| | | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx | Hello and welcome to Friday. The daily rundown — Between Wednesday and Thursday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 6,684 (0.3 percent), to 2,191,038; active hospitalizations decreased by 82 (2.3 percent), to 3,411; deaths of Florida residents rose by 80 (0.2 percent), to 34,696; 8,307,032 Floridians have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Growing green — Will the governor's race in 2022 be a referendum on legalizing pot? It's looking like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried certainly hopes so. Smoked out — The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upended a push to approve recreational marijuana when five out of the seven justices decided to block a proposed legalization measure from the ballot after being urged to do so by Attorney General Ashley Moody. (Let's just dispense with the pretense that this court is somehow less activist now that it has Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees) To the polls — It wasn't entirely clear if the amendment would have made the ballot (organizers gathered more than 500,000 signatures, but that's still short of the goal). It could be argued that the measure might have driven up turnout, especially among younger voters, during a mid-term race. The pot candidate — Fried, however, seems determined to make legalization a cornerstone of her still-undeclared candidacy for governor. Several hours after the ruling, Fried tweeted that "2022 will be a referendum on marijuana — and getting rid of any electeds standing the way." Earlier in the week, Fried told Democratic activists that if she were governor she would refuse to sign any bills into law until legislators delivered on legalization. Pinched — At this point, legalization may be the best path forward for Fried (provided she has no business conflicts), especially if she gets wind up in a competitive Democratic primary. But more importantly, issues that Fried has talked about in recent months, such as DeSantis' handling of Covid-19, may not have much resonance by November 2022. There are also substantial signs that the economy will be back on track by that time as well. If Fried wants to convince voters in this now-red leaning state to toss DeSantis out, she has to give some sort of compelling reason to do so. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. Ron 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 Floridians for Affordable Rx: For too many Floridians, prescription drugs are unaffordable, and that's unacceptable. That's why it's time to take politics out of prescriptions and find real solutions to lower Rx costs for all Floridians. The key to lowering drug costs is through increased competition, not big government mandates on private-sector tools used to reduce costs. The independent pharmacy lobby's special interest agenda undermines access to affordable prescription drugs. Learn more: Floridians for Affordable Rx | | |
|  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | STONER LOGIC? — "Florida Supreme Court kills amendment to legalize recreational marijuana," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "The Florida Supreme Court declared a proposed amendment to legalize recreational marijuana 'misleading,' effectively ending the issue's chances of getting on the ballot in 2022 and perhaps for good. If the GOP-controlled Legislature's proposed changes to the state's ballot initiative process become law, any future initiative would have an even bigger obstacle to overcome, said Miami attorney Ben Pollara, a supporter of legal marijuana." EARTH DAY? — " Florida Legislature advances environmental preemption bills on Earth Day," by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: The House and Senate on Thursday advanced a series of bills restricting local government actions on environmental initiatives, including measures that prevent cities and counties from restricting gas stations or from blocking solar plants under agricultural zoning. Lawmakers also advanced bills that prevent cities from blocking the use of fossil fuels to advance clean energy initiatives and prevent Key West from restricting the size of cruise ships. Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Dania Beach), the House Democratic co-leader, said the House had advanced "a lot of stuff that probably won't be very good for the environment." UNANIMOUS VOTE — "Florida Senate sends bill boosting jobless benefits to reluctant House," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: The Florida Senate on Thursday passed legislation giving the first boost to state unemployment benefits in more than two decades, sending the bill to an uncertain fate in the House. The issue of rebuilding Florida's unemployment system took center stage this session amid the Covid-19 pandemic that saw the system collapse under a crush of new jobless claims, and prompted bipartisan cries to increase the maximum $275-per-week that was available to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. | 
Rep. Chris Sprowls | Getty Images | SPECIAL SESSION COMING — House Speaker Chris Sprowls, acknowledging that a gambling deal between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state is "close," emphasized on Thursday evening that lawmakers would consider that agreement during a special session and not during the final week of the regular 60-day session. "We got a lot of work in front of us to bring this in for a landing," Sprowls said. Playbook previously reported the outline of the gambling deal that could yield hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to the state on a yearly basis and that Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to get it approved as soon as possible. SUGAR, SUGAR? — "Florida House sends Simpson's 'right to farm' expansion bill to governor," by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: The Florida House passed and sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday a bill that critics said was aimed at quelling legal actions against sugar farmers in South Florida. FL SB88 (21R) was a priority of Senate President Wilton Simpson, who owns an egg farming operation in Pasco County. The bill expands the state's "Right