| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by CVS Health | Hello and welcome to Monday. The daily rundown — Between Saturday and Sunday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 4,943 (0.1 percent), to 2,044,005; deaths of Florida residents rose by 36 (0.1 percent) to 33,178; active hospitalizations remain unchanged from Friday at 2,863; 5,604,283 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Unexpected — Raise your hand if you expected the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature to push back against the Citizens United decision and other campaign finance rulings and side with Democrats such as former President Barack Obama. Coming soon — But this week GOP leaders in the state House and Senate are moving ahead with a measure that would put in place a cap on donations to political committees that are pushing proposed state constitutional amendments. The initial proposal called for a $1,000 cap, but the plan is to set it at $3,000 — the same limit in place for statewide candidates, such as governor. Crackdown — When asked about it on Sunday, state Sen. Ray Rodrigues, who sponsored the bill, said that "the goal is for citizen initiatives to show demonstration of widespread support rather than one out-of-state billionaire writing a check." For the record, both the House and Senate proposals apply the donation cap to anyone regardless of whether they live in Florida or not. And the cap is only in place while organizers are trying to get the amendment on the ballot. Not a complete surprise — Over the years, top business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce have pushed legislators to make it harder to pass constitutional initiatives. This effort has come amid a backdrop of voters approving everything from limiting class sizes, approving medical marijuana and raising the state's minimum wage. Two of those initiatives were bankrolled largely by wealthy trial attorney John Morgan. Constitutional law time — This latest effort appears likely to run into smack into a court challenge, including the plethora of federal rulings that have been praised by Republicans such as Sen. Marco Rubio and denounced by Obama. "The courts have said money is speech, and that type of legislation is going to have a problem," said Mark Herron, a Tallahassee-based attorney who deals with campaign laws and routinely works with state Democrats. Law lesson part 2 — There's also an additional hurdle. The Citizens United case dealt with money spent attacking a candidate for office. The bills up in the Legislature are aimed at groups advocating issues, which makes it harder to argue that unlimited contributions have a corrupting influence, Herron noted. Pressing on — When these rulings were pointed out to Rodrigues, he said, "We'll see whether the committee shares that interpretation." Ok then. — 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 |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
TIME TO GET A NEW JOB? — "Redistricting disarray nudges House Democrats toward statewide bids," by POLITICO's Sarah Ferris, Ally Mutnick and James Arkin: [Rep. Stephanie] Murphy is among two Democrats who won their seats thanks to a court-mandated redistricting in 2015 and might be most at risk in the upcoming redraw this cycle, thanks to a shift in the partisan lean of the state's judges. The second, Rep. Charlie Crist, is openly mulling a return to the governorship, which he held for one term after winning the 2006 election as a Republican. In a brief interview, Murphy rejected any concerns about the upcoming redistricting process and said it would not influence her decision to run for Senate. "I'm not worried about it. When you do your job well, the rest will take care of itself," Murphy said. "You don't run for the Senate because you're worried about that. That's just not a factor."
Coming soon — With Florida on track to gain two new districts in reapportionment, thanks to explosive population growth, some Democrats fear Republicans may try to restore the seats they lost in 2016. "There's no doubt in my mind that the Republicans will again try to gerrymander the district lines to their advantage," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) "Now, we have a much different state Supreme Court." GETTING READY — " DeSantis hires top GOP operative for 2022 campaign," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt: Gov. Ron DeSantis has tapped a veteran national Republican political operative to help spearhead his 2022 reelection race. Phil Cox, a former executive director of the Republican Governors Association, has joined the DeSantis team as a senior-level adviser. The Florida governor had been in talks with several candidates for the post but ultimately settled on Cox, who has established close relationships with a number of Republican governors over the years. Until now, DeSantis had yet to build out a 2022 political apparatus. | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attends an event with President Donald Trump on the environment at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) | INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE — "'He's riding a crest': Ron DeSantis positions himself as a keeper of Trump's legacy," by The Guardian's David Smith: "'Covid's over, baby!' So proclaims a bare-chested man, wearing face paint like the Joker, nemesis of Batman, as he stands atop a car and waves the American national flag. This was the scene last weekend in Miami, Florida, a state that moved quickly to lift lockdowns, reopen schools, shelve mask mandates and become, in the words of its governor, Ron DeSantis, as 'an oasis of freedom' during the coronavirus pandemic. This approach has dismayed health experts but delighted Republicans and cemented DeSantis's reputation as perhaps the most high-profile keeper of Donald Trump's legacy as a swath of party figures jostle to become his political heir." HEATING UP — "State attorney, Florida Democrats call for feds to investigate Artiles, NPA candidate," by Miami Herald's Mary Ellen Klas, Samantha J. Gross and Alex Daugherty: "Florida's Senate Democrats on Friday called on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate what they called "illegal activity perpetrated by former Sen. Frank Artiles and his co-conspirators" by propping up a sham candidate in an attempt to influence the outcome of a South Florida state Senate race. 'We believe that there is significant evidence that the criminal activity crossed state lines and therefore violated federal laws including federal tax laws,' Farmer said a week after Artiles, a former Republican state senator from Hialeah, was arrested on felony charges of offering no-party candidate Alexis "Alex" Rodriguez $50,000 to run as an independent in Senate District 37." — "Elections officials in Sarasota and Manatee concerned about bills restricting mail voting," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: — "Florida Democrats lost the ground game in 2020. Training is on the way ," by Tampa Bay Times' Steve Contorno
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| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
THE LATEST DEAL — "Florida Senate gives DeSantis outline of $1B gaming plan," by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: The state Senate has given Gov. Ron DeSantis an outline detailing a new gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but the deal may already be in trouble. The deal, which was detailed in a memo on which DeSantis' staffers were briefed Thursday night, would generate more than $1 billion in recurring revenue for the state. It would also settle a seven-year beef between the tribe and Florida's poker room operators over a rule allowing the operators to offer popular, fast-paced games.
