Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics – April 8

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: If there really was a Fountain of Youth, Juan Ponce de León might now be Florida’s oldest resident. According to many accounts, it was on this date in 1513 that the Spanish explorer became the first European to arrive in Florida. Ponce de León was on an expedition to the Caribbean when he arrived near present day St. Augustine and claimed “La Florida” for Spain. It wasn’t until 52 years later that St. Augustine was actually founded, and of course it’s still going strong. Unlike Ponce de León …

DAYS UNTIL Sine Die – 24; Special Election in  HD 64 – 13: Jacksonville’s Mayoral Election – 41; Florida’s Presidential Primary: 341; Florida’s 2016 Primary Election: 510; Florida’s 2016 General Election: 580.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Florida’s biggest St. Louis Cardinals fan, Jeff Atwater. Also celebrating today is Jesse Phillips. A belated shout-out to my friend — my wonderful friend — Chris Turner.

AT A GLANCE – REPUBLICANS SWEEP NE FLORIDA SENATE, HOUSE ELECTIONS via Ryan Ray of Florida Politics

Rep. Travis Hutson prevailed big time in his bid to jump up to the Legislature’s upper chamber Tuesday, defeating Democratic nominee Adam Cox by a margin 69.7 to 30.3 with all precincts reporting.

The battle to replace Hutson in House District 24 was won by Paul Renner, who thrashed Democrat Adam Morley, garnering 67 percent of the vote to Morley’s 33.

In the heavily Republican St. Johns County-based House District 17 special, Cyndi Stevenson won by even wider margins, cruising over no-party candidate Judy Stevens and write-in Mary Ann Boczek, capturing 77.8 percent of the vote.

Stevenson replaces Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, who also attempted to trade in his House incumbency for a spot in the Senate, but was bested 52-35 by Hutson in a three-way primary.

The results in the special elections – in which around 10% of eligible voters were expected to cast a ballot – finally put to rest falling dominoes set in motion by Rules Chair Thrasher’s decision to assume the presidency of Florida State University back in November, after securing re-election to the Senate.

FOLLOW THESE NEW MEMBERS ON TWITTER: @TravisJHutson, @Vote4Cyndi, & @Paul_Renner

TWEET, TWEET: @GoMeteoric: Congrats RPOF chair @GovGoneWild for keeping Rs in the win column. 42 days to the next one in Jax!

JAMIE GRANT, you are now on the clock!

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JEB BUSH PUSHES FOR STRONGER DEFENSE AND FOREIGN POLICY via Ivan Moreno of the Associated Press

Bush called for a stronger national defense and a consistent foreign policy but said the U.S. shouldn’t enter into another Cold War.

Speaking at an energy town hall in Denver, Bush said the U.S. should be more active in its dealings with Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s invasion into Crimea.

“I think by being engaged, Putin should look at the actions that he takes and say, ‘The risk is too high, that there is going to be a consequence that will hurt, you know, my popularity and will hurt my people.’ Right now he assesses these risks and doesn’t think that the United States is going to be engaged and acts kind of with impunity,” Bush said.

While Bush has made trips to early-voting states Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, he has held public events in comparatively few other states. However, Colorado represents a nod to general election swing voters who narrowly eluded Republicans in 2012. President Barack Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney by less than 5 percentage points in Colorado in 2012.

Bush plans to speak to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce on April 14 in Columbus. Obama beat Romney by less than 2 percentage points in Ohio.

At a Colorado Springs pancake house, Bush told a group of military veterans that if he runs for president, he’ll lay out foreign policy views that make clear that “our friends know that we have their back and our enemies fear us a little bit.

BUSH PAC CUTS CHECKS FOR MIAMI MEMBERS OF CONGRESS via Patricia Mazzei of Miami Herald

For the second time, Bush’s political action committee has disclosed donations to Republican parties and members of Congress as he rakes in the cash for his all-but-declared 2016 GOP presidential bid.

Among this round’s recipients from Right to Rise PAC: Miami’s three Republican representatives, Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Curbelo is the only one of the trio who has yet to publicly endorse Bush’s likely candidacy.

“I’m proud to support conservative leaders who are dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for all and restoring America’s place in world,” Bush said in a statement.

SAVE THE DATE — BUSH RAISING MONEY IN D.C. via Mike Allen of POLITICO

Bush will be back in D.C. on April 30 for a $1,000-a-person reception for his super PAC. The host committee (raise $10,000 or give $5,000) bristles with big-wheel Republicans: Kirk Blalock, Reg Brown, Tom Collamore, Jim Courtovich, Rick Hohlt, Laura Cox Kaplan and Joel Kaplan, Robert Kimmitt, Anita McBride, Brian McCormick, Mary Beth and George Nethercutt, Ziak Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Dirk Van Dongen and more. See the invite here.

MARCO RUBIO SKIPPED CLOSED-DOOR BRIEFINGS ON ISIS FOR FUNDRAISING TRIP via Andrew Kaczynski and Megan Apper of BuzzFeed

While Marco Rubio was on a big fundraising swing through California, he missed a top-secret intelligence briefing on ISIS from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and two closed Intelligence Committee briefings from that period, according to records.

Rubio spent a week in California for what was deemed an “aggressive” fundraising trip. On the day of one hearing Rubio appeared at a $1,000 per-person admission Beverly Hills fundraiser.

The trip benefited the Rubio Victory Committee, which is a joint fundraising committee of Rubio’s Senate campaign and Reclaim America PAC, according to Los Angeles’ CBS-affiliate.

The closed briefing on the “Campaign against ISIS,” featured Nicholas J. Rasmussen, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Christine Wormuth, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, retired general John R. Allen, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter ISIS, and Major General Steven M. Shepro the vice director for strategic plans and policy.

The Intelligence Committee also shows two closed briefings from the week in which Rubio was on his fundraising haul.

A representative for Rubio said the senator was considering running for president and that “it’s not unusual for presidential candidates to occasionally miss Senate business.”

RUBIO, RAISING DOUGH IN TALLAHASSEE, SUGGESTS FLA TESTS TOO MUCH via Mary Ellen Klas of the Tampa Bay Times

Rubio … flew in and out of Tallahassee for a modest fundraiser attended by about two dozen of his Tallahassee acolytes.

Rubio spent about two hours at the $1,000 per person event hosted by a handful of lobbyists and former Reps. Adam Hasner and Ellyn Bogdanoff at the Governor’s Club. After the event, Rubio visited with members of the Florida Insurance Council and a handful of legislators, including freshman Rep. Mike Miller of Orlando, who worked was a fundraiser and consultant for Rubio’s 2010 U.S. Senate campaign.

The Florida Republican was not too eager to answer reporters’ questions, directing them to his expected campaign announcement scheduled for April 13 at Miami’s Freedom Tower.

Does Florida test students too much? “I have a lot of teachers in my family. They think so,” Rubio replied, addressing what may be one of the most vulnerable issues facing likely rival and former Gov. Jeb Bush. “But I do believe it’s important that we have a standard that we measure student gains by.”

Rubio is all but ready to say he’s jumping into the presidential ring. He was asked what impact will your decision have on your family?

“If we move forward with this it’s going to be difficult,” he answered. “If we move forward it’s because our family has made the decision that we have a unique opportunity to serve the country.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY via Attorney General Pam Bondi — “”I don’t believe I should be out running for another office instead of running my office.”

TOM ROONEY FOR U.S. SENATE? via Jeremy Wallace of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Add U.S. Rep. Rooney … to the growing list of Republicans who are weighing the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate if Sen. Marco Rubio announces he is running for president.

Rooney seemingly ruled out running for the Senate in 2016 weeks ago. But … a 2016 run is still a possibility.

“The likelihood is that I’m going to run for re-election,” Rooney told The Palm Beach Post. “But to say that I’m not reconsidering whether or not I’d have a path to victory in 2016 in the Senate, I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t doing that right now.”

BOB BUCKHORN ENDORSES PATRICK MURPHY SENATE BID; LIBERALS RENEW CRITICISM via George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post

Democratic Patrick Murphy‘s effort to create an aura of inevitability for winning Florida’s 2016 Democratic Senate nomination got a boost when he received the endorsement of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, a rising star in the party and potential 2018 gubernatorial candidate.

Said Buckhorn, in a statement released by Murphy’s campaign: “As our Senator, Patrick will put the practical needs of Florida’s communities before politics. As a mayor, I know that we need leaders in the Senate who will fight for common sense solutions on immigration, building an economy that works for the middle class, and investing in infrastructure that supports trade and economic growth. Patrick is that leader for Florida today, and I am pleased to endorse Congressman Murphy for the U.S. Senate.”

