A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Sponsored by Tucker/Hall – one of Florida’s leading public affairs and public relations firms. You need their team on your side during this Legislative session for media, grassroots and netroots support. Visit TuckerHall.com to read about their team and how they can help you.
THE WEEK AHEAD
A House committee will vote on a bill this week that would end big fundraising Committees of Continuous Existence, and another bill that shows up in committee this week would repeal the law passed a couple years ago allowing local governments to use red light cameras.
But much of Tallahassee’s attention, alas, won’t be focused on serious policy being made in the Capitol this week. That’s because the political junkie’s trial of the decade starts Monday in Orlando as former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer goes on trial for an alleged plot to steal GOP money by steering it to his own company.
Greer says the party knew all along and is simply punishing him for his association with Charlie Crist – and promises to try to bring down others in the state party by squawking about what he knows.
Click here for what else is going on, via the News Service of Florida:
IN POST-ELECTION VACUUM, RUBIO ON RISE by Ken Thomas of the Associated Press
Rubio will give the Republican response to … State of the Union … Rubio advisers say his rebuttal will offer economic prescriptions for a sluggish economy and try to counter what they call Obama’s government-centered economic approach. … Call it the ‘it’ factor. Time magazine … anoint[ed] him ‘The Republican Savior.’ … He shrugged off the label during an interview: … ‘I didn’t write the cover. I wouldn’t have said it if I wrote it. … There are no saviors in politics’ … His rise draws comparisons to Obama, who moved from Illinois senator-elect to Democratic presidential nominee within four years. Both win accolades for their oratory skills and sought a lower profile at the start of their Senate careers. Like Obama did for the Democrats, Rubio evokes a new generation for Republicans, as comfortable talking about hip-hop music as health care.
RUBIO SENSITIVE ABOUT BEING ON COVER OF TIME MAG via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times
Landing on the cover of Time, as Sen. Marco Rubio did this week, seems like a sweet addition to his portfolio. But Rubio is sensitive to the perception he’s the chosen one — “The Republican Savior.”
He quickly tweeted yesterday morning, “There is only one savior, and it is not me. #Jesus.” That brought a round of respect and mockery.
Rubio’s team questioned why Time put him on the cover (spokesman Alex Conant suggested this storyinstead) and pointed to a “better” headline used for international editions — “Marco Rubio & The Next America.”
Whether he has a point or is over sensitive, the reaction is an insight into how careful Rubio manages the image.
RUBIO TO HEADLINE HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO LINCOLN DAY DINNERS via William March of the Tampa Tribune
Time magazine cover dubbing him the “savior” of the Republican Party, plus the assignment to deliver the Republican response to the State of the Union Address Tuesday, have made Sen. Marco Rubio the hottest Republican rising star in Florida, maybe the nation—and the Hillsborough and Pasco County Republican parties both have him booked for keynote speeches at upcoming fundraising dinners.
Rubio will hit the Pasco Reagan Day Dinner April 30 at Spartan Manor in New Port Richey. Tickets are $125 a person, with VIP packages up to $5,000; contact Bill Bunting at 727 862 1063 or the county party office at 727 863 5400 for info.
The Hillsborough party will hold its Lincoln Day fundraising dinner May 18, also with Rubio as the keynoter, county GOP chairman and state Sen. Tom Lee announced; no details on location or tickets was immediately available.
DEMS RECRUITING GWEN GRAHAM, DAUGHTER OF FORMER GOV., TO CHALLENGE STEVE SOUTHERLAND
Referring to this video titled “Tea Party Congress the Sequel”, Israel wrote Graham and the others to say, “I just showed this video to the … House Democratic Caucus … [T]his kind of dysfunction and extremism is the reason we need you to run, and why the time is now. Voters are fed up with the Congress of Chronic Chaos and ready for the commonsense solutions you can offer them. I hope that in two years you’ll be joining us at this retreat.”
Israel would like to see Graham challenge Steve Southerland in Congressional District 2. The Tea Party favorite knocked of blue dog Allen Boyd in 2010 and then held off Al Lawson in 2012. Despite these victories, Southerland is still seen as vulnerable because the district was redrawn to perform better for Democrats. Southerland was recently listed as one of the Top 10 targets for House Majority PAC, the leading Democratic super-PAC.
A spokesman for the DCCC confirmed the party’s interest in recruiting Graham, but did not elaborate.
It’s unclear what Graham’s response will be to Israel’s entreaties to run, but her last name alone lends her instant credibility.
Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor, said the Graham name “is as good a name as you can get in Florida politics.”
DEMOCRATS TARGETING BILL YOUNG BECAUSE OF SEQUESTRATION
Democrats are already eyeing at least 10 Republican-held seats … with strong military connections to target in 2014, after sequester cuts have trickled down to local bases where jobs are lost and voters notice.
… The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that sequestration could cost 1 million jobs and send the country into another recession. … Say sequestration kicks in on March 1: then lawmakers are suddenly … reacting to very real reductions in government services the public relies on, as well as a rippling of layoffs in the private sector. … The DCCC is circulating a list of Republican members who represent districts where defense and domestic cuts could cause lasting damage and help turn the seats from red to blue, or at least force the GOP to spend money it didn’t plan on spending.
A top target is … Rep. Bill Young, a 22-term Floridian who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee in charge of the Pentagon’s purse strings. They also are eyeing members with military bases or defense contractors in their backyards, including Steve Southerland.
Even if the targeted GOP members work to stop the cuts, … Democrats say the Republicans’ electoral prospects could still be dragged down if enough conservatives win on forcing sequestration to happen anyway. … Democrats also said sequestration would pose problems for Republicans if it started March 1 but got retroactively fixed through legislation – a strategy some in the GOP say may be their best option – because of the uncertainty in front of defense contractors.
PATRICK MURPHY FORMS LEADERSHIP PAC via Dave Levinthal of The Center for Public Integrity
Murphy has formed a leadership PAC — once primarily the domain of veteran congressmen but lately used by most any federal legislator — that he’s calling PEM PAC, according to documents filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.
Brian Foucart, a longtime Democratic financial official whose jobs have included stints with the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and John Kerry, will serve as PEM PAC’s treasurer.
Members of congress may use leadership PACs to fund activities apart from their own political campaigns, including travel, advertising and donating cash to partisan brethren.
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HENDERSON COLUMN – IS ALEX SINK RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR? STAY TUNED
Were this a purely political choice, it would probably be an easy call for Sink to jump headlong into the race. However, we know it is a lot more complicated after the death of her husband, Bill McBride, from a heart attack three days before Christmas.
“After a life event like this, everyone advises not to make a momentous decision right away,” she said. “Bill very much wanted me to run again, but I’m going to wait until summer to decide. It’s still a roller coaster right now, but that’s the natural process you go through.”
Sink surely sounds at times like someone who is running. For instance, when I asked about Scott’s proposed budget for next year that includes $4 billion in spending increases, she quipped, “I don’t know who he is anymore.”
REPUBLICANS ARE COOLING TO TEA PARTIERS by Scott Powers of the Orlando Sentinel
The romance between Florida Republicans and various tea-party groups, which reached its zenith when Gov. Rick Scott unveiled his first state budget to a tea-party crowd in 2011, has clearly cooled. And tea-party activists are feeling left out — if not spurned.
The past seven months have not been kind to the movement that once was seen as a fresh base of ideas and volunteers for Republicans.
The cruelest blow may have come from Gov. Rick Scott, who in 2011 unveiled a budget featuring nearly $4 billion in cuts — $1.5 billion to education alone — to fervent tea-party applause in Eustis and The Villages. This year, Scott is asking for a $74.2 billion budget — a 6 percent increase — that includes raises for teachers, bonuses for state employees and increased money for everything from roads to conservation.
“What in the world happened with Gov. Scott’s budget proposal?” said Jason Hoyt, an organizer with several Orange County tea parties. “It just baffles my mind.”
