Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Mitch Perry, Ryan Ray, and Jim Rosica.
GOP INSIDERS: CARLY CRUSHED IT via Katie Glueck of POLITICO
Carly Fiorina nailed it in the second Republican debate … That’s the assessment of GOP insiders in a special edition of the POLITICO Caucus … top operatives, activists and strategists in Iowa and New Hampshire. Sixty percent of Republican insiders called Fiorina the biggest winner of the evening — no one else was even close — pointing to everything from how she handled Donald Trump to her grasp of policy issues … “The nation finally got a chance to see what we in New Hampshire have been intrigued and impressed by: a political outsider with some real policy chops and the demeanor to be considered a serious contender.”
23 MILLION WATCHED GOP DEBATE, A RECORD FOR CNN via Brian Stelter of CNN
Wednesday’s prime time GOP debate averaged 22.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in CNN’s history … The 6 p.m. “undercard” debate drew 6.3 million viewers. These are NFL-level ratings — affirming that the Donald Trump fueled Republican debate slate is one of the most popular television shows of the year. CNN’s debate was slightly lower-rated than Fox’s GOP face-off one month ago in Ohio. What accounts for the difference? For one thing, Fox’s main debate was two hours long while CNN’s was three hours.
“The rest of the field figured out how to make Trump not quite as dominant” via Dan Balz of the Washington Post
IS THE SUMMER OF TRUMP OVER? via Ben Schreckinger of POLITICO
After a series of opening exchanges that picked up where the first debate had left off — with Trump at the center of the action and lobbing memorable insults — he became just another face on a crowded stage … a new stage of the Republican nominating contest, where if Trump’s lead in the polls doesn’t immediately break down, his vice-grip on the narrative does. The three-hour debate exposed Trump’s weak command of several issues. And it was simply too long, and the format too free-wheeling … former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina’s breakout debut on the main debate stage, the race has become a tale of three outsiders, not just of one bombastic showman.
JEB BUSH DOUBLES DOWN IN DEFENDING HIS BROTHER: ‘HE KEPT US SAFE’ via Maggie Haberman of the New York Times
Jeb Bush has sent conflicting signals about how he planned to deal with the legacy of his brother, former President George W. Bush — reaching for it in some cases, distancing himself in others.
But on … the day after the second Republican presidential debate, in which he strongly defended his brother against Donald Trump … Bush highlighted that moment on his Twitter feed … “When it comes to my brother, there’s one thing I know for sure. He kept us safe.” The moment during the debate when Jeb Bush defended his brother … was widely seen as one of his strongest of the night. In his Twitter post, he made no mention of the terrorist attacks, the worst ever on United States soil, which took place during his brother’s first term in office.
POLITICAL NONPROFIT DEBUTS NEW TV AD FEATURING MARCO RUBIO via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times
A political nonprofit tied to Marco Rubio is launching a new ad featuring the Republican presidential candidate … ad from Conservative Solutions Project, which does not have to disclose its donors, moves beyond the theme of two previous ads that focused on the Iran deal.
RUBIO SAYS HE’LL SHOW UP IN SENATE WHEN THE VOTE IS “MEANINGFUL” via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
Speaking on “Fox and Friends” … Marco Rubio defended his remarks in Wednesday night’s presidential debate about him missing more votes than anyone else this year in the Senate by this year by saying that, “When there is a vote that’s meaningful and serious, we are there and doing our job.”
Hours later, the Florida Senator and member of the Foreign Relations Committee then missed his 78th vote this year … an amendment … that would have prevented President Obama from lifting sanctions on Iran until the country releases American prisoners and publicly recognizes Israel’s right to exist … the proposal only receives 53 votes, seven short of passage.
That missed vote didn’t escape the notice of trackers with the Democratic National Committee, who later in the day issued out an email with a video clip from the Fox News morning appearance.
ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Bush heads to Greenville, S.C. for Heritage Action’s Take Back America event co-hosted by S.C. Governor Nikki Haley and Former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint. Bush is expected to speak around 4:20 p.m. ET. Later, Bush will speak at the Michigan GOP Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference at 8:30 p.m. ET.
DAVID JOLLY’S TEAM CLAIMS MOMENTUM IN GOP PRIMARY TO REPLACE MARCO RUBIO via Kevin Derby of the Sunshine State News
Jolly’s … team is happy that Public Policy Polling (PPP) released a survey earlier this week showing their candidate ahead in the Republican primary … led the poll with 18 percent followed by … Ron DeSantis, … with 15 percent and … Carlos Lopez-Cantera at 14 percent.
Max Goodman, Jolly’s political director, sent a memo to his finance team … “We’re leading the pack … It’s clear that David’s conservative results-driven message is resonating with folks who are sick and tired of the go-along, get-along Washington crowd … But make no mistake – we need to keep the pressure on.”
BILL MCCOLLUM’S U.S. SENATE DELIBERATIONS via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times
PPP released a poll … highlighting how wide open Florida’s U.S. Senate race looks – with 52 percent of Republican voters saying they are unsure who they would vote for, 18 percent saying David Jolly, 15 percent saying Ron DeSantis, and 14 percent saying Carlos Lopez-Cantera … none of these guys top even 40 percent name recognition … checked in with former Attorney General Bill McCollum, who has been making a lot of calls about running.
“I’m actively talking to people as we speak,” said McCollum, who has run for statewide office three times. “They’ve been encouraging, let’s put it that way.”
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ASSIGNMENT EDITORS: Gov. Rick Scott will announce August’s jobs numbers at a 10 a.m. press conference at ADT, 1501 Yamato Rd. in Boca Raton. Later in the afternoon, Scott and Lieutenant Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera will celebrate the completion of the PortMiami Dredge Project with a 2:00presser at PortMiami, 1015 North America Way in Miami,
GROWING STATE RELIANCE ON PROPERTY TAXES FOR SCHOOLS RAISES IRE via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
Scott and his education team are touting an “historic” increase in per-pupil funding in Florida schools next year … But the state’s proposed education budget relies more than ever on higher property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses … a key Republican senator calls that an election-year tax increase that he can’t support … Sen. Don Gaetz … chairman of the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee … says it will be “very, very difficult” for senators to support.
“I don’t think what Florida’s economy needs right now is a property tax increase … I don’t think it’s right or fair for Tallahassee politicians to reach around and pat themselves and each other on the back about record per-pupil funding and then make local school boards do the heavy lifting.”
STATE’S SUNNY BUDGET PICTURE GETS A LITTLE DARKER…ON FURTHER REVIEW via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post
he robust $635.4 million budget surplus lawmakers face next year shrunk a bit … when a state economist warned the Senate Appropriations Committee that the bulk of the cash is one-time money … only $74 million could be spent safely on continuing critical or high priority budget needs without coming up short within three years. The conflict between recurring and non-recurring dollars is likely to shape a lot of spending decisions in the year ahead.
Senate President Andy Gardiner … already proposed steering the surplus toward increasing per-pupil spending to a record level and dishing out $250 million in tax breaks … also hinted that Florida hospitals … are likely to need some help from taxpayers, either through policy changes or straight-up cash. Both approaches could be a tough sell with the House and Scott.
AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION CALLS FOR $25.8B IN BUDGET via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools
The Agency for Health Care Administration, charged with managing the state’s Medicaid program, pushed for a $25.8 billion total budget for the next fiscal year in front of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee … Medicaid budget is expected to grow from $23.5 billion to $24.86 billion and serve 4.2 million Floridians (a 170,000 caseload increase over the current year) in 2016-17, according to the state’s Long-Range Financial Outlook … growing costs of Medicaid were coming primarily from an increase in the number of low-income Floridians enrolling for health coverage and the federal laws governing Florida’s new Medicaid managed care program, the state’s chief economist gave lawmakers an additional reason: the rising cost of prescription drugs.
In response, Chair Matt Hudson … said, “What strikes me is that we just gave an increase of 7.7 percent to the plans because there were some concerns about actuarial soundness … It would seem almost impossible that one could achieve that reduction after increasing it by 7.7 percent. I mean, maybe there’s an actuary with a Ouija board, I don’t know.”
