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: As mayor, he had the longest tenure in Jacksonville history; as governor, he had one of the shortest full terms in Florida’s history. He was Haydon Burns, born 103 years ago this week. Burns served five terms as mayor beginning in 1949, and was elected governor in 1964 – but only for a two-year term as Florida separated gubernatorial elections from presidential years. Gov. Burns promoted constitutional reform, outdoor recreation and tax reforms. And he welcomed Walt and Roy Disney for their announcement of a, um, rather significant new entertainment kingdom in Central Florida.
Now, on to the ‘burn…
DAYS UNTIL Sine Die: 45; the 2015 Election: 230; the 2016 Election: 600
DWS WILL NOT RUN FOR SENATE via Anthony Man of the Sun Sentinel
Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Tuesday she won’t be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016.
Her moves leaves Democrats without their highest profile potential candidate for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio who is widely expected to run for president instead of seeking a second term.
Wasserman Schultz said she would run for re-election to the U.S. House, where she’s represented parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties since 2005. And she plans to continue at the helm of the national Democratic Party as it moves into the 2016 election season and attempts to hold on to the presidency.
She said in a telephone interview that serving in the House and working at the national party to help elect a Democratic president is “an opportunity to really be able to advance the agenda about which my constituents care about deeply in a much more significant way.”
Wasserman Schultz said she heard from everyday voters and political donors who wanted her to run. “I really did receive a tremendous amount of encouragement as I’ve traveled the state and traveled the state recently. I got encouragement from donors in Florida, from donors across the country, from constituents,” she said. “Any time that someone encourages you to run for office, no matter what office it is, it’s incredibly flattering.”
Ultimately, she said, she didn’t give the idea “tremendous, active thought,” focusing instead on “what’s the best way that you can be effective. … I want to make the world a better place and I want to do it in a way that I can be the most effective.”
DWS’S MOVE RAISES CHANCE ALAN GRAYSON WILL RUN via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times
“It makes it more likely that I will run,” Rep. Alan Grayson said. “I’m sure it was tempting to her but she would have to give up not only a safe seat here in the House but also maybe DNC chair, which would have been unfortunate for everybody.”
Grayson’s liberal voting record presents challenges in swing state Florida but he said Democrats simply haven’t gotten voters excited.
“You ask Democrats why they didn’t vote, the most common reason is ‘I couldn’t see any difference between the two candidates.’ … Remember that Barack Obama, a noted liberal, carried Florida twice. We keep mistaking this mistake over and over again that if a Democrat pretends to be Republican, then somehow he’s going to win Republican votes.”
Grayson pointed to his national fundraising network as evidence he could mount a credible campaign. “I don’t have to spend all my time begging donors for $2,700 checks,” he said, claiming more than 100,000 contributors.
… Grayson says he’s in no rush to decide.
Two issues for him: He would gamble a safe seat and he’s going through a messy court proceeding with his ex-wife, whom he accuses of bigamy.
WITH CHARLIE CRIST DECISION, FLORIDA DEMS WILL LIKELY LACK STATEWIDE FIGURE IN SENATE RACE via George Bennett of the Palm Beach Post
Whatever one thinks of Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist, he’s a statewide figure who raised more than $40 million and came within 65,000 votes of winning the governorship last fall.
So Crist’s announcement … that he won’t be a candidate for any office in 2016 means Florida Democrats probably won’t field a candidate with experience running statewide in next year’s U.S. Senate race.
The two Democrats who have shown the most conspicuous interest in the Senate race so far are Reps. Patrick Murphy … and Alan Grayson … — both of whom have built impressive national fundraising bases and garnered some larger attention but have never campaigned outside their respective media markets.
A Murphy-Grayson primary could be a classic Democratic ideological tug-of-war. Murphy’s appeal is based largely on his demonstrated ability to woo Republicans and independents in a congressional district with a slight GOP tilt. Grayson’s appeal is based on his fire-breathing liberalism and ability to excite the Democratic base.
Aside from their ideological differences, both Murphy and Grayson would be campaigning to introduce themselves to voters across two time zones and 10 media markets in America’s third-largest state.
If Rubio pursues a White House bid rather than re-election, GOP candidates to replace him are likely to include some with statewide campaign experience.
