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: A cottage industry in sand sculpting has brought national notoriety to Treasure Island, and it all began on this day back in 1985. Leaders in the Pinellas County community wanted something special to draw attention to their beaches, so the local chamber of commerce commissioned a 37-foot-high sand castle that at the time was the tallest ever built. The gambit drew plenty of tourist and media attention, and the “Sand Sculpture Capital of Florida” has been promoting sand sculpting events ever since.
DAYS UNTIL Avengers: Age of Ultron debuts: 3: Sine Die: 3 (maybe); Jacksonville’s Mayoral Election: 21; When the Florida Senate Would Like to Extend the 2015 Session: 62 Major League Baseball All-Star game: 76; Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuts: 240; First Day of 2016 Legislative Schedule: 259; Florida’s Presidential Primary: 321; Florida’s 2016 Primary Election: 490; Florida’s 2016 General Election: 561.
DRIVING THE NAT’L DISCUSSION — GAY MARRIAGE ARGUMENTS AT SUPREME COURT via Mark Sherman of the Associated Press
Tuesday is a potential watershed moment for America’s gay and lesbian couples. After rapid changes that have made same-sex marriage legal in all but 14 states, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether it should be the law of the land.
All eyes will be on the justices for any signals that they are prepared to rule that the Constitution forbids states from defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. On the sidewalk outside, people have been waiting in line since Friday for prized seats for the historic arguments.
The cases before the court come from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, all of which had their marriage bans upheld by the federal appeals court in Cincinnati in November. That is the only federal appeals court that has ruled in favor of the states since the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law.
The first state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry was Massachusetts, in 2004. Even as recently as October, barely a third of the states permitted it. Now, same-sex couples can marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia, a dramatic change in the law that has been accompanied by an equally fast shift in public opinion.
Now that everyone else has weighed in through mountains of legal briefs, the justices get to say, or at least hint, what they will decide. On Tuesday, five lawyers will present arguments over 2½ hours to help the court conclude whether, on this question, the 14 remaining states must join the rest of the country.
The main thrust of the states’ case is to reframe the debate.
“This case is not about the best marriage definition. It is about the fundamental question regarding how our democracy resolves such debates about social policy: Who decides, the people of each state or the federal judiciary?” John Bursch, representing Michigan, wrote in his main brief to the court.
Other arguments by the states and more than five dozen briefs by their defenders warn the justices of harms that could result “if you remove the man-woman definition and replace it with the genderless any-two-persons definition,” said Gene Schaerr, a Washington lawyer.
The push for same-sex marriage comes down to fairness, said Mary Bonauto, who will argue on behalf of the plaintiffs. The people who have brought their cases to the Supreme Court are “real people who are deeply committed to each other. Yet they are foreclosed from making that commitment simply because of who they are,” she told reporters last week.
Arguments made by Bonauto, other lawyers for same-sex couples and more than six dozen supporting briefs have strong echoes of the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case, in which the Supreme Court struck down state bans on interracial marriage. In that case, the justices were unanimous that those bans violated the constitutional rights of interracial couples.
No one expects unanimity this time. But many believe the justices will take the final step toward what gay rights supporters call marriage equality, in part because they allowed orders in favor of same-sex couples to take effect even as the issue made its way through the federal court system.
HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS TO START YOUR DAY — FLORIDA LEADS NATION IN DIGITAL LEARNING, EARNS ‘A’ IN ANNUAL REPORT via James Call of Florida Politics
Florida earned the highest score among the 50 states in the Digital Learning Report Card complied by the Foundation for Excellence in Education. The report measures education policies on 10 components for what the Foundation identifies as a high-quality digital education. Florida beat out two-time high scorer Utah in the 2014 report. The two states are the only ones to post scores higher than 90 percent and to receive an ‘A’ grade.
The Sunshine State fell below 90 percent in two of the eight categories used to evaluate a state’s digital learning experience. Florida lost points for is digital infrastructure, earning a C, and in choices offered, receiving a B.
Florida aced the rest of the categories, including enabling students to customize their education, providing quality content, having multiple providers, encouraging performance-based incentives and requiring accountability and assessment.
The report card is an outgrowth of a Digital Learning Council convened in 2010 by former Gov. Jeb Bush and former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise. The meeting identified the 10 core elements used to compile the annual report card.