DOUBTS GROW OVER FLORIDA’S SCHOOL TESTING SYSTEM AS SENATORS QUESTION NEW ‘VALIDITY’ STUDY via Jeffrey Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times
Wariness over a recent study of Florida’s school testing system reached a new level … as state senators learned that Department of Education officials had input on at least two drafts of the document … senators suggested its impartiality had been compromised.
“The key feature of this report was it was supposed to be independent. That’s how it was sold to us,” Sen. Eleanor Sobel … said of the effort, which cost the state nearly $600,000. “Was there any other person that you could have had review it other than the (commissioner) of education?”
The revelation did little to mollify many of the senators, who had called for the validity study … They came with pointed questions for the authors and education commissioner Pam Stewart as they met for the first time since the report was issued … Several walked away less than satisfied
INTEGRITY FLORIDA “ENCOURAGED” BY RICHARD CORCORAN’S ETHICS REFORM PROPOSAL via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
Corcoran … laid out several proposed ethics reforms aimed at “cleaning up our own house.” Among his proposals … Requiring lobbyists to disclose which bills, amendments and appropriations they are trying to influence … Banning lawmakers for six years after they leave office from taking jobs in government, unless they are elected to an office … Prohibiting legislators from taking a job with any company or group that receives funding from the state … a constitutional amendment that bans any state elected official from lobbying the legislative or executive branch for six years after they leave office, up from the current two year ban.
“It’s encouraging Speaker-Designate Corcoran is prioritizing anti-corruption measures aimed at improving public trust in government,” said Ben Wilcox, research director of the nonpartisan research institute and government watchdog group Integrity Florida. “Integrity Florida supports those proposed ethics reforms that are consistent with our research policy recommendations … These much needed reforms will make government more transparent and elected officials more accountable to the people.”
— “Daniel Ruth column: The ‘enemy is us’ in the Florida House” via the Tampa Bay Times
HOUSE REDISTRICTING LAWYERS WANT TO GRILL DEMOCRAT MAP DRAWERS via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald
(Lawyers) for the Florida House … asked the Florida Supreme Court to allow them to ask the redistricting challengers questions about the Democrat-leaning firms that drew their proposed congressional map. “Without apparent shame, Plaintiffs have presented to the trial court alternative maps that were drawn, reviewed, discussed, modified, and approved in a closed process, in complete darkness, by national political operatives,” the House lawyers wrote in the motion. “The fact that Plaintiffs’ maps, despite their origins, are pending before the trial court for a possible recommendation to this Court should dismay and disturb all Floridians.”
The plaintiffs, a group of Democrat-leaning voters known as the Romo plaintiffs, filed a proposed map this week with Leon Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis showing an alternative to the House and Senate maps drawn by the GOP-led Legislature.
LOCAL REPS DIVIDED ON CAMPUS-CARRY BILL via Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Two Sarasota lawmakers on Wednesday ended up on opposite sides of the contentious issue of allowing Floridians with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on university and state college campuses … Rep. Greg Steube … is one of the key sponsors of the legislation … said the current law blocks licensed and trained military veterans from carrying a gun on a college campus at the same time terrorists have attacked military recruitment centers in the U.S.
Steube’s bill prevailed in an 8-5 vote … in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. But on the losing end was Rep. Ray Pilon … a self-described “huge proponent” of Second Amendment rights … saying he never would have supported his sons carrying weapons on campus while they were students, although both his sons now have concealed-weapons permits … university and college campuses are a different environment from the outside world.
JEFF BRANDES, DRIVE ELECTRIC FLORIDA SHOW OFF TESLA’S NEW WARES AT THE CAPITOL via Florida Politics
Sen. Brandes … took six groups of reporters and legislators for a demonstration spin around the Capitol in a brand new Tesla … sponsored by Drive Electric Florida, a consortium of environmental, energy and automotive interests looking to expand the role of electric vehicles in the state’s transportation. “It’s exciting to have this conversation and for members to experience this, because I think the future of vehicles in Florida absolutely includes electric vehicles,” said Brandes … “We’re encouraged to see this industry continue to grow and thrive here in Florida.” … with an investment of about $13,000 each for 50 “super chargers” – which are able to fully recharge an electric car’s battery within 25 minutes – the entire state could be properly equipped for statewide travel via electric car.