TWEET, TWEET: @Learyreports: .@TomRooney says he’s interested in U.S. Senate but not ’16. Looking at ’18 when Nelson up. Rooney says to watch for @RepDeSantis.
MY TAKE: THE CRIST ERA COMES TO AN END Full blog post here
Sure, Jeb Bush served for eight years as governor and probably made a more lasting impact on state government than Crist. And Marco Rubio, who shattered the myth of Crist’s political invincibility, could dominate state politics for the coming decade. But for the last twenty years, Crist has helped define Sunshine State politics like no other politician.
As “Chain Gang Charlie,” Crist helped usher in the era of modern Florida politics – one driven by sound bites and TV news-ready moments. Running for governor in 2006, Crist shattered fundraising records, transforming how candidates run for statewide office. And in the two defeats he suffered in 2010 and 2014, Crist came to exemplify a brand of politics no longer applicable in the rapid, social media-driven atmosphere.
“Less government, more freedom,” Medi-scare, Orimulsion, Jim Greer, “Drop like a rock,” George LeMieux, “The People,” Fan-gate and so many other disparate people, issues, and events colored the Crist era that there really is no one moment that defines the twenty years from when Crist was first elected to the state Senate to his loss to Rick Scott in the 2014 gubernatorial election. The high-water mark for Crist has to be the brief time he was on John McCain’s short list of possible running mates. And in all honesty, Crist never recovered from being passed over for that slot.
Still, it’s amazing to think now, with Crist a cautionary tale for aspiring politicians, that had he just run for re-election as governor in 2010, he very likely would have been a frontrunner – or the frontrunner – for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
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DAVID JOLLY COMES TO THE RESCUE AS CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST FLORIDA MAN IN MIDDLE EAST FACEBOOK CASE via Bay News 9
An American helicopter mechanic whose Facebook post complaining about his employer in the United Arab Emirates got him arrested has had charges of cyber slander dropped.
Ryan Pate, 30, appeared in an Abu Dhabi court Tuesday to present his defense on charges he defamed his Emirati employer, Global Aerospace Logistics. Pate’s congressman, Rep. David Jolly, lobbied the U.S. State Department and Emirates officials for help.
“We’re incredibly happy with the outcome today and it couldn’t have been a better outcome, but until he’s back at home and we’re in each others arms, we’re still thinking about what’s next,” said Pate’s fiance Jillian Cardoza.
Pate, of Belleair Bluffs native posted about the company during a visit stateside following a dispute with his employer over sick leave. When he returned to Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich Emirati capital, he was told to report to a police station and was arrested for breaking local defamation laws.
Pate’s Facebook post has since been deleted. He says he can’t remember exactly what he wrote, but he knows he called his bosses “backstabbers” and warned others not to work for them.
In an interview after his hearing, Pate said his lawyer informed him that GAL has submitted paperwork seeking to dismiss the charges. He was cautiously optimistic that step will end his legal ordeal, though he was still waiting for final confirmation from the court.
“I’m so grateful to the company for doing that. That was a huge thing for them to do,” said Pate, adding that he regrets letting his emotions get the best of him.
Pate says he spent about 10 days in jail before being released pending a verdict in the case. Authorities are holding his passport, a customary step for defendants in the Emirates, meaning he cannot leave the Gulf nation.
CUBA, U.S. SAY THIRD ROUND OF DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS ENDS via Michael Weissenstein of the Associated Press
A third round of U.S.-Cuban negotiations over the restoration of full diplomatic relations ended after a day of talks, Cuban and U.S. officials said … provided no details on whether progress was made toward a deal on reopening embassies in Washington and Havana.
The two countries have been trying to strike an agreement on embassies before presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro attend the Summit of the Americas in Panama on April 10-11.
Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Relations said the talks took place “in a professional atmosphere” and “the two delegations agreed to maintain communication in the future as part of this process.”
Jeff Rathke, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, said, “The discussion was positive and constructive and was held in an atmosphere of mutual respect.”
Neither side said … whether they had resolved any of the obstacles to reopening embassies, which include Cuba’s continuing presence on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, and Cuba’s objections to U.S. diplomatic contact with dissidents on the island.
The State Department said … topics being discussed at the latest round would include lifting caps on Cuban and U.S. diplomatic staff and limits on their movements outside Havana and Washington.