***Today’s SUNBURN is brought to you by Bright House Networks, a trusted provider of industry-leading communications and networking services to businesses of all sizes, from startups to large, multi-site organizations. Our Enterprise Solutions provides the fiber connectivity, cloud and managed services today’s large organizations demand, while our Business Solutions team works with small- to mid-size companies to ensure they get the right services to fit their needs and their budget. Find out why so many businesses in your area trust their communications needs to Bright House Networks. Learn more at brighthouse.com/business.***
RICHARD CORCORAN DEFENDS ANTI-MEDICAID EXPANSION POSITION IN BARRAGE OF TWEETS via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel
Corcoran … the fiercest opponent of Medicaid expansion in the House and the next in line to become House Speaker in 2016, defended his position in a series of tweets over the weekend.
The burst of 140-character messages slammed hospitals as profit-hungry, blasted Medicaid as a broken system and asserted he was the one standing up for the “working poor” by denying them sub-par health care through Medicaid.
“The entire fight is about paying hospitals more money. It has nothing to do with coverage or health care outcomes for the poor.”
“Hospitals: ‘show me the money’ Hospitals on poor people: ‘let them eat Medicaid’”
“We will stand and fight with the working poor against the special interests and big corporate hospitals every day of the week!”
“Every big lobbyist and every big money special interest group wants Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. hmmm must be a good deal???”
But he also chided the “able-bodied childless adults” that would receive Medicaid if a plan proffered by the Senate were to pass.
ANDY GARDINER ASKS FEDERAL HEALTH OFFICIALS FOR GUIDANCE via Kathleen McGrory of the Tampa Bay Times
The state Agency for Health Care Administration is now accepting public comments on Florida’s proposal to continue the Low Income Pool, a federal-state program that helps hospitals cover the costs of treating uninsured and Medicaid patients. Among those weighing in: Senate President Andy Gardiner.
Gardiner sent a letter to AHCA Medicaid Chief Justin Senior pointing out one potential problem with Florida’s pitch: It doesn’t address Medicaid expansion.
“Specifically, we are concerned that with no suggestion of expanded coverage, such as the one recommended by the Florida Senate, the state may not be successful in gaining authority to spend $2.2 billion in LIP payments,” Gardiner wrote. “Without additional coverage, your LIP model may not be construed as a first step in a transition plan.”
Federal health officials have said their decision on LIP will be tied to whether Florida accepts federal Medicaid expansion dollars — a plan the Florida House and Republican Gov. Rick Scott oppose.
Gardiner also sent a letter Monday to the federal agency that will be making the decision.
“We understand no firm decisions will be made until after a thorough review the application submitted by the Agency for Health Care Administration,” Gardiner wrote to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Acting Director Vikki Wachino. “However, if you are able to elaborate on your initial guidance now that a formal application has been submitted, that information may help us more accurately assess the fiscal and economic landscape for the state’s budget.”
HOUSE, SENATE GAP NOT “BRIDGEABLE,” BUDGET CHIEF SAYS via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post
Lawmakers are hurtling toward the scheduled Friday adjournment of the 60-day session with no clear plans on when or how to reconvene and begin work on replacing the $77 billion state budget, which expires June 30.
The Senate has proposed extending the session to that date. The House has rejected that idea, which would allow dozens of bills to carry over, demanding, instead, a more limited special session on the budget. With even the ground rules for overtime proving combative, Senate Budget Chief Tom Lee acknowledged the two sides are miles apart.
“It doesn’t seem the gap is bridgeable at this point,” Lee said, after the Senate completed a full afternoon of work. “The position of my colleagues in the House is they don’t want to talk about coverage, whether it’s private sector-based or a Florida solution.”
MY TAKE: AT WHAT POINT DO WE START BLAMING SPEAKER STEVE CRISAFULLI? Full story here
Let’s face it, this Legislative Session will likely go down as one of the worst of the Republican era. It’s so dysfunctional, it makes the ones presided over by Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos look as if they were managed by Accenture. Not only is the regular session likely to end without a budget, many other key questions – gaming, medical marijuana, water policy – will go unanswered.
Yet there has been relatively little criticism of Crisafulli for this train wreck.
Speaker Designate Corcoran and the archconservatives in the House caucus are blamed for their obstructionism. Senate leadership is blamed for its insistence on expanding Medicaid.
Gov. Scott is blamed for, well, he gets blamed for everything, but in this case, he mostly gets blamed for having little influence over the Legislature. President Barack Obama gets blamed. The feds get blamed. An alphabet soup of agencies and issues – AHCA, CMS, FHIX, LIP – all get blamed.
But not Steve Crisafulli. He’s in “the bubble.” No one wants to call out Crisafulli because he’s so damn good-looking and nice. He’s affable and polite, too. Yet the trains are not running on time, as they did under Dan Webster and Will Weatherford and all of the Republican speakers in between.
At what point does the bubble burst and Crisafulli start shouldering his fair share of the blame?