If some are baffled, others are bitter. Said Karin Hoffman, founder of DC Works For Us in Fort Lauderdale, who organized a tea-party conference attended by 220 activists in Orlando in January, “There’s a, ‘If you are not going to listen, we will go away from the party,’ attitude emerging. So that’s kind of where it is.”
And resentful: “I think these guys are terrified,” John Long, chairman of the Florida Tea Party, said of GOP leaders. “November 6th didn’t go well, and rather than look inside and say, ‘What did we do wrong?’ they are looking around them and saying, ‘Who can we blame?’ It’s kind of issue du jour to blame the tea party.”
SORDID DETAILS OF BAHAMAS TRIP COULD COME OUT IN JIM GREER TRIAL by Lucy Morgan of the Tampa Bay Times
The five-year-old gathering has gained a life of its own in the criminal case against former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer, who has been charged with money laundering and grand theft for allegedly diverting about $200,000 in party funds to a corporation he created. The trip itself isn’t tied to Greer’s legal problems, but details of the weekend could surface in testimony at his trial, which begins with jury selection Monday in Orlando, or remain secret, depending on which lawyers win out.
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BRICKS & MORTAR VS. ONLINE RETAILERS IS BACK via Matt Dixon of the Florida Times Union
A political food fight over whether online retailers should pay Florida’s 6 percent sales tax is again set to take the spotlight this legislative session.
Current law does not require buyers to pay sales tax for online purchases, a situation that has cost the state an estimated average of $425 million annually over the past three years.
Because it puts so-called bricks-and-mortar stores located in Florida at a competitive disadvantage, changing the law has been a top priority for the Florida Retail Federation over the past few legislative sessions.
Florida does not have a personal income tax, so sales tax is a huge revenue stream for Florida. In 2012, it represented 70 percent of Florida’s $24.7 billion in general revenue.
A Senate bill that would require Internet retailers to pay state sales tax passed its first Senate committee stop Wednesday. Because it represents a tax increase, the legislation also includes a set of tax breaks to ensure it won’t bring additional revenue into the state.
Offsetting new money is needed to gain the support of Gov. Rick Scott and some GOP lawmakers leery of supporting anything resembling a tax hike. Come campaign time, the vote could prove to be costly in a GOP primary.
FIRST LOOK AT HOUSE’S ELECTION REFORM BILL
A measure that would allow elections supervisors to hold more days of early voting, provide more sites for casting pre-Election Day votes and curb the length of ballot summaries for constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislature is set to be heard Wednesday by the House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee.
The proposal (PCB EES 13-01), released ahead of next week’s meeting, would provide up to 14 days of early voting in each county, though only eight would be required; elections supervisors could allow early voting up to five days before it currently begins and on the Sunday before an election, when many black churches hold “souls to the polls” voting drives. It would also loosen rules on where early voting could take place. And it would limit the first proposed ballot summary of any amendment proposed by the Legislature to 75 words, the same cap faced by citizen initiatives. Lawmakers would be allowed to break that cap on additional summaries if they attach those to the bill as fallback options in case a court strikes down the first proposed summary. The attorney general would also not be limited if he or she has to redraft the ballot summary after a successful court challenge to the language that voters read when they decide whether to approve the amendment.
RED LIGHT CAMERAS FIND QUESTIONABLE CHAMPION IN REP. DAPHNE CAMPBELL by Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times
A Honda minivan registered to her husband, Hubert, has five red light camera violations, according to records obtained by the Times/Herald from American Traffic Solutions, or ATS, a Scottsdale, AZ vendor that provides the cameras for most cities and counties that use them in Florida. Because of a lawsuit won by the Times/Herald, ATS must make tickets public record.
Two of the tickets, a May 10, 2010 violation in North Miami and a July 16, 2010 violation in Hallendale Beach, remain uncollected. A ticket costs $158. If unpaid, a traffic citation is issued and may result in the termination of the vehicle registration and suspension of the owner’s driver’s license.
ATS provided a photo of the Honda Odyssey minivan at one of the violations. It has a Campbell campaign sticker on it.
