News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Congress reaches stimulus deal. How much will it help Florida? — Budget blowup at the state Capitol — Florida legislative leaders want to deal with flooding, but how?

Monday, December 21, 2020

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Congress reaches stimulus deal. How much will it help Florida? — Budget blowup at the state Capitol — Florida legislative leaders want to deal with flooding, but how?

Dec 21, 2020

Good Monday morning.

The daily rundown — Between Saturday and Sunday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 8,401 (0.7 percent), to 1,201,566; active hospitalizations went up by 149 (2.9 percent), to 5,235; deaths rose by 95 (nearly 0.5 percent), to 20,568.

What's in your stocking? — Ok, just in time for Christmas there is now a deal on a new round of coronavirus relief. There's more money for unemployment benefits, a fresh batch of stimulus checks as well as loans to small businesses.

Dysfunction junction — Sen. Marco Rubio cheered on the fact that help for "restaurants, live venues and small local chambers should finally be on the way." But Orlando Democrat Rep. Stephanie Murphy fumed about the frantic way Congress put together a relief package months after it first passed the CARES Act. She was quoted by POLITICO as saying she's "frustrated to be part of an institution that is so dysfunctional that it doesn't even work until the last minute."

Help, but — The extra help will no doubt help many Floridians, especially since many exhausted their state unemployment benefits. The latest round of unemployment statistics last week showed that while an estimated 651,000 are out of work in Florida, only about 135,000 are claiming state unemployment benefits. But as anticipated, there's zero dollars to assist state and local governments with revenue shortfalls — a move backed by Republicans such as Sen. Rick Scott — but which means the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis will likely have to sign off on substantial budget cuts this spring. That prospect means potential cuts to education and health care programs, and more layoffs as a result.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Florida Playbook will not publish from Thursday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 1. After the hiatus, we'll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Jan. 4. Please continue to follow POLITICO Florida.

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TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

FINALLY — "Congress strikes stimulus deal after days of frantic talks," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Andrew Desiderio, Melanie Zanona and Heather Caygle: Congressional leaders on Sunday clinched a Covid stimulus deal after days of hard-fought negotiations — but Americans will have to wait at least a little longer to get much needed relief. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Sunday evening that negotiators had finalized a $900 billion coronavirus aid package, after breaking a multi-day stalemate over the Federal Reserve's lending powers. "At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," McConnell said on the Senate floor. "I hope we can do this as promptly as possible." But with legislative text still yet to be released, a House vote on final passage has slipped to Monday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer informed House Democrats on a private conference call. The Senate is expected to take up the bill quickly afterward, though McConnell declined to offer a timeline.

... Here's what's in it: checks, tax breaks, food assistance, airline aid and more.

MATT'S WORLD PART 1 — "Coronavirus concerns prompt Gaetz to stay off House floor," by Northwest Florida Daily News' Jim Thompson: "Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., taking advantage of a coronavirus protection measure that he voted against earlier this year, was apparently staying off the floor of the House of Representatives as Congress was moving to vote Sunday on a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. 'I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency...,' Gaetz wrote in a Friday letter to the clerk of the House of Representatives. Also in the letter, Gaetz — who represents Northwest Florida in Congress — notified the House clerk that he had assigned Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, as his proxy for upcoming House votes. Although she is a Democrat, Gabbard — an Iraq War veteran — is popular among some Republicans… It was not clear Sunday exactly why Gaetz is unable to attend proceedings in the House chamber. His office would not say Sunday whether the proxy remained in effect, nor did his office say how long Gaetz expected to need a proxy."

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is pictured. | Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, speaks during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing on Online Platforms and Market Power in the Rayburn House office Building, July 29, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images) | Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images

AND YET… MATT'S WORLD PART 2 — "Rep. Matt Gaetz to join GOP effort to overturn Trump loss: 'I'm not going back to losing politely," by Newsweek's Ramsey Touchberry: "Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and close friend to President Donald Trump, will join a Hail Mary effort next month that's growing in popularity among his colleagues in the House for Congress to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's win. Speaking at the conservative Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on Saturday in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Sunshine State lawmaker enthusiastically declared his support for Congress to formally contest Trump's loss at the ballot box on Jan. 6, a long-ditch effort that will undoubtedly fail and act primarily as a symbolic loyalty test to the outgoing commander-in-chief."

