A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
***Sunburn is sponsored by Tucker/Hall – one of Florida’s leading public affairs and public relations firms. Bring in their team to help you with state and local government issues, ballot initiatives, regulatory issues and grassroots campaigns. They can also help you push back against fake consumer groups. Visit TuckerHall.com to read about their team.***
RUBIO IN TEA PARTY STANDOFF VERSUS JOHN MCCAIN OVER BUDGET via the Associated Press
A long-simmering feud between establishment Republicans and tea partyers broke into full view Thursday, with Sen. John McCain accusing younger colleagues of overplaying their hands and tempting Democrats to change Senate rules that protect the minority party.
Tactics for dealing with the government’s budget and debt became the latest quarrel In a string of them between McCain — sometimes joined by other traditionalist Republicans — and tea party champions such as Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida.
Those four won Senate seats by defying the party establishment, and are shaking up the tradition-bound Senate with no-compromise, no-apology stands on key issues like debt and deficits, government spending and the use of drones in the war on terrorism.
Rubio, who has made a couple floor speeches about the standoff, tweeted this evening: “Will keep objecting to budget negotiations moving forward until Senate leaders agree to rule out raising #DebtLimit.” If they don’t plan to raise #DebtLimit in budget then why do they object to putting it in writing upfront?”
***Bright House Networks Business Solutions is the local leader in advanced communications and networking solutions. We were proud to be selected as the official provider of Voice, Video and High Speed Data services to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa. Some of the strongest companies in the area count on our industry-leading fiber network, including top institutions in Government, Healthcare, Hospitality and Education. We own and operate our network end-to-end, which means we maintain full accountability. Our fiber solutions provide secure and reliable service level agreements, backed by dedicated and locally-based sales executives and solutions engineers. Learn more.***
HEADLINE PROVING IT WAS A SLOW NEWS DAY IN THE STATE: “FLA. GOP NOTICES NAN RICH” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times
MORE PROOF: “THE RICK SCOTT CAMPAIGN VS. CHARLIE CRIST IN ONE GRAPHIC” Here
***Shield Political Research offers a fresh approach to opposition research, putting the narrative and investigative tools of journalism to work for Democratic campaigns, progressive non-profits and certain corporate clients. Founded by a former newspaper reporter and South Florida native, Shield works quickly and discretely, applying an unrivaled fluency in public records and political storytelling to fully harness the power of information. To learn more visit shieldresearch.com***
BONDI HELPING LEAD NEW GOP WOMEN’S GROUP
Attorney General Pam Bondi will co-chair a group focused on getting more Republican women elected to state offices. The Republican State Leadership Committee has decided to “relaunch” its Right Women, Right Now effort to help female GOP candidate, the group said Thursday.
Bondi will serve as one of four co-chairs, along with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Tennessee Speaker Beth Harwell. Joint statement:
We applaud the Republican State Leadership Committee’s strong commitment to recruit and support women to state office. Right Women, Right Now has brought together a group of proven women leaders from across the nation who are passionate about increasing the number of Republican women in state level office. We look forward to working together to implement this long-term, sustainable project of identifying and recruiting qualified women to run for office.
As NBC News points out, the initiative dovetails nicely with the GOP’s broader efforts to re-brand itself after the 2012 elections. It could also help raise Bondi’s statewide and national profile.
REPEAL OF ETHANOL LAW FUELS DEBATE via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida
A bio-energy company on the Treasure Coast is calling for Gov. Scott to veto a measure that would repeal the state law requiring most gasoline sold in the state to include nearly 10 percent ethanol. But based upon the relative ease in which the bill (HB 4001) moved through the Legislature, and a stack of emails sent to the governor’s office in support of the measure, Vero Beach-based INEOS New Planet BioEnergy has a hard road ahead. Still, regardless of how Scott acts, David Mica, executive director of Florida Petroleum Council, said the legislation may be mostly symbolic because of federal mandates that gasoline be mixed with ethanol or other biofuels. During debate on the proposed repeal, House sponsor Matt Gaetz called the law a “flawed business model” for government to require people to buy products. “Do we believe in free markets or not?” Gaetz asked.
