News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis' budget blueprint may not survive intact — Black ministers want Biden to distribute vaccines through churches — South FL Democrats lead push to punish Greene

Thursday, February 4, 2021

POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis' budget blueprint may not survive intact — Black ministers want Biden to distribute vaccines through churches — South FL Democrats lead push to punish Greene

Feb 04, 2021

Good Thursday morning.

The daily rundown — Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 6,979 (0.4 percent), to 1,744,619; active hospitalizations went down by 198 (nearly 3.3 percent), to 5,824; deaths rose by 197 (0.7 percent), to 27,019.

That sound you hear — The signals coming from the Florida Capitol may not be loud — or sharply critical … but it appears that the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is not exactly flowing with praise about Gov. Ron DeSantis's $96 billion budget proposal.

Excuse me — Instead, there are signs of slight discomfort over the governor's approach, such as borrowing money to create a $1 billion program to aid cities and counties dealing with the impact of climate change. Republican state Rep. Randy Fine of Brevard County — in a House meeting to review the proposal — matter-of-factly called DeSantis' decision to rely on local property taxes to help pay for school funding a "tax increase." Let's not forget that Senate President Wilton Simpson has already voiced skepticism about DeSantis' emphasis on certain Everglades restoration programs.

Back to the future — Then there's the missive sent out Wednesday evening by state Sen. Kelli Stargel. Stargel, the Lakeland Republican and Senate budget chief, to all her colleagues that warned about being overly optimistic amid the "economic uncertainty" caused by Covid-19. (Who is doing that? Hmm.) "While revenue collections have come in overestimate in subsequent months, it is important to remember our starting point for this budget was a $2.7 billion shortfall," she wrote. "Modest gains do not negate the challenge before us. Reductions will be necessary, not only to produce a balanced budget for the 2021-22 Fiscal Year, but to responsibly plan for the future."

More to come — Stargel's letter outlined a plan by the Senate to review an eight-page list of hometown programs that receive recurring state money. Organizations are being asked to fill out a form and turn over salary information for their top employees by Feb. 19.

A small bit of pushback — There's little doubt that DeSantis will likely emerge from the upcoming session with another round of legislative victories on some of his top priorities. But after months of deferring to the governor during the height of the pandemic, it appears the elected officials who control the checkbook may want it back.

— 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

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES, CHAPTER 457 — "'Flexing of muscles': Florida GOP pushes conservative bills fresh off election victories," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos and Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson: "Florida is coming off a year defined by the coronavirus pandemic. The state is still reeling from disease and economic and emotional strife. But in Florida's Capitol, during the weeks leading up to the 60-day 2021 legislative session, Republican leaders are making a lot of noise about other matters. GOP lawmakers are fast-tracking a slate of politically divisive proposals long sought by the Legislature's more conservative members, a shift that is underscored by political victories in November that have solidified the GOP grip on the state Legislature."

DO IT AGAIN — "Student retention proposal gains traction in Florida," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Florida lawmakers are considering legislation this session that would give parents and guardians the power to hold students in kindergarten through eighth grade back a grade level in 2021-22 due to the pandemic's effects on public education. The proposal, FL SB200 (21R), was unanimously endorsed by the Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday, a bipartisan display of support that opened the door for the new policy to take hold before next school year.

Fallout — Gov. DeSantis has been supportive of offering parents the opportunity to retain their children as the coronavirus disrupts learning environments, but this legislation would take the Republican governor's stance further, creating a new choice for Floridians. "We know the Covid slide is real and troubling," Sen. Lori Berman (D-Lantana), the bill sponsor, said Wednesday.

INCONVENIENT TRUTH — "Big tech companies big earners for Florida ," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "[Gov. Ron] DeSantis, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, and Republican legislative leaders on Tuesday laid out a plan to punish Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google and Twitter for blacklisting users or putting gags on social media posts. But the five tech behemoths are huge earners for Florida's investment portfolio, according to the State Board of Administration. The board manages Florida's pension plan as well as investments for more than two dozen other accounts. Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google, which is publicly traded as Alphabet, and Twitter reaped $3.1 billion for the state last year. The state's investment in the big five --- known colloquially as FAAAT --- was just shy of $8 billion, according to information provided by State Board of Administration manager of external affairs John Kuczwanski."

MOVING FORWARD — "School choice overhaul advances as Democrats warn of public education's 'death knell,'" by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Landmark legislation proposing to overhaul Florida's flourishing school choice programs advanced through a key education committee on Wednesday with Democrats fighting powerlessly against the proposal. The bill, FL SB48 (21R), a top GOP priority for the 2021 session, would consolidate numerous private-school scholarships programs while creating new education savings accounts for students and changing how the vouchers are accounted for in the state budget. Democrats, who by and large oppose expanding school choice policies, raised objections about the use of state cash on private schools and a perceived lack of accountability over the campuses.