DEMOCRATS REVIVING PUSH FOR MINIMUM WAGE HIKE IN FLORIDA via John Kennedy of the Palm Beach Post
Florida Democrats are reviving a push to almost double the state’s minimum wage, with Senate sponsor Dwight Bullard of Miami saying Thursday that he’ll attempt to live five days this month on the state’s current $8.05-an-hour wage.
Bullard, a Miami-Dade school teacher, said, “I’m not that far away already,” drawing cheers from a few dozen supporters crowding outside the Senate chambers at the Capitol. But in a state Senate where almost half of the 40 members are millionaires, Bullard said he wants to see others follow suit Sept. 28, when he plans to begin his belt-tightening.
New York state approved a $15-an-hour minimum wage for fast-food workers, this summer. Big hikes also have occurred recently in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
While Bullard is pushing the legislation (SB 6) in the Senate, Rep. Victor Torres, D-Orlando, is carrying a similar measure (HB 109) in the House. Last year, the minimum wage legislation didn’t get a hearing in either chamber.
POLICY NOTES via Legislative IQ powered by Lobby Tools
PRESENTATION ON FINANCIAL LITERACY STANDARDS
Education Commissioner Pam Stewart addresses the House Education Committee for an update on the implementation of financial literacy standards. Meeting begins 8 a.m. in Room 102 of the House building.
BILLS IMPACT ON REVENUE REVIEWED
The Revenue Estimating Impact Conference for the Office of Economic and Demographic Research will review bills that have yet to be determined starting at 9 a.m.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME APPROACHES PRERECESSION LEVEL IN FLORIDA via the Associated Press
Median household income in Florida has returned to the same range as it was before the recession, and fewer people in Florida are married than a decade ago … Median household income in Florida last year was almost $47,500, an increase of more than 3 percent from 2013, and the highest since the start of the recession. In 2008, Florida’s median income was almost $47,800. Alachua, Monroe, Martin and Flagler counties had jumps in income of more than 12 percent. Citrus and Columbia counties had income declines of more than 10 percent.
Census figures showed that the marriage rate in Florida last year was almost 46 percent, while it was almost 53 percent in 2005 … Florida’s poverty rate declining slightly from 17 percent in 2013 to 16.5 percent in 2014. Among age groups, the highest poverty rate — 23.8 percent — was for children under age 18. Flagler and Monroe counties had the biggest poverty declines last year.
JORGE LABARGA RECOVERING FROM CANCER SURGERY via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics
Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga “is resting comfortably amid a room full of Florida ‘Gator gifts and balloons from well-wishers” after successful surgery for kidney cancer … underwent the operation at Shands Hospital in Gainesville this week. The 62-year-old had been diagnosed following a routine physical earlier this year. “Doctors found no signs that the cancer had spread and predict a full and quick recovery,” spokesperson Craig Waters said.
MIAMI BECOMES 3RD U.S. CITY WITH INTERNET DOMAIN NAME via the Associated Press
Miami will become the third U.S. city to have a dedicated Internet domain name … Mayor Tomas Regalado and Commissioner Francis Suarez announced the .miami domain … Starting Oct. 2, Miami will join New York, with .nyc, and Las Vegas, with .vegas, in offering its own domain name.
MOSAIC’S HUNGER-RELIEF FORUM EXAMINES THE ROOTS OF HUNGER DURING HUNGER ACTION MONTH
The Mosaic Company … hosted the third annual Hunger-Relief Forum at the Bradenton Convention Center … on the causes of hunger and viable solutions to increase food access in Florida. The day-long forum kicked off with keynote speaker Adam Putnam … provided an update on “Florida’s Roadmap to Living Healthy” program, the first statewide map that correlates lack of access to nutritious food with poor health indicators … introduced at last year’s Florida Hunger-Relief Forum.
“The abundance provided by Florida agriculture gives our state a unique opportunity to confront hunger in our communities … By evaluating our communities’ diverse needs through ‘Florida’s Roadmap to Living Healthy,’ Florida can better connect its abundant resources to those in need and create more positive and healthy outcomes.”
Panel discussions were also held to address the economic and health impacts of hunger, how to meet the agricultural demand, how to recover secondary produce for distribution to those who are food insecure, and the changing faces of clients at local food banks.
