Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
Quite simply, it was an ugly day in Florida politics and bad day for one of the state’s favorite sons.
While the Florida Legislature continued to struggle with how to redraw the map of the state’s congressional districts, a Star Wars bar’s worth of bizarre Sunshine State figures angled for attention. From Ann Coulter and Rick Wilson feuding to George Zimmerman hawking Confederate flag, it just seemed like an #OhFlorida kind of day.
Fourteen hundred miles away at Iowa’s State Fair, one Florida Man was having a very bad day. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the very embodiment of political potential energy, had what the Washington Post described as a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
Fortunately for Rubio, he’s guaranteed to have a better day today than yesterday. Why? Because like so many other Floridians, today is his kids’ first day back to school.
TWEET, TWEET: @CharlieSpiering: Youthful candidate with cute kid riding bumper cars at the Iowa State Fair? Check.
MARCO RUBIO’S IOWA RETURN DAMPENED BY THUNDER, ON-AND-OFF SHOWERS via Thomas Beaumont of the Associated Press
On-and-off downpours dampened Rubio‘s return to Iowa after about a month away from the lead-off caucus state.
Rubio thanked a huddled, umbrella-covered audience for “braving the rain” at the fair’s Political Soapbox, a regular attraction sponsored by The Des Moines Register.
The Florida senator has lost ground in national polls since billionaire Donald Trump entered the race in June. Rubio attributes his slip in national polls and recent absence from Iowa and lead-off primary state New Hampshire to duties in the Senate, fundraising and visiting other states.
“We love coming to this state. We were here last night,” Rubio said, describing his evening of midway rides and a funnel cake with his wife and children at the fair.
Pledging to try to win in Iowa, Rubio told reporters, “We look forward to coming back quite often, especially as we get closer to the caucuses,” scheduled for Feb. 1.
RUBIO’S SLOW START IN IOWA, NEW HAMPSHIRE PUZZLES GOP via Julie Pace and Sergio Bustos of the Associated Press
Rubio‘s slow-go campaign strategy is puzzling party operatives in Iowa and New Hampshire, states where voters are used to candidates showering them with attention early and often … Rubio’s return to the state this week marks his first stop in the caucus battleground in a month … hasn’t traveled to New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation primary, since July 4, though he is expected to return before the end of August.
Rubio has visited New Hampshire just three times since announcing his campaign in early April. His stop in Iowa this week marks his fifth trip to the caucus state as a candidate.
The senator’s advisers say they see little reason to worry about early state grumbling … However, early polling shows Rubio has lost ground this summer while … Trump has surged, in part by tapping into the public’s anger with Washington.
— Marco Rubio once thought Iowa and New Hampshire voters had too much clout” via S.V. Dáte of the National Journal
RUBIO HITS KID WITH FOOTBALL, BECOMES MEME via Daniel Strauss of POLITICO
A video of … Rubio playing football caught fire on Twitter … Rubio accidentally hits a little boy in the face while throwing a football. The failed pass happened … when Rubio, in Iowa with his family for the state fair, was throwing the pigskin with his sons and some neighborhood kids … a fairly clean spiral from Rubio … just missed the boy’s hands and then collided with his face. The kid, the Rubio campaign said, was fine. The clip earned some Twitter snark.
TWEET, TWEET: @JGreenDC: WHY TRUMP COULD WIN: Rubio will apologize to the kid. The Donald would tell him he should develop better hands
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FLORIDA HOUSE APPROVES NEW MAP FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS via the Associated Press
The Republican-controlled Florida House approved new congressional districts that would upend the state’s political landscape following a sharp debate … during which legislators quoted everyone from Thomas Jefferson to Bob Dylan. The House vote of 76-35 sets up a potential clash with the Florida Senate, which is expected to vote this week on a map that doesn’t match up with the House version.
Many Republicans chafed at the state court ruling … nine of them voted against the map supported by GOP leaders as a protest. Pensacola Rep. Mike Hill complained the state and U.S. constitutions “were under assault” and that the Legislature should fight back against the state court.
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli … acknowledged that many GOP members thought the court had overstepped its authority … the Legislature had a responsibility to follow the ruling while drawing up a replacement map. “This is our good-faith effort in doing that,” Crisafulli said. Nine Democrats joined with most Republicans in supporting the proposal.