But liberals who want Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando to seek the Democratic Senate nomination aren’t impressed.

A day after organizing a conference call to label Murphy a “Wall Street Democrat” who isn’t far enough to the left on key issues, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida blasted Buckhorn.

“It seems like Bob Buckhorn is flip-flopping on party flippers,” said caucus President Susan Smith. “A couple of years ago, Mayor Buckhorn thought Charlie Crist was an opportunist who should not be trusted because he switched parties just to run for office. Now, he’s embracing Patrick Murphy who did the same thing.”

SPAT ESCALATES BETWEEN CENTRIST AND PROGRESSIVE FLORIDA DEMOCRATS OVER 2016 U.S. SENATE RACE via Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald

A spat between the centrist and progressive wings of the Florida Democratic Party over the likely 2016 U.S. Senate race escalated when a moderate county chair called on breaking ties with a party-sanctioned liberal group.

Celeste Bush, chair of the St. Lucie County Democratic Executive Committee, emailed party leaders across the state advocating to the “de-certification” of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, which like other Democratic clubs and caucuses must be reauthorized by party brass every few years.

Her strongly worded email came a day after the Progressive Caucus held a conference call with reporters promoting the possible Senate candidacy of Grayson over the announced candidacy of Murphy. Bush listened in on the call and seized a chance to defend Murphy, her congressman. The seat is expected to open once Republican Sen. Marco Rubio launches a presidential bid next week.

Bush’s email referred to the call as “an unprecedented action” to “discredit” Murphy’s nascent campaign.

“This action runs counter to our Democratic Party’s very existence,” she wrote. “We cannot have ‘so called’ Democrat leaders aggressively attacking an elected Democrat or any Democrat running for office. A Democratic leader is just that — a leader of Democrats — not just some Democrats that fit a preconceived notion of what constitutes a Democrat.”

MEANWHILE … ALAN GRAYSON AND WIFE AGREE TO ANNULMENT via Mike Schneider of the Associated Press

Grayson and his wife have agreed to annul their 24-year marriage as they continued talks on a settlement, ending an acrimonious divorce process that had included allegations of bigamy, financial abandonment and battery.

The agreement was announced … by a judge in a Florida courtroom at the start of a hearing that had been scheduled to determine whether their marriage should be voided because Lolita Grayson was married to another man when they wed. That bigamy hearing was put on hold with the annulment announcement.

Lolita Grayson’s attorney refused to comment after the hearing. She had claimed in court papers that she was divorced from her first husband when she married the congressman in 1990. They have five children.

Alan Grayson’s attorney said they were close to reaching a settlement.

“It means there was never a legal marriage. It basically invalidates it,” said Mark NeJame, Grayson’s attorney. “There was a ceremony, but it turns out you can’t be married to two people at the same time.”

Besides bigamy allegations, there were mutual allegations of battery, accusations by Lolita Grayson of financial abandonment by the congressman and a trial delay caused by Lolita Grayson’s leaking breast implants.

ERIC LYNN OFFICIALLY DECLARES CHALLENGE TO DAVID JOLLY via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times

Eric Lynn, a St. Petersburg native and former adviser to the Secretary of Defense, is running to replace David Jolly in Congress.

“I’m running for Congress to fight for good-paying jobs and the pathways to bring them about – currently blocked by politics and politics alone,” said Lynn.

The 36-year-old Democrat and St. Petersburg High School graduate moved back to Pinellas in October, after working in Defense Department and has been talked about as a potential candidate for the swing district since Republican C.W. Bill Young Young died suddenly in 2013. Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink narrowly lost to Jolly, 42, in a special election in March, 2014 and faced no Democratic opposition in November.

The district, covering much of Pinellas County, is among the most competitive in the country, with Barack Obama having won it in 2008 and 2012. Lynn, so far the only credible Democrat in the race, is running in a presidential election year likely to produce high Democrat turnout, but Jolly should be a formidable incumbent, having positioned himself as more pragmatic than many congressional Republicans on issues including the budget and same-sex marriage.

Jolly is out of step with Pinellas County, Lynn said.