SACHS FILES ANIMAL DYEING BAN by the News Service of Florida
Pink baby chicks, purple bunnies and all other manner of artificially colored animals would once again be illegal in Florida under a bill sponsored by Senator Maria Sachs.
The measure (SB 650) would reverse a change pushed by former Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, Sachs’ Republican opponent last November, that repealed an earlier prohibition on dyeing animals. It would bar anyone in Florida from coloring birds and animals or importing colored animals and birds. Sachs’ bill would also make it illegal to sell young chickens, ducklings and rabbits.
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LEGISLATIVE BRIEFS via the News Service of Florida
In the House
See you later, CCE’s: The House Ethics & Elections Subcommittee is expected to vote on a bill that would make major changes in the state’s campaign-finance system. The measure (HB 569) is a priority of House Speaker Weatherford and includes eliminating groups known as committees of continuous existence, or CCEs. Also, it would raise the limit on individual donations to campaigns from the current $500 to $10,000.
In the Senate
Select Committee on PPACA: The Senate select committee looking at the new federal health care law and Florida’s obligations under it will take testimony and view presentations aimed at helping lawmakers decide whether to expand Medicaid eligibility, an optional part of the law sometimes called “Obamacare.” The committee also will look at the experiences of other states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility. Presenters in the committee will include the Florida Hospital Association, the Georgetown Center for Children and Families and Greg Mellowe of the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy. The committee also will hear from Tarren Bragdon of the Foundation for Government Accountability and Commissioner Mary Mayhew of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
TWEET OF THE DAY: @JeffreyBrandes: Gung fai faat choih – Happy Chinese New Year!
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DOG BITES MAN – CASHING IN ON STATE CONTRACTS BECOMES GROWTH INDUSTRY via Mary Ellen Klas of the Hearld/Times Tallahassee bureau
Even for Tallahassee standards, the scene was notable: lobbyist Brian Ballard dining with a nursing home executive, Gov. Rick Scott and a top aide at a pricey restaurant just blocks from the Capitol.
That Ballard’s clout could command a private dinner with the governor for a client speaks to the influential lobbyist’s fundraising finesse.
But equally important, and less celebrated, is Ballard’s talent for helping his clients land lucrative state contracts: $938 million this year alone, according to a Herald/Times analysis of contracts in the $70 billion state budget.
“Is that all?’’ joked Ballard, who said he had never added it up. “A big part of my business is protecting contracts, and outsourcing. Outsourcing saves [the state] money.”
Ballard is not alone. The lobbying offices that line the moss-covered streets of Tallahassee have grown exponentially larger in the past two decades as governors and legislators have steered a greater share of the state’s budget to outside vendors.
No one is keeping track of the total, but Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater last year estimated the total contract expenditure for Florida’s 2011-12 budget cycle at $50.4 billon — 72 percent of the budget. The bulk of it, nearly $42 billion, was for healthcare contracts and service sector grants that often are never competitively bid.
TWEET, TWEET: I have just one question for @MaryEllenKlas: What constitutes a pricey restaurant in #Tallahassee?
DOLPHINS AGREE TO REFERENDUM FOR STADIUM FIGHT via the Miami Herald
The Miami Dolphins have agreed to seek voter approval of tax dollars for Sun Life Stadium, with team executives dropping their objections to a referendum on the controversial plan, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
The Dolphins and County Mayor Carlos Gimenez plan to announce the referendum agreement at a press conference called for 8:15 a.m. today at County Hall. Sen. Oscar Braynon, the Miami Gardens Democrat sponsoring a bill to bring Sun Life new state and county subsidies, would then change the proposed legislation to require a countywide vote on the plan, a source familiar with the Dolphins’ lobbying efforts said.
The Dolphins hope to get the issue before voters by May 22, when the NFL is expected to pick the host city for the 2016 Super Bowl, the 50th. The Dolphins have cited the bid to host that game as the reason to push for a quick decision on tax dollars to pay for about half of a proposed $400 million renovation.