TWEET, TWEET: @JKennedyReports: @MyFLHouse GOP opts for ‘kill the umpire’ approach in debate on @flcourts & redistricting map.
PRISON POPULATION AFFECTING FLORIDA’S REDISTRICTING FIGHT via Jeremy Wallace of the Tampa Bay Times
The last Census counted more than 160,000 people in Florida correctional facilities and they cannot vote. But they can skew how districts are drawn, and ultimately who represents the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. That is exactly what Brown is convinced is happening in north Florida.
Brown said the proposed new Congressional District 5 stretching from Jacksonville to Tallahassee will see a reduction in the percentage of black residents who are of voting age — a key measure used to ensure black voters can elect who they want to represent them in Congress — from 50 percent to 45 percent under the map that passed the House on Tuesday and is expected to be before the Senate on Wednesday.
But Brown, who is suing the Legislature to block the redrawing of her district, said the diminishment of the black voting age population in her district could be even greater because her new district would have 17,000 prisoners in it — giving it one of the highest prison populations in the state. Her current district has just 10,000.
CORRINE BROWN GETS ALLY IN VOTING RIGHTS CLAIM — A TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post
Brown … is getting some help … from the state House’s redistricting chief.
Rep. Jose Oliva … added some heft … to the argument that … Brown’s Jacksonville-to-Orlando district reconfigured west past Tallahassee could violate federal law … the change could illegally reduce prospects for the minority community to elect a candidate of its choice.
Under the plan approved … by the House, the recast District 5 would drop to 45 percent black — with the new geography also including in district boundaries a region of Florida that home to several of the state’s largest prisons … inmate population is counted in the district’s black voting-age population. But these felons aren’t voting …
TWEET, TWEET: @SeanRossman: Under proposed map, when you go through Gaines Street roundabout heading east, you actually exit D2 into D5, then spin back into D2.
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STORY YOU WON’T READ IN SUNBURN: “Rape threats and an “anal” retort as Florida conservatives brawl on Twitter” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO. >>> At some point, one has to draw the line. Far be it for me to chide others, but, c’mon people! Stay classy.
YOUR DAILY DOSE OF POLLING: The results from a new national CNN/ORC poll of the GOP field: Trump 24%; Bush 13%; Carson 9%; Rubio 8%; Walker 8%; Paul 6%; Cruz 5%; Fiorina 5%; Kasich 5%; Huckabee 4%.
BUSH: NSA NEEDS BROADER POWERS TO COMBATE ‘EVILDOERS’ via Bill Barrow of The Associated Press
Bush said Tuesday that the government should have broad surveillance powers of Americans and private technology firms should cooperate better with intelligence agencies to help combat “evildoers.”
At a national security forum in the early voting state of South Carolina, Bush put himself at odds with Republican congressional leaders who earlier this year voted to end the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records.
The former Florida governor said Congress should revisit its changes to the Patriot Act, and he dismissed concerns from civil libertarians who say the program violated citizens’ constitutionally protected privacy rights.
“There’s a place to find common ground between personal civil liberties and NSA doing its job,” Bush said. “I think the balance has actually gone the wrong way.”
FIRST ON FLORIDAPOLITICS.COM — DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT JEB BUSH’S LATE SUMMER, MULTI-STATE FUNDRAISING TOUR Full story here
Now that the traditional Iowa State Fair cattle call has concluded, Bush released his late-summer fundraising calendar. The former governor will be launching a busy multi-state tour through September 15 … Bush and family members – including his brother, former President George W. Bush — will appear at a variety of meet-and-greet receptions starting Tuesday
August 18 – Atlanta, Georgia … August 20 – Nantucket, Massachusetts … August 21 — Luncheon with Mrs. Columba Bush — Charleston, South Carolina … August 22 — Evening Reception of Mission Next – Young Professionals with Jeb Bush Jr. — East Hampton, New York … August 24 — McAllen, Texas; Evening Reception — Denver, Colorado … August 25 — Salt Lake City, Utah; Evening Reception of Mission Next – Young Professionals with Jeb Bush, Jr. — Jacksonville, Florida … August 26 — Birmingham, Alabama … August 27 — Greensboro, North Carolina; Evening Reception — Richmond, Virginia … August 28 – Virginia Beach, Virginia; Evening Reception — Southampton, New York … August 29 — Sagaponack, New York — Quogue, New York — Wilmington, North Carolina … August 31 — Evening Reception — Miami, Florida.
September 9 — Boston, Massachusetts … September 10 — Luncheon Reception with President George W. Bush — New York, New York … September 14 — Seattle, Washington … September 15 — Luncheon with Mrs. Columba Bush and Jeb Bush, Jr. — Los Angeles, California — Portland, Oregon.
WITHOUT MITT ROMNEY RUNNING, RUBIO AND JEB BUSH MAKE EARLY INROADS WITH NEVADA via Adam Wollner of the National Journal
For the first time since Nevada gained coveted early state status in Republican presidential politics, the state’s sizable Mormon vote is up for grabs … and with it, the Nevada GOP caucuses … Mitt Romney dominated the Nevada caucuses in both 2008 and 2012 … thanks in large part to Mormon caucusgoers who supported him at near-monolithic 90 percent rates … Mormons only account for roughly 4 percent of Nevada’s overall population, they have comprised one-quarter of GOP caucusgoers in the past two presidential years … without Romney, or any other member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, seeking the Republican presidential nomination … this large, key slice of the Nevada electorate is available to a broader field of candidates … Rubio and Jeb Bush are already making inroads with influential Mormon figures and former Romney allies.
MY PLAN TO FIX HEALTH CARE via Marco Rubio for POLITICO
First, I will work with Congress to create an advanceable, refundable tax credit that all Americans can use to purchase health insurance … credits should increase every year, and we should set the tax preference for employer-sponsored insurance … to ensure that it will equal the level of the credits within a decade. Second, I will reform insurance regulations to lower costs, encourage innovation, and protect the vulnerable. Those with pre-existing conditions should have access to affordable care through mechanisms such as federally supported, actuarially sound and state-based high-risk pools. Third, I will take up the difficult work of saving and strengthening Medicare and Medicaid by placing them on fiscally sustainable paths … move Medicaid into a per-capita block grant system, preserving funding for its recipients while freeing states from Washington mandates.
SEVERAL GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SUPPORT ENDING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP; WHAT ABOUT FLORIDA GOP SENATE CANDIDATES? via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
The issue of denying citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants has always been considered somewhat of a fringe idea … has come to the forefront this week after … Trump unveiled his white paper on immigration
The issue has resonance in Florida’s GOP 2016 Senate race as well … Todd Wilcox … said that he opposed birthright citizenship, adding that he thought that could be accomplished without overturning the 14th Amendment.
“I would get rid of the stipulation that just because you’re born on American soil, you’re an American citizen … The 14th amendment was created to address the issue of slavery, first and foremost. That issue no longer exists …”
… Neither David Jolly or Ron DeSantis returned our request for comment … Jolly was asked on WMNF radio … if he supported Trump’s immigration policies including eliminating birthright citizenship … (he) made it clear that he does not support anything close to what Trump is advocating …
ALAN GRAYSON VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT SENATE CHANCES A YEAR OUT via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
Grayson … tells Florida Politics that he’s looking good compared with all of the other Democrats in the race, including … Patrick Murphy. “We’re leading in the last five public polls in the primary … leading before I even announced. It’s always encouraging to be in the lead before you’re even a candidate …”
However, two polls published before he got into the race show Murphy was leading Grayson: A Mason-Dixon poll taken in April had Murphy up by a 23-14 percent margin, and a Public Policy Polling survey in June showed Murphy up over Grayson, 21-13 percent, for whatever that’s worth.
MARY THOMAS HITS GWEN GRAHAM ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD via Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News
Mary Thomas, running for the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham … is calling out the Democrat for her support of Planned Parenthood.
