Legislature discusses work-life balance as she tackles controversial issues like her bill mandating women seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before they can proceed. Gomes also interviews Sen. Don Gaetz about ethics, gay adoption, his relationship with Rick Scott and his possible run for US Senate in 2016. With all the fighting in the capitol chambers, a bipartisan group of legislators pressed pause to blow off some steam during a quick game of basketball for a great cause.
The Rounda is available every Friday via iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud. Subscribers receive free automatic downloads of episodes to their devices.
WEEKEND TV
Black Almanac with Dr. Ed James on WWSB, ABC 7 in Sarasota: Representatives of the African Methodist Episcoal Church discuss need- and achievement-based college scholarships for high school students.
Facing Florida with Mike Vasilinda: Analysts Screven Watson and Pete Dunbar break down what went wrong along the Legislature’s path to a budget before the regularly scheduled end of Session.
Political Connections on Tampa Bay’s BayNews 9: President of Florida Faith & Freedom Coalition Jim Kallinger discusses social issues as Session nears its close.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando: Democratic Property Appraiser Rich Singh talks local incentives and his 2016 re-election bid.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Steve Vancore, Mary Ellen Klas, Ed Moore and Mac Stipanovich
HAPPY BIRTHDAY belatedly to future St. Pete City Councilman Ed Montanari and Amanda Stewart. Celebrating today is Kristen Lamb, my man Brian Lowack, progressive rabble-rouser Susan Smith. Celebrating this weekend is Rep. Larry Ahern and Gina Evans.
