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Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics – October 13

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

By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica.

IT’S DEBATE NIGHT IN AMERICA

Seventy-seven days after the Republican Party garnered record television ratings from their presidential debate, five of the Democrats running for their party’s nomination gather tonight at the Wynn Las Vegas for the first time in a two-hour forum broadcast by CNN.

Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chaffee have been invited to the first DNC-sanctioned event.

Anderson Cooper will serve as debate monitor. He’ll be joined by correspondent Dana Bash and CNN en Espanol anchor Juan Carlos Lopez. CNN anchor Don Lemon will also present questions to the candidates submitted through Facebook.

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been the source of intense criticism from some party members for the lack of debates up until this point. At this juncture of the 2007-2008 election cycle, there had been 12 debates between the candidates.  And of the five remaining debates taking place this cycle (the last one scheduled to take place in Miami on March 9), one will take place on the Saturday night before Christmas, and the other on the Sunday night before the MLK Jr. Holiday.

Meanwhile, the two Republican presidential debates held so far in Cleveland and Los Angeles have attracted record audiences of over 20 million people on both occasions. The GOP’s next scheduled debate is set for October 28 from the University of Colorado in Boulder on CNBC.

The Democrats next debate is scheduled for November 14 in Des Moines.

PODIUM ORDER based on polls via Eugene Scott of CNN: Clinton will be center stage … On either side of Clinton … are Bernie Sanders (to Clinton’s right) and Martin O’Malley (to her left). Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee, the fourth- and fifth-placing candidates, bookend the stage.

— “How could Hillary lose?” via POLITICO Magazine

WHY HILLARY CLINTON DOESN’T SWEAT via Ruby Cramer of BuzzFeed News

Clinton literally does not sweat … In an interview with the BuzzFeed podcast, Another Round … Clinton explained her no-sweat condition … which then brought the conversation around to a second, more pressing question … Who is the “real Hillary”?

“The weirdest thing about me is that I don’t sweat … You guys are the first to realize that I’m really not even a human being. I was constructed in a garage in Palo Alto a very long time ago. People think that, you know, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, they created it. Oh no. I mean, a man whose name shall remain nameless created me in his garage … But you have to cut this, you can’t tell anybody this. I don’t want anybody to know this. This has been a secret until here we are in Davenport, Iowa, and I’m just spillin’ my electronic guts to you.”

CLINTON HAS EDGE IN NEVADA, SITE OF DEMS’ FIRST DEBATE via Nicholas Riccardi and Michelle Rindels of the Associated Press

One of the first four states to cast ballots in the presidential contest, Nevada is home to large communities of immigrants — many who have only recently arrived in the U.S. When combined with the state’s baroque caucus system, which is so complex that the rules surrounding it run 51 pages, that means winning the state and the largest share of delegates requires a higher degree of organization and effort to get-out-the-vote than in most others.

… Clinton installed staff on the ground in Nevada six months ago, and she now has 22 paid operatives in the state. They have recruited more than 3,000 volunteers, who have already held events in remote desert towns as well as the state’s urban centers. Clinton herself has made wooing immigrants a keystone of her campaign; she announced her immigration policy approach at a Las Vegas high school this spring.

“That’s a lot of shoe leather, and they’ve been on the ground for 5-6 months,” Billy Vassiliadis, a veteran Democratic strategist in Nevada who isn’t involved in the current race, said of the Clinton campaign’s efforts. “That’s going to be a challenge that I don’t think a Sanders can overcome, that — God bless his heart — I don’t think Joe can overcome.”

Meanwhile, Sanders’ effort in the state has just one paid staffer, who arrived less than two weeks ago. Biden has yet to decide whether to run and does not have any formal campaign operation.

LONGSHOT CANDIDATES PREPARE FOR DEBATE via Sam Frizell of TIME Magazine

One is a war hero with a piece of shrapnel from Vietnam still lodged in his head. The other is a mild-mannered peacenik with an Ivy League degree in classics … Webb (the veteran) and Chafee (the Ivy League guy) will both take the stage in Las Vegas for the first Democratic presidential debate next to Clinton and Sanders as well as … Martin O’Malley … It is a tall order for two candidates polling within the margin of error of 0%.