“Gwen Graham is ignoring you,” Thomas emailed supporters … “It’s been more than a week since we called on Congresswoman Graham to return the over $5,000 of Planned Parenthood funds she has willingly taken. Despite all the media coverage and the outrage from all sides of the political spectrum, Gwen Graham is keeping the money and keeping her pledge to fund late term abortions with your tax dollars. Planned Parenthood is still being funded by our tax dollars. As far as we know, Planned Parenthood is still harvesting baby body parts. Yet Gwen Graham ignores her constituent’s calls to return the blood money.”
GERALDINE THOMPSON PLANS CONGRESSIONAL BID via Scott Powers of the Orlando Sentinel
A day after former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings announced her candidacy for Congress in Florida’s 10th Congressional District, state Sen. Geraldine Thompson said she would enter the same race … creating a high-profile Democratic primary … she intends to file her candidacy … after the current special session of the Florida Legislature ends. That session is all about redrawing the boundaries of that and other congressional districts in Florida … set to end Friday.
ERIC LYNN’S CAMPAIGN TEAM INCLUDES HIGH-PROFILE OBAMA STAFF via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
Lynn, the only declared candidate in the Pinellas County congressional race, announced his campaign team two nationally known figures who played important parts in getting Barack Obama elected president twice.
Bill Burton and Anita Dunn from the political communications firm SKDKnickerbocker have signed on to the campaign as Lynn’s media consultants … Tom Alte will serve as Lynn’s Finance Director … also hiring a pollster — Dave Beattie of Hamilton Campaigns … Ed Peavy from Mission Control will serve as the direct mail consultant.
REBECCA NEGRON REELS IN MORE ENDORSEMENTS FOR CONGRESSIONAL BID via Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News
Negron reeled in more endorsements … in the crowded Republican primary to replace Patrick Murphy … Stuart City Commissioners Jeff Krauskopf and Troy McDonald and Sewall’s Point Commissioner James Campo …
NICEVILLE BUSINESSMAN JONATHAN TALLMAN ANNOUCES BID IN HD 4 via Florida Politics
Tallman announced on Monday he will seek the open seat in HD 4, currently held by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is leaving to run for the state Senate.
Tallman, 27, is a financial advisor and owner of the The Tallman Group. He sits on the Okaloosa Restore Act Advisory Committee and the board of the Bluewater Bay Municipal Services Benefit Unit and says he will run on a conservative, small government platform.
“I am a true conservative and champion for limited government and lower taxes,” said Tallman in a release. “I will use my experience in business and finance to keep taxes down, and to create an environment that encourages economic growth and new jobs.”
Tallman joins a 3-way GOP primary field in the race the succeed the younger Gaetz, along with Okaloosa Commissioner Wayne Harris, defense contractor Armand Izzo and Destin Mayor Mel Ponder.
***On September 17-18, Florida CHAIN will host its 1st Annual Conference, Moving Forward Together in a New Era of Health Care. It’s an opportunity to join national experts, advocates, consumers, navigators, health care providers, policy makers, and other stakeholders to learn about pressing health policy topics, acquire new skills, and network with other participants dedicated to improving the health of all Floridians. In addition to two plenary sessions, a keynote address, engaging workshops, and interactive trainings, an exciting awards dinner will be held the evening of September 17th. Learn more and register today at www.MovingForwardFlorida.org.***
RICK SCOTT HAILS NEW JOBS AT PORT TAMPA BAY via Michael Majchrowicz of the Tampa Bay Times
Scott … announced 108 new jobs at Tampa Tank, a tenant of Port Tampa Bay … established 61 years ago and acquired Florida Structural Steel 30 years ago. In January, Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson said Tampa Tank and Florida Structural Steel would add 24 jobs to its Ybor City headquarters and 84 manufacturing jobs to a refurbished facility in Port Redwing. Tampa Tank officials also said the company would spend up to $18.3 million on an expansion, taking over an existing 40,000-square-foot facility and building a new 120,000-square-foot building.
SCOTT BEING PRESSURED TO FILL TWO COUNTY ELECTION VACANCIES via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
The people who run elections in Florida say that once again … Scott is jeopardizing efficiency in voting by dragging his feet in making two appointments … been more than two months since the long-time supervisor of elections in Franklin County, Ida Elliott, resigned … Her colleagues say that’s plenty of time for Scott to appoint her successor, especially with the unresolved map of Florida congressional districts adding to the uncertainty and a presidential preference primary next March.