WHAT DID CRISAFULLI SAY IN SECRET GOP MEETING? HERE’S THE SCRIPT via Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times
What did Crisafulli say last week during his closed door meeting with his Republican colleagues? Who knows. But below is the script that he used.
Ostensibly meeting to discuss history, Crisafulli’s comments are rich with strategy and quite a few laments.
“I worked with President Gardiner all summer to develop a work plan and talk about how we would handle session issues,” Crisafulli says in the script. “Expanding Medicaid was never part of the agenda. In fact, he stated that he knew where the House was, and did not plan the issue in the Senate. Obviously, things have changed and rather than getting caught up in the why or the how, we are where we are today.”
According to the script, Rep. Matt Hudson … then gave a presentation on the Low Income Pool money at the heart of this year’s Medicaid expansion. Rep. Jason Brodeur … then handed out an informational packet containing talking points, op-eds and an article he wrote with Rep. Matt Caldwell.
“We did not create this problem — the Federal Government did,” Crisafulli states.
FINANCIAL DATA SHOWS LOSS OF HOSPITAL FUNDING WOULD NOT IMPACT ALL FACILITIES EQUALLY via Matt Dixon of Political Fix Florida
As lawmakers continue to debate the possible loss of $2 billion in federal health care money and how it could impact the state, the latest financial reports show some hospitals would maintain healthy profits even without the federal help.
But some hospitals, mostly in rural areas, that already are experiencing trouble meeting profit margins would be hurt more, according to the financial data collected by the state.
The prospect of losing the federal hospital money has led some to argue that hospitals will be devastated and the state’s economy upended. But financial data collected by the state from hospitals show it’s not that simple.
Of the 230 hospitals receiving the low-income pool money, 65 — or 28 percent — had negative total margins or survived on a margin at less than 1 percent, according to the most recent financial data compiled by the state. Total margin is a measure of a hospital’s profitability that does not include long-term debt. The financial data comes from the most recent fiscal year reported by the hospitals, some ending their financial year in December 2013 and others ending in mid-2014.
Those struggling hospitals collectively received $519 million in low-income pool, or LIP, funding in the current state budget, according to state figures. If LIP goes away, their budgets would be further reduced.
Some of the most profitable hospitals in the state currently receiving LIP money would also remain profitable if they lost the cash, financial reports show.
IMPASSE CLAIMS ANOTHER CASUALTY: GARDINER AND CRISAFULLI’S JOINT WORK PLAN FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald
The budget impasse over health care negotiations has another casualty: some of the bills intended to assist people with special needs that were part of the joint work plan agreed to between Speaker Crisafulli and Senate President Gardiner.
The House released its final special order calendar of the week late Monday and absent are four of the bills Gardiner was counting on as part of the “joint priorities” agreed to with Crisafulli.
The priorities were announced in January as the leaders vowed to “a bold agenda of public policy initiatives that will influence Florida for generations to come.”
Gardiner spokeswoman Katie Betta said the Senate president is “optimistic” that the special needs bills are not being held hostage to the budget talks.
“He’s hopeful we will see the full package passed by Friday,” Betta said, noting that the House will have to waive the rules to take them up. “At this point, he’s very concerned we may not be able to bring these bills in for a landing.”
In keeping with the hard line of all these negotiations, House leaders don’t appear ready to budge.
They note that the Senate has refused to take up the House tax cut bill, which the House passed contingent on a budget agreement, and which was also part of the joint agreement.
GOVERNOR GETS BILL TO REOPEN LAKELAND HOSPICE CLOSED BY PAPERWORK ERROR via Phil Ammann of Florida Politics
A Lakeland hospice forced to close by the state over a paperwork error is near reopening by way of a bill passed last week by the Florida Legislature.
Both the Senate and House passed HB 441, giving Compassionate Care Hospice (CCH) on Drane Field Road access to an expedited process to reapply for its license. The process can begin once Gov.Rick Scott signs the bill into law.
Sponsored by Sen. Denise Grimsley of Sebring and Rep. Ray Rodrigues of Fort Myers, the new legislation gives the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) more flexibility in addressing administrative errors in the future. The measure seeks to protect healthcare providers from the same situation as CCH.
CCH worked with area lawmakers to draft legislation allowing the company to resume operations and continue to give hospice services to about 250 patients in their homes and healthcare facilities.
Once Scott signs the bill, CCH will be able to reapply for its state license, taking advantage of an abbreviated process that could take up to two weeks, depending on the AHCA. It also would need to re-enroll for reimbursements through Medicaid and Medicare.
Ideally, CCH officials say the company could start rehiring employees and accepting new patients within a few months, but with the law, it would now be much sooner than if they had to begin licensing process from scratch.
ROB BRADLEY HOPES ATTEMPT TO TO REVIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL SUCCEED via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times
Bradley filed an amendment to his medical marijuana bill, giving new life to legislation that had stalled. Lawmakers postponed a vote on the amendment Monday, but Bradley said a solution is “workable,” even if a “difficult road to hoe.”
The amended bill (SB 7066) would allow cannabis that’s low in high-causing THC but beneficial for pain reduction to be sold in Florida, bypassing a regulatory logjam. It also raises the maximum TCH levels allowed from 0.8 percent to 15 percent.
“I promised those families that I would fight to the end, and we still have a few days left in session,” Bradley said Monday, referring to the relatives of patients and especially children who could benefit from the drug, called Charlotte’s Web. “I’m going to continue to try to find any avenue to make sure we deliver on that promise we made to them last year.”
… Sen. Jeff Brandes a prominent supporter in the Legislature of medical marijuana, said he didn’t expect any medical cannabis bills to pass, although Bradley wasn’t ready to write his bill off yet.
“I’m still open to having dialogue with my fellow senators and members of the House,” Bradley said.
TWEET, TWEET: @JohnMorganEsq: Tallahassee you have 5 days. Thanks to the brave & compassionate Senators. You’ve all had your chance. If not see you in 2016!
RENE PLASENCIA PREPARED TO CALL OUT SENATE OVER SEX ABUSE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS STALL via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel
Plasencia … said he will call out the Senate for stalling and sabotaging his bill to increase the time period to prosecute charges in sexual battery cases.
His bill, HB 133, passed by a 115-0 vote on April 9. It passed through the Senate on a 39-0 vote on Friday, but only after tacking on three amendments that were the subjects of other bills, sending it back to the House.
Plasencia says if the House passes the bill as is, it will violate the Legislature’s rule against multiple subject bills, making it unconstitutional and allowing sexual batterers outside of the current statute of limitations to go free.
He specifically laid the blame at Sen. David Simmons … the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.
The underlying bill would increase the amount of time prosecutors can bring charges in sexual battery cases from four years after the offense to eight years. Florida’s statute of limitations is currently the third-shortest among the 50 states for sexual battery. Plasencia’s original bill would have increased the time period to 10 years, but the companion bill in the Senate, from Sen. Darren Soto … would have only increased it to six years.
The bill is back up in the House floor.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: The Everglades Trust will hold a news conference presenting thousands of signatures from concerned Floridians across the state, demanding to Gov. Scott and legislators use Amendment 1 funds to buy the U.S. Sugar land south of Lake Okeechobee to protect the Everglades. Event begins 10 a.m. at the Duval Street side of Florida Capitol (Dolphin Side Steps).
DUKE ENERGY BILL NOT DOOMED BY SENATE CHANGES, KEY HOUSE SUPPORTER SAYS Full story here
A bill that would allow Duke Energy Florida to issue bonds for the shutdown of its Crystal River nuclear plant isn’t necessarily doomed in the House because of bill changes made by the Senate, a leading House supporter said.
HB 7109 allows Duke Energy Florida to issue bonds for the $1.4 billion nuclear plant shutdown, a move that Sen. Jack Latvala said would save an estimated $600 million for customers.
The bill also was amended to require the Public Service Commission to hold meetings in the service areas of the states four largest utilities. And it requires utilities to refund excess deposits to customers after a one-year period.
The Senate passed the bill 39-0 and sent it back to the House after Latvala, a Republican from St. Petersburg who was sponsor of the Senate bill version, answered concerns that the changes could doom the bill.
“I don’t think this is going to kill the bill, but the responsibility for that will be over there,” Latvala told senators.
HOUSE PASSES FRACKING REGULATION BILL via Brendan Farrington of the Associated Press
The House passed a bill to study and regulate fracking, as well as prevent local governments from banning the oil and gas drilling practice.
Democrats strongly opposed the bill, saying hydraulic fracturing would put the water supply at risk and the practice should instead be banned. But Republicans said fracking isn’t regulated right now and the bill would ensure that it’s done safely.
Fracking is the process of shooting a mix of water, sand and chemicals underground at high pressure to fracture rock formations and release oil and gas trapped inside. Many local governments around the country have sought to ban the practice. That wouldn’t be allowed in Florida if the legislation passes.
The bill would require the state to study the effects of fracking in Florida, particularly because of its unique geography. Proponents said fracking wouldn’t be allowed until after the study and until the Department of Environmental Protection writes rules for the industry.