“I watched and listened to the 2014 congressional races and Republicans like David Jolly ran on the message of improving the economy and jobs,” said Lynn, who is married with two young children. “But unfortunately once they won and began the govern the first three things that they wanted to vote on was restricting a woman’s’ right to choose, trying to de-fund the Department of Homeland Security, which protects U.S. citizens and Floridians against terrorism, and trying to repeal Obamacare for the 60th time. That’s not working for the economy and jobs for the people of Pinellas County.”

ANNETTE TADDEO’S EMAIL SCREW-UP: SHE’S STILL NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME via Nancy Smith of the Sunshine State News

We can argue over the good sense of Annette Taddeo playing up her connection to Charlie Crist. She was his choice for lieutenant governor after all. But allowing her first fundraising email to go out with a bogus Charlie Crist disclaimer? Yes, that’s exactly what happened.

Clear as day, left over from Crist’s gubernatorial campaign, just under Taddeo’s email are the words “Paid for by Charlie Crist.”

And now here it is … Taddeo’s 49th birthday … and she sends out a second emailed appeal. Same thing. Bogus Crist disclaimer.

Money raised for a state race can’t be used in a federal race. That’s still the law as far as I know. And the Crist money didn’t come from any leftover U.S. Senate election cash from 2010. Charlie closed his federal account April 29, 2011.

This looks like a violation, sure, but who cares really? It’s not a particularly egregious one. It seems as if she used a template from one of Crist’s 2014 email appeals, but whether through ignorance or inattention, never cleaned it up by removing what she may only think will be taken as his personal endorsement.

The point here is, three times trying for office — three losses — and here Taddeo is again, straight out of the gate, looking to be on her way to a fourth. She’s already screwing up — releasing emails is hardly rocket science.

Annette Taddeo still isn’t ready prime time.

MY TAKE: IS JOHN MORGAN SERIOUS? Full story here

John Morgan is a serious person. He certainly spent serious money trying to pass Amendment 2 in 2014. He sounds serious, sometimes even emphatic. And sometimes sounding serious is all one needs to get their friends and enemies to act the way they want them too. At least that’s what Morgan hopes.

In 2014, Republicans were so scared he would rustle up tens of thousands of young voters with his marijuana initiative, they quickly passed a watered-down version known as Charlotte’s Web. Turns out, all those couch potatoes and surfer dudes didn’t show up to the polls in 2014.

Last year, during the battle against Amendment 2, Morgan was famous for calling reporters and holding press conferences bragging about the amount of money he would raise or spend to pass the initiative. At one point he said he had commitments for over $6 million more dollars and that he would spend whatever it took to win. None of that ever transpired. Morgan put more of his own money in the campaign and they raised a few hundred thousand, but the millions never showed up.

Maybe his commitments didn’t come through or maybe it was never there to begin with – we may never know.  What we do know is that his campaign was grossly underfunded in the final weeks of the campaign and the promises of a fully funded TV push never appeared.

He then tells Florida lawmakers that they need to put medical marijuana on the ballot or pass it through the legislative process or he will put in on the ballot himself. His campaign promises to have 100,000 signatures on their new petition by the start of Florida’s legislative session, but here we are 5 weeks into session and no verified signatures.

In Florida, nobody gets an amendment on the ballot without paid signatures and Morgan knows this better than anyone. If he had gathered the signatures, he would have submitted them to the Supervisors of Elections and they would be verifying them as we speak, but so far there are no certified signatures.

The folks trying to put a solar initiative on the ballot have raised a couple hundred thousand dollars and spent nearly $150,000 gathering signatures. And they’ve certified enough signatures to get a Supreme Court review. Morgan’s committee shows zero signatures certified. Zero.

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THAT’S A RELIEF — DOC CHIEF NOT AWARE OF FURTHER KLAN ACTIVITY BY PRISON GUARDS via the Associated Press

Prisons chief Julie Jones says she knows of no further Ku Klux Klan activity by Florida prison officials besides two guards and a former guard arrested last week last week for plotting to kill a black inmate.

But Jones told the Senate Criminal Justice Committee Tuesday that detecting extremists can be difficult because corrections officials can’t ask about job applicants’ political affiliations. She said the two guards working at the department’s Lake Butler facility when they were arrested hadn’t shown signs of their views in their work.

Under questioning by the committee, she defended department policies for making sure top management is aware of serious incidents and problems in prisons.

The committee was considering confirming Jones’ appointment as corrections secretary and unanimously recommended it to the full Senate.