The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Election sent a letter to Scott, urging him to appoint supervisors in Franklin and in Hardee County, where a second vacancy exists following the departure of Supervisor Jeffery Ussery. In a letter to the governor written more than three months ago … Ussery urged Scott to appoint his top assistant, Elizabeth (Lisa) Lamboy.
SCOTT’S RESPONSE TO ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ PLANNED PARENTHOOD CITATIONS via Michael Auslen of the Times/Herald
Scott … pointed directly to viral videos of Planned Parenthood’s organ donation program as the reason behind sudden license violations against three of the organization’s clinics in Florida, which say they have not changed their practices for years … Agency for Health Care Administration cited clinics in St. Petersburg, Naples and Fort Myers for performing second-trimester abortions without a license … abortions in question are by most doctors’ standards first-trimester procedures, Planned Parenthood contends in a lawsuit
“As anybody that saw those videos regarding Planned Parenthood, it was very disturbing and troubling,” (Scott) said at an event … “So, we did the right thing, we said we’re going to make sure that the Planned Parenthood facilities in Florida are compliant with the law, so AHCA went in to do that.”
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Scott visits Miami to announce Florida’s tourism numbers at an 11 a.m. Press Conference at Miami International Airport- Concourse D, 2100 NW 42nd Ave., at the second floor customs exit, next to the Latin America photography exhibition. Parking is available in the Flamingo or Dolphin garages, in spaces closest to Concourse E.
ENTERPRISE FLORIDA BOARD MEETS
Enterprise Florida’s Board of Directors will hold a 9 a.m. meeting at the Sawgrass Marriot in Ponte Vedra Beach.
PUBLIC SERIVCE COMMISSION HEARS DUKE ENERGY TESTIMONY
The Public Service Commission will hear testimony on a number of Duke Energy issues beginning 9:30 a.m. at the Betty Easley Conference CenteR in Tallahassee.
NEW MEDICAID PAYMENT PROGRAM EXAMINED
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration will debate a new Medicaid payment structure for hospitals and outpatient care facilities. Meeting begins 12:30 p.m. in Tallahassee.
SPACE FLORIDA BOARD MEETING
The Space Florida Board of Directors meeting will start 2:30 p.m. at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach.
PREVIOUSLY CONTROVERSIAL GUN BILL GETS BACKING OF NRA, FLORIDA POLICE CHIEFS via Sascha Cordner of WFSU
It’s actually against the law to have … private ranges, and the cops want it to stop. Some want more clarification, like Amy Mercer, the Executive Director of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. Mercer’s group is behind a bill filed recently making it a first-degree misdemeanor to set up a recreational target range near a home. NRA’s Marion Hammer … said the existing law was enough. With no Senate sponsor and the disapproval of the NRA … bill initially did not go anywhere. But, after working out their differences, Hammer and the Florida Police Chiefs agreed on new language contained in another bill.
FLORIDA FARM BUREAU HONORS STATE LEGISLATORS via Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News
The Florida Farm Bureau announced its Legislators of the Year and Champions for Agriculture awards … Sen. Kelli Stargel … Rep. Katie Edwards … as Legislators of the Year … House Speaker Steve Crisafulli … for his work on agriculture issues. The Farm Bureau honored Stargel for lowering sales taxes and regulations on farms and ranches. The group also named 6 senators and 18 representatives as “Champions for Agriculture.”
SPOTTED: State Rep. Katie Edwards dining last week with Americans for Prosperity’s Chris Hudson at The Palm in Orlando.
TWEET, TWEET: @AllisonNielsen: Remember that kratom/kava bar drama from this year’s #flleg? Just heard they’re opening a kava bar on Call St
UBER TRIES TO PUT BRAKES ON NEW PALM BEACH COUNTY RULES via Andy Reid of the South Florida Sun Sentinel
Broward County blinked in its showdown with Uber. Now, Palm Beach County faces renewed pressure to drop rules threatening to drive away the popular alternative to taxis … commissioners will decide whether to approve new vehicle-for-hire rules they endorsed last month … driver fingerprinting requirements and new insurance standards for Uber, Lyft and similar ride-scheduling companies.
