| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Facebook | Good Friday morning. The daily rundown — Between Wednesday and Thursday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 12,873 (0.8 percent), to 1,613,884; active hospitalizations decreased by 123 (1.7 percent), to 7,024; deaths rose by 161 (nearly 0.7 percent), to 24,739. Courtroom drama — Who's ready to relitigate 2018? It seems as if Sen. Rick Scott wants to. Or at least he wants to somehow use those elections as part of his justification to explain his decision to vote against the certification of President Joe Biden's election after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Split the vote — After the deadly siege of the Capitol took place, Scott decided to vote no when it came to Pennsylvania's electors, but yes on those from Arizona. Scott had telegraphed plans to oppose Pennsylvania's while some other senators who had planned to vote against certification changed their minds after the insurrection that left five people dead. Explanations — Fast forward to Thursday in D.C., where Scott, who is now running the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, was questioned by several reporters where he committed to helping out incumbent GOP senators even if they are challenged by, say, Ivanka Trump. CNN's Manu Raju asked if Scott "regretted" his Pennsylvania vote. Scott said no but then decided to pivot to his own 2018 Senate election he narrowly won: "You have to remember what I went through in my 2018 election where they completely violated the law. They found 95,000 votes after election night. Chuck Schumer sent lawyers down because he didn't care what the votes were, he's going to court. So, I want people to follow the law." Um, what? — So much to unpack there. First off, when Scott first announced his opposition to Pennsylvania it was on the grounds that the state instituted improper election procedures that weren't approved by Legislature. (Let's repeat again: So did Florida, a state that Trump won.) But without saying it directly, of course, Scott is trying to make it sound as if somehow his race was tainted by voter fraud. It wasn't. Scott made a similar accusation in 2018 without evidence, but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated and did not find any evidence of widespread fraud. Did things go wrong? Yes, they did. But that had more to do with problems in the Broward elections supervisors office and its inability to efficiently process mail-in ballots. Scottology — Let's be clear. After 10 years in office Scott is a seasoned professional politician. He puts pieces exactly where he believes they should go and doesn't do things out of passion. And he's always working the angles to achieve his goals. Scott made a decision that he needed to object to the 2020 election. We'll see if his math holds up. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com | | | | A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations
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|  | TRAIL MIX | | TAKING SIDES — "NRSC head Scott to back GOP incumbents over Trump challengers," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett: Sen. Rick Scott was among former President Donald Trump's closest allies the past two years. But the Florida Republican pledged on Thursday to back GOP incumbents, even if Trump or his family get involved in the 2022 Senate races. Scott, now the chair of the Senate GOP's campaign arm, shrugged off the possibility that former president's daughter Ivanka Trump could run against Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) or that Trump's vow to primary Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) will be problematic. He seemed unworried about Trump-backed challengers meddling in GOP primaries. Ivanka who? — "I'm supporting the incumbents," Scott told reporters. He said that he has not spoken to Ivanka Trump or anyone about Rubio possibly getting a primary challenge from her. "Nobody has talked to me about it at all. Nobody. I've tried to call around. Nobody's said anything about Florida," Scott said. | 
Butch Dill, File/AP | PARTING GIFT — "Ross Spano campaign ends 2020 in debt," by Tampa Bay Times' William March: "After raising about $1.2 million for his unsuccessful reelection campaign, former U.S. Rep. Ross Spano finished 2020 with $128,716 in campaign debt, according to his latest financial filing. The biggest single chunk of that debt, $59,500, is owed to Spano himself. Another $46,441 is in legal fees. The report also shows the campaign refunded $149,830 in contributions, apparently ones designated for general election campaign expenses. Spano lost the Republican primary to Scott Franklin." | | | | TRACK FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Track the first 100 Days of the Biden administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the initiatives, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | EXIT RAMP — "Senate Republicans uniting behind impeachment defense," by POLITICO's Andrew Desiderio: Republicans have been urging [President Joe] Biden to step in to halt or otherwise impede the Senate trial on the grounds that it will delay consideration of Biden's Cabinet nominees as well as his legislative agenda, which includes another round of Covid-19 relief. "It'll be incredibly divisive for the country if we go through that," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said. "We're in the middle of this massive pandemic. We've got all these nominations that we need to do. We've got all these threats around the world that we've got to be focused on. There's a lot to be done. The notion that we're going to spend a week or two weeks on a trial on somebody who's not even in office — it sounds to me like a waste of time." FLORIDA MAN — "Judge denies release to alleged rioter who returned for inauguration," by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein: A Florida resident accused of taking part in the Capitol riot and then returning to Washington in advance of President Joe Biden's inauguration should be kept behind bars as he awaits trial, a federal magistrate ruled Thursday. Prosecutors say Samuel Camargo, 26, posted videos on Instagram showing him trying to force his way into the Capitol during the Jan. 6 assault and later displayed a piece of metal that he said came from the historic building. "Got some memorobioia [sic], did it myself," text on Camargo's feed said. After the chaotic and violent day at the Capitol, Camargo returned to his home in Deerfield Beach, according to an FBI affidavit. When an FBI agent reached out to him by phone, Camargo became uncooperative and questioned the agent's loyalty to the Constitution, the court filing says. ANOTHER FLORIDA MAN — "FBI arrests North Florida man in Jan. 6 US Capitol siege," by The Associated Press: "The FBI has arrested a North Florida man on two federal charges stemming from the Jan. 