OP-ED FROM FLORIDA GOP’S BLAISE INGOGLIA — HILLARY’S DEBATE PROBLEM: SHE’LL HAVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS Read full op-ed here

“Mirror mirror on the wall who is the most liberal of them all? Tonight we will find out the answer to that question as the Democratic presidential candidates take the debate stage to fight over who is the most liberal of them all. Among the Democrat contenders, Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who has constantly avoided the media in order to circumvent the tough questions on her unethical, unsuccessful record, but tonight she will have to confront the media as well as her rivals.

“Clinton and the Democratic candidates promise to provide job growth and opportunity, but their policies have proven only to grow the Washington bureaucracy while leaving families, students, and hardworking individuals behind.

“Democrats are focused on continuing Barack Obama’s legacy of expanding the government with more D.C. intervention. Unfortunately, this does not create an efficient, effective, or accountable government, nor does it build a healthy, vibrant economy for the middle class.”

BLOG POST OF THE DAY — WHY NO PROGRESSIVE JOURNALISTS ON THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE? via Brook Hines of the Florida Squeeze

[It’s] so important to pay attention to the journalistic environment that’s created around our Presidential debates. The people asking the questions have the power to influence how the audience perceives the whole experience. None of the debates so far have featured progressive journalists framing questions. This needs to change.

In the case of the Democratic debate, to silence the progressive voice seems a spectacular misstep … I’m not holding my breath, but … the Roots Action petition … reads: For the sake of basic fairness and balance, you should add to your panel an unapologetic progressive for [the] debate.

RNC VIDEO BRACKETING CLINTON via Mike Allen of POLITICO

The RNC is targeting Bernie Sanders’ social-media supporters with a 30-second video on Hillary emails, “Not Telling Us The Truth – Again.” Five-figure ad buy on national cable and online.

DONALD TRUMP HANDICAPS THE DEBATE via Nick Gass of POLITICO

CNN won’t do badly in the ratings for … [the] Democratic debate, Donald Trump predicted … But they also won’t do great. “You know, I think people are going to turn it on for a couple of minutes and then fall asleep … I don’t want to say this in a braggadocios way, but a person at CNN and a couple of other people said, ‘We have to put Donald Trump in this debate. We’re going to die with it.'” The curiosity factor will help, Trump said, but added that he thought, “A lot of people will turn off after a little while.”

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Sen. Bill Nelson will join Hillary for Florida debate watch party at 8:00 p.m. at The Hammered Lamb, 1235 North Orange Ave. in Orlando. Media interested in attending the Debate Watch Party can RSVP to [email protected].

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JEB BUSH OFFERS PLAN TO REPLACE OBAMACARE via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times

Jeb Bush today in New Hampshire will outline a plan to replace Obamacare. His campaign outlined the proposal as follows: I. Promote innovation in health care; II. Lower costs and enable portable, secure coverage for all Americans; III. Take health care control out of Washington and return it to states.

— “Jeb Bush’s health care pitch puts Florida record to the test” via Nancy Cook and Christine Sexton of POLITICO

READ BUSH’S PLAN here via Mike Allen of POLITICO

BUSH CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST DAVID KOCHEL DIAGNOSED WITH LEUKEMIA via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics

David KochelBush‘s chief strategist, was diagnosed … with “acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” and has already began treatment. The 51-year-old Kochel is considered one of Iowa’s biggest Republican operatives. His company, Redwave Communications LLC, consulted for the super political action committee backing Bush before his presidential campaign was formally announced. In the 2012 campaign, Kochel was Mitt Romney‘s top Iowa strategist.

THIS FAKE CANDIDATE JUST BEAT BUSH IN A STRAW POLL via Tessa Berenson of TIME Magazine

“Honest Gil” Fulbright’s presidential campaign is literally a joke, but that didn’t stop him from beating Bush and Graham in a New Hampshire straw poll over the weekend … Played by actor Frank Ridley, Fulbright is a mock-candidate who skewers typical politicians for Represent.us, a nonpartisan group that is pushing for campaign finance reform … not even on the ballot anywhere. But after he gave a stump speech cracking jokes about Republican candidates at the libertarian Republican Liberty Caucus’s national convention … Fulbright beat some of them in the straw poll … picked up a dozen votes, putting him way behind … Rand Paul, who won with 445 votes … but still ahead of … Bush … Graham and former New York Gov. George Pataki.