'A LONG TIME COMING' — "During pandemic, Florida lawmakers move to cut sentences for ill and elderly inmates," by POLITICO's Giulia Heyward: Senate Republicans and Democrats have come together in support of a bill that would increase the number of incarcerated people who are eligible for resentencing. The state's existing law does allow the release of incarcerated people who are "permanently incapacitated" or "terminally ill," both conditions that characterize them as no longer dangers to others in society. But the number of inmates who have been released under the conditional medical release program is paltry: Since 1996, that number was only 346 prisoners.

— " Florida Democrats want lawmakers to have more say on federal aid," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner

— "GOP legislators again try to end requirement to print legal notices in newspapers," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson

— " Democratic lawmakers want to kill controversial toll 'roads to nowhere' M-CORES plan," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeffrey Schweers

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

'THIS IS A FIGHT AGAINST THIS BEAST' — "Black ministers press Biden for church-centric vaccine rollout," by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: A group of Black leaders in Florida asked President Joe Biden on Wednesday to adopt a plan to vaccinate millions of people through a statewide network of churches and community centers after they say their idea was ignored by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The group is led by the Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr., who told reporters at a news conference in Tallahassee the plan calls for 86 vaccination sites at churches and community centers. "I've said this, and I'll say it now — it's not a fight against the governor, or our government," Holmes said. "This is a fight against this beast — this virus."

WHAT'S GOING ON? — "Nearly two-thirds of Florida nursing home staffers decline coronavirus in first round," by Tampa Bay Times' Bailey LeFever: "About two-thirds of Florida's nursing home workers chose not to get vaccinated for the coronavirus in their facilities' first round of shots, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. As of Tuesday, all of Florida's nursing homes have offered the vaccine to their residents and staff, according to Samantha Bequer, spokeswoman for the agency. Nearly 68 percent of residents and nearly 36 percent of staffers chose to receive the vaccine, Bequer said. The state is not requiring the vaccinations, which are administered by Walgreens and CVS pharmacies through a federal program. So far, almost 80 percent of residents and more than 34 percent of staff in Florida's assisted-living facilities received the shots on their facilities' first visit, Bequer said. However, not all of those facilities have received shots yet."

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS — "'As fast as possible.' Florida's COVID vaccine rush operates on uneven playing field," by Miami Herald's Aaron Leibowitz and Ben Conarck: "But the state's approach has mostly been frenzied and decentralized, producing a system where some combination of luck, internet savvy and personal connections often determines who gets a shot. That has contributed to stark racial disparities that officials are now attempting to correct by sending vaccines to Black churches. Gated senior living facilities, often populated by more affluent people, have proved to be low-hanging fruit for state officials. The state has so far set up 11 temporary vaccine sites in communities for people over 55, giving priority or exclusive access to the residents over 65 who live there."

— "DeSantis touts rural vaccine site after Publix backlash in South Florida," by Orlando Sentinel's Garfield Hylton

— "Florida's cruise industry recovery likely to be a long haul, experts say," by News Service of Florida's Jim Turner

— "State calls for audit after 1,000 vaccine dose spoil in Palm Beach County," by Sun Sentinel's Wells Dusenbury

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DATELINE D.C.

FLOOR VOTE LOOMING — "House prepares to punish Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Testifying Wednesday before the House Rules Committee, U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both South Florida Democrats, said Greene's comments are so dangerous that removing her from her committee assignments is the minimum possible response from her colleagues.

Listing their names — "Greene's unfounded views include the notion that two of worst school shootings in U.S. history — Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. — might have somehow been staged as 'false flag' events to build support for gun control. Deutch, who represents Parkland, read the names of the 17 people killed in the 2018 Stoneman Douglas massacre during testimony Wednesday — and said Greene's comments have caused anguish for family members of people killed at Stoneman Douglas and other mass shootings."

Ted Deutch

Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., questions former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2019, on Mueller's report on Russian election interference. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

CHENEY > GAETZ — "Cheney to keep her leadership position after tense GOP meeting," by POLITICO's Melanie Zanona and Olivia Beavers: Rep. Liz Cheney will keep her job as the No. 3 House Republican after a resounding victory on Wednesday evening, easily beating back a conservative-led push to oust her as conference chair for voting to impeach Donald Trump. The effort by Trump loyalists to punish Cheney, the highest-ranking woman in GOP leadership, had been brewing for weeks and finally came to head during a heated, closed-door meeting that stretched for more than four hours as several dozen members defended or condemned her.