A turn of the card — State Senate President Wilton Simpson, who has been personally involved in talks with the tribe and the state's gaming industry, which operate the poker rooms, said on Friday that a compact may be finalized in the next "week to two." He said those talks include an agreement where the tribe would end its fight against the state's designated player rule if it receives a share of the revenue from the poker rooms. "Anything can change as these talks go on," Simpson said, stressing the deal was far from final. DIVIDED — "Florida House passes DeSantis backed 'anti-riot' bill," by POLITICO's Giulia Heyward: The state House on Friday passed a controversial anti-riot legislation after a marathon five-hour floor session, but the top priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislative leaders faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The contours of the debate over HB 1 have dominated much of this session, with Republicans insistent that it is needed to stamp out violent and destructive riots. Democrats and a long line of activists argued that GOP lawmakers pushed the bill as a reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement and demonstrations over the summer. "When people are mistreated, and their elected, or appointed, leaders aren't helping them, protesting is their voice," Democratic state Rep. Kamia Brown said. "Marching and protesting is just as American as the right to vote." WHO CARES WHAT VOTERS SAY — "Rough waters in Key West as city, cruise industry and state lawmakers tangle over its future," by Washington Post's Richard Morin: "By decisive, even overwhelming margins, the voters approved ballot measures to immediately slash the number of passengers who can disembark daily as well as ban the biggest ships. But several months later, in an end-around that has incensed locals, the cruise industry is fighting back. Two state lawmakers with broad industry backing are pushing bills to nullify the vote and prohibit Key West from regulating such activity in its own port. 'I am so furious that I can hardly see straight,' said Kate Miano, owner of the luxe Gardens Hotel, where century-old brick walkways wind past orchid-festooned trees. 'We battled the big cruise ship companies, and now they're taking away my vote? I can't understand how they can possibly do that.'" — "Florida House passes bill allowing guns in religious institutions attached to schools," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson
| | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CVS Health has been there. We're nearly 300,000 employees ensuring millions of Americans can access health care services. We opened thousands of COVID-19 test sites and administered millions of tests. Now, we're providing the vaccine in designated states. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
PALM BEACH STORY — "Trump helped the GOP raise $2 billion. Now former aides and allies are jockeying to tap into his fundraising power," by Washington Post's Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer and Anu Narayanswamy: " One day before the Republican Party's elite donors are slated to gather for their April retreat in Palm Beach, Fla., a nonprofit group aligned with onetime aides to former president Donald Trump is hosting an "investors meeting" a few miles away for major GOP contributors. The keynote speaker is Trump himself, and his gilded Mar-a-Lago Club is hosting the event. The group, the Conservative Partnership Institute, now has former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on its payroll and has partnered with other former Trump aides, such as Russ Vought and Stephen Miller. It has planned a slate of events that buttress Trump's agenda, including a dinner titled "An America First Future" and a panel on 'Fighting Big Tech,' according to an agenda obtained by The Washington Post."
— "'Psychological burden' of jail is too much, says Sarasota County man who stormed the Capitol," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Timothy Fanning
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| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | |
LOOKING AT THE DATA — "Analysis: When COVID-19 vaccines were most scarce, seniors in Florida's wealthiest counties got them at higher rates," by Fort Myers News-Press' Dan DeLuca: "An analysis of Florida Department of Health data through February showed residents age 65 and older in the top third of counties ranked by median income were vaccinated at a rate more than 4 percentage points higher than seniors in the rest of the state. That equates to about 290,000 more vaccine doses delivered to wealthier seniors. Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's directing doses to counties with the highest senior populations and denies that the wealthy are getting preferential access."