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FIRST IN SUNBURN — NOW A STATE SENATE CANDIDATE, LAUREN BOOK DROPPING STATE SALARY
Now that she is a candidate, Book says she will no longer derive any of her salary from state funding.
Any funds that she draws down for her work with Lauren’s Kids will, going forward, come exclusively from private donations and not from tax dollars.
“This isn’t something we are required to do,” Book said, “but it feels right and we are always going to bend over backwards to cross our t’s and dot our i’s.”
Continued Book, “In that spirit, now that I am a candidate, I chose to forego those state dollars for my salary.”
And let’s remind ourselves of the very fact that the Florida Legislature is today and has always been filled with citizen lawmakers who hold jobs outside of the Legislature – from university presidents to government and association leaders to educators and non-profit heads.
And how is she going to handle the 500-pound gorilla in the room: lobbyist father Ron Book?
Again, she is swimming in well-charted waters and won’t be the first lawmaker with a family member who is a registered lobbyist. We currently have a Speaker Designate whose brother is a prominent lobbyist, and we know too well that Will Weatherford’s brother Drew was a registered lobbyist while Will was Speaker, as was Allan Bense’s daughter, Courtney.
So it’s not like this is the first time this path has been crossed. But as with the Corcoran, Weatherford, Bense, McKay and Pruitt families, the Book family will be closely watched.
FIRST REPUBLICAN FILES IN STRONG DEMOCRATIC HD 8 RACE via Florida Politics
The winner of the four-way Democratic primary to replace term-limited Rep. Alan Williams in House District 8 will now have a Republican to face … Marquise McMiller filed for the seat … and he already has his work cut out for him. District 8 is one of the strongest Democratic districts in the state – Williams won the seat in 2012 with no opposition and in 2014 his only competition was a write-in candidate who only snagged 189 votes.
McMiller has some strengths … The 23-year-old has served in the National Guard since 2011 and has an extensive background in student government, winning a seat on the FAMU student senate his freshman year and eventually working as the transportation coordinator for the FAMU student affairs division.
RENA FRAZIER BLASTS ROSS SPANO FOR OPPOSING REPEALER ON SHACKING UP LAW via Mitch Perry of Florida Politics
(It’s) technically illegal in the Sunshine State to live with a member of the opposite sex in Florida … there has been a prohibition on cohabitation in the Sunshine State since 1968. (The) House Criminal Justice Subcommittee approved HB 4003, a bill that would repeal that ban on cohabitation … just three dissenting votes, one of them from House District 59 Republican Ross Spano.
That earned him a rebuke from Rena Frazier, one of two Democrats hoping to defeat him next year. “Today’s vote by Ross Spano is another example of how out of touch he is with the people of our community … However, it’s not surprising considering Rep. Spano’s history of anti-woman positions.”
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PERSONNEL NOTE: STEPHANIE GRUTMAN JOINS BALLARD PARTNERS’ NEW BROWARD OFFICE via Florida Politics
For its newly launched Broward County office, lobbying firm Ballard Partners announced today hiring government relations and fundraising expert Stephanie Grutman.
Grutman brings more than 17 years of experience, which included being one of Politics Magazine’s most influential Democrats in Florida for 2009 … also spent four years as finance director of Senate Victory for the Florida Democratic Party, working under Democratic leaders such as state Sens. Nan Rich, Chris Smith, and Arthenia Joyner.