FOR MARCO RUBIO, VENEZUELA MATTERS IN 2016 via Ed O’Keefe of the Washington Post
The nation of Venezuela — like one of its leader’s key Senate antagonists, Marco Rubio — may garner less attention in the U.S. press than some of its flashier rivals. But the oil-rich and chaos-plagued South American country remains a major concern for foreign policy experts — and for Rubio himself, who is widely expected to launch a presidential campaign next month. … He’ll turn his attention the U.S. response to the crisis in Venezuela … especially critical of President Nicolas Maduro — the leader Rubio described as a “clown” late last month on the Senate floor. Developments over the weekend only add to his ire and make his hearing more relevant.
BUSH SHARPENS OBAMA CRITIQUE IN SOUTH CAROLINA via Bill Barlow of the Associated Press
On his first extended trip to South Carolina this year, Bush on Tuesday blasted President Barack Obama as a failed leader and pitched himself as a principled conservative who gets things done.
“It’s the president’s responsibility to reweave the web of civility and to improve the discourse, and this guy does not believe it’s his priority or his mission to do that,” Bush said.
The former Florida governor has yet to formally declare his intention to run for president in 2016, but winked at the idea during his speech to a chamber of commerce breakfast, telling the crowd “you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”
Bush said he would be more personally engaged than Obama with world leaders and members of Congress. Those “personal relationships,” he said, pave the way for better governing outcomes.
IF YOU READ ONE THING — BUSH, 20 YEARS AFTER CONVERSION, IS GUIDED BY HIS CATHOLIC FAITH via Michael Paulson of the New York Times
Twenty years after Mr. Bush converted to Catholicism, the religion of his wife, following a difficult and unsuccessful political campaign that had put a strain on his marriage, his faith has become a central element of the way he shapes his life and frames his views on public policy. And now, as he explores a bid for the presidency, his religion has become a focal point of early appeals to evangelical activists, who are particularly important in a Republican primary that is often dominated by religious voters.
Many of his priorities during his two terms as governor of Florida aligned with those of the Catholic Church — including his extraordinary, and unsuccessful, effort to force a hospital to keep Terri Schiavo on life support, as well as less well-known, and also unsuccessful, efforts to appoint a guardian for the fetus of a developmentally disabled rape victim and to prevent a 13-year-old girlfrom having an abortion. He even, during his first year in office in 1999, signed a law creating a “Choose Life” license plate.
He differed from his church, significantly and openly, over capital punishment; the state executed 21 prisoners on his watch, the most under any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. But he has won praise from Catholic officials for his welcoming tone toward immigrants and his relatively centrist positions on education — two issues in which he is at odds with the right wing of his party.
“As a public leader, one’s faith should guide you,” Bush said in Italy in 2009, explaining his attitude about the relationship between religion and politics at a conference associated with Communion and Liberation, a conservative Catholic lay movement.
“In the United States, many people think you need to keep your faith, put it in a security box, if you’re an elected official — put it in a safety deposit box until you finish your service as a public servant and then you can go get it back,” he added. “I never felt that was appropriate.”
AMERICAN BRIDGE: BUSH “HYPOCRITE” OVER HILLARY CLINTON EMAIL CRITICISM Full story here
When it comes to personal emails for public business, Bush is nothing short of a hypocrite, says the left-leaning American Bridge 21st Century.
As the controversy lingers over Hillary Clinton’s emails, a new American Bridge video reminds the public of correspondence problems of Bush, another high-profile potential presidential candidate.
Recently, Bush attacked Clinton for using private emails during her time as Secretary of State, a subject he called “a little baffling, to be honest with you.”
American Bridge doubts the veracity of the former governor, saying he has little right to criticize others, particularly after facing own “troubling vulnerabilities” with emails.
Citing a Washington Post report, the 60-second spot points out that Bush compromised national security by discussing troop movements after September 11, 2001 on his personal e-mail account. The video also highlights a New York Times story finding that it took Bush more than seven years to comply fully with Florida public records statutes on email disclosure – in itself a violation of state law.
“Jeb Bush is a hypocrite,” says the statement accompanying the video. “People who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones.”