The bill (HB 1205) would also require drilling companies to list the chemicals they’re using.
FORMER PARKS DIRECTORS SOUND ALARMS ABOUT STATE LANDS BILLS, PUSH TO BOOST PARK REVENUES via Bruce Ritchie of Florida Politics
A trio of former state parks directors are raising concerns about state lands bills that would allow “low impact agriculture” on state lands. And they said an even greater concern is a push by Florida Department of Environmental Protection leadership to make state parks financially self-sustaining.
HB 7135 would allow the Cabinet to give away state lands to adjacent landowners and require park managers to consider allowing “low impact” agriculture on state parks. The bill passed the House 88-24 on April 16 and is waiting to be taken up by the Senate, while the Senate version, SB 7086, failed to be heard in its final committee stop.
Ney C. Landrum, Fran P. Mainella and Mike Bullock, all former state parks system directors, wrote in a Gainesville Sun opinion column that even low impact agriculture can be harmful in state parks.
“This concept of multiple uses of state parks has been proposed before,” they wrote. “But in each previous case, it was rejected as being inappropriate and potentially harmful.”
“Conflicting uses have no place in state parks, as they would detract from the experience visitors desire and expect.”
But Rep. Matt Caldwell, a Republican from North Fort Myers who is sponsor of the House bill, said he was perplexed by the column because he said the state park system already allows agricultural uses on thousands of acres.
“The only real change here is we require them to include that in evaluating each one of the land management plans going forward,” he said. “That doesn’t mean they will do it.”
HOUSE-SENATE CONTRETEMPS FLARES UP OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel
House and Senate GOP infighting isn’t just for Medicaid. A bill to update appointments to the Central Florida Expressway Authority is also caught up in a fight between the two chambers.
The House stripped a provision in SB 1024 tacked on by the Senate last week that would require appointments made by Gov. Scott to the expressway authority board to be confirmed by the Senate.
A vote on the House floor is set for today, but will head back to the Senate.
Another amendment approved by the House allows Scott to appoint a “citizen member” to the board of any county that regulates transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, instead of an elected official.
Rep. Jamie Grant … sponsored the ridesharing amendment, but said it wasn’t aimed at Orlando’s regulations of Uber passed earlier this year. Nor was it about stalling the expressway authority bill; Grant noted the substance of the bill is in a separate transportation bill.
MEANINGFUL ALF REFORM GAINS FINAL PASSAGE
Florida ALFA (FL ALFA), the Florida chapter of the Assisted Living Federation of America, applauded the Legislature for passing meaningful ALF reform measure, sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel in the Senate and Rep. Larry Ahern in the House.
Gail Matillo, president and CEO of FL ALFA, released a statement thanking the sponsors who have “unfailingly pushed for ALF reform measures the past two legislative sessions.”
Parts of the legislation allows nurses who work in an assisted living communities with limited nursing specialty license, to practice fully of their abilities within the scope of the community’s license. The bill also seeks to expand the activities of trained, unlicensed staff members can assist a resident with, such as the self-administration of medication and requires a community with one or more state-supported mental health residents obtain a limited mental health license. The Agency for Health Care Administration also gets the ability to focus on assisted living communities with a history of deficiencies.
“WHISKEY AND WHEATIES PROVISION ALMOST BACK BEFORE STATE LAWMAKERS via James Rosica of the Tampa Tribune
An attempt to resurrect the contentious “whiskey and Wheaties” bill this session as an amendment to another bill didn’t have success in the House Monday.
Rep. Carlos Trujillo … filed an amendment to a Senate bill (SB 998) seeking to outlaw powdered alcohol – or “palcohol” – in Florida.
The bill and amendment were set to be considered, then “temporarily postponed,” and now listed as “on second reading,” a legislative purgatory in the late days of a session.
Trujillo’s amendment was the language of a bill already voted down by a House committee.
That bill (HB 107) originally contained a repeal of an 80-year-old state law requiring retailers to sell hard liquor in a separate store away from groceries and other goods.
That language had been modified to keep the separation requirement and instead allow only a door between adjoined liquor and main stores.
But even that was killed by the House Regulatory Affairs committee earlier this month. It was the last panel the bill had to clear before the House floor. Its Senate companion was later withdrawn.
“I think this committee dealt (the bill) a death blow because it had changed so many times that they did not feel comfortable with the final product,” committee chairman Jose Felix Diaz said at the time.
LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
SENATE DISCUSSES ‘FRACKING’
Among the bills for consideration in a Senate morning session is SB 1468, from Naples Republican Garrett Richter, to regulate hydraulic fracturing, known as “fracking,” used to drill for oil and natural gas. The Senate session will also consider SB 154, from Umatilla Republican Alan Hays to increase safety for children walking to school. Session begins 10 a.m. in the Senate chamber.