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS
Brian Bautista, Impact GR: Film Florida; Central Florida Gaming
Laura Boehmer, David Shepp, Southern Strategy Group: Hillsborough Community College Foundation; Polk County Clerk of Court
Matt Bryan, Smith Bryan & Myers: Oracle America
Al Cardenas, Slater Bayliss, Sarah Busk, Christopher Chaney, Justin Day, Stepen Shiver, Cardenas Partners: Central Florida Gaming; Film Florida
Michael Carmody, GrayRobinson: Restaurant Depot
Adam Corey, Unconventional Strategies: Presidio Networked Solutions
Jason Lee Jones, R. Don Ladner, Jr.: Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Jim Magill, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney: Florida Police Chiefs Association
CONTEXT FLORIDA: MARCOCITO, AN RPOF CANDIDATE “INVITE” AND THE REAL GOP DEBATE WINNER
On Context Florida: Diane Roberts writes that near the end of the latest televised dork parade billed as a “Republican Debate,” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked each candidate what her or his Secret Service code name should be. “Gator!” said Marco Rubio. “Marcocito” received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida after a year at the obscure (and now-defunct) Tarkio College in Missouri, and another year at community college. The miasma from the Swamp seems to have affected his brain, Roberts says. It is impossible to predict how many candidates will remain six months from now for the third GOP debate in March. According to Bob Sparks, if the Tallahassee leadership of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) has its way, the number of candidates on the primary ballot will be determined by their response to an “invitation.” The RPOF is considering a requirement that GOP presidential candidates make an appearance at November’s Sunshine State Summit in Orlando. Under the proposal, those failing to at least make an appearance would forfeit their place on the Florida primary ballot. Tim Bryce asks who won the GOP debate. CNN, of course, with probably the highest ratings in its history. As in the Fox News debates, the ratings can be attributed to Donald Trump, who took center stage. Bryce still believes Trump was correct in asking the network to donate money from the profits of the telecast for a charity, such as for our veterans.
Visit Context Florida to dig in.
ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF THE ROTUNDA
Trimmel Gomes’ newest episode of The Rotunda tackles the Republican presidential debate as Florida GOP chairman Blaise Ingoglia discusses the strengths of both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. Former Florida lieutenant governor Jeff Kottkamp weighs in on why Trump will not win the party’s nomination.
With a target on lobbyists and a mission to curb the influence of special interests, Gomes also talks with House Speaker-designate Richard Corcoran about his sweeping plans to reform the way legislators do business in Tallahassee.
The Rotunda podcast is available every Friday via iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud. Subscribers receive free automatic downloads of episodes to their devices. Follow on @RotundaPodcast for daily updates.
WEEKEND TV
Black Almanac with Dr. Ed James on WWSB, ABC 7 in Sarasota: Dr. Lawrence A. Miller joins Ed James to discuss the second GOP presidential primary debate in California.
Facing Florida with Mike Vasilinda: Alachua Sheriff and President of the Florida Sheriffs’ Association Sadie Darnell and Pierre Wesselhoft on his three-year fight over skim milk labeling in Florida.
Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Political science professor Susan MacManus of University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Times columnist William March, Tampa Crossroads Executive Director Sara Romeo and Melanie Griffin of the Tampa Bay Young Repubicans.
On Point with Shannon Ogden on WFCN in Jacksonville: Elton Rivas on seemingly scaled-back expectation’s for the upcoming One Spark crowdfunding event, plus Peter Bragan Jr., whose family owned the AA Jacksonville Suns minor league baseball team 31 years.
Political Connections on CF 13 in Orlando: Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs talks with Ybeth Bruzual about tourism and the economy for Central Florida, the simulation industry, and new efforts on curbing domestic and child abuse. Lou Frey and Dick Batchelor discuss Congressional redistricting in Florida. Plus, PolitiFact’s Truth-O-Meter rates a claim made by Jeb Bush about the deportation of criminals.
Political Connections on Tampa Bay’s BayNews 9: Anchor Al Reuchel and political reporter Troy Kinsey take a look at coming legislative attractions foreshadowed by this week’s committee business in Tallahassee.
PUBLIC NOT INVITED TO SEE SPANISH KING AND QUEEN AT CASTILLO; KING’S ADDRESS STILL OPEN TO PUBLIC via Stuart Korfhage of the St. Augustine Record
Visit to the Castillo de San Marcos by the Spanish king and queen will not be open to the public … alteration of the availability of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain … “Originally it was announced that the public would be allowed to view the arrival of Their Majesties at the Castillo de San Marcos, but increased security preempts that opportunity.” Therefore, the only time the public will get to see king and queen will be … a public address at noon … from King’s Balcony of Government House … those wishing to hear the address should be in the Plaza de la Constitución by 11:45 a.m.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Rep. Bob Cortes, Anthony Close, and Reggie Garcia. An early shout-out to Rep. Jamie Grant, who turns 14 on Sunday.