HAPPENING TODAY — CABINET AIDE MEETING

Aides for Gov. Scott and the Florida Cabinet will meet in advance of the April 14 Cabinet meeting. Meeting begins 9 a.m. in the Cabinet meeting room.

THE ODD DANCE BETWEEN RICK SCOTT AND THE LEGISLATURE via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times

For the past four years, Gov. Scott and the state Legislature have engaged in an odd little dance that reveals much about their relationship. Or lack thereof.

Every year, Republican lawmakers set aside $2.5 million split among 11 regional planning councils … Every year the Republican governor vetoes the money without much of an explanation other than (in 2012) a lack of “performance measurements.”

The councils are obscure and the money is a pittance in an $80 billion budget. But no issue better illustrates the brittle communication between Scott and the Legislature that makes simple compromise look so awkward.

Through the years, the RPCs have taken on more duties: disaster planning and hurricane evacuation routes; handling of hazardous materials; serving as catalysts for regional dialogues on economic growth. They get most of their money from counties and cities and got some from the state, until Scott took office.

The councils’ longtime lobbyist in Tallahassee, Ron Book, specializes in knowing the political backstory. But he told a different story to a Senate committee a few days ago.

“We’ve spent four years trying to understand where some of the objections were and are on the plaza level,” Book told senators. (“Plaza level” is Tallahassee-speak for Scott, who occupies the corner office on the Capitol’s first floor.)

Hoping to appease Scott, lawmakers are reducing the number of regional councils from 11 to 10 by abolishing the Withlacoochee Regional Planning Council. The council’s duties would be divided among Marion, Sumter, Levy and other nearby counties.

SENATE PANEL DECLINES TO CONFIRM SCOTT’S PICK FOR SURGEON GENERAL via Kathleen McGrory of the Miami Herald

One day after Gov. Scott came out against a Senate proposal to expand health care coverage to about 800,000 poor Floridians, a Senate panel declined to confirm Scott’s pick for surgeon general.

The Senate Health Policy Committee postponed a vote on Surgeon General John Armstrong … after he repeatedly declined to give his opinion on the Senate plan.

Tensions have been building between the Senate and the governor’s office since President Andy Gardiner sent two senators to Washington last week to discuss the future of a $2.2 billion federal-state program known as the Low Income Pool. The program, which helps hospitals treat low-income patients, will expire in June unless the state and federal government can agree on a successor.

State Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek, a Scott appointee whose office had been leading talks with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said she had no knowledge of the Senate trip until after it happened.

Armstrong was immediately put on the spot with former Senate President Don Gaetz asking his opinion on the Senate plan to expand coverage.

“We are mindful of the conversation regarding the Low Income Pool and Medicaid within the Legislature and with our governor, and we will continue to monitor that conversation,” Armstrong answered. “We do remain hopeful that the Agency for Health Care Administration will succeed in conversations with the federal government to extend the Low Income Pool.”

EDITORIAL: THIS IS SO SICK via the Miami Herald

The wheeling and dealing between the two chambers of the Florida Legislature has come to a virtual stand-off over the chasm on healthcare funding.

“We’re simply not speaking to each other right now,” Sen. Anitere Flores, head of the Miami-Dade delegation, told the Editorial Board. That silence is an irresponsible waste of time as the clock ticks down on the second half of the session.

The debate over expanding Medicaid had another unfortunate Alice-through-the-looking-glass moment this week as Gov. Scott turned his off-again-on-again support for the federally funded initiative off again. This governor is leading in circles on this issue, getting the state nowhere close to providing access to healthcare for almost 1 million Floridians.

And once the federal government cuts funding to the Low Income Pool, or LIP, which helps hospitals that treat poor patients, South Florida taxpayers shouldn’t have to help foot the bill — $200 million in Miami-Dade and $180 million in Broward.

Sen. Rene Garcia heads the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and he is speaking up. He’s warning taxpayers that a world of financial pain is coming their way. “We need to stress the impact that the end of LIP will have on our community,” Mr. Garcia told the Board. “I don’t think taxpayers are getting that message.”

And neither are Scott or lawmakers in the House. To its credit, the state Senate has included $2 billion for healthcare in its budget; the House refuses to even address the issue of Medicaid expansion in its budget. A $4-billion difference separates the Senate and House versions, which must be reconciled for the overall budget to be approved.

Are lawmakers headed to a special session? The impasse is so deep, Flores thinks so. “We’re not going to get our budgets resolved in time.”