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol. Court records released Thursday show Bradley Weeks, of Macclenny, is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Macclenny is located west of Jacksonville. Authorities said Weeks had an initial court appearance set Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney to speak for him. An FBI statement said that several people tipped agents about video Weeks had posted on his Facebook page about his participation in the Capitol insurrection. In one, he turned the camera to show his face while at the Capitol and detailed what he had done." — "Who is Joseph Biggs, Ormond Beach man and Proud Boys organizer arrested in Capitol riot?" by Orlando Sentinel's Jeff Weiner DAMAGED — " Trump returns to a business empire ravaged by pandemic," by The Associated Press' Bernard Condon: "Donald Trump is returning to a family business ravaged by pandemic shutdowns and restrictions, with revenue plunging more than 40% at his Doral golf property, his Washington hotel and both his Scottish resorts over the past year. Trump's 2020 financial disclosure released as he left office this week was just the latest bad news for his financial empire after banks, real estate brokerages and golf organizations announced they were cutting ties with his company following the storming of the Capitol this month by his political supporters." SETTLING IN — "From Commander in Chief to Interloper in Palm Beach," by New York Times' Patricia Mazzei and Julia Echikson: "When they are in town, the Trumps rarely leave the cocooned comforts of Mar-a-Lago. Few people expect that to change. The former president and first lady are unlikely to be seen perusing the designer stores on Worth Avenue or dining at La Goulue, the recently opened sister restaurant to the French bistro on Manhattan's Upper East Side. 'He never leaves his house,' said Jeff Greene, a Palm Beach real estate investor and former Mar-a-Lago member. 'He goes to the golf club and back.' Carey O'Donnell, a Palm Beach native who runs a marketing and public relations agency, said that isolation had always kept the Trumps from becoming fully enmeshed in the fabric of the town's social life." | | | |   | | |
| | THE 46TH | | EXECUTIVE ORDER — "Biden to make international travelers quarantine. How will Miami's tourism industry cope?" by Miami Herald's Taylor Dolven: "The impact of the new quarantine rule on Miami-Dade's fragile tourism industry may be minimal, said Rolando Aedo, chief operating officer of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Miami-Dade county's tourism marketing agency, and could boost consumer confidence among domestic travelers. 'Whatever happens that will mitigate the spread of the virus while aggressively expanding the vaccinations will support traveler confidence,' he said. 'That's what's going to fuel our recovery.' OPPORTUNITY — "Tampa's First Lady reacts to new presidential administration and her expanding role in national policy," by CBS Tampa Bay's Andrea Alvarez: "The First Lady of Tampa and a top Tampa Bay Government Affairs Professional for Ballard Partners, Ana Cruz is confident in the political relationship between Washington, D.C. and home, stating, 'We have an incredible opportunity with the incoming administration.' She affirmed, 'I know that our mayor, who happens to be my partner, will indeed build relationships that are necessary to ensure that Tampa is properly represented.'" | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 'THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE ME' — "Tech, supply hurdles leave Florida seniors struggling to get vaccinated against COVID-19," by Orlando Sentinel's Stephen Hudak and Kate Santich: "U.S. Air Force veteran George Hardy, soon to be 90, served four years in the Korean War and has since generally felt the nation honored and respected his military service. But the Orlando retiree's struggle to get a COVID-19 vaccine has sown doubts. 'I didn't realize it'd be this much trouble,' he said of his futile efforts to secure a vaccination appointment. Hardy, a widower who owns a home but not a computer, also didn't have a smart phone or an email address. He was told he needed one or the other to pre-register with the state's booking portal to even have a shot at getting a dose of the vaccine. 'There's got to be thousands — thousands — of people just like me who've got nothing but a home telephone,' he said." — "As South Florida hospitals cancel vaccines, is the state shifting distribution plans," by Miami Herald's Samantha J. Gross SO NOW THE STATE CLAMPS DOWN — " Florida limits coronavirus vaccines to permanent, seasonal residents," by Tampa Bay Times' Megan Reeves and Allison Ross: "Citing scarce supply, Florida is limiting availability of coronavirus vaccines to state residents, reversing a previous policy of not restricting doses based where a person lives. The decision, which came Thursday afternoon in a public health advisory from Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, follows reports of out-of-state and foreign visitors coming to Florida to get shots because of its policy of offering doses to people 65 and older. According to the advisory, only those who can prove state residency using a state driver's license or other official documents, such as a deed, rental agreement or utility bill, will be permitted to receive shots." IMPORTANT QUESTION — "Why are Miami-Dade, Broward vaccinating Black residents at slower rate than white residents?" by Miami Herald's Ben Conarck and Douglas Hanks: "Of the roughly 138,000 people who have gotten the vaccines in Miami-Dade, just 8,265 — or 6% — identified as Black, according to the latest state data, released Thursday. Excluding the 19,200 or so people who were marked as "unknown" race, that's still just 7% of the total, compared to the overall portion of Miami-Dade that is black — 16.7%, according to U.S. census data. Stark racial disparities in vaccine distribution appear to be a problem in neighboring Broward County, too. Though the county is 30% Black, just 10% of the 95,618 people who received vaccines and marked down a race identified as Black. Local healthcare leaders had already warned of a racial gap in the early days of Miami-Dade's vaccination effort. Jackson CEO Carlos Migoya told county commissioners last week that the system was not working for the county's Black communities." — "Heat announce attendance policies, with COVID-detection dogs ready," by Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman — " VA turns away some veterans seeking COVID-19 vaccine," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave — "Pandemics won't shut down Florida businesses again, state senator says," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner — " Jacksonville's city-run vaccine sites shut down except for giving second doses," by Florida Times-Union David Bauerlein | | | | KEEP UP WITH CONGRESS IN 2021: Tensions remain high on Capitol Hill as we inaugurate a new president this week. How are lawmakers planning to move forward after a tumultuous few weeks? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress. | | | | |
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | VOUCHER TIME — "Florida GOP floats school choice expansion plan to Democratic outcry," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Florida's Republican-led Senate unveiled new legislation Thursday that would widely expand school choice programs throughout the state while creating new education savings accounts for students. Democrats already have pledged to fight the legislation after staffers warned earlier this week that the minority party would soon "lose their s---" over the massive bill that intends to fan the growing school choice movement. The 158-page proposal, FL SB 48, is sure to be a banner issue in 2021 as GOP lawmakers attempt to condense the state's vast private school voucher programs and offer more flexibility for how families can spend the money. TAKING AIM AT LAW PUSHED BY LG NUNEZ — "Fine: 'Illegal' immigrants should pay full tuition at Florida public universities," by Florida Today's Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon: "State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) Thursday introduced a bill in the Florida legislature that would repeal a 2014 law that extended in-state tuition benefits at public colleges and universities to undocumented immigrants living in the Sunshine State. Calling the benefit a '$45 million subsidy,' Fine said it ought to be stricken as Florida faces "hard choices" to balance the budget amid the coronavirus pandemic. The cost figure he said is based off of estimates by the Department of Education and Board of Governors." Key context — The legislation Fine is seeking to undo was signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Scott and though there were Republicans who voted no, it cleared both chambers with bipartisan support. The prime sponsor in the Florida House was Republican Rep. Jeanette Núñez, who is now serving as lieutenant governor. DeSantis has taken a hard line on immigration, but his administration has not pushed to undo this law. — " Crossroads center near Disney reaches historic $198 million eminent domain settlement with state," by Orlando Sentinel's Gabrielle Russon | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | LEGAL WOES — "Broward Sheriff Greg Tony faces growing pressure about his past as two court cases proceed," by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda and Lisa J. Huriash: "A second team of lawyers is urging a Broward judge to force Sheriff Gregory Tony to answer whether he was ever charged as an adult with a felony, intensifying questions about his past that have dogged him for the past year. Tony was elected in November to his first term as sheriff after being appointed to the position in January 2019. But that hasn't stopped his opponents from raising questions about his past in Philadelphia, and at least one statewide investigation is underway into whether he lied about that past on official statements under penalty of perjury." — "Santa Rosa commissioner peddles debunked antifa claims, pushes county to endorse GOP bills," by Pensacola News Journal's Annie Blanks — "Plans scrapped for federal courthouse in Panama City," by The Associated Press — "Escambia County could end Sunday morning alcohol sales ban," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little | | | | A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations
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| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Edgewood committee votes unanimously to drop controversial 'Indian' mascot," by Florida Today's Eric Rogers: "Following months of deliberation, the Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School advisory council has unanimously voted to move forward with retiring the Merritt Island school's longtime 'Indian' mascot and nickname. The review process now goes to Brevard Public Schools leadership for final approval, Edgewood principal Jaqueline Ingratta said at Thursday's meeting. If the district approves the change, Edgewood's student government association will begin research on selecting a new mascot, according to a flowchart posted to the school's website." BIRTHDAYS : Former state Senate President Don Gaetz … Jeffrey Sharkey, owner/managing partner at Capitol Alliance Group … Tim Center, executive director Sustainable Florida ... Georgia McKeown
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