Uber argues that its current criminal background checks and insurance for drivers are more than sufficient and that the county’s new rules would make it harder to hire … threatened to stop local operations if the county doesn’t reconsider.
Uber customers have flooded county commissioners’ email inboxes with pleas to reconsider the tougher regulations in order to keep the company.
WHAT JEFF SHARKEY AND JEFF BRANDES ARE READING — THE TESLA OF THE FUTURE COULD LOOK A LOT LIKE UBER via Alexander Kaufman of the Huffington Post
Tesla could soon be in a position to take on Uber … By 2018, the electric automaker, which has pioneered new self-driving technology, could launch a new service of autonomous vehicles that would arrive on demand and shuttle passengers from place to place … “Given the pace of technology development both within Tesla and at rival technology and mobility companies, we would be surprised if Tesla did not share formalized business plans on shared mobility within the next 12 to 18 months,” (Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas) wrote … The theoretical service … dubbed “Tesla Mobility,” could come just after the introduction of the Model 3, Tesla’s planned suite of consumer-grade cars that would cost about $35,000 each. The Model 3 is expected to begin production in 2017.
***Metz, Husband & Daughton is a full-service firm dedicated to overcoming clients’ legislative, legal and regulatory challenges. An energetic team of highly-skilled members; MHD has the experience, expertise and reputation necessary to achieve clients’ diverse goals in the policy and political arena. MHD has proven proficient in achieving results through long-standing representation of Fortune 500 companies, major Florida corporations, and state-wide trade and professional associations. www.MetzLaw.com.***
— 13 things I really like about the latest issue of INFLUENCE Magazine” via Florida Politics
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS FROM THE LATEST LOBBYING COMPENSATION REPORTS
Registered governmental affairs firms, representing virtually every industry in Florida, reported earning slightly more than $35 million from January 1 to March 31 of this year to lobby the Florida Legislature.
FloridaPolitics.com previously reported which firms made what, with Ballard Partners and Southern Strategy Group leading all firms in Q2 compensation.
Crunching the numbers, here are a few additional thoughts on the second-quarter numbers. (None of these numbers include compensation for executive branch lobbying, which can be just as lucrative for a firm. However, for the purposes of this story, let’s compare apples to apples and focus on just legislative fees.)
— Business remains good: Median compensation figures are up approximately $1,125,000 over the second quarter of 2015.
— Business will likely remain good: Although it might be assumed that firms make more money in fiscal quarters near a legislative session, most lobbyists are paid on a monthly basis, thereby spreading fees out over all four quarters. Accordingly, if compensation increased by over $5 million from 2014-Q4 to 2015-Q1 and 2015-Q2, the industry is on track for double-digit growth in 2015.
— Ballard Partners’ and SSG’s hauls are even bigger than they appear here: Ballard nearly doubled its total with executive branch compensation, while Southern added approximately $1 million more to its bottom line from work before the executive branch.
— The Big 4 remains locked in, but the battle is on for the #3 spot: If lobbyists played in the College Football Playoff, the four teams playing for the championship would be SSG, Ballard Partners, Ron Book PA, and Capital City Consulting. This has not changed in any of the quarters since FloridaPolitics.com/SaintPetersBlog started tracking the compensation numbers, although SSG and Ballard often trade places. SSG has been on top (in these rankings) for four of the last six quarters. If you only count legislative compensation, as we do in these figures, Book is comfortably ahead of CCC. But when you throw in executive branch representation figures, Nick Iarossi and Co. are very close to securing the #3 position.
— The interesting battle for fifth place is getting more interesting: Since 2014-Q1, the #5 spot has been held by Colodny Fass, GrayRobinson, Colodny Fass, GrayRobinson, and GrayRobinson. Well, watch out Adams Street, there is a new Top 5 firm: Greenberg Traurig, which is benefiting from, among other factors, Fred Karlinsky‘s rainmaking. This time last year, GT was ranked #14 on this list; now it’s (back?) in the top echelon of governmental affairs firms. (Gus Corbella, Hayden Dempsey, etc. would tell you GT never left.)
