A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
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OBAMA APPROVAL STEADY IN FACE OF CONTROVERSIES
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds President Obama’s approval rating has remained steady at 51% to 44%, “in the face of fresh disclosures about the IRS, the Benghazi attack and the Justice Department’s secret collection of telephone records of Associated Press journalists as part of a leak investigation.”
Key findings: “A bare majority of Americans say they believe that Obama is focused on issues that are important to them personally; just 33% think so of congressional Republicans. Brighter assessments of the economy may be one reason that the president has been able to weather controversies. For the first time since the 100-day mark of Obama’s first term, most say they are optimistic about the direction of the economy. More than half, 56%, say the economy is on the mend, the most to say so in polls since 2009.”
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RUBIO TO HEADLINE EVENT FOR MAVPAC
Senator Marco Rubio will headline the annual conference for Maverick PAC, the group started by George P. Bush that is aimed at bringing young professionals into the GOP.
Other speakers at the July 12-14 conference in Miami include former Gov. Jeb Bush and House Speaker Will Weatherford.
A copy of the invite is here.
CRIST RAISING MONEY FOR GWEN GRAHAM TONIGHT h/t to Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times
Crist is set to headline fundraising reception tonight in Tampa for Gwen Graham, the Democratic challenger to Steve Southerland in CD 2 and daughter of former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.
Crist will join a Who’s Who of Tampa Democrats hosting the event at Stacy Frank’s home, including Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Kathy and Betty Castor, Jim Davis, Sandy Freedman, Pat Frank and more.
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DOZENS OF BILLS AWAIT SCOTT DECISIONS via the News Service of Florida.
House and Senate leaders Monday sent 34 bills to Gov. Rick Scott, who will have until June 4 to make decisions about a wide range of issues such as the Everglades and expert-witness testimony in lawsuits. Many of the bills drew relatively little attention during the legislative session that ended May 3. But others are related to Everglades restoration (HB 7065); revamping expert-witness standards (HB 7015); repealing a renewable-fuel law (HB 4001); barring the use of state electronic-benefit cards at adult establishments (HB 701); and trying to crack down on “cyberbullying” among students (HB 609).
GOVERNOR SIGNS ELECTIONS LAW FIX via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald
cott has finished the fix of the flawed election law that relegated Florida to a late-night joke in 2012 by signing an elections clean-up bill passed on the final day of the legislative session.
The measure, signed by Scott late Monday before he left for a trade mission to Chile, reverses several provisions implemented in 2011 by GOP lawmakers in anticipation of the 2012 presidential election.
Those changes, criticized by Democrats as an attempt to suppress votes for President Obama, limited the early voting that the president’s campaign capitalized on in 2008. The 2011 law also prevented early voting on the Sunday before Election Day and prohibited voters, particularly students, from changing their voting address at the polls.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SHOUTS FROM THE TOP OF MT. ELECTION REFORM
If Florida election reform were a mountain, the League of Women Voters suggests the trek up it to be a an unlikely feat, but one which resulted this legislative session in a surprising view of the summit. “Sometimes it felt like climbing a mountain with concrete boots,” states Deirdre Macnab, League president, “But with the Governor’s signature on this election reform package, Florida has achieved what many of us thought at one time might be impossible: a huge improvement to our democratic process and a giant step forward for Florida voters.”
Congratulations were issued to election Chairs Jack Latvala and Jim Boyd for their efforts in making the bill a bipartisan effort and for ensuring public voices were heard alongside those of elections officials. But the League doesn’t consider the victory to be case closed. “Citizens must stay vigilant to ensure that our elections system does not slide backwards at any point in the future,” Macnab continued. That said, it appears that this bill is well equipped with the policy equivalent of harnesses and ropes.
I suppose 2014 will tell.
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APPOINTED: Maryam Ghyabi to the governing board of the St. Johns River Water Management District; Edward “Ed” Blommel and Judy Parker (re-appointed) to the Pasco-Hernando Community College District Board of Trustees.
ATWATER BUSTS ARSON MASTERMIND IN ‘OPERATION CHRISTMAS TREE’
Christmas trees are responsible for hundreds of fires annually; but according to a series of arrests made in Marion County, at least some of these fires are the result of arson and insurance fraud.
In what has been dubbed “Operation Christmas Tree”, CFO and State Fire Marshal Jeff Atwater, together with Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced Tuesday the arrest of eight people who committed arson with the intent to defraud. At the center of the operation was Rocky Edward Williams, 55, who masterminded agreements with homeowners to start fires and split the insurance proceeds.
Moral of the story: keep your Christmas trees well-watered and away from heat sources. And don’t set your house on fire.
FLORIDA NEEDS NEW IDENTITY WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD… via contributor Karen Cyphers
Florida leads the nation in the rate of reported identity theft, and not just by a little bit. According to statistics compiled from the Federal Trade Commission’s most recent Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, Florida’s rate is nearly double that of the second leading state — Georgia — and more than three times as high as the next in line — California, Michigan, New York, and Nevada. Florida reported 70,000 incidents of identity theft in 2012, representing approximately 361 of every 100,000 Floridians. Comparatively, Georgia reported 194 incidents per 100,000 residents. There is something about Florida that attracts this kind of activity beyond the fact that the state is a haven for retirees. Arizona is a retirement hotspot too — but that state reported less than one-third the rate of such fraud as Florida last year. North and South Dakota came in last for the risk of identity theft, at one-tenth the rate of Florida. If only the Sunshine State could do what it does and gank some Dakota cred.