ACTUAL PRESS RELEASE: “Bush loses to fake candidate in Republican straw pol” via Represent.Us

ASSIGNMENT EDITORSBush will deliver speech on his policy to repeal and replace Obamacare at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics beginning 10 a.m. ET at 100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester, NH. He will then attend an employee town hall at Smiths Medical, 10 Bowman Drive in Keene, NH. Later, Bush will attend a Town Hall at the Upper Valley Senior Center, 10 Campbell Street in Lebanon, NH at 6:45 p.m. 

SHELDON ADELSON WARMS TO MARCO RUBIO via Alex Isenstadt of Politico

Sheldon Adelson, one of the Republican Party’s most sought-after contributors, is leaning increasingly toward supporting Marco Rubio — and the Florida senator is racing to win the backing of other uncommitted megadonors who have the potential to direct tens of millions of dollars his way and alter the contours of the Republican primary fight.

Last week, during a campaign swing through Las Vegas, Rubio held a meeting in Adelson’s offices at the Venetian Las Vegas, one of a number of five-star luxury casinos the billionaire mogul owns around the world. Adelson, seated at the head of his conference table, heaped praise on Rubio’s performance while he discussed the dynamics of the 2016 race. Those briefed on the meeting described it as short but said it had an air of import.

TED CRUZ FAULTS SENATE RIVALS FOR SKIPPING PRESSING DEBATES via the Associated Press

Cruz on Monday tried to distinguish himself as a leader among the party’s more conservative voters by subtly scolding Rubio for skipping recent high-profile votes in the Senate. Without mentioning Rubio by name, Cruz said Tuesday in conservative northwest Iowa that he had been ‘proud to lead’ the failed Republican effort last month to block federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

— “Avik Roy now working for Marco Rubio campaign” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics

SENATE CANDIDATES COMMIT TO RPOF SUMMIT ALONGSIDE JEB BUSH, MARCO RUBIO, DONALD TRUMP via Michael Auslen of the Tampa Bay Times

All four Republican candidates will attend the party’s Sunshine Summit in Orlando … Ron DeSantis and David Jolly … Carlos Lopez-Cantera and … Todd Wilcox will take part in the event. No word on CFO Jeff Atwater … “In 2016, Florida will not only play a key role in the race for the White House but an important role in maintaining a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate,” RPOF chairman Blaise Ingoglia said … “That is why the participation of the U.S. Senate candidates at the Sunshine Summit is a valuable addition to the growing line up of speakers.”

DOCUMENTS RAISE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT U.S. REP. ALAN GRAYSON’S OFFSHORE HEDGE FUND via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times

Public records … add ammunition to critics who say Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alan Grayson‘s use of a hedge fund in the offshore tax haven of Cayman Islands may have violated U.S. House ethics rules that ban receiving improper outside compensation … documents he filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month that referred to “ongoing” management fees and incentive payments.

The Orlando congressman’s argument? He may be manager of the company paid to manage the funds, but that does not mean he is being paid. “Management fees go to a corporate entity, not Rep. Grayson … An LLC is the fund manager,” said Grayson … the only officer listed in that LLC’s corporate filings. He signs official paperwork as that LLC’s manager, and on his 2012 and 2013 congressional financial disclosure form, he lists the LLC as one of his assets, worth between $15,000 and $50,000.

CONSERVATIVE GROUP ASKS FOR ALAN GRAYSON ETHICS INVESTIGATION via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times

A conservative watchdog group wants the U.S. House of Representatives to open an ethics investigation into Grayson, who has been accused of using official resources to campaign for Senate.

“We write today to request that the Office of Congressional Ethics immediately investigate Grayson’s use of official government resources for campaign and political activity in violation of the House Ethics Rules,” reads a letter from the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.

MIAMI-DADE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MARTIN KARP WON’T CHALLENGE DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ IN 2016 via Amy Sherman of the Miami Herald

Wasserman Schultz won’t face a challenge from Miami-Dade school board member Martin Karp, a fellow Democrat, next year. Karp had considered a bid based on his opposition to the Iran deal — something that Wasserman Schultz decided to support last month.

Karp would have faced an uphill battle challenging Wasserman Schultz [with] a national profile and strong ability to fundraise. “I just didn’t feel it was something I could do at this time,” Karp told the Miami Herald … “Based on the feedback I got I decided this is not the path I would take right now.”

MEANWHILE … BOB BUCKHORN STILL “LOOKING AT” POSSIBLE RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN 2018 via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics

Buckhorn was going to try to take his brand of leadership to a new level in 2018 and run for the Democratic nomination for governor … Then came a tough investigative report … on the influence of Beth Leytham … Then there was the lackluster second-quarter fundraising with his political action committee, One Florida. It all led to La Gaceta editor/publisher Patrick Mantegia to speculate … it appeared that the mayor had packed in the idea of running in 2018 … apparently, the dream hasn’t died yet … In an interview with Dara Kam … Buckhorn is asked directly if he is considering a run for the governor’s mansion.

‘”I don’t know. I’m looking at it” … adding that while he loves being the mayor of Tampa, he hasn’t stopped thinking that his talents could move up to Tallahassee. “But I also think that skill set is transferable to a larger stage in a fashion, in a way that I think would resonate with voters. More focus on results. More focused on doing what you said you were going to do. Less concerned about scoring political points. That’s what mayors do.”

OSCAR BRAYNON OFFERS A MAP THAT MAKES BIG CHANGES TO MIAMI DADE, ORLANDO AND TAMPA BAY via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald

Democratic Sen. Oscar Braynon drew a Senate map and filed it … for the redistricting special session because, he said, he “wanted to prove that Democrats can draw maps too.” Whether Braynon’s map will be accepted by the Republicans in the Senate is an open question but as the Senate’s incoming minority Leader Braynon said that if they really wanted to show their non-partisan stripes “they should accept my map.” The map … targets major changes to the three areas of the state that will be the pivot points for all debate and discussion in the upcoming special session … Tampa Bay, Central Florida and Miami Dade.

SENATE DEMOCRATS DEMAND MAP-DRAWING TRANSPARENCY NOW via Mary Ellen Klas of the Tampa Bay Times

Senate Democrats are now demanding the public be allowed “real time” access into the behind-the-scenes process of map drawing being conducted by House and Senate staff in preparation for next week’s special session to realign Senate district boundaries … In a … letter to Senate Redistricting Chairman Bill Galvano and House Redistricting Chairman Jose Oliva, Senate Democratic Leader Arthenia Joyner asked that both sides make public the guidelines they have agreed to use as their staff members build a series of proposed maps to be used by legislators as the starting point next week.

Joyner … hired lawyer Mark Herron and asked that he be allowed in to the map-drawing process but Senate President Andy Gardiner refused. Now, she is asking to get access to the “recordings of any meetings between counsel for the Senate and the House of Representatives at which these methodologies were discussed as well as recordings of any meetings between counsel and the map drawers and/or any member of the Senate or House of Representatives at which these methodologies have been discussed.”

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING DEADLINE TODAY

Candidates and committees face a deadline today to submit financial reports covering September 2015.

SUSANNAH RANDOLPH RAISES $170K IN FIRST FUNDRAISING QUARTER

First-time candidate and community organizer Susannah Randolph announced that she has raised just over $170,000.00 in her first fundraising quarter as a candidate for Florida’s 9th Congressional District. With 1,150 contributors, Randolph demonstrated her deep, grassroots ties to Central Florida and District 9. Her average donation was under $150. Randolph also announced that she ended the quarter with 85 percent cash on hand – just over $143,000.

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEES POST MAJOR FUNDRAISING NUMBERS via Florida Politics

BILL GALVANO – The political committee supporting Galvano for Senate President brought in $207,500, its best fundraising performance since February, and it took only 10 contributions to hit that mark.

TOM LEE also broke the six-figure mark with $134,050 in contributions to his committee, The Conservative … $1 million of its cash reserves were transferred to an interest bearing account. Not including that money, the Brandon Republican’s committee has $511,439 on-hand.

WILTON SIMPSON collected eight checks totaling $59,500 in contributions through his Jobs for Florida political committee … also cut a $1,000 check to incumbent Republican Daniel Burgess’ campaign in House District 38.

RENE GARCIA’s committee, People in Need of Government Accountability, topped its August numbers with an $87,500 haul in September.

ROB BRADLEY AND LIZBETH BENACQUISTO each brought in about $30,000 through their committees, with most remaining senators reporting less than $10,000 in September.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA CANDIDATES HAD STRONG FUNDRAISING HAULS IN SEPTEMBER via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

September was a good month to raise money in Southwest Florida, with at least four candidates for the state Legislature raising more than $10,000 each … Ray Pilon … collected $14,154 for his reelection bid while his Democratic opponent … Edward James III, raised $2,210 and a political committee affiliated with his campaign raised another $10,000 … James now has $65,159 in his campaign account and the affiliated committee while Pilon has $57,501 in his campaign account.

Greg Steube … hauled in $23,465 as he attempts to move from the House to the state Senate. One of Steube’s Republican opponents for the District 28 Senate seat … Doug Holder, raised $2,000 for the month and a political committee associated with his campaign raised $5,000

But the local candidate with the single largest fundraising haul for the month is … Jim Boyd … raised $39,000 and now has $57,246 in cash on hand … Bill Galvano, who is not currently up for reelection in 2016, raised $207,500 through his political committee Innovate Florida.

WAYNE HARRIS HANGS ON TO FUNDRAISING LEAD IN FIVE-WAY HD 4 RACE via Florida Politics

Three of five Republicans running for House District 4 posted strong September fundraising numbers … Wayne Harris still hanging on to a five-figure lead … collected a little over $40,000 in contributions … $22,355 of that money when he was the only candidate in the race  … contributions have leveled since his July high of $14,805. An $8,850 September performance put the Republican’s campaign at $37,602.

The numbers keep Harris in the lead … Jonathan Tallman and Destin Mayor Mel Ponder each bested him in fundraising last month. Tallman added $12,350 and only spent $208 … $17,141 on-hand. Ponder nearly matched his August numbers with a $10,450 effort in September … spending only $165 … $21,147 on-hand total is second only to Harris’.

HD 11 SHERI TREADWELL BREACHES $40K THRESHOLD via Florida Politics

Fernandina Beach Republican Sheri Treadwell … has been something to watch. September saw another month of decent … fundraising returns. About $5,700 in September took Treadwell up to $40,910.

JASON FISCHER’S PAC BANKS BIG BUCKS IN SEPTEMBER AS DICK KRAVITZ LANGUISHES via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

One of the most active and consistent fundraising operations … this cycle is that of HD 16 Republican Jason Fischer … between his “Conservative Solutions for Jacksonville” PAC and campaign accounts, brought in $23,700 in total in September, with $20,000 of it on the PAC side, bringing that tally up to $60,000 … Fischer has $23,700 combined for September and $177,890 combined for the race. [He] does have one opponent … Dick Kravitz … raised $2,200 in September, bringing his total up to $32,500.

HD 19 LESLIE DOUGHER HAS LACKLUSTER SEPTEMBER FUNDRAISING via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

In the House District 19 race, the third month of fundraising was the worst yet for former RPOF Chairwoman Leslie Dougher, as she failed to breach $2,000 in her competitive three-way race with Bobby Payne and Katherine Van Zant … $1,852 raised during September took her to $34,625. Having spent $6,607, she has $28,000 on hand.

PERENNIAL GOP CANDIDATE SHARON RUSS FILES IN HD 70 RACE via Florida Politics

Republican activist and perpetual candidate Sharon Russ filed to run for the heavily Democratic House District 70 seat held by termed-out Rep. Daryl Rouson. Russ will have to face Democratic St. Petersburg Councilman Wengay Newton in the election if she makes the ballot.

LOU HOLTZ ENDORSES IN ORLANDO MAYOR RACE via Jacob Engels of the East Orlando Post

One of College Football’s most popular coaches endorses Buddy Dyer’s major opponent. Paulson campaign expected to have spent BIG in first financial report, possibly eclipsing the incumbent

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RICK SCOTT ANNOUNCES PROPOSED $20M FOR TECHNICAL CENTERS via WFTV.com

Scott … announced … $20 million for a rapid response competitive grant program at Florida technical centers … included in the Scott’s proposed 2016-17 budget … the money will provide funds to expand and create programs in response to Florida’s workforce needs, and to provide students with an opportunity to get a career in one year … go to 48 technical centers or schools across the state to buy equipment and other things needed to expand the high school programs.

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Scott will address Florida business leaders at the Gulf Power Economic Symposium beginning 8:30 a.m. CDT at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Baytowne Conference Center, 9300 Emerald Coast Parkway in Destin.

MUST-READ — MOTHER: VIOLENCE AT FLORIDA LOCKUP COST SON HIS LIFE via Carol Marbin Miller of the Miami Herald

At Miami’s long-troubled youth lockup, then-16-year-old Maurice Harris found a new calling: beating other teens … officers who oversaw his rehabilitation offered him honey buns, Snickers bars, and McDonald’s hamburgers in exchange for meting out the punishment they couldn’t. It was a dangerous job.

On Labor Day a year later, Harris was back home in Liberty City when he ran into one of the teens he had beaten, his mother said. Don’t I know you from the jail? the other youth asked. And moments later, police say, 19-year-old Everton Ramsay got his revenge. Maurice Harris was buried on his 18th birthday, having been shot eight times… Ramsay is in the Miami-Dade Jail, having been charged with second-degree murder and carrying a concealed firearm.

Harris’ killing is under investigation by the Miami Police Department … part of a widening probe into whether detention officers in Miami-Dade have rewarded detained youth with honey buns, fast food or other treats as bounties for acting as enforcers.

MARIJUANA LOLLIPOPS? DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SAYS THEY’RE TAXABLE via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics

[The] state’s Department of Revenue told members of the Financial Impact Estimating Conference that it still hasn’t decided whether to classify medical cannabis as “agricultural production” because it is a controlled substance under federal law. But it was certain that, if patients used “medicated lollipops” with marijuana, those can be taxed as a “candy” item.

More uncertainties arise, however, if marijuana will be ingested in certain otherwise nontaxable foods.

DOROTHY HUKILL TRIES AGAIN TO PROTECT ‘DIGITAL ASSETS’ via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics

State Sen. Dorothy Hukill … refiled a bill … that would protect one’s “digital assets” after death, meaning someone of your choosing could have access to and control your financial accounts, social media and anything else you have online. Her bill last session died before it could be heard on the floor.

“As people’s lives, both personally and professionally, are becoming more digital, more of their information is getting locked up online,” said … Hukill, a trusts and estates lawyer … changed the language for the 2016 Legislative Session so that someone has to give “explicit consent” to someone else to access and control a particular asset. That someone else could be next of kin, a friend, an attorney or anyone the person selects.

NEW BILL WOULD CRIMINALIZE SEX PREDATORS WITH DRONES via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics

A new bill would criminalize the use of drones by sexual predators to take photos or videos of children … State Sen. Dorothy Hukill filed her bill … adds to a long line of legislation aimed at reining in the remotely-controlled and usually miniature aircraft … newest legislation would create a new third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. To violate state law, a sexual predator would have to “use or operate a drone … to view or record an image of a minor who is on or at the minor’s domicile or on or at a business, school, child care facility, park, playground, or other place where children regularly congregate.”

POLICY NOTES via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION MEETS ON ELECTRIC, TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUES

The Florida Public Service Commission meets to examine several issues involving utilities and telecommunications. Meeting begins 9:30 a.m. at the Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way in Tallahassee.

MEDICAID PANEL CONFERENCE CALL

Florida’s Medical Care Advisory Committee, which addresses Medicaid issues, will meet for a 1 p.m. conference call at the Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Dr. in Tallahassee.

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE SYMPOSIUM

A joint symposium by the Gunster law firm and the University of South Florida Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation discusses increasing access to health care. Scheduled guests include state Surgeon General John Armstrong, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux and state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart. Meeting starts 1 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, 124 South Franklin St. in Tampa.

JOHNS COUNTY DELEGATION PUBLIC MEETING

To prepare for the 2016 Legislative Session, the St. Johns County legislative delegation holds a public meeting at 1 p.m. in the St. Johns County Commission chambers, 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine.

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS

Al Cardenas, Cardenas Partners: Caterpillar c/o MultiState Associates; Schifino Lee

Kimberley Case, Holland & Knight: Waste Management Inc of Florida: Hospice of Citrus County

Diana Ferguson, Rutledge Ecenia: Audubon of Florida

Marnie George, Bucahanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Daiichi Sankyo

Jeremy Kudon, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe: DraftKings; FanDuel

Linzee Ott, The Fiorentino Group: Monique Burr Foundation for Children; North Florida School of Special Education

John Stemberger: Florida Family Action: Florida Family Policy Council

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to lobbyist and restaurant impresario Adam Corey.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.

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