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

SEEKING ANSWERS — "Did COVID-19 kill their loved ones? Families want answers as they get no help from state," by Sun Sentinel's Andrew Boryga: "Ruth Cassidy's mother died of COVID-19. She's pretty certain of it, the daughter says. How could anyone say it didn't kill her? Instead, the death certificate for Isabel St. Hilaire attributes her death to a cardiac arrest and stroke. She died July 13 at age 67, a month after Cassidy learned that St. Hilaire was being treated for COVID-19 in a Broward hospital. St. Hilaire's death certificate makes no mention of COVID. Cassidy, a Michigan resident, is like many Florida families who are baffled about how the state is deciding who died of COVID-19 and who didn't, a question that reflects growing skepticism about the state's COVID-19 death counts and whether they portray the pandemic accurately."

I DID IT MY WAY — "Coronavirus: Gov. DeSantis' holiday season hasn't been jolly as criticism mounts," by Palm Beach Post's John Pacenti: "The governor last week also picked fights with Pfizer, the maker of the first vaccine available, as well as Walgreens and CVS, the pharmacies tasked with inoculating the vast majority of seniors at long-term care facilities in the state. All in all, it has not been a very jolly holiday season for the Republican. Like his benefactor, President Donald Trump, DeSantis had taken a pugilist's approach to COVID-19 restrictions, preferring to paint a sunnier picture of the pandemic. Palm Beach County political analyst Brian Crowley told The Palm Beach Post that DeSantis' efforts to change the messaging during a pandemic is akin to trying to downplay a Category 5 hurricane. 'The virus doesn't really care what your political opinion is. Just like a hurricane doesn't care about what your political opinion is,' Crowley said. 'You either deal with the reality of the storm or you don't, and if you don't, then you put people at risk.'"

— "Amid rising COVID-19 counts, Florida cities find ways to sidestep Gov. DeSantis' policies," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's John Kennedy

RETURN TO SENDER? — "Florida Dems slam DeSantis over not releasing COVID reports, lag in reporting deaths," by Orlando Sentinel's Naseem S. Miller: "Florida congressional Democrats on Friday called out Gov. Ron DeSantis for his 'ongoing and purposeful lack of transparency' by being slow to release weekly White House coronavirus task force reports and temporarily pausing the reporting of backlogged COVID-19 deaths. 'During a public health emergency, it is imperative that your Administration provide Floridians with timely information and guidance that ensures their health and safety,' said a letter sent to DeSantis on Friday and signed by 11 Florida lawmakers."

WELL, CONGRESS JUST GAVE THEM ANOTHER MONTH — "Renters could be cast out of their homes with eviction moratorium set to end Dec. 31," by Sun Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise: "Many South Florida tenants who lost income during the pandemic have already felt the sting of eviction. Forced to vacate his Hollywood home in October because he didn't know about the CDC moratorium, Luis Zuniga now lives in a small room at his sister's house and must spend time with his sons, who live with their mom, outside at public parks. 'It's been rough,' he said. 'I've always tried to pay my bills. Now I've got an eviction in my name.' Landlords in South Florida have packed the courts with evictions cases since a statewide eviction ban expired on Sept. 30, an analysis of court data by the South Florida Sun Sentinel shows. Between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15, the data shows that 2,834 cases were filed in Broward County and 1,534 cases in Palm Beach County."

EXHIBIT B — "Legal filing seeks to boot judge from mask lawsuit after photo at holiday party," by Palm Beach Post's Christine Stapleton: "Four anti-maskers who have filed a lawsuit challenging the county's mask mandate want the presiding judge removed from the case after a photo surfaced showing the jurist in a buffet line with his mask stretched across his chin rather than covering his mouth and nose."

— "2021 Navarre Beach Mardi Gras Parade canceled after spike in Santa Rosa COVID cases," by Pensacola News Journal's Jake Newby

— "Disneyland is still closed, so Californians travel to Florida with mouse plans," by Orlando Sentinel's Dewayne Bevil

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

HOW IT WILL WORK — "Florida House and Senate leaders set COVID-19 rules," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "State legislative leaders Friday released contrasting COVID-19 protocols for upcoming committee meetings, with the Senate setting up an off-site area where the public can view and participate in meetings amid the pandemic. Under Senate President Wilton Simpson's plan, members of the public will have to watch remotely and testify from a civic center a few blocks from the Florida Capitol --- unless they are invited to the meetings by committee chairs --- when the meetings begin next month…House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, has embraced a somewhat more relaxed stance, while still limiting the number of people who will be able to mix and mingle with state lawmakers during committee hearings that begin the week of Jan. 11 in advance of the annual legislative session, which starts March 2."

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY — "Economists squabble over Covid-19's impact on Florida economy, budget," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: A normally reserved and in-the-weeds meeting of Florida economists got punctuated with flashes of anger Friday as disagreements flared over how much damage Covid-19 will continue to have on the state's budget and economy. Ultimately, the number-crunchers were unable to reach agreement on the state's main budget account and the meeting got so bogged down that economists agreed to return to the state Capitol on Monday to finish coming up with new general revenue estimates. These new general revenue estimates are crucial for Gov. Ron DeSantis because he must rely on them when he puts together his formal budget recommendations to state legislators ahead of the 2021 session that starts in March.

What's going on here? — Let's be clear: This isn't how these meetings usually go. Several times during the lengthy meeting Amy Baker, the coordinator of Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, suggested that economists take a more conservative outlook and see if things change between now and March. That's when economists will draw up the round of forecasts that state legislators will use for the 2021 session. But that approach was rejected by Holger Ciupalo, who works in Gov. Ron DeSantis' budget office. Ciupalo also lashed out at Baker and at one point said "Can I speak and not get interrupted."

Big gap in estimates — One can't help but notice that amid the dust-up there was a substantial difference in the initial estimates drawn up by the governor's office and those drawn by EDR. How big? Well, the governor's office drew up preliminary forecasts that were $1.66 billon higher over the next 18 months. So that's a lot of money that the DeSantis administration may be counting on — a fact even more important given that Congress has been unable to reach a deal on additional aid for states and cities.

HOW DO WE GET THERE? — "GOP leaders have put a focus on flooding. Here are their biggest hurdles," by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls say they want the Legislature to tackle sea level rise in a serious way. How they get something to show for it over the next two years is a different story. For an issue that plagues a state with 1,300 miles of coastline, Florida's approach to flooding is piecemeal, at best. There are lots of efforts by local actors who don't necessarily see steady direction from statewide officials. And while Sprowls told Republicans last year that the party needs to "stop being afraid of words like climate change and sea level rise," he hasn't offered any statement to address the root cause — carbon emissions — a stumbling block that leaves environmentalists skeptical.

TALLAHASSEE ON YOUR SIDE — "DeSantis gave son of billionaire Trump buddy millions in no-bid COVID contracts," by Florida Bulldog's Daniel Ducassi: "Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration has given more than $4 million in no-bid, coronavirus-related state contracts to a New York City-based social media startup co-founded and led by the son of a South Florida billionaire and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump. The Florida Department of Health signed a $2.75 million contract with Twenty Labs, LLC in June to provide the state a software license for a 'Healthy Together COVID-19 contact tracing customer relationship management platform,' basically software that supports the state's contact tracing efforts. More recently, the governor's office signed a $1.5 million contract with Twenty Labs, which operates a COVID-19 mobile phone app called Healthy Together, to provide a 'contract (sic) tracing application,' according to the state's contract database."

WHERE EXPERIENCE DOESN'T MATTER — "DeSantis appoints Orlando lawyer to appeals court despite criticism," by Orlando Sentinel's Monivette Cordeiro: "Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Orlando attorney Mary Alice 'Molly' Nardella to the Fifth District Court of Appeal Friday, despite critics who said she was less qualified than other nominees because of her limited experience in criminal law and jury trials. One of those who spoke out against Nardella's nomination, Maitland criminal appellate attorney William Ponall, said Friday that her appointment shows Florida's judicial selection process is a 'farce.'"