JEB BUSH’S $100 MILLION PROBLEM via Ben White of POLITICO
Bush has a big expectations problem when it comes to fundraising for his Right to Rise super PAC. All across Wall Street and the rest of the nation, donors who attended high-dollar Bush events are whispering that the former Florida governor could raise as much as $100 million in the first quarter of the year – and maybe $500 million by June, if not significantly more. Either feat would smash records and send shock waves through the rest of the GOP presidential field … advisers are scrambling to drive these lofty expectations way down, saying both publicly and privately that such numbers are absurd and that Right to Rise won’t come anywhere near them.
***Aerospace supporters — including representatives from industry, government and academia — will be in Tallahassee on March 25 for Florida Space Day. The group aims to raise awareness about issues affecting Florida’s role in America’s space program, as well as issues affecting the technology development and businesses related to that program. The theme of this year’s Space Day is: “Florida … Transforming the Business of Space.”***
WHAT THE GOV’S OFFICE IS READING — FLORIDA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINED FLAT IN JANUARY via the Associated Press
Florida’s unemployment rate is staying flat.
New numbers released … show that the state’s unemployment rate for January was 5.7 percent. That’s unchanged from revised figures for December. … is now slightly higher than the national unemployment rate.
Florida added an estimated 13,900 jobs in December. The new figures show there are roughly 551,000 people out of work in the state. Florida’s unemployment rate drop since 2010 was initially said to be because people stopped looking for work. But economists say that trend changed in 2014 as the economy started to recover.
WHAT THE GOV’S OFFICE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO READ — OUSTED FDLE CHIEF GERALD BAILEY MET WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS via Steve Bousquet of the Miami Herald
Ousted FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey … confirmed a report that he met with the U.S. attorney’s office in Tallahassee this month.
Bailey said he met with prosecutors at their request for more than an hour on March 5.
A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Patricia Marsh has declined to confirm that the agency is investigating the circumstances of Bailey’s removal from office or his subsequent allegations of repeated political interference in FDLE’s operations by Gov. Scott’s office and his campaign.
A spokeswoman for Marsh, Amy Alexander, confirmed that Marsh received a letter from Integrity Florida, a self-appointed watchdog group, asking federal prosecutors to open a review of Bailey’s case.
Bailey’s dismissal is the subject of a lawsuit by more than two dozen news organizations accusing Scott and Florida’s three elected Cabinet members of violating the Sunshine Law by forcing Bailey to retire with no public discussion or vote.
FLORIDA RANKS NO. 2 IN NATION FOR RATE OF UNINSURED via Mike Schneider of the Associated Press
Florida ranks No. 2 in the nation in the rate of residents without health insurance, but that figure has declined since 2010.
Figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday show that Florida had an uninsured rate of 24.3 percent in 2013. Only Texas had a higher rate at 24.8 percent.
The lowest rate was 4.3 percent in Massachusetts.
Despite the high ranking, Florida’s uninsured rate has declined since 2010 when it was 25.3 percent.
Federal figures released last month show that Florida is the state with the highest number of consumers buying health coverage through new insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act.
Florida’s roughly 1.6 million enrollees include both first time enrollees and some of the nearly 1 million Floridians who enrolled last year.
ALL HEALTH CARE ALL THE TIME …
HOUSE RELEASES HEALTH CARE BUDGET WITH NO SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS AND DEEP STAFF CUTS AT DOH via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
The House released a health care budget on March 17 that contains no supplemental Medicaid dollars traditionally used to help pay hospitals, federally qualified health centers, graduate medical education and even prepaid health plans.
House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Matt Hudson said it would be “premature” for the House to include supplemental, or Low Income Pool, dollars in the budget given the fact the federal government has not approved the continuation of the program beyond June 30.
Nevertheless, Hudson told the committee that despite the lack of supplemental dollars, “No category of Medicaid eligibility is eliminated or reduced and no provider rates are reduced.”
Hudson said when the state receives more definitive information from the federal government the House will update its budget.
“We hope to have resolution before the end of the session,” Hudson said as he discussed the initial proposed budget, which for the Agency for Health Care Administration totals about $22.8 billion, or about 7 percent less than AHCA’s current budget. The health care budget also has allocations for the other health care-related agencies in the state:
•$1.16 billion to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities
•$2.97 billion to the Department of Children and Families;
•$293.5 million to the Department of Elder Affairs;
•$2.78 billion to the Department of Health; and
•$108.5 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs
While the AHCA budget does not include any federal dollars for Low Income Pool it does include the dollars the counties contribute to the state to drawn down the federal LIP dollars.
The elimination of the LIP dollars appears on the House spreadsheet as a $1.9 billion reduction “as agreed to” by the Social Services Estimating Conference. State economists agreed at a March meeting to eliminate LIP from future Medicaid expenditures because it expires at the end of this fiscal year and no agreement to replace it is in place.
Hudson’s budget isn’t all about reductions, though. Among other things, he proposed giving AHCA an additional $1.7 million to fund a 3 percent increase in reimbursement rates for private duty nursing services, $250,000 for the developing a prospective payment system for hospital outpatient services and $250,000 for developing a prospective payment system for nursing homes.
Hudson’s proposed budget does have staff reductions to the health care agencies. He eliminate nearly 600 positions existing positions from the Department of Health and another 219 vacant positions. The Agency for Health Care Administration is targeted to lose 81 positions.
ALTERNATIVE TO MEDICAID EXPANSION MOVES SWIFTLY THROUGH THE FLORIDA SENATE via Kathleen McGrory of the Miami Herald
A second Senate panel … approved a proposal to extend federally-subsidized healthcare coverage to nearly one million poor residents.
The plan — known as the Florida Health Insurance Affordability Exchange Program, or FHIX — would create a state-run private health insurance marketplace. Participants would have to pay small monthly premiums and meet a work requirement.
Several members of the public spoke out against the bill … including Bill Herrle of the National Federation of Independent Business.
“Business owners are very concerned for the future of this state when we become attendant to the whims of federal agencies,” he said.
Other speakers voiced concerns about the work requirement and monthly premiums.
But by and large, representatives from hospitals, the business community and consumer advocacy groups gave their support.
FIRST IN SUNBURN — STATE MEDICAID CHIEF WANTS TO HAVE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH FEDS BY MID APRIL via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
Florida’s top Medicaid official said on Tuesday he wants to have a tentative agreement with the federal government on how much Florida can expect to receive in supplemental Medicaid dollars by early to mid April.
Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Justin Senior told Florida Politics that the plan is to have a letter of agreement outlining broad principles–such as the amount of supplemental funding and how long the funding will be in effect for–so the House and Senate can use that figure to build their budgets.
Senior said the state is requesting “about” the same amount in supplemental payments available to the state under Low Income Pool–or about $2 billion–and would request that the supplemental payments be in effect for an additional two years, which is when the waiver that makes the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program and the supplemental Medicaid pool feasible expires.
“We’ve talked with them about that and they are aware of it at the federal level,” Senior said, adding that the goal would be to have the agreement reached between the state and the federal government by no later than April 12.
“That’s about as late as we can take it here,” he said, adding that the budget takes time to put together, negotiate and pass. “We can’t really push it much past that.”
Senior said it was the same tactic the state used last year when negotiating the Low Income Pool with the federal government. The federal government gave the state broad approval in April, advising Florida that the LIP would be $2.2 billion and be in effect until June 30. The terms and conditions were subsequently negotiated through early July.
MORE BUDGET WONKINESS … SENATE EDUCATION BUDGET PROPOSAL BOOSTS PER PUPIL SPENDING via Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster of the Naples Daily News
A state Senate proposal boosts public school spending by more than $745 million next year, slightly less than a spending plan released … by its House counterpart.
The state Senate education appropriations subcommittee … rolled out its recommended fiscal 2015-16 budget proposal. The proposal sets aside more than $21 billion for education, including money for the state’s colleges and university.
The Senate proposal offers more than $19.6 billion for K-12 public schools education, up from more than $18.9 billion in the current year. That represents a nearly four percent increase from the current year. Per student spending breaks down to $7,122 per student. By comparison, the House plan sets aside nearly $19.7 billion for K-12 public schools education, up about $764 million. Per student spending breaks down to $7,129 per student.
While the proposal marks a year-over-year increase in funding for K-12 public school education, it is less than one pitched by Gov. Scott. In January, Scott proposed a $19.7 billion budget for the state’s public schools, increasing per student spending to $7,176.