HOUSE FLOOR SESSION
The House floor session begins 11 a.m. in the House chamber.
AMID FALLING DEMAND AND DISEASE, FLORIDA ORANGE CROP HUNTS FOR FIX via Robert Trigaux of the Tampa Bay Times
Neither new ad campaigns nor the muscular redesign of cartoon superhero Captain Citrus have yet to turn the tide on dipping retail sales of U.S. orange juice. Blame rising drink competition, changing public tastes and stiffer OJ prices.
Numbers show retail orange juice sales in the four weeks ended April 11 fell 5.9 percent from the same period a year ago. U.S. consumers bought 38.7 million gallons of juice in the four weeks ended April 11, compared with 41 million gallons in the year-earlier period, say Nielsen data published by the Florida Department of Citrus.
Shoppers paid an average price of $6.47 per gallon during the most recent period. That’s up 3.8 percent over year-ago levels and it’s high enough to beg the question:
The decline in OJ sales is not new but remains a perplexing challenge for a Florida orange juice industry facing an increasing array of drink choices aimed at more health-conscious consumers, and shrinking orange groves fighting an insidious bacterial “greening” disease.
Earlier this month, Florida citrus officials discussed the controversial idea of establishing a federal U.S. Agriculture Department program to promote orange juice.
***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.***
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
WHY THE 2016 GOP RACE MAY BE MORE LIKE 2012 THAN THE PARTY HOPED via Matea Gold and Ed O’Keefe of the Washington Post
The 2016 Republican presidential contest, designed to be a tidy affair, is instead shaping up to be a chaotic, drawn-out slog, thanks largely to an expanding pool of rich patrons raining money on a broad field of candidates.
Jeb Bush has raised tens of millions of dollars for his allied super PAC, collecting a historic amount, he told donors. But that hasn’t been enough to stop his rivals from amassing their own stockpiles. A super PAC supporting Sen. Marco Rubio secured about $20 million in commitments in less than two weeks, according to people familiar with the totals. An independent operation backing Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas says it pulled in $31 million in a single week. A new super PAC allied with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is close to matching that, fundraisers say.
Never have so many candidates entered a White House contest boosted by such huge sums. The financial arms race could fuel a protracted primary season similar to the one in 2012 — exactly what party leaders were hoping to avoid.
Some party operatives say that 2016 could be the first race in the modern era in which a candidate does not need to win Iowa or New Hampshire to prevail. Strong showings in those early states historically translated into much-needed financial momentum. But this time, wealthy patrons might keep their favorite picks aloft through independent spending.
The political money boom is being driven largely by super PACs, which can collect unlimited donations from individuals and corporations. The groups are supposed to operate independently from the candidates they support, but in this race, they are functioning as de facto arms of the campaigns.
Fifteen White House contenders are being boosted by big-money groups run by their close allies. Most have not yet declared their candidacies but are instead hopscotching the country headlining high-dollar super PAC fundraisers. By blessing the groups, the aspirants have given a green light to supporters once wary of such outfits.
BEN CARSON TEASES SARASOTA A WEEK BEFORE HE BECOMES AN OFFICIAL CANDIDATE via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
Ben Carson has become somewhat of a phenomenon amongst the Tea Party Right in the Republican Party, though whether there’s enough room for him in the crowded GOP presidential contest will soon be tested.
A 63-year old retired pediatric neurosurgeon who now resides in West Palm Beach, Carson’s super PAC has raised well north of $2 million.
But where does he get off thinking that he can lead the country?
“What I would say to those people is – wouldn’t you rather have somebody who knows how to solve problems?” Carson told an audience of around 800 people who gathered early Monday night at Dolphin Aviation in Sarasota.
… His 25-minute speech in Sarasota went over his hardscrabble background that he depicted in his 1996 memoir Gifted Hands, which was made into a made for television movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr. in 2009.
… Carson is a humbled speaker, but not a flamboyant one. He speaks softly, and talks about the issues in a simple tone. Really simple.
Regarding our tax system, which he decries as absurd, Carson believes in tithing being the way to go, with everyone, regardless of income, paying 10 percent of their income to the I.R.S.
JEB BUSH DONORS SEE HIM LAY OUT CONTOURS OF 2016 CAMPAIGN via Thomas Beaumont of the Associated Press
Bush’s super PAC is raising eye-popping sums in a multi-pronged effort to define the former Florida governor for Republican presidential primary voters before his rivals can, donors say.