Doesn't add up? — "'It's the age that matters. Black, white, rich, poor, Republicans, Democrats, that doesn't matter," DeSantis said at a recent news conference in Lehigh Acres. 'If you're 65 and up, we want to get you the shot.' But the data show it's wealthier counties that are getting more doses, and those counties are only slightly older." ROUGH WATERS — " Florida to feds: Allow cruise ships to operate or we'll sue," by Associated Press' Terry Spencer: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the federal government's continued pandemic ban on cruise ships using U.S. ports, threatening Friday to file a lawsuit if one of the state's biggest tourism sectors is not allowed to resume operations soon. Appearing at Port Canaveral with leaders from Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said they are exploring the state's legal options if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not allow U.S.-based cruising to resume by summer." 'THIS TOWN GOT SLAMMED' — "How Florida left farmworkers out of COVID-19 pandemic response," by Naples Daily News' Janine Zeitlin: "A month earlier, the 68-year-old farmer had pulled into the same Winn-Dixie lot in Immokalee and, to his shock, found a mass of well-heeled coastal retirees on a vaccination pilgrimage to the small inland town. But no spot for him. Immokalee is a hub for surrounding fields that produce America's tomatoes and oranges and Izaguirre's lifelong home. 'I'm looking at all these people that I've never seen in my life and all these expensive cars out there. Mercedes. I mean, Bentleys. Corvettes, brand-new Corvettes! And I'm like, man,' [Armando] Izaguirre recalled. '$300,000 cars!'" — "After spring break, coronavirus cases appear to surge in young Floridians," by Palm Beach Post's Chris Persaud — "Mayor Lenny Curry to end Jacksonvile's Covid-19 mask requirement," by Florida Times-Union's Clayton Freeman
| | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in Florida and across the country, CVS Health has been delivering essential care. Thanks to the efforts of our employees, we opened 4,800 COVID-19 test sites and administered over 15 million tests at our stores and through partners in underserved communities. With millions staying home, we increased access to prescription delivery, virtual visits and mental health services. Now, we're providing vaccines in designated states. Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it's never out of reach for anyone. That's health care, from the heart. Learn more. | | |
| | Bidenology | |
WAITING — "Biden under pressure to spell out Cuba policy," by The Hill's Rebecca Beitsch: "'I think it would be foolish for [Biden] to spend a lot of political capital on something that is really not going to please a lot of people and is more of a loser than a gainer in the political sense," said Dario Moreno, a professor who works at the Cuba Research Institute at Florida International University. 'You would tighten already slim margins in an important state, and there's a midterm coming up,' he said, warning that 'if Democrats do something rash, they're going to have another 20 years in political wilderness in Florida.'"
— " U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan resigns after more than two years of prosecutions in South Florida," by Sun Sentinel's Wayne K. Roustan | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
FALLOUT — "As spring break crowds fade in South Beach, residents demand change," by Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks, C. Isaiah Smalls II, and Martin Vassolo: "As spring breakers gathered in South Beach on Saturday, about 80 residents held a rally outside Miami Beach City Hall with a broad complaint that the city's nightlife industry has gotten out of hand and elected leaders need a better approach before the party crowds return for Memorial Day weekend. 'We've had enough!' the crowd chanted as Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, a former city commissioner, began her remarks on a shared megaphone. 'We are a tolerant community,' Rosen Gonzalez said. 'But enough is enough.' She called for a city crackdown on hotels and bars along Ocean Drive, one of the city's most popular nightlife destinations."
Punchline — The scenes of crowds in Miami Beach – and the decision by authorities to impose curfews – attracted national attention – and mockery. Saturday Night Live's cold open featured a skit called "Snatched! Vaxed! Or Waxed!" which opened with the line "You're watching MTV Live Spring Break at Miami Beach: Where the party don't stop until the government-mandated curfew." Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber was name-checked by Steven Colbert last week in a segment as the "party-pooper in chief." 'WE HAVE FAILED YOU' — "FSU Askew School faculty challenge administration on sexual misconduct probe," by Tallahassee Democrat's Byron Dobson: "Still reeling from an investigation last year into allegations of sexual misconduct by a former colleague who retired rather than face possible dismissal, faculty at Florida State's Askew School of Public Administration and Policy now are pushing back. In a letter sent Thursday to students and faculty in the school and FSU President John Thrasher, 10 faculty members tell students they apologize for any confusion or anger students are feeling, promising to support them. In their own letter, however, Thrasher and top administrators said the faculty letter was 'a misrepresentation of our actions and reflects a misunderstanding of the scope of our institutional authority.'" — "Insurers are dropping homeowners left and right. Many will be forced to accept less coverage," by Sun Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise
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| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Howard Schnellenberger, 87, Miami, Louisville coach, dies," by Associated Press' Steven Wine: "Howard Schnellenberger was a pipe smoker with a push-broom mustache and gruff baritone, and he paired his grandiloquent manner with grandiose visions for football at Miami, Louisville and Florida Atlantic that caused snickers. At all three schools, Schnellenberger disproved doubters. He revived the sport at Miami and Louisville and started the program at Florida Atlantic during a coaching career that spanned a half century. Schnellenberger died Saturday at 87 in Boca Raton, Florida. FAU announced his death and said he recently had been in a care center." BIRTHDAYS: Tina Cummings Grier, executive assistant to president/CEO at Florida TaxWatch … (Was Sunday) State Attorney General Ashley Moody … (Was Saturday) Alberto Martinez, executive vice president at Targeted Victory … Alexandra Glorioso of Barred Owl Press ... Joni James, director of system communications at BayCare Health ... Alisa LaPolt | Want to make an impact? POLITICO Florida has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Sunshine State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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