— " Former Florida House Speaker Bense pledges to match donations to Whole Child Leon," by Tallahassee Democrat's Casey Chapter

— "Florida lawmaker seeks 'hands-free' cell phone use behind the wheel," by News Service of Florida

— " Holiday cheer: Florida Gov. DeSantis gives state workers off for Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve," by Tallahassee Democrat's James Call

THE GUNSHINE STATE

SPECIAL DELIVERY — "Parkland parents to deliver cookies to NRA symbolizing children killed by gun violence," by WPEC's Kyle Spinner: "Manuel and Patricia Oliver's son Joaquin was one of the 17 victims in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas mass shooting on Valentine's Day in 2018. Since then, the Olivers started a nonprofit organization named Change The Ref whose mission is to help end gun violence, promote gun reform, and empower young people, our country's future leaders. The Olivers are baking 1,700 cookies in the shape of a small person that is filled with holes. The Olivers say the holes are meant to represent bullet holes and each cookie stands for one of the 1,700 children killed by gun violence every year. Patricia Oliver will hand-deliver the baked goods to the NRA office outside of Washington, DC on Tuesday."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

AND THE WALLS CAME DOWN — "Town Oks razing Jeffrey Epstein's 'infamous' mansion in Palm Beach," by Palm Beach Daily News' Darrell Hofheinz: "A Palm Beach board has approved the demolition of the lakefront mansion that was home to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The disgraced financier regularly assaulted underage girls at the house, prosecutors have said. The Architectural Commission on Friday unanimously approved a demolition request for the house at 358 El Brillo Way, which is under contract to be sold, according to the local multiple listing service."

FALLOUT — " Privacy nonprofit: Pasco sheriff's use of student data breaks federal law, school district contracts," by Tampa Bay Times' Neil Bedi and Kathleen McGrory: "A national digital privacy think tank said the Pasco Sheriff's Office and Pasco County schools must immediately change a program that uses student data to identify potential future criminals to comply with federal law. "The Sheriff's Office's current data practices violate not only its contract with the school board but also the privacy protections required by the federal education privacy law," the Future of Privacy Forum said in a legal analysis published on Friday. The organization called for increased transparency, additional training and proactive steps from school administrators to mitigate legal and ethical issues."

R.I.P. — "David King, architect of Florida's Fair Districts amendments, passes," by Florida Politics' Scott Powers: "Winter Park lawyer David B. King, one of the key architects of the 2010 Fair Districts Amendments approved by Florida's voters in an effort to reduce gerrymandering, died Friday, his son Chris King said Saturday. "With a heavy heart, the King family is saddened to share that yesterday afternoon my father David King went to be with his Creator after a short battle with cancer," Chris King stated in social media posts."

— " Silicon Valley exiles are seizing on Miami. Local techies are holding their breath," by Miami Herald's Rob Wile

— "Skansa believes latest runaway barge was intentionally severed; Coast Guard investigating," by Pensacola News Journal's Annie Blanks

— "Hurdles still remain for rooting North Florida's hemp industry," by Tallahassee Democrat's Karl Etters

ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Heat's Bam Adebayo gives the gift of housing security to Miami family for Christmas," by Sun Sentinel's Khobi Price: "Courtesy of Bam Adebayo, Christmas came early this year for a Miami-based family. Known for his generosity in local communities for his annual Back-to-School and Thanksgiving food drives through his BBB (Bam, Books and Brotherhood) Foundation, Adebayo decided to give a South Florida family the gift of housing security during the holiday season. As first reported by Complex, the 23-year-old Heat big man recently showed up at the Miami house of Travillia Bogan, a single mother with two sets of twins who was on the verge of being evicted, and gifted her with a year's worth of rent."

BIRTHDAYS: Erin Isaac ... (Was Sunday) state Rep. Kelly Skidmore ... University of Miami President Julio Frenk … (Was Saturday) Haim Engelman , legislative assistant for Sen. Marco Rubio

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