— The battle to be among the Top 10 is even more competitive: Because Greenberg Traurig has pushed its way into the #5 spot, that means the competition to be among the Top 10 firms is even more fierce. Really no place is the competition more intense than for spots #6-10. The Rubin Group is right there at #11 with only $24K less in competition than Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney (which vaulted from #25 to #10 from 2015-Q1 to 2015-Q2). And it stands to reason that Bill Rubin‘s firm is in the the Top 10 overall because it does so well with executive branch compensation.
— Pound-for-pound champs? Some firms have more associates than an NFL teams, while others are like great boxes, meaning, pound-for-pound they truly pack a punch. This includes Johnson & Blanton at #9 with just four lobbyists on their roster and The Mayernick Group at #19 with a three lobbyist team. J&B just might be the pound-for-pound champ of Adams Street.
— Who is on the Top 25 list that wasn’t this time last year? Trey Traviesa’s Strategies Public Affairs (#13), Gunter Yoakley & Stewart (#22) Rhett ODoski‘s Advantage Consulting (#25)
— Biggest gainers: Among the non-Top 4 firms posting the biggest compensation increases year-over-year are Greenberg Traurig (+$710K), Corcoran & Johnston (+484K), BIR (+408K), Metz Husband & Daughton (+170K)
— Firms on the rise, even if the numbers don’t show it: Sometimes the numbers don’t tell the whole story, but being a sort-of-professional-analyst of the governmental affairs industry in Florida, here are a couple of firms in or near the Top 25 to keep an eye on: The policy wizards at Anfield Consulting (#18) and The Fiorentino Group (#21) whose name partner, Marty Fiorentino, is very close to Lenny Curry, the new mayor of Jacksonville.
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Thomas Arnold, James McFadden, Southern Strategy Group, E4 Health, Inc.
Brian Ballard, Ballard Partners: Shands Healthcare
Monte Stevens, Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association
David Wilkins, DTW Strategies: Accenture LLP
MATT SURRENCY GETS FULL TERM AS PRESIDENT OF FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES via Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News
Hawthorne Mayor Matt Surrency will have a full term as president of the Florida League of Cities (FLC) … been serving on an interim basis … since March. Surrency plans to focus on regional compacts which FLC defined as “collaborative efforts allow multiple cities to join together to tackle a shared issue close to home”
Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie and Tallahassee City Commissioner Gil Ziffer will be the FLC’s vice presidents.
***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.***
— “Can a hard-bitten Florida journalist who’s seen it all, write a hot, steamy romance novel?” via Random Pixels
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN PARTNERS WITH CONTROVERSIAL GUN SHOP OWNER TO SELL CONFEDERATE FLAG PAINTINGS via My Fox Orlando
George Zimmerman says anyone who buys a print of his Confederate flag painting could win the real thing worth up to $100,000 … partnered with Andy Hallinan … the gun shop owner who banned Muslims from his store in Inverness last month … money from the sales will help pay Hallinan’s legal fees because he is now being sued by the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Florida chapter.
MODELS SUE WEST PALM BEACH STRIP CLUB, SAY CLUB ADS USE THEIR IMAGES via the Associated Press
Nine models are suing a company that owns strip clubs in South Florida, saying they didn’t authorize their images for use in club advertisements … the women say they never worked for the Cheetah Gentlemen’s Clubs and their photos were misappropriated … the women live in Los Angeles and have successful modeling or acting careers … images were manipulated to give the impression that they either work for the strip club or endorse it.
TROPICAL STORM DANNY IS NAMED, FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN; COULD BECOME A HURRICANE LATER THIS WEEK via The Weather Channel
Tropical Storm Danny is quickly organizing, looking healthy via … satellite imagery. In fact, the National Hurricane Center says that Danny could become a hurricane by Thursday. This is the first active named storm in the Atlantic since the final advisory … for Claudette on July 14, a time span of more than a month. … Winds aloft in the area near the depression are not too strong and the environment is somewhat moist … it is forecast to continue to strengthening. The movement of this system will be very slow to the west-northwest the next few days … we have plenty of time to monitor its progress.
TWEET, TWEET: @StrongerSaferFL: TD 4 looks to be a #hurricane by Friday morning. Models show a track to #Florida. Be prepared