TWEET, TWEET: @BylineBrandon: The way this session is going, we’re going to end up with the Seminole Tribe getting exclusive rights to treat Medicaid patients

JIMMY BUFFETT RALLIES PARROTHEADS BEHIND EVERGLADES BUY via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post

Telling the crowd that he came to the state Capitol “to raise a little hell,” Jimmy Buffett put on a noontime show to support Everglades activists pushing state lawmakers to buy land for water cleanup.

Between songs, Buffett used his own lyrics to urge resistant lawmakers to go along with the land-buying pitch from the Everglades Foundation. Buffett said it was “time to change some attitudes,” while also reminding listeners that the “Everglades are in my heart.”

A couple hundred people filled the courtyard for the sunsplashed, noontime concert. Everglades supporters, Capitol staff and college students born long after most of Buffett’s songs earned airplay nodded along to the music and joined in on familiar refrains.

At one point, Buffett thanked the “parents’ generation, for raising their children on this music.” He said, “I’ve had a summer job for 47 years.”

Everglades activists want the Legislature to set aside $400 million to purchase almost 47,000 acres of farmland from U.S Sugar Corp., that could be used to store and clean water from Lake Okeechobee.

Sugar doesn’t want to sell the land. And lawmakers are wary of the deal. But the Everglades Foundation says the land south of Lake Okeechobee is critical to restoration efforts.

TWEET, TWEET: @MarcACaputo: Jimmy Buffett: a pirate turns Medicare-eligible

PIC DU JOUR here is of Buffet, lobbyist Jeff Sharkey, and Senate President meeting to discuss opportunities for students with unique abilities and the Everglades

JOE NEGRON SEEKING $500 MILLION FOR SUGAR LAND BUY via Isadora Rangel of Political Fix Florida

Negron … is working to free up state money that could be used to buy sugar land to help move Lake Okeechobee water south and reduce discharges into the St. Lucie River.

Negron said he plans to propose a measure asking the Legislature to allocate $500 million for land purchase in the state budget.

That money could be used for the 46,800 acres owned by U.S. Sugar Corp., the Florida Forever conservation land program or to expedite restoration projects, such as the C-44 Canal reservoir to clean up that flows into the St. Lucie River.

“There is a long way to go to achieve this objective,” Negron said in an emailed statement. “Once we have designated this revenue, we can then consider and evaluate all the possibilities. I remain committed to projects that will clean, store and send water south of Lake Okeechobee.”

TWEET, TWEET: @JimmieTSmith: Sadly the drive by environmentalist, want to spend all the money on the @evergfoundation & don’t care about the springs.

AMENDED STATE LANDS BILL PASSES COMMITTEE, HEADS TO HOUSE FLOOR via Bruce Ritchie of Florida Politics

A bill that would allow the Cabinet to give away state land … passed its only committee stop with changes requested by environmental groups.

HB 7135 would establish “low impact agriculture” as a management goal for state lands. The bill also would allow the Cabinet to give away state parks and other state lands to adjacent landowners under an agreement to conserve both properties.

Rep. Matt Caldwell … said the bill would allow the state to expand conservation without having to buy more land. He said giving away the land would allow others to pay property taxes, which the state does not pay, and pay for maintaining the property

“I would reiterate that is an option, not an obligation,” Caldwell told the House Appropriations Committee. “It merely gives the (Cabinet) an opportunity to evaluate all the decisions they could possibly make in looking to expand our conservation profile.”

Last month when the bill was filed, environmental groups raised concerns about the state giving away land without proper reviews and creating water pollution from the undefined “low-impact agriculture.”

Over the weekend, Eric Draper of Audubon Florida told a television audience the bill showed how legislators are “out of synch” with voters who supported Amendment 1, the water and land conservation funding initiative.

SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES PLAN TO SAVE DUKE ENERGY CUSTOMERS $600 MILLION via Ivan Penn of the Tampa Bay Times

A state Senate committee … voted in favor of a proposal that would save Duke Energy Florida customers about $600 million on the cleanup of the Crystal River nuclear plant site.

Sen. Jack Latvala … offered the proposal as an amendment to a bill designed to reform the state Public Service Commission and improve utility billing practices.

Latvala told members of the Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee that Duke approached him about the proposal as a way to assuage consumer discontent after a series of mishaps that are costing customers billions of dollars.