***The Public Affairs Consultants Team of Jack Cory, Keyna Cory and Erin Daly would like to thank the Members of the Florida Legislature and the Governor for another great Legislative Session. So far this year PA clients have received over $1billion of new appropriation funds as well as state and local government contracts. Now they begin preparing for the next Legislative Session by traveling the state, from Pensacola to Key West, coordinating grassroots programs with their clients and Members of the Legislature as well as local governments. For over 20 years, the P A Team has successfully helped their clients through the legislative, state and local government process by providing governmental consulting, lobbying and grassroots programs. They “Cover Florida like the Sun”.***
STATE REPAYS BORROWED UNEMPLOYMENT MONEY via the News Service of Florida
Florida has repaid money that it borrowed from the federal government to cover unemployment costs stemming from the Great Recession, business groups announced Thursday. The state borrowed $3.5 billion after the trust fund that pays for jobless benefits was hammered by persistent and high unemployment during the economic downturn. Normally, the state funds the system with taxes paid by businesses. “It was an uphill battle for small-business owners, but the unemployment insurance trust fund is now back in the black,” said Bill Herrle, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business in Florida. Florida’s unemployment rate, which sat at 7.2 percent in April, has been below the national rate for two months after years of higher joblessness than the rest of the country.
SURVEY: FLORIDIANS CONFLICTED ABOUT IMMIGRATION POLICIES via UF News
Floridians have negative feelings about undocumented immigrants, but an overwhelming majority favor policy that would allow such immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences survey suggests.
***RSA Consulting Group is a full service consulting firm with expertise in the areas of government & legislative affairs, community affairs, strategic planning, as well as media & public relations. RSA fully integrates all of these areas to achieve far-reaching results and yield high-impact successes for their clients. When you choose RSA Consulting Group, you’re choosing a team well known for their exceptional work ethic, integrity and ability to accomplish the goal. For more information, visit RSA Consulting Group’s website.***
A DOUBLY HISTORIC YEAR FOR THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM WITH AWARDING OF STATE FUNDS via contributor Karen Cyphers
In 1933, the Nazi party assumed power in Germany, and with Adolf Hitler as chancellor, set up the first concentration camp at Dachau, burned books, and formed the Gestapo; this was 80 years ago, almost to the day. In 1939, Walter Loebenberg escaped Nazi Germany and ultimately settled in St. Pete. Together with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, and a group of other businessmen and community leaders, Loebenberg created a living memorial to those who suffered and perished with the goal to ensure such atrocities could never happen again. He managed to acquire a boxcar from Poland that was once used to transport people to concentration camps, and used it as museum space. In 1992, the Bay Area monument quickly surpassed expectations and outgrew its space.
Today, the Florida Holocaust Museum is one of the largest such museums in the nation, and has touched lives beyond those who have visited its 27,000 square foot premises: In 1994, the Museum played a critical role in shaping legislation that made Florida one of the first states in the nation to mandate Holocaust education in public schools, and has been instrumental in the development of grade-appropriate curriculum. This week, the Museum earned a new benchmark in its mission to teach children about the “inherent worth and dignity of human life”: the awarding of record-level state funding for its programming, curricula, and the digital preservation of testimony by Holocaust survivors and liberators. Loebenberg,
Board of Directors Chairman Marty Borell, and Executive Director Elizabeth Gelman praised Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature for appropriating and approving the funds, summing nearly $1,00,000; with special thanks to Speaker Will Weatherford; Representatives Ed Hooper and Erik Fresen; Senators Jack Latvala, Bill Galvano, Jeff Brandes, and Maria Sachs; and CFO Jeff Atwater.
FLORIDA RANKS 23RD IN ELECTING WOMEN TO LEGISLATURE — BUT WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? by contributor Karen Cyphers
The number of women serving in Florida’s legislature has decreased, and according to a new study, the state now ranks 23rd in the nation for its ratio of elected women. The Center for American women and Politics cites Florida’s 12 women in the State Senate and 28 in the House — an average of 25 percent. Comparatively, in Colorado, 41 percent of the legislature is female; while in Louisiana, the ratio drops to under 12 percent. So, what does this mean? Does it matter? Warning: get your Poli Sci 101 hats back on.