The likely candidate met more than 300 of his top donors near Miami Beach’s glamorous South Beach on Sunday and Monday, and began laying out what a 2016 campaign would look like, introducing advisers and outlining issues he would stress.
Ever mindful of the public’s supposed aversion to political dynasties, Bush’s team sees it as a priority to cast the brother and son of former presidents as his own man, several who attended the meeting said.
“That’s why they are going to define him as a person, so people will have a reason to listen,” said Bill Kunkler, a Bush donor from Chicago who attended. “Then voters can make an informed decision.”
The meeting, with a rooftop cocktail party at a luxury seaside hotel, was a way for Bush to thank his most generous contributors, who have helped him sprint through the first months of the year in fundraising as he prepared for an expected candidacy for the nomination.
“We’re here to celebrate the successes, not the excesses,” said Al Hoffman, a longtime Bush family friend and veteran donor. “We’re sure to be pounded on raising excessive money. But the point is, when you raise money for a campaign, there’s never enough.”
Bush or his aides would not disclose how much he has raised in the more than 60 fundraisers he’s headlined since opening the Right to Rise PAC and super PAC in January.
Kunkler said the super PAC’s financial disclosure in July would be a “wowza” moment, and others have said they expect Bush to post a figure multiple times the amount collected by rivals.
Bush armed his most loyal and influential supporters, who had contributed at least $25,000 to his super PAC, with information they would need to recruit 10 to 20 others each, donors said.
He also introduced members of the team, such as likely campaign manager David Kochel, a strategist with deep background in Iowa who advised Mitt Romney in 2012 and 2008. One of Bush’s challenges could be to avoid the wealthy Romney’s stumbles connecting with low- and middle-income Americans in the 2012 contest.
Also at the meeting, Bush, who is bilingual, held a session on outreach to Hispanics, who voted overwhelmingly for President Barack Obama in 2012. He’s traveling to Puerto Rico and headlining a Hispanic Christian leadership conference in Houston this week.
SMART TAKE via American Bridge — Shot: “‘I don’t think you need to spend $1 billion to be elected president of the United States in 2016,’ Bush told reporters,” according to Bloomberg. Same Day Chaser: “Jeb Bush told about 350 of the top donors to his super PAC on Sunday evening that the organization has raised more money in its first 100 days than any other Republican operation in modern history,” according to the Washington Post.
— “Never before have so many people with so much money run for president” via Matea Gold and Ed O’Keefe of the Washington Post
MARCO RUBIO VISITS CALIFORNIA, HOME TO CLIMATE CHANGE GROUP THAT CALLS HIM OUT AS ‘DENIER’ via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times
With Rubio in California for fundraising, an environmental group is seeking to call attention to his doubts about man’s contribution to climate change.
“Rubio and his fellow Republican science-deniers are wrong. We know that we don’t have to choose between a healthy environment and a strong economy—and California serves as a model for the nation of how we can address climate change and prosper while doing it,” NextGen Climate said in a release, offering to “meet” with Rubio and educate him.
“It’s no surprise that Rubio is a climate change denier, given that he is trying to win financial support from Big Oil and special interests, like the Koch Brothers. … It’s time to start accepting the facts and lay out a meaningful plan to tackle climate change. Presidential hopefuls need to demonstrate bold leadership and tell voters their plan for achieving a healthier and more prosperous clean energy future for our children and the next generation.”
Rubio has said the climate is always changing but he doubts scientific evidence that humans are contributing. He said on Face the Nation recently that a cap-and-trade style program to curb emissions would wreck the economy. PolitiFact evaluated that claim and found it False.
RUBIO RAISING MONEY IN MIAMI SUNDAY via Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald
Nineteen days after declaring his … presidential candidacy, Rubio will once again headline a political event in Miami: his first hometown campaign fundraiser.
On Sunday, longtime Rubio backers will gather at the Coral Gables home of Claudia and Bernie Navarro — where Rubio’s friends and family met the day before his April 13 announcement — and collect checks for the expensive race.
Organizing the reception are Irma and Norman Braman, the billionaire couple expected to pour a five-figure sum into Rubio’s campaign, as well as Rubio backers Marile and Jorge Luis Lopez; former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner; Lourdes Castillo and Leoncio de la Pena, and Ronit and Steve Waserstein.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: BUSH – is in Puerto Rico for two events, including one with the Puerto Rico GOP. RUBIO – is at a town hall in Los Angeles on the second day of his two-day California fundraising swing.