“Their public image has taken a hit,” Latvala said. “It was to try to improve their public image.”

For its part, Duke wants to change how expenses related to cleaning up the Crystal River nuclear plant are paid. The utility is decommissioning the plant after it announced the permanent closure of the facility in February 2013 following a botched upgrade project that cracked the reactor’s concrete containment building.

Instead of paying Duke 7 to 8 percent for financing charges over 20 years, the utility would sell that debt to investors who would get a lower 3 to 4 percent return on their money. Lowering the financing charges would save customers about $600 million in today’s dollars.

The legislation moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for review. Latvala said he will continue to ensure the language provides the benefit intended.

DANA YOUNG ENDS BID TO BRING RESORT CASINOS TO FLORIDA via Gary Fineout of the Associated Press

A push to bring Las Vegas-styled resort casinos to South Florida is once again being rejected by the state Legislature. The idea was a long shot from the start, but a top House Republican filed a revamped gambling proposal that drops any mention of casinos.

House Majority Leader Dana Young kicked off the 60-day session with a proposal to upend the state’s entire gambling industry. It called for two massive casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, while allowing slot machines at racetracks in Palm Beach and Lee counties. The bill also made other changes, including letting greyhound tracks keep poker rooms even if they ended live racing.

But the proposal, which also called for setting up a new commission to regulate gambling, failed to gain any traction among either Republican or Democratic legislators.

Young said her initial 300-plus page bill was a “work in progress,” but now she viewed her latest proposal (HB 1233) as the “final consensus product” reached after discussing gambling issues with other legislators. The nearly 60-page bill is scheduled to be taken up by a House panel.

The revamped legislation doesn’t allow casinos, but it still allows greyhound tracks to offer other types of gambling even if they discontinue live races.

EDITORIAL: LET VOTERS DECIDE ON HIGH-END CASINOS via the South Florida Sun Sentinel

You’ve probably heard the buzz about the Genting Group’s desire to build an iconic luxury casino resort at the site of the old Miami Herald building in downtown Miami.

But have you heard about the Las Vegas Sands’ desire to build an iconic convention-and-casino resort in downtown Fort Lauderdale?

These game-changing projects — or others like them — could only happen if lawmakers were to consider the sweeping gambling overhaul proposed last month by Florida House leaders. But, unfortunately, the odds grew longer.

(T)he bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dana Young, filed a substitute bill that snuffs out prospects for two high-end, high-class convention-and-casino resorts in South Florida, one each in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

And that’s a shame because South Florida voters deserve the right to decide for themselves if they want these economic development engines.

LOBBYIST GIFT BAN EXEMPTION PASSED SWIFTLY BY SENATE PANEL via Ryan Ray of Florida Politics

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice and the Charles Koch Institute host “Making Reform a Reality: A New Approach to Criminal Justice in Florida,” a forum on the state’s incarceration rate, which is 33 percent higher than the national average. The event begins 6:00 p.m. at the Florida State University College of Law, Room 101, 425 W. Jefferson St. in Tallahassee. A reception will follow in the second-floor student lounge.

HAPPENING TODAY — INTERNATIONAL LEADERS CONVERGE ON TALLAHASSEE

Global trade is big business in Florida. International business and foreign direct investment accounts for about 17 percent of Florida’s economic activity and supports more than one million Florida jobs.

Tallahassee takes center stage today and Thursday as international business leaders converge on the Capitol city to attend the Florida Chamber’s International Days. Leaders from Shanghai to Canada, representatives from Fortune 500 companies and Florida’s 15 deep water seaports, the state’s leading economic development and transportation agencies and more will focus on making Florida more competitive through global economic opportunities.

Florida is in a unique position to become a global hub for trade. The research from the Florida Chamber Foundation provides a road map for creating as many as 150,000 new private-sector jobs.

Given that more than 90 percent of consumer markets are located outside the U.S., and the market is expect to double in size over the next 20 years, it’s clear that international trade opportunities are rich for Florida’s job creators.

As global trade leaders gather in Tallahassee to help secure Florida’s future, we look forward to sharing Tallahassee’s Southern charm with them. Learn more at Floridachamber.com.

JIM WALDMAN KICKS $200K INTO SENATE CAMPAIGN via Buddy Nevins of Broward Beat

 former Coconut Creek Democratic House member, Waldman loaned his state Senate campaign $200,000 in March.

A well-to-do lawyer and the son of a wealthy developer, Waldman reported a net worth in 2013 of more than $2 million. He had a salary of $337,000 from his job as general counsel for Keiser University and $28,446 from his House position.

With $295,601 in the bank as of March 31 including the $113,191 he raised from donors, Waldman has a big head start on any potential opponent. He has no opponent so far.

He spent roughly $20,000 on his 2016 campaign so far.

In addition to the money he personally spends and raises, it is widely expected that Waldman also will have help from a number of political committees for the open Senate seat.

Waldman wants to replace state Sen. Jeremy Ring who is termed out after the 2016 election.

FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE NOT RUNNING TIL 2020 SAYS HE RAISED $250K IN 13 DAYS via Patricia Mazzei of the Miami Herald

In the curious case of the race for Florida Senate District 35, the fledgling campaign of Democrat Andrew Korge says it raised more than $252,000 in the eight days after he announced his candidacy.

The thing is, he’s technically not going to be on the ballot until 2020. That’s not a typo.

Last month, Korge filed to run for the Miami-based district in five years, once incumbent Democratic Sen. Gwen Margolis is term limited. At the time, the Florida Division of Elections hadn’t even created 2020 page on its website. Korge, of Cutler Bay, is the only one listed there now. He’s the son of longtime Democratic (and Hillary Clinton) donor Chris Korge.

“Leaders of all ages, backgrounds and communities are supporting this campaign because, together, we are ready to change the tides in Tallahassee,” Andrew Korge said in a statement. The money was raised between his campaign and Friends of Andrew Korge, a political action committee run by his father.

The younger Korge took the unusual step of filing so far in advance so as not the challenge Margolis, a Democratic stalwart who is 80 and has yet to say whether she plans to retire or seek re-election next year. If she steps aside, Korge would be able to move his campaign account to 2016 from 2020 and run for the seat right away.

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS

Al Cardenas, Slater Bayliss, Sarah Busk, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: Caterpillar

Steve Metz, Greg Black, Metz, Husband & Daughton: Murphy Oil USA

Donald Brown: SkyeTec

Donovan Brown, Colodny Fass: Broward League of Cities

Sarah Busk, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: Altria

Jim DeBeaugrine, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Omnilink

Robert Reyes, The Capitol Group: Prime Therapeutics; Teledoc

CONTEXT FLORIDA: CONSUMER PROTECTIONS, PRIVATE E-MAILS, MEDICAID AND ANNE HATHAWAY

On Context Florida: Florida ticket-buyers need consumer protection, says Peter Schorsch. They deserve a transparent purchasing process. Would you buy a car without knowing the identity of the seller and the vehicle’s exact make and model and mileage? Of course not. Steve Kurlanderbelieves public officials, whether they be Hillary Clinton or the local dogcatcher, should be able to conduct official business within a framework that allows for some private discussion and communications, and the lack of recordkeeping too. Florida needs better alternative to Medicaid expansion, says Chris Hudson, Florida’s state director for Americans for Prosperity. After decades of failed reforms, this $450 billion federal healthcare system remains woefully insufficient to address the healthcare needs of the state’s poor. Can it matter that a famous actress will play a drone pilot on stage in New York and play it as a troubled murderer with an updated effort to wash out the damn spot of blood on her famous hands, asks David Swanson. April 7 to May 17, Anne Hathaway stars in Grounded, and Swanson believes this could make the necessary difference in the permanent war declared the norm and entirely acceptable.

Visit Context Florida to dig in.

DISNEY RELEASING DIGITAL STAR WARS COLLECTION via the Associated Press

“The Force” can now be streamed.

The Walt Disney Co., which owns Lucasfilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox are releasing a digital collection of all six episodes of the Star Wars series.

Various services will start selling them on Friday. Disney is also releasing added features to the films, including extras from each film and deleted scenes.

Services selling the digital versions include Apple’s iTunes, Google Play, M-Go and Amazon.com Inc., among others.

TODAY’S GOV’S CLUB BUFFET MENU: Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Sandwich Board with Chips, Cold Cut Combo Sandwich Board, Chef Salad with Toppings, Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, Yankee Pot Roast, Baked Lemon Crusted  Salmon, German Sausage with Peppers and Onions, California Vegetable Mix, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Peach Cobbler, Assorted Mini Desserts