FLORIDA’S TAX HOLIDAY GOES DIGITAL IN 2013
In years past, Florida’s popular back-to-school sales tax holiday covered basics like paper, pencils and erasers. For 2013, the tax holiday, from August 2 through 4, now includes a few digital essentials used by today’s students. The Legislature upgraded this year’s tax holiday, adding digital tools like personal computers and accessories selling for up to $750. “Personal computers” are items and accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. As in previous tax holidays, shoes and clothing up to $75 and school supplies—pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers and other school items up to $15—will continue to be tax-free during the three-day weekend.
GAMBLING STUDY FACES QUESTIONS EARLY ON via James Rosica of the Tampa Tribune
Spectrum Gaming Group suffered a virtual body slam once it was announced last month as winner of a $400,000 contract to study the present and future effects of gambling in Florida. The New Jersey-based consultants were lambasted as “paid apologists” by No Casinos in Florida, an Orlando-based group that opposes gambling. The group was too cozy with the casinos; any report would be a “propaganda tool for the casino gambling industry,” according to a letter No Casinos sent to House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz. Its contract with the Legislature prohibits Spectrum’s project team from talking with reporters. Though if they could, they may well have said, “Trust us: We’re former journalists.” The gaming study is divided into two parts, with reports due in July and October, for a total cost of $388,845. That’s the problem with hiring a consulting firm, rather than academics, to do this kind of work, [John Sowinski of No Casinos] added: “You wind up getting a roll-out team for casino expansion.”
PRESS RELEASE OF THE DAY: “Seminole Man, Bill Murray Fan Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize”
RANDOM, SLIGHTLY TROUBLING PRESS RELEASES: “FDOT Inspectors Take To The Streets In Ocala” and “Overnight Traffic Shift for I-4 in Volusia County”
STATE LAUNCHING WEBSITE TO MATCH FLORIDA BUSINESS WITH GRADUATES
Workforce Florida Inc., the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and regional workforce boards announced the June launch of HireFloridaGrads.com, a web portal for work-ready graduates seeking employment
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AFTER DOLPHINS SUPERBOWL BID DIES, WEATHERFORD DEFENDS LEGISLATURE’S NON-DEAL ON STADIUM via the Buzz
After the Miami Dolphins lost their bid to host Super Bowl 50 or 51, House Speaker Will Weatherford took to his blog to defend the Legislature’s decision not to pass a bill providing up to $389 million in taxpayer support for an upgraded stadium.
Weatherford said the Dolphins stadium deal had “three strikes against it” and that it didn’t stand a chance.
“Even with the millions of dollars being spent, the referendum was going down,” he wrote. “The voters spoke…and so did the Legislature.”
FUNDRAISER FOR HD 2 CANDIDATE MIKE HILL TONIGHT
Speaker Designates Steve Crisafulli, Richard Corcoran, and Jose Oliva are hosting a fundraiser for Mike Hill, the newly-minted GOP nominee in House District 2, tonight.
The event begins at noon. The reception will be held in the Plantation Room of The Governors Club, 202 South Adams Street, Tallahassee.
FLORIDA’S SOUTHERNMOST HOUSE DISTRICT BECOMES A RACE TO WATCH
The seat held by Holly Raschein, District 120, is one of the more competitive in the Florida House. Raschein was elected in 2012 after Ron Saunders faced term limits, and she was elected by a narrow margin of less than 3,000 votes despite spending far more than her Democratic opponent Ian Whitney. Raschein’s hasn’t been the only close race in this district. Indeed, in 2010, Monroe County was evenly split between Rick Scott and Alex Sink with a margin of about one-tenth of one percent. This history of close races is not lost on businesswoman and community leader Pamela Gray, who filed her paperwork Monday to challenge Raschein’s hold on the House seat. This is a case where fundraising alone may not predict who emerges from this race, and it is likely that the gubernatorial election will play a role in determining its outcome. Florida’s southernmost House district will definitely be a race to watch.
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FORMER REP. RON KLEIN HIRED TO LOBBY ON IMMIGRATION BILL
The U.S. Immigration Fund has hired Holland & Knight to lobby on EB-5 issues for the fund. Former Rep. Klein and Paolo Mastrangelo are listed on the contract.
The Immigration Fund works to help wealthy foreign investors obtain an EB-5 visa and lawful permanent residency in exchange for an investment of at least $500,000, or $1 million in a pooled investment. The investment must show that it created at least 10 U.S. jobs. In exchange, investors and their families can obtain a green card.
The move comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee is marking up the immigration bill in advance of an expected June floor vote by the full Senate.
MEDIA NOTE VIA TWITTER: @BSFarrington: Follow @mjmishak Starting next month he’ll be partnering with me to cover Florida politics for AP
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to lobbyist Sam Ard, Representative Dane Eagle and my good friend, The Intersection aka Jordan Raynor.