ADAM PUTNAM HEADLINES MAVERICK PAC FUNDRAISER
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is the special guest at a Maverick PAC USA fundraiser reception at 5:30 p.m. in the offices of Florida Realtors, 200 South Monroe St. in Tallahassee. Hosts include Florida co-chairs Slayter Bayless and Jeb Bush Jr., as well as Tallahassee co-chairs Amanda Bevis, Brandi Brown, Chelsi Henry, Darrick McGhee, Toby Philpot and Jason Rodriguez.
EPILOGUE — EX-GOP CHIEF JIM GREER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY via Elyssa Cherney of the Orlando Sentinel
Fallen Florida GOP chair Jim Greer is in financial trouble again, having filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court last month, listing his liabilities at three times his assets.
Greer and his wife, Lisa, owe $1.5 million to more than 60 creditors, including credit card companies, law firms and doctors’ offices, according to a petition filed on March 24 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
“After the devastation that was imposed on me and my family, this is the last step that I unfortunately need to take to have a fresh start and get my life back together,” Greer, 52, said by phone.
He was referring to the 15 1/2 months he spent in prison after pleading guilty in 2013 to four counts of theft and one count of money laundering related to his role as chairman of the Florida GOP from 2007 to 2010. He was accused of stealing $125,000 from the state party.
Greer owes the Ellington Estates Homeowners’ Association $15,127 and $35,000 in child support to his ex-wife, Francine Barnhill, records show. He also owes the Internal Revenue Service $274,842 since 2008.
After spending a few months at an Orlando halfway house, where he sold furniture, Greer was released by the Florida Department of Corrections on July 4.
MICHAEL PIZZI TO BE RESTORED AS MIAMI LAKES MAYOR AFTER ACQUITTAL via the Associated Press
Acquitted of federal corruption charges, Michael Pizzi will be restored as mayor of Miami Lakes after the town decided to drop its legal fight.
Wayne Slaton will step aside as mayor. Slaton was elected after Pizzi was arrested in August 2013, and he and the town refused to relinquish the post after Pizzi’s acquittal last year by a federal jury.
Pizzi filed a lawsuit, and two courts have ruled that Pizzi was the rightful mayor to serve out his term until November 2016. Slaton said he will not appeal the latest decision, issued last week by the 3rd District Court of Appeal.
Gov. Scott initially refused to lift Pizzi’s suspension from office, but relented in December on orders from the Florida Supreme Court.
***The Fiorentino Group is a full service government relations and business development firm providing a broad range of consulting services to clients looking to influence public policy and create new business opportunities. The Fiorentino Group’s team of advocates is one of the largest in the state and has decades of experience in state, local and federal government relations and new business development.***
CONTEXT FLORIDA: ACA DEADLINE, STEVE CRISAFULLI, ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ASSISTED LIVING REFORM
On Context Florida: Leah Barber-Heinz, CEO of Florida Consumer Health Action Information Network, reminds readers that there’s an important Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) Special Enrollment Period deadline coming up April 30, that deserves its share of attention. This legislative session will likely going down as one of the worst of the Republican era, says Peter Schorsch. Yet there has been relatively little criticism of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli for this train wreck. Jerry Holland, Duval County Supervisor of Elections and president of The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, says online voter registration is faster, cheaper and more secure. The onshore oil and gas industry has been under heavy scrutiny during the 2015 legislative session, writes Brewster Bevis, who is senior vice president of state & federal affairs for the Associated Industries of Florida. Lawmakers have filed legislation to provide regulatory certainty to the state of Florida that will appropriately regulate the industry. Rich Templin, the legislative and political director for the Florida AFL-CIO, writes that in Florida, the situation is bad for public sector workers whose workplaces are not covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Gail Matillo, president and CEO of the Florida Chapter of the Assisted Living Federation of America, points out that assisted living reform is now ready for final passage. The measure under consideration provides for innovative industry reforms and increased protections for Floridians residing in assisted living and memory care communities.
Visit Context Florida to dig in.
IVAN PENN LEAVING TAMPA BAY TIMES Full story here
Penn is leaving St. Petersburg for California, to take a position as energy reporter for the Los Angeles Times.
Penn said he would be making the move sometime this summer. The Washington, D.C. native reported on utilities and energy issues at the Times since July 2006. Prior to that, he worked at the Baltimore Sun for 12 years.
Penn’s beat, as part of the Times’ business team, was covering utilities, energy and consumer issues as part of the Times’ business team.
TWEET, TWEET: @Jason_Garcia: Back in Tallahassee. Looking forward to a smooth landing and a Common Sense Budget That Works For Florida!
TWEET, TWEET: @Jason_Garcia: The nice thing about all these newspaper budget cuts is that it’s so much easier to find a seat in the press galleries.