VIA D.C. PLAYBOOK: "Tonight Liz Cheney was fighting on her home turf — Washington D.C. And if Washington won't hold her accountable for her failed leadership, Wyoming will," Rep. MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.), who trolled Cheney in her home state last week, said in a statement.

— " Gaetz — who led GOP backlash against Liz Cheney — roundly mocked after effort fails," by Mediaite's Josh Feldman

— "Rick Scott backs Liz Cheney, says Marjorie Taylor Greene is not a true Republican," by Florida Politics A.G. Gancarski

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

GIVING IT AWAY — "'I would leave my House seat; I would leave my home' to defend Trump in Senate trial, Rep. Matt Gaetz says," by Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez: "But on Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said that he would leap at the chance to be part of the former president's defense team and would be willing to leave his House seat, and even his home, to do so. Gaetz, one of the former president's most vocal allies on Capitol Hill, made the remark in an interview with Trump's former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, on the 'War Room: Pandemic' podcast."

TRAIL MIX

THE GOVERNATORS — "Florida Democrats regroup to oust DeSantis amid disarray," POLITICO's Gary Fineout and Matt Dixon: Florida Democrats are a mess and have spent the past year stumbling from one crisis to another. That doesn't mean they lack potential candidates who want to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis next year. A string of electoral losses, an internal schism over the leadership of the state party and a series of stumbles have demoralized local operatives, staff and rainmakers. But ousting the Republican governor is one of the few unifying forces for Democrats — a mantra that has fueled an ever-expanding field of those angling to take on DeSantis in 2022.

EXPENSIVE — "High price of losing defamation case: Ex-commissioner pays $100,000 in legal fees," by Palm Beach Post's Tony Doris: "Former city commissioner Shanon Materio's unsuccessful suit to prove her opponent's political consultant defamed her has ended with Materio paying $100,000 of consultant Rick Asnani's legal fees and expenses. Materio lost on the merits of the case last March after Circuit Court Judge Glenn Kelley ruled that the campaign flyer she alleged defamed her was protected under freedom of speech laws. In July, he also found her liable for the legal expenses of defendants Asnani, his Cornerstone Solutions Florida, and WPB Residents for Integrity in Government. William Shepherd, attorney for Asnani and Cornerstone, said Monday that Materio's suit amounted to a "meritless" effort to suppress free speech."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

'IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHO YOUR NEIGHBOR IS' — "Florida FBI shooting: 55-year-old gunman lived under the radar,"by Sun Sentinel's Rafael Olmeda, Eileen Kelley and Austen Erblat: "The gunman who killed two FBI agents in an ambush before killing himself Tuesday seemed to live a quiet life, leaving few footprints about who he was. David Lee Huber, 55, of Sunrise, worked as a systems engineer. He was a father of two, according to records associated with his divorce in 2016. He was a pilot and a former mortgage broker. And he was suspected of involvement in child exploitation, according to the FBI."

— "' Champions': FBI agents warmly remembered for their positive spirit and many talents," by Sun Sentinel's Andrew Boryga

— "FBI Director Christopher Wray visits with slain agents' families in South Florida," by Miami Herald's Jay Weaver, Charles Rabin and David Ovalle

HMM — "Proud Boys and Black Lives Matter activists clashed in a Florida suburb. Only one side was charged," by Washington Post's Tim Craig : "Amid fears that the confrontations could lead to clashes or shootings, police started enforcing the town's rarely used noise ordinance, which essentially forbids disturbances louder than a close conversation between two people. But only the Black Lives Matter protesters were cited. 'We were harassed [by the counterprotesters]. We had a few guns brandished on us… One guy even came up to me and flashed a White Power gesture in my face, but they didn't get any noise violations,' said Christina Boneta, a Black 32-year-old mother who was taken into custody in late August and saddled with a $2,500 fine. 'We are the ones who got the noise violations when, all summer long, we never threatened anybody, looted anything or burned anything.'"

CONCEALED — "Former UF faculty member indicted for grant fraud," by Gainesville Sun's Cindy Swirko: "A former University of Florida associate professor and researcher who is a resident of China has been indicted on allegations of fraudulently getting a $1.75 million federal grant by concealing support he got from the Chinese government. Lin Yang, 43, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to a U.S. agency, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported in a news release Wednesday. Other UF faculty members have come under scrutiny for possibly running afoul of disclosure requirements. Yang reportedly created a company in China that was going to profit from his UF research funded with the National Institutes of Health grant."

— "Police Advisory Committee asks Pensacola to remove Confederate flag from badges, uniforms," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little

ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Adrienne Arsht, business leader and philanthropist

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