to Farm" law by raising the legal standard for proving nuisance claims against farms and prohibiting claims for complaints arising from more than half a mile away from the farming activity. Critics said the bill is aimed at a 2019 federal lawsuit against sugar farms around Lake Okeechobee. On the clock — Just hours after this bill was passed the legislation was sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis, meaning that he must act on before the session ends on April 30. A bit of context here: DeSantis is no fan of the sugar industry and has pushed back against the clout sugar companies have traditionally enjoyed with elected officials in Florida. If DeSantis vetoes the legislation then lawmakers could – and let's stress the word could - block other bills that the governor wants during this session. GETTING READY TO LAND — "Florida Senate braces for elections overhaul. But what are the major changes?" by Tampa Bay Times Lawrence Mower: "Florida lawmakers continued to water down an elections bill in the state Senate on Thursday, stripping out some of the more controversial measures that provoked outrage by Democrats voting rights groups. Gone is a proposal that could have caused headaches for millions of voters by requiring them update their signatures on file with their county elections supervisor. Senators also eased up on some concerns by elections supervisors." WHERE WILL IT END? — Substantial differences remain between the House and Senate election bills with a week left in this year's session. The legislation is a top priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, so there's a good chance the measure will make it across the finish line. Democrats obviously believe that as well since they peppered Sen. Dennis Baxley with questions Thursday on the potential impact the bill would have on minority voters, as well as older and disabled voters. (Lawsuits anyone?) Baxley was also unable to say what would wind up the final bill: "I don't know the endgame. I know we are in the middle of the end of a journey… It's part of an exciting mystery." — "DeSantis vs DeSantis: 4 times the Florida governor has changed his tune lately," by Tampa Bay Times' Steve Contorno — "Florida Legislature approves moment of silence to start public school day," by News Service of Florida's Ryan Dailey — "Florida House overwhelmingly approves consumer privacy bill," by The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan — "Florida House recalls Parkland, passes school safety bill," by The Associated Press' Brendan Farrington | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION : Power dynamics are changing in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. Our twice-weekly newsletter "The Recast" breaks down how race and identity shape politics and policy in America, and we are recasting how we report on it. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | ONE WAY OUT — "COVID in Florida: 'We have a small window' to get coronavirus under control," by Sun Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "Demand for COVID vaccinations is slipping in Florida, just as public health officials are noticing a worrisome trend: hospitalizations and case numbers are ticking up while a variant is spreading rapidly. The concern: Florida is missing its window to shut down the virus. 'We need to up the vaccination rate quickly,' said Dr. Edwin Michael, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. 'That's the only way out. We need to do it fast before a mutation arises that will have consequences. We have a small window before that can occur.'" THE LONG ROAD — "To beat coronavirus, herd immunity is the goal. Can Florida get there?" by Tampa Bay Times' Allison Ross and Megan Reeves: "The rollout of coronavirus vaccines in Florida was heralded as a light at the end of the tunnel for a pandemic that has upended normalcy and killed 35,000 people in the Sunshine State alone. Now comes the question of just how long the tunnel is. Across Tampa Bay, officials are seeing slowdowns in the number of people lining up for doses. One site in Plant City averaged 200 to 300 shots a day during the first full week of April, though managers there had planned for a daily average of 1,000. 'We have a lot of vaccines out there all over the place, but people aren't getting it,' said Kevin Watler, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County." | | Gaetz-gate | | THE OTHER CASE — "Gaetz's complaints about Iran hostage scheme will not distract FBI probe — source," by Reuters Mark Hosenball: "A federal investigation into whether U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz trafficked a minor for sex will not be derailed by his assertion that a veteran asked his father for money to pay for the release of an American held by Iran, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said. Investigators believe the purported scheme to free Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007, lacked credibility, the source said. Another U.S. official familiar with the case noted that Levinson's family in March 2020 publicly accepted U.S. government assessments that he died in Iranian custody." | | | | A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx:   | | |
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | MAKING IT RAIN — "U.S. Sen. Rick Scott says GOP Senate fundraising has 'done really well,'" by Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins and Wendy Rhodes: "U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said Thursday that he is pleased with fundraising efforts to win back control of the U.S. Senate for Republicans in 2022. 'We've done really well,' said Scott, who was elected chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee last November. 'The first quarter we raised a little over $23 million.' Scott noted that his Democratic counterparts had raised $22.7 million to start the year, but added that the Republican effort began from a position of financial strength." FOLLOW THE MONEY — "Who's behind Grow United PAC, which funded ghost Florida Senate candidates? It's a mystery," by The Daytona Beach News-Journal Mark Harper: "Layers of secrecy connect state Senate District 9 candidate Jestine Iannotti and a mysterious entity that spent $180,000 to promