Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica.
FLORIDA MICRO-MEDIA MOGUL BREAKS NEWS, BUT IS IT JOURNALISM via Susannah Nesmith of Columbia Journalism Review
Subscribers to Sunburn, an email newsletter for Florida’s political class, got a chuckle one day not long ago out of a little scoop: A state legislator was making money on the side driving for Uber.
Sunburn is the work of Peter Schorsch, a conservative political consultant and controversial blogger who has become, in recent years, a micro-media mogul. The plugged-in Schorsch regularly gets scooplets and scuttlebutt for his clutch of media outlets, which also include FloridaPolitics.com, a news site; ContextFlorida.com, an opinion site; and the local blog that started it all, SaintPetersBlog.com. In a reverse evolution, Schorsch has also recently rolled out a slick print magazine, Influence, which he acknowledges is a “vanity publication” for lobbyists and Tallahassee insiders.
Along the way, Schorsch has built up a strong advertising base in the politics world, even as established media face steady advertising declines. Though he says he is not a journalist, he increasingly hires people who made their careers at traditional outlets.
He has also drawn the ire, and sometimes the I-Team, of one of those outlets, and of politicos who claim he uses his various platforms to regurgitate press releases for his advertisers and to unfairly skewer his clients’ opponents.
It’s a complicated profile that yields widely varying assessments, depending on who you ask.
… He also has ambitious plans to keep expanding, even breaking out from the inside-baseball politics niche.
“We’re going to use the 2016 election cycle to establish the brand as a statewide reporting site,” Schorsch said. “Our focus is politics, but we’ve got some sports, food, hopefully some technology, even longform stuff.”
As Schorsch’s media business grows, his claim of not being a journalist can sound like an excuse to ignore the ethical conventions of the trade when it’s convenient.
But he’s also making money, attracting a devoted audience, and paying for some real journalism. While he may not be someone traditional media outlets should emulate, he’s certainly someone they should pay attention to.
ON TO POLITICS … WHY SO ANGRY?
Seven out of 10 American voters say they’re “dissatisfied with the way things are going in the nation today,” according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released Monday.
The poll shows 41 percent identify as “very dissatisfied,” and only 2 percent say they’re “very satisfied.”
“Most American voters sing sadly, along with The Rolling Stones, that they are unable to find any satisfaction with the way things are going in the nation or with the federal government,” said Tim Malloy, the poll’s assistant director.
Congressional Republicans got an 81 percent disapproval rating in their job performance, and the national GOP received 58 percent disapproval, according to the poll.
Their Democratic colleagues’ approval ratings are similarly upside down, with voters polled disapproving of their work by 66 percent, with the national party at 40 percent disapproval.
The upshot? “Very few voters think Congress is doing a good job,” Malloy said.
President Barack Obama did not escape unscathed. His disapproval among voters stands at 53 percent, with another 55 percent specifically opposing his proposed nuclear agreement with Iran.
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POLL DU JOUR: A new Monmouth University poll in Iowa finds Ben Carson and Donald Trump tied for the lead with 23% each.
The next tier of candidates includes Carly Fiorina (10%) and Ted Cruz (9%), followed by Scott Walker (7%), Jeb Bush (5%), John Kasich (4%), Marco Rubio (4%), and Rand Paul (3%). The last two Iowa caucus victors, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, each garner 2% of the vote.
POLL DU JOUR — PART 2: A new Morning Consult poll finds Trump leading the GOP primary pack with 37%, followed by Bush and Carson at 9% each, Rubio and Huckabee at 6% each and Walker at 5%.
TWEET, TWEET: @Taniel: Favorability ratings in Monmouth’s new Iowa poll — just among Republicans: Trump: 52-33 Bush: 32-51
UNDER ATTACK, JEB BUSH CALLS DONALD TRUMP SOFT ON CRIME via Eli Stokols of POLITICO
Bush tried again … to beat back another biting Trump attack, but his tepid response … highlights both his unease engaging with the caustic billionaire and a fundamental misreading of the state of play. … Whenever the mild-mannered Bush responds to Trump, he risks giving further definition to Trump’s caricature of him as “low energy” because it’s practically impossible to match Trump’s bombast and gusto.
“Jeb Bush left office in 2006 as indisputably the most conservative governor in the U.S.,” said Steve Schmidt, a GOP strategist … “That was a moment in time when conservatism was defined by the positions you held and the actions you took … For huge sections of the electorate, the definition of who is a conservative is based on who’s making the most incendiary comments …”
Trump released a video … that features Bush’s statement about undocumented immigrants crossing the border as “an act of love” … a video many are comparing to the infamous Willie Horton TV ad used by George H.W. Bush‘s supporters in 1988 to portray the Democratic nominee, Michael Dukakis, as soft on crime.
Bush responded that Trump is “soft on crime” based on his past support for “soft-on-crime liberals” and his call to legalize some “illicit drugs.” … beneath Bush’s bullet-pointed response is a photo of a front page of The New York Times showing (Nancy) Pelosi’s swearing in as House Speaker in 2007, autographed and inscribed by Trump … it reads: “Nancy, you are the greatest! Good luck!”
IN NEW WEB AD, SCOTT WALKER TAKES A SHOT AT JEB BUSH ON IRAN DEAL via Florida Politics
Bush opposes the proposed nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran … Unlike the others, though, Bush said that he may not tear the deal up on “Day One” of his presidency.
“At 12:01 on January, whatever it is, 19th [2017], I will not probably have a confirmed secretary of state; I will not have a confirmed national security team in place; I will not have consulted with our allies. I will not have had the intelligence briefings to have made a decision” … That line was considered a rebuke to … Walker, who … said that, “We need to terminate the bad deal with Iran on the very first day in office.”
Walker hits back in a new web ad, with footage from a campaign speech where he says, “Unlike others, I don’t need months, or years to hold this over. If Congress fails to stop the nuclear deal, I will terminate it on day one … America will not be intimidated … And neither will I.”
MARCO RUBIO: I’M THE FASTEST 2016ER via Tal Kopan of CNN
Horse-race coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign took on a new dimension when Rubio laid down the gauntlet that he could beat any other candidate in a foot race … “I’ll tell you this: I’m the fastest person running for president,” Rubio joked with former NFL running back Tiki Barber on Barber’s CBS Sports Radio program. … Rubio told Barber that his fastest 40-yard dash — a common measure of a player’s speed — was 4.65 seconds. That’s a respectable time for a big lineman, but for his position, defensive back, and his height, 5 feet 9 inches, he admitted he would have had to be much faster to pursue football professionally. “At some point you grow up and realize … if you’re going to be my size, you better run a 4.3 … I was realistic about that.”
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Rubio has events in Carson City, Terington and Fallon, Nev. Bush visits La Progresiva Presbyterian School in Miami, and will later hold a townhall with high school students.
TV REMAINS KING IN POLITICAL AD SPENDING via Patrick O’Connor of The Wall Street Journal
There is an adage in American politics: Campaigns don’t start until the first commercial appears on television. Despite the enormous growth of online campaigning, that half-century of tradition is proving a difficult habit to break … Candidates and outside groups are expected to spend $1.1 billion on digital advertising in 2016, up almost 700% percent from $162 million in the 2012 elections … But TV remains far and away the dominant platform for groups trying to reach the biggest-possible audience of voters.
Television spending on the 2016 presidential race was up almost 900 percent through mid-August from the same point in 2012, according to Federal Communications Commission filings. Candidates and their outside allies have already reserved more than $47 million ads for the race ahead, almost three times the amount at this point four years ago … The money set aside for TV spots in Iowa is double what it was in 2012 and five times greater in New Hampshire.
(O)verall spending for the 2016 elections will be about $4.4 billion, up roughly 16 percent from the $3.8 billion candidates and outside groups laid out for cable and broadcast ads in 2012 … But the role of digital is rising even faster … spending online could jump to $3.3 billion in the 2020 presidential election, taking a major chunk from TV.
The 2016 election, more than any before it, will see TV broadcasters competing for spending with Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and other digital concerns. This jockeying over the political ad market is just a microcosm of the much bigger struggle for global ad revenue of all sorts.
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BILL NELSON CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION via Jeremy Wallace of the Tampa Bay Times
The repeated failures of the Florida Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts is a sure sign that Florida needs to create an independent commission to do the work, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said during a stop in Tallahassee on Monday.
“Seems to me we need an independent commission for future reapportionment so that you stop this self-serving process of drawing districts for your own self interest,” said Nelson, a Democrat.
Nelson said other states – like Arizona and California – have created commissions to draw congressional districts and Florida needs to explore the same idea to keep the map drawing out of the hands of the self-interested.
“Seems to me that common sense says put it in the hands of as independent of a commission as you can make it,” Nelson said.
BRANDON PATTY MOVING TOWARD U.S. HOUSE BID IN CD 6 via Ryan Ray of Florida Politics
All signs point to 2016 congressional run for Brandon Patty to replace U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, the business consultant tells Florida Politics.
The former Republican campaign staff member and Navy reservist said Friday that at the current rate there’s no reason he won’t be a candidate in the St. Johns County-based Congressional District 6.
Patty said his role as a consultant for Deloitte, where he analyzes new federal rules and laws for business clients, helps make him uniquely qualified for the job.
In talking policy, Patty hit several notes familiar to the national conservative discourse: a need to increase our focus on national defense and spending, devolving control over education policy to the local level (he opposes Common Core), and to simplify the nation’s regulatory regimes, particularly those governing energy production.
PROPOSED MEDICAL MARIJUANA AMENDMENT HEADED FOR COURT REVIEW via Dan Sweeney of the South Florida Sun Sentinel
A proposed medical marijuana ballot initiative is headed to the Florida Supreme Court for review … the state had verified 73,713 petitions — about 5,400 more than needed to qualify for review by the court.
The verified signatures come after United for Care, the organization pushing for a medical marijuana amendment, submitted more than 100,000 signatures for review … Of those, 73,713 signatures passed that test. Secretary of State Ken Detzner will now send the proposed amendment to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has 30 days to review it before sending it on to the court … The new amendment has a few changes but “largely changes that were made based on the Florida Supreme Court review of the last amendment,” said Ben Pollara, the campaign manager for United for Care. “So, we were confident of our original language and are even more confident going in the second time.”
MY TAKE: CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL VIEWS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA WITH COMPASSION via Florida Politics
It comes as no surprise that support for medical marijuana continues to grow, as discussions surrounding the implementation of the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 continues to heat up … a survey was conducted by St. Pete Polls in late July that showed 68 percent of Florida voters surveyed would support a proposed measure for medical marijuana.
It is becoming inherently clear that there is a growing desire to ensure that those who need marijuana for medicinal purposes are able to access it; however, with the proper safeguards in place to prevent abuse for purely recreational use …
Hugh Hempel, an executive team member of Sun Bulb Co., has a personal mission of bringing medicinal cannabis to patients in need … twin daughters who were diagnosed with a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease (often referred to as Childhood Alzheimer’s) that causes daily seizures … his daughters receive several doses a day of CBD oil to effectively and safely combat their seizures … their story hit home with me. You can see how medical cannabis changed his mind in his TED Talk video..
As a father, I can relate to wanting to do everything we can for the health and betterment of our children and the lives they live … I am encouraged by the desires of this applicant, in particular, who wants nothing more than to obtain medicinal cannabis for those in need, like his daughters. I encourage you to watch their compassionate video.
SOLAR ENERGY FIGHT HEATING UP IN FLORIDA via John Kennedy of The Palm Beach Post
A key step in a battle over the future of solar energy in Florida is set to take place … before the state Supreme Court, with advocates saying they are confident justices will clear their proposal for next year’s ballot. Floridians for Solar Choice is gathering signatures for its measure that would allow homeowners and businesses to sell as much as two megawatts of solar energy while also barring governments from imposing limits on rooftop solar … utilities are fighting the proposal with an amendment of their own, written partially by Florida Power & Light … it is likely to trigger a big money campaign that will vie for Floridians’ attention with next year’s presidential contest. Justices won’t rule on the merits of the solar proposal … they will be reviewing the ballot language to assure it doesn’t violate the Florida Constitution, which prohibits misleading proposals or provisions that affect more than a single subject.
“We don’t anticipate the language will trip us up,” said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
— “Big Solar’s subsidy bubble” via The Wall Street Journal
POLL SHOWS LESS THAN 50 PERCENT SUPPORT FOR SOLAR AMENDMENT via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics
A new poll says only a minority of voters supports a proposed constitutional amendment on solar-generated electricity … Of likely Florida voters, 41 percent support the amendment, according to the poll released by the Florida Chamber Political Institute, affiliated with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
HAPPENING TODAY: PRO-JACK LATVALA POLITICAL COMMITTEE TO HOLD LUNCHEON via Florida Politics
Latvala will hold a fundraiser luncheon co-sponsored by several current and former Pinellas County politicians in St. Petersburg … features two dozen co-chairs, including current state Reps. Larry Ahern, Kathleen Peters, Chris Sprowls and … freshman state Rep. Chris Latvala. Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano will also be in attendance … noon at the Hilton Carillon Park.
MY TAKE: JOE NEGRON MAY BE WINNING SENATE PRESIDENT’S RACE, BUT THERE’S NO NEED TO QUESTION JACK LATVALA’S GOP BONA FIDES Full blog post via Florida Politics
Were Doc Brown to offer Latvala a ride in his time-hopping Delorean, it’s actually easy to identify one of the dates the Pinellas lawmaker would travel to: September 4, 1990 … That’s the date Joe Negron lost a primary election to Patricia “Pat” Dailer for the Democratic nomination in House District 80 … if Negron won that race, it’s almost certain he would not be facing off against Latvala to be president of the Florida Senate in 2016-18 … at one point Joe Negron was a rising star in Florida Democratic circles.
Observing the neo-libertarian Negron, who now serves in the Florida Senate, it’s difficult to imagine that Negron at 27 was elected chairman of the Martin County Democratic Executive Committee … Yet, despite Negron’s blue streak, it’s Latvala’s GOP bona fides that are currently being questioned by some.
Matt Gaetz, as much an ally of Negron’s as he is a political enemy of Latvala’s, took to Twitter this past weekend to troll Latvala about the who-knows-where-he-got-it possibility of the longtime Republican running as an independent in a hypothetical match-up against state Sen. Jeff Brandes … on the heels of a story … that relies mostly on quotes from Don Gaetz (also a political enemy of Latvala) to report that Latvala may resort to the “nuclear option” of relying on Democratic state senators’ votes to secure the Senate presidency.
Although this rumor has made its way up and down Adams Street, it’s still only a rumor … considering Negron’s past as a Democrat, his side of the street should not be questioning Latvala’s GOP bona fides … the Matt Gaetzes of the world, as hard as it may be for them, should tone it down some (here’s looking at you, too, Chris Latvala). This kind of sniping is not what wins leadership races, but it does end majorities.
LAUREN BOOK ANNOUNCES BID FOR FORT LAUDERDALE SENATE SEAT via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida
Lauren Book, crusader against child sex abuse and daughter of one of Florida’s top lobbyists, officially announced her state Senate bid for a Fort Lauderdale seat that should be hers for the taking. Book, 30, has been preparing for the run for more than a year by collecting more than $663,000 in unspent contributions for her political action committee, Leadership for Broward. With money like that — with more to come, if and when father Ron Book needs to pitch in — it’s tough to see her facing a big challenger for the Hollywood-based seat state Sen. Eleanor Sobel is vacating.
Taking nothing for granted, Book said, “I’m going to keep my nose to the grindstone, keep making calls, keep working.”
… BOOK TO ROLL OUT IMPRESSIVE LIST OF EARLY ENDORSEMENTS via Florida Politics
Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “Lauren Book’s fearless leadership in advocating on behalf of sexual assault survivors and children makes her a true asset to our South Florida community.”
Broward Sheriff Scott Israel: “Lauren Book has been an amazing advocate for children. She has create educational programs that help give kids the tools they need to protect themselves from sexual predators. Her insight and experience would make Lauren an incredible advocate for children in Tallahassee.”
Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler: “Lauren Book understands what it means to give back to her community, to work hard for the benefit of others, and to passionately pursue a better tomorrow for those less fortunate. Lauren has successfully overcome some tremendous obstacles in her own life and, in the process, positively impacted and improved the lives of many other victims. With her experience, expertise, work ethic, and big heart, Lauren will certainly be a public servant who listens, who learns, who cares, and who will definitely make a difference.”
Senate Democratic Leader Pro Tem Oscar Branyon: “I am excited to have great Democratic candidates like Lauren who have strong backgrounds of service, advocacy and leadership. Democrats like Lauren are what South Florida’s next generation of leaders look like.”
MY TAKE ON LAUREN BOOK
Every single person reading this newsletter knows Lauren’s journey. And every single one of you knows her dad. This is not the place to repeat that.
But how many children of wealthy lawyers/lobbyists have had multiple surgeries on their feet from walking literally over 7,000 miles on behalf of a cause? How many put in well north of 60 or 70 hours a week and travel hundreds of thousands of miles a year championing a cause?
Let me put Lauren’s annual walk in context for you as just one example of her work ethic. Each year for the past six consecutive years, Lauren has walked the state over a 42-day period, most days logging more than a marathon runner and then repeating that day after painful lonely day with only a few breaks in between. In a typical year, she tops 1,000 miles – a thousand miles! – and what astonishes me is that most of those miles are logged out of site of the cameras and are completed on a lonely stretch of asphalt long after the crowds have dissipated.
So where am I going with this?
Lauren Book doesn’t have to do this. She could have her foundation and not put in ridiculous workdays. She could publish an occasional book, appear on TV and have a relatively enjoyable life and continue to achieve good things.
Lauren doesn’t have to run for office and deal with all that goes with it. Knocking on doors, attending local functions attended by eight people, or dealing with the snarky media questions – many of which will be, ironically, about her dad – or putting herself into what is, by ALL accounts, a dysfunctional legislative morass.
No, Lauren could stop and smell the roses, enjoy her work on behalf of kids and frankly, bask in the success of her hard work thus far. But she’s not. She’s running for the state Senate, putting her hat into the public arena and putting herself into the glaring and often unfriendly light of politics.
I gotta say, that from this corner of the universe, someone who has had to scrap and scrape to make a living, I have just one thing to say about that…
You go girl!
FORMER DAYTONA BEACH COMMISSIONER STEVE MILLER BECOMES SECOND DEM IN HD 26 RACE via Florida Politics
A second Democrat filed to take over term-limited Democratic state Rep. Dwayne Taylor’s District 26 seat in the Florida House … Former Daytona Beach City Commissioner Steve Miller joins current commission member Patrick Henry, a Democrat, and Republican Michael Cantu, a small business owner who got 47 percent of the vote against Taylor last cycle.
Miller, who works as a tax consultant, was on the commission in the early 1990s and he attempted to get back on in 2014, though a circuit judge had his name removed from the ballot for not living in the zone he was campaigning … During that campaign, Miller changed his voter registration address between a few different rental properties and his business’s office address. Miller said he never claimed to live at the business and just wanted to use it as a mailing address. At the time, Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall said Miller was “making a mockery of the system.”
2 POSSIBLE CONTENDERS PASS ON HD 49 RUN via Frank Torres of Florida Politics
The field of candidates is down to one in House District 49 … Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration regional director Betsy Franceschini confirmed … she would not be running for the east Orlando seat that includes the University of Central Florida … Gus Martinez confirmed … he had withdrawn from the contest … That leaves Carlos Guillermo Smith as the only candidate filed to run in the seat that is expected to be open in 2016, with Republican incumbent Rene Plasencia announcing he will be running in House District 50.
SAVE THE DATE: Republican state Rep. George Moraitis hosts a fundraiser Wednesday for his re-election to House District 93. The poolside reception begins at 6 p.m. at the Beachside Village Resort, 4564 N. Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. RSVP to Karin Hoffman (954) 729-9244 or [email protected].
PROSECUTOR WILLIE MEGGS WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION via Jeremy Wallace of the Tampa Bay Times
Meggs … will not seek re-election in 2016. Meggs, 72, has been the chief prosecutor for the 2nd Judical Circuit since 1985 … often found himself having to make decisions on whether to prosecute elected officials and sports stars.
In 2013, Meggs … made headlines for choosing not to prosecute former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston for sexual assault, saying there was not enough evidence to win a conviction … charged former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom with grand theft and conspiracy … charges were dropped in 2011, and Sansom filed an ethics complaint against Meggs and accused him of manipulating the grand jury. The complaint was dismissed.
Meggs was pushed to prosecute … Scott and the Florida Cabinet for violating the state’s Sunshine Laws, but opted not to … he didn’t believe the issue rose to a violation of the Sunshine Law.
RICK SCOTT TO HEAD TO KENTUCKY TO LURE BUSINESSES NEXT MONTH via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel
Gov. Rick Scott has a message for business owners in the Bluegrass State: the sun shines brighter in Florida than on your old Kentucky home.
Scott will head to Kentucky in September on a business development mission to entice businesses to relocate to Florida, according to a release from his office. The release contrasted Florida’s status as a right-to-work state versus Kentucky, where unions have more sway over employment contracts.
“Florida’s business climate is better than Kentucky’s in almost every way. Kentucky leaders continue blocking Kentucky counties from becoming right-to-work areas. Kentucky’s pro-union, big government policies hurt Kentucky businesses’ ability to create and retain jobs,” Scott stated.
Scott has targeted businesses in other states with Democratic governors in the past, including New York, Connecticut, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is a Democrat and the state House of Representatives is held by a majority of Democrats, but the state Senate is led by Republicans.
TWEET, TWEET: @SteveBousquet: Is @FLGovScott running out of states to poach jobs from? He’s targeting Kentucky again
SPOTTED at Gov. Scott’s Conference on Tourism: Burt Reynolds, U.S. Rep. David Jolly, Sens. Nancy Detert and Kelli Strargel, Reps. Chris Latvala and Mike Miller, Carol Dover, Slater Bayliss, Jennifer Green, Alan Suskey. Not there? Gov. Scott, who told the crowd by video he was dealing with “remnants of (Tropical Storm) Erika.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Scott will announce new jobs at Anheuser-Busch in Jacksonville. Press conference begins at 3 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch, 1100 North Ellis Road in Jacksonville.
FLORIDA PRISON CHIEF MAKES TOP BRASS REAPPLY FOR JOBS via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald
In a move that has the potential to either shake up the Department of Corrections or validate the status quo, prisons chief Julie Jones has asked for the 12 top officials in charge of prisons and probation to reapply for their jobs by Tuesday as part of a major realignment designed to centralize power at the agency
The officials, each of them high-ranking officers who have spent most of their career rising through the ranks of the department, may seek their old job or apply for any of the openings in one of the three existing regions or seek the open posts at a newly added fourth region.
The move opens to competition the top jobs in the state’s prison system. Having to apply to stay employed are three directors and three assistant directors of the three current regions and two regional directors and four assistant directors of the two community corrections regions. Applicants will be judged based on a new set of accountability measures imposed by an executive order of the governor in May, said DOC spokesman McKinley Lewis.
The result will have the effect of either allowing Jones to reject any of the high-ranking officials at the embattled agency without having to fire them, or keep the veteran officers in place and consolidate her power. Jones was appointed secretary of the agency by Scott in January and is the seventh head of the troubled agency in nearly as many years.
LEADING STATE REPRESENTATIVE INDICATES LONG-TERM HEALTHCARE FIGHT via Christine Sexton of POLITICO Florida
The clash over healthcare spending that ripped apart the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature isn’t likely to end anytime soon … top Republicans in that chamber say they are committed to taking aim at what they consider the underlying causes of rising healthcare costs … the promise being made by state Rep. Jose Oliva … in charge of the new House Select Committee on Affordable Healthcare Access …
Oliva talked … about eliminating the licensure program called “certificate of need,” expanding scope of practice for nurse practitioners, allowing direct primary care arrangements between doctors and patients, and authorizing the establishment of recovery care centers. He’d also like to examine the mandates on health insurance companies as well as overhauling the state group health insurance plan.
TAX COLLECTORS ALARMED BY STATE TALK OF REVAMPED DRIVER LICENSE SYSTEM via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
Florida motorists enjoy getting their shiny new driver licenses on the spot, but the state is studying a possible change to a new system that’s stirring warnings of a possible “disaster” with drivers waiting up to two weeks for their cards.
The state’s top highway safety official says no decision has been made and won’t be without a statewide consensus.
Drivers pay $54.25 to get licenses issued or renewed immediately at county offices, and tax collectors keep $6.25 for every license sold.
Under a new system known as central issuance that’s gathering momentum deep in the state bureaucracy, drivers could wait up to two weeks to get a license by mail — or pay more to get it sooner.
“I’m not convinced,” said Brevard County Tax Collector Lisa Cullen, president of a statewide tax collectors’ group. “I want to know how we’re going to communicate this to the citizens of Florida. We need to tell them exactly what it’s going to be, or we’re going to have an absolute disaster.”
TWO FLORIDA LAWMAKERS COMBINE EFFORTS AIMED AT HELPING VETS, ACTIVE MILITARY via Sascha Cordner of WFSU
Two Florida lawmakers are combining their separate efforts aimed at helping military veterans as well as those deployed overseas … gives veterans priority for registering for college classes. State Sen. Aaron Bean … also calls for the creation of a task force under the secretary of state to brainstorm how to count the votes of those serving overseas. The other part of the bill allows veterans to check off a box requesting available local, state, and federal benefits … That part of the bill is by state Rep. Greg Steube.
THE CHILLING EFFECT OF FLORIDA’S NEW DRONE LAW via Nancy Smith of Sunshine State News
Look for lawmakers to revisit Florida’s new drone law … tweaks are on the horizon for a law governing a budding industry that few understand and even fewer trust … Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act — lays out a gold-lined welcome mat for personal injury law firms looking to establish a new cottage industry.
The law says using unmanned aircraft to take photos or record videos of people on private property is now illegal in Florida … authorizes injured parties to sue if they can prove they’ve been financially damaged … Tough-to-prove actual damages might be small, but if the court finds for the plaintiff, the lawyer can collect his fees from the defendant.
Matt Grosack, a Miami-based associate with DLA Piper Global Law Firm, explains it: “One of the criticisms of the law is, there are a lot of hungry lawyers out there who will be pushing litigation … In a drone case, I can’t imagine actual damages are going to be that high … The days of skies without drones are numbered,” he said. High cotton for personal injury attorneys.
LEGISLATIVE STAFFING MERRY-GO-ROUND
With a tip of the hat to Legislative IQ powered by LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round.
On: Kama Monroe has become senior attorney on the House Local Government Affairs Subcommittee.
On: Jessi McDonald is now district secretary for Pensacola Republican state Rep. Clay Ingram.
On: Santino Andrews is now legislative assistant for Coconut Creek Democratic state Rep. Kristin Jacobs.
Off: David Lancz is no longer the legislative assistant for Miami Beach Democratic state Rep. David Richardson.
On: Leilani Gonzalez has become district secretary for Estero Republican state Rep. Ray Rodrigues.
SEMINOLE COUNTY CONTINUES PUSH TO REPLACE STATE EXAMS via Jessica Bakeman of POLITICO Florida
Seminole County Public Schools leaders … renewed their push for the state to ditch the Florida Standards Assessments, computer-based exams offered for the first time this spring. The leaders want to replace the state’s tests with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the PSAT and the SAT, respectively, at appropriate grade levels. Since the district leaders first proposed the plan in July, they’ve rebranded their idea — originally dubbed the “Seminole Solution” — as the “Sunshine Solution,” hoping to reflect growing support from other school districts statewide … Their letter comes just days before the state is expected to receive the results of a third-party study of the validity of Florida’s state exams, which came into question after technical problems plagued their administration earlier this year.
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CORRECTION: As much as she likes Jim Kallinger, Lori Killinger is married to Lee Killinger.
HAPPENING TODAY — The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association will host two Tampa Bay-area confabs featuring FRLA CEO Carol Dover, who will give remarks on the state of hospitality in Florida. Dover will address the group’s annual Suncoast Chapter Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Sarasota before speaking to the Pinellas & Hillsborough Chapter at the Don Cesar in St. Pete from 3:30-5:30.
GOOGLE TO SPONSOR SAYFIE REVIEW’S FLORIDA LEADERS SUMMIT via Florida Politics
Justin Sayfie, publisher of the Sayfie Review, announced … Internet search giant Google will help underwrite its upcoming Florida Leaders Summit confab in Orlando … the event, now in its third consecutive year, as an “invitation-only, nonpartisan event for Florida’s top leaders, modeled after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland” … 11 “thought leadership partners” whose proposals and ideas will inform the conference, such as the AIF Foundation, Leroy Collins Institute, and The James Madison Institute. The event is set for November 16-17
IN THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE
Summertime often sees a flurry of personnel moves in the world of government and politics. Continuing this occasional series, we update you on who’s in the Departure Lounge.
First up is the tech-savvy Erin Choy, who is no longer with National Strategies, LLC, where she lobbied for, among others, Adobe. Choy is now the external affairs manager for the Florida Agency for State Technology.
Veteran communications and technology pro Don DeLoach‘s last day at One Eighty Consulting was August 12. The former chief information officer for the City of Tallahassee has launched his own business, DDGov Consulting LLC.
As we previously reported, Jessica Baker has left Ballard Partners to go in-house with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.
Sara Clements, recognized by SaintPetersBlog in 2014 as a 30-under-30 Rising Star, has moved from the Foundation for Florida’s Future to Step Up for Students.
Up-and-coming lobbyist Joe Salzverg is no longer with Meenan PA. As first reported by Florida Politics, Salzverg is joining Capitol Insight, the Tallahassee-based government relations and political consulting firm headed by former House Speakers Dean Cannon and Larry Cretul.
Of course, the biggest name currently in the Departure Lounge is Cynthia O’Connell, who stepped down Friday as secretary of the Florida Lottery.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to John McBride and Judi Spann.