FAASB HOLDS VISIONING SUMMIT
Tthe Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind (FAASB) held a successful Vision Summit last week. As part of this year’s summit held at the Capitol FAASB put on a special demonstration called “Seeing Through Technology” where FAASB members demonstrated how iPhones, iPads and apps are helping blind and visually impaired Floridians navigate through the day. These technologies allow them to read money, identify colors and provide directions. Dropping by the “Seeing Through Technology” event were a number of legislators, including Reps. Dennis Baxley (he is chair of the Vision Caucus; his son is blind.); Alan Williams, Daniel Davis, Lake Ray, and Doc Renuart; Sens. Aaron Bean and Audrey Gibson, as well as Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown.
JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE IS TURNING 25!
Come join one of Florida’s oldest and largest public policy organizations as it turns 25! The James Madison Institute will host its 25th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at FSU’s University Center Club in Tallahassee. Dr. Edwin Feulner and Sen. Jim DeMint, president and president-elect of The Heritage Foundation, will headline the celebratory dinner, along with Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Commissioner Adam Putnam and Speaker of the Florida House Will Weatherford. A special recognition of JMI’s founder, Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, former FSU president (who just turned 90 at the start of 2013) will take place. The Gala reception will start at 6 p.m. and the dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are now on sale and a range of sponsorship opportunities are now available. For more information visit www.jamesmadison.org or email Jenny Stone at [email protected].
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ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: The Florida Chamber Foundation, in partnership with Florida Department of Transportation, will host more than 100 business leaders interested in Florida’s transportation future. This one-day event will address the topics offreight, logistics and trade; mobility, moving people and goods; funding and investment, and much more. Honey Lake Plantation Resort & Spa. 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.
MARC DUNBAR LEAVING PENNINGTON, MOORE TO OPEN TALLY OFFICE FOR JONES WALKER
Uber lobbyist Marc Dunbar has left white-shoe lobbying firm Pennington, Moore to open a Tallahassee office for Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre L.L.P, a 375-attorney national firm with one of the best gaming practices in the legal community.
“I’m excited to joining a firm with such a storied reputation” Dunbar wrote in an email to me. “Combining my practice with Louisiana and Mississippi’s largest gaming practices certainly offers clients with an interest in this area the deepest bench in the the region to serve their needs.”
For more than a decade, Dunbar has served as counsel to a host of gaming clients. His practice focuses on gaming and governmental law, as his gaming practice is Florida’s largest, encompassing both lobbying and litigation for casinos, gaming suppliers, pari-mutuels, sweepstakes and charities. Dunbar is regularly asked to appear before legislative and administrative panels to comment on changes to Florida’s various gaming laws, as well as to provide assistance in drafting changes to Florida’s gaming rules and statutes.
“Marc brings extensive industry experience as a practicing lawyer, from both the private and public sectors, that will significantly strengthen our ability to meet our gaming clients’ needs throughout the Southeast region,” remarked William H. Hines, firm managing partner. “He is a strong and valuable addition to our team.”
ALAN SUSKEY JOINS CANNON AND CRETUL’S CAPITOL INSIGHT FIRM
News out of Tallahassee is that one of Saint Petersburg’s favorite political sons has joined former Speaker-squared’s Capitol Insight. Alan Suskey, formerly of Three Bridges Advisors, has joined Capitol Insight as of late this week, adding to CI’s impressive team of government relations consultants.
What Alan brings to the team, other than no ban to lobby the Legislature and all others in Tallahassee, is his extensive background in St. Pete/Clearwater politics and his connections and affiliations with Congressman Young’s longtime right hand man, David Jolly of Three Bridges Advisors DC office. Rumor has it, Alan will help bridge (no pun intended) CI’s Florida presence with their DC presence by still working closely with his former colleagues at Three Bridges – showing they intend to be more than a Tally-only lobby shop.
REAPPOINTED: Cesar Alvarez to the Florida International University Board of Trustees.
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CAN’T WAIT TO READ: Here’s the Deal by David Leonhardt, the highly recommended essay by the New York Times columnist which “explains lucidly and with calm authority the mess we are in–and how we can get ourselves out of it.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY from over the weekend, Democratic operatives Carrie Henriquez and Franco Ripple.