The Senate education proposal also included money for higher education, setting aside more than $1.19 billion for the state’s college system. That’s compared to more than $1.15 billion set aside in the House plan; and the $2 billion Scott proposed spending on the state college system.
Under the Senate proposal, the state’s universities will receive more than $4.48 billion. Both the House plan and Scott’s proposal sets aside $4.5 billion for the state’s universities.
The Senate education appropriations subcommittee is expected … to discuss the proposed budget again, before sending the proposal to the Senate appropriations committee for discussion.
ENVIRO GROUPS: HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL IGNORES AMENDMENT 1 INTENT via Bruce Ritchie of Florida Politics
A House subcommittee chairman’s proposal for environmental spending ignores the will of voters who supported Amendment 1, environmental groups said Tuesday.
“Most of Florida was left out of this budget,” said Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida.
He was responding to the 2015-16 environmental spending proposal issued Tuesday by Rep. Ben Albritton, chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. The proposal will be voted on by the full House Appropriations Committee.
Amendment 1, approved by 75% of voters statewide in November, provides $22 billion over 20 years for water and land conservation, including $757 million in fiscal year 2015-16. How that money is allocated next year is a major issue in the 2015 Legislative Session.
Environmentalists say voters approved Amendment 1 because they want more state conservation land buying, which has been slashed since 2009. But some industry groups want money spent on water supply and local wastewater projects that environmentalists object to.
Albritton said he was recommending $205 million for the Florida Forever land-buying program, including $100 million for water management districts for water resource development projects, $50 million for springs land acquisition, $25 million for payments to conservation landowners, and $20 million for Kissimmee River restoration and $10 million for other purchases.
“The House has gone in a very different direction from what the voters intended when they voted yes on Amendment 1,” Will Abberger, chair of the Amendment 1 sponsor committee, said in a statement. “There is little to no funding for the purchase of new parks, wildlife habitat, or trails. That’s what people voted for.”
The House budget also appears to include funding for agency operations and other expenditures that should not be funded from Amendment 1, Abberger said.
Draper said its unclear how the $100 million for water management districts will be spent but he expects it eventually to be earmarked for “lobbyist-driven water projects.”
“I think the (Albritton) recommendation ignores what the voters thought they were voting for which was to put money into land acquisition for parks and wildlife habitat and for trails,” Draper said.
FRANK ARTILES ADMITS HIS “BATHROOM BILL” IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS AS IT ADVANCES via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
According to Miami state House Republican Frank Artiles, the only reason he has introduced his legislation that would stop transgender people from using public restrooms aligned with their gender identity is because Miami-Dade County Commissioners wouldn’t change their own ordinance.
“I am here because the Miami Dade ordinance is overbroad and subjective,” he told lawmakers … He says that while there are 10 counties in Florida that have gender identity protections (including Hillsborough and Pinellas), only Miami-Dade allows men to enter women’s locker rooms, dressing rooms or bathrooms.
His bill passed the House Government Operations Subcommittee … but whether it will ever make it to Governor Scott’s desk remains questionable.
Artiles legislation has caused a firestorm around the state and around the country, as more than 70 people initially signed up to speak for or against his legislation this morning.
Many speakers said this would only harm the transgender community, and that it would be impossible to enforce.
Articles admits that enforceability would be problematic. “The reality is that there is no bathroom police, there’s nobody who’s going to check ID’s. This is self-policing.” The legislation currently would subject businesses to fines if a citizen complains about an issue in a restroom. “I do not want to fine businesses,” he admitted.
Artiles introduced a new amendment to the legislation before debate began on it. It would exempt sports reporters, allowing them to enter locker rooms after sporting contests.
MARION COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY CONDEMNS DENNIS BAXLEY, TWO OTHER LAWMAKERS FOR VOTE ON GAY ADOPTION via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
The Marion County Republican Executive Committee … approved a resolution criticizing House Republicans Dennis Baxley, Charlie Stone and Marlene O’Toole for their votes in support of an amendment last week that would repeal the 38-year ban on same-sex adoption in Florida.
Committee members said that the three representatives support of the measure was a direct rebuke to the Republican Party of Florida platform, and they’re calling on the lawmakers to not only rescind their vote immediately, but to work to make sure that it’s not approved in the Senate and becomes enshrined in state law.
The resolution says that with their support for the gay adoption bill, the three lawmakers who represent a portion of Marion County have violated their oaths stated in the GOP platform that protects children in the Florida foster care system. “There is no reason to introduce homosexual adoption, the least desirable environment in which to raise children,” the resolution reads. It says that their votes “are an affront to, and a violation of our GOP Platform and general values.”
Randy Osborne, the chair of the Marion County Republican Party, says what made Baxley’s vote even more infuriating is that it was preceded by a speech that persuaded other Republicans to side with him.
“The damage is done,” Osborne says, not very impressed that Baxley reversed the vote two days later. “I know several representatives who support the bill because of his speech on the floor, and that’s what so damaging to this. It doesn’t change the board. Once it’s locked, it’s done. You cannot take that back.”
But in fact Marion County Republicans are demanding that Stone and O’Toole follow Baxley’s reversal and go ahead and rescind their votes as well.
GROWLER BILL MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH SECOND SENATE COMMITTEE via the Tampa Bay Business Journal
A measure (SB 186) to end the state’s prohibition on brewers being able to fill 64-ounce containers know as “growlers” has cleared a second Senate committee.
The Commerce and Tourism Committee … unanimously backed a proposal by Sen. Jack Latvala … that would also allow small brewers to hold public tastings of their beer and allow brewers to transport some of their product between their own locations without having to use a distributor. The proposal’s next stop is the Fiscal Policy Committee.
Craft brewers have been seeking the growler change, but legislative proposals in recent years have been scuttled by large beer distributors. The distributors point to a need to protect the state’s Depression-era three-tier regulation system, which requires the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages to be separated.
Latvala has worked with the industry to revise the measure since the proposal was temporarily halted in early February due to objections from distributors.
In addition to allowing half-gallon growlers, the proposal would eliminate a state rule in which brewers have to meet a tourism requirement for their licenses, require breweries and tap rooms to be housed in a single complex, limit the amount of malt beverages that can be transferred between breweries owned by the same brewer to 100 percent of the yearly production of the receiving location, require brewers to use a distributor when transporting any beverage they don’t manufacture and limit beverage tastings to facilities under 10,000-square-feet of interior space.
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IT’S TEA PARTY VERSUS TEA PARTY ON SOLAR ENERGY PROPOSAL via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post
A proposed ballot initiative to encourage solar energy use in Florida drew some attention when it was unveiled in January by having tea party activists among its leaders.
But … the Florida Faith & Freedom Coalition countered that by announcing that it had signed up plenty of conservative opposition to the 2016 ballot measure backed by Floridians for Solar Choice.
The faith group sent a stinging letter to solar advocates urging against including mandates and subsidies to promote the power source, which is a potential threat to the state’s huge and politically potent investor-owned utilities.
Jim Kallinger, a former Florida legislator who is now president and chair of the Florida Faith & Freedom Coalition, said the constitutional route is rife with potential problems.
“The price of getting it wrong is much too high,” said Kallinger, warning the measure could result in higher utility rates for lower-income customers.
The ballot measure doesn’t specifically outline mandates or subsidies for solar energy. Instead, it is aimed at eliminating current law that makes Florida one of five states that denies citizens and businesses a chance to buy solar power electricity from companies that are not an investor-owned or government-run utility.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE JAX MAYOR’S RACE — “In Jacksonville, a shadow aware between the Clinton and Bush forces“
JOHN PEYTON ENDORSES LENNY CURRY FOR MAYOR via Nate Monroe of the Florida Times-Union
Leaving no news cycle unchallenged, Republican Lenny Curry rolled out an endorsement … from former Mayor John Peyton, the two-term Republican predecessor to Mayor Alvin Brown who has stayed largely quiet on city politics since leaving office in 2011.
“I know what it takes to lead the city and I believe Lenny Curry’s experience, skills and passion more than qualify him to handle this important job,” Peyton said in a statement.
Hours before, former Mayor Jake Godbold announced he was backing Mayor Alvin Brown, a fellow Democrat.
Curry supports reviving some programs that began under Peyton and former Mayor John Delaney — veteran operators from both administrations play roles in Curry world.
Indeed, one of Curry’s most often discussed, marquee proposals is to restore the Peyton-era Jacksonville Journey initiative, a series of programs and efforts seeking to address the root causes of crime with summer jobs projects, programs to help ex-offenders fit back in at home and support for neighborhood-based nonprofits. Curry says Brown has hollowed out that program.
To that end, Peyton’s statement boosts a related and oft-repeated Curry criticism of Brown: Rising violent crime.
Leaders of the Florida Faith & Freedom Coalition and the First Coast Tea Party, who are among those fighting the ballot proposal, said they are not drawing any financial support from the state’s big utilities.
FORMER MAYOR JAKE GODBOLD ENDORSES MAYOR ALVIN BROWN FOR RE-ELECTION via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union
Former mayor Jake Godbold … endorsed Mayor Alvin Brown for re-election … said Brown is well positioned to move the city forward, has worked effectively with JAX Chamber on job creation, and has forged strong relationships at the state and federal level.
Godbold didn’t support Brown in 2011. But Godbold said Brown is well positioned to move the city forward and he supports his re-election.
“The mayor and I for the last four years have seen eye to eye on many things,” Godbold said. “We differ on some things. But he’s never hesitated to listen to my advice.”
Godbold quipped it would have been better if Brown has always followed his advice. Godbold supported extending the 6-cent per gallon local gas tax. Brown wanted the tax to end in 2016. City Council decided to extend the tax for another 20 years.
Godbold said it was tough to decide whom to endorse for this election. He is backing Brown over City Councilman Bill Bishop, who placed third in a recent University of North Florida poll, and Lenny Curry, a businessman and former chairman of the Florida Republican Party who has not held elective officer previously.
“I have nothing bad to say about the other two,” Godbold said. “One of them can’t win and the other isn’t ready for prime time. Mayor Brown is.”
***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.***
APPOINTED: Clarke Harlow and the reappointment of Frederick “Rick” Barber to the South Florida Water Management District.
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Bill Rubin, Melissa Akeson, Chris Finkbeiner, Heather Turnbull, The Rubin Group: Beer Industry of Florida; Gregory Seller Consulting, LLC
Jeff Sharkey, Taylor Biehl, Capitol Alliance Group: World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum
Peter Buigas, Buigas and Associates: NVP-USA
Brittney Burch: Florida Chamber of Commerce
Dean Cannon, Kirk Pepper, Capitol Insight: Lema Construction
David Childs, Hopping Green & Sams: American Sportfishing Association
Michael Cusick: St. Augustine Youth Services
Angela Drzewiecki, Southern Strategy Group: Beer Industry of Florida
Mike Fischer: Allegiant Air
Patricia Greene, Metz Husband & Daughton: Association of Global Automakers
Jennifer McDougald: Florida Coalition for Children
Joe Mobley, The Fiorentino Group: Wold Gold Hall of Fame & Museum
Tim Stanfield, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Florida League of Cities
Stacey Webb, Southern Strategy Group: Moffitt Cancer Center
CONTEXT FLORIDA: END OF CRIST, DEATH MERMAID, SUNSHINE WEEK AND CENSORSHIP
On Context Florida: The era of Charlie Crist has come to an end, says Peter Schorsch. Crist, the man who has been on a statewide general ballot six times since 1998 took to Facebook to say “no mas.” And while he may one day again run for office, his time at the center of Florida politics is officially over. When the Death Mermaid shows up, Diane Roberts warns to pay attention. Last week the Mermaid materialized at the South Florida Water Management District meeting, urging the water czars to stop screwing around with the Everglades. You’d think they would listen … but these are Scott appointees: they don’t believe in mermaids – or measurable water standards. They shrugged her off as just another crazy eco-chick. Happy Sunshine Week, Florida, says Daniel Tilson; let’s hear it for open government! The more transparent our state budget formation and lawmaking are, the more likely middle-class Floridians can avoid getting sucker-punched by elected public “servants” sneakily serving only our state’s richest folks and biggest businesses. We all know how Scott feels about climate change: his administration refuses to allow the words to creep into any state policy documents. Alan Farago asks this: what about former Gov. Jeb Bush – the likely GOP nominee for president in 2016? When Jeb was governor, agency staff that interacted with journalists on the environment were also censored.
Visit Context Florida to dig in.