I’ll start with what seems to be true: in the abstract, constituents do seem to like or trust the idea that their representative be the same gender or race, but enter a set of actual candidates and much of these preferences disappear. Now, here is a whole lot of stuff suggesting that the gender of individual legislators, and the proportion of women in each legislative body, matters not so much. First, regarding policy outcomes: Most research on state-level policies show little or no relationship between laws that pass and the ratio of women serving in the body. In fact, beginning in the early 1990s, as the number of elected women increased, their willingness and ability to pursue a “women’s” agenda declined. Specifically, studies have failed to uncover links between the composition of the legislature and the adoption of bills on issues such as women’s health or domestic violence. Then, there’s the issue of constituent responsiveness. Various analyses show elected women and men spending equal amounts of time on constituent casework and meetings, and show both genders placing equal levels of importance on these activities. Researchers have found few differences in the way female legislators participate in debate or negotiation…
All that aside, there were decades of American history (arguably still) where the election of women was important and necessary for its own sake. And perhaps only due to the ongoing efforts of groups like the Center for American Women and Politics, a new era has come where a candidate’s “substantive representation” may be a more pressing consideration than gender. According to their own research, since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled. These are important stats to watch and promote — with some grains of salt on expectations of what it all means in practice.
***Today’s SUNBURN is sponsored by Corcoran & Johnston Government Relations. One of Florida’s Top Lobbying Firms, Corcoran & Johnston has demonstrated the ability to navigate government and successfully deliver results for clients, time and again. To learn more visit www.corcoranfirm.com.***
BLAISE INGOGLIA FUNDRAISER SET FOR JUNE 3
Blaise Ingoglia, GOP activist and candidate for House District 35, invites you to a fundraiser at the Governors Club Library, Monday, June 3, at 5:30 pm. Blaise’s motto, “It’s about jobs!” reflects the same spirit he brought to his “Government Gone Wild” videos that have over 7 million views.
For more info, email [email protected].
***Aggressive. Strategic. Creative. Sachs Media Group is Florida’s dominant independent communications firm. With offices in Tallahassee and Orlando, Sachs Media Group sets the pace in public relations, crisis management, branding, digital/social media, graphic design and video production. When the stakes are high, put the award-winning Sachs Media Group team on your side.***
BASE CLOSURE FEARS ARE BIG BUSINESS FOR LOBBYISTS via POLITICO Influence
A new round of Pentagon base closures could be two years away – if it happens at all – but it’s already got business booming on K Street. This year’s Defense Department proposal to revive the Base Realignment and Closure process has prompted a spate of lobbying and consulting hires among the highly specialized firms that have emerged to cater specifically to BRAC clients. States, coalitions and other stakeholders dedicated to keeping their local military facilities open – whenever the next round of Pentagon belt-tightening happens – are hiring lobbyists, mostly from a cadre of retired military officers and commissioners and their staffs from previous BRAC rounds
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Brian Ballard, Joe McCann, Ballard Partners: Graner & Platzek, P.A
Bill Helmich: American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Florida
Nick Iarossi, Capital City Consulting: CGI Technologies & Solutions, Inc.
***SUNBURN is brought to you in part by Bascom Communications & Consulting, LLC, a top-notch public affairs, political communications and public relations firm. Visit www.bascomllc.com to read about their growing team, success stories and case studies.***
30 UNDER 30
This week on SaintPetersBlog, we revealed the 30 under 30 rising stars of Florida politics.
They say, “Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” For the 30-plus young men and women you will read about this week, this phrase is still meaningful — for each in their own way — as their careers in Florida’s political process rise.
We received over 2,000 nominations from political veterans, lobbyists, public officials and others who they see as rising lights on Florida’s political scene.
The nominations were reduced to 30-plus up-and-comers under the age of 30 who include legislative aides, folks who left Florida for DC, and top communications staff from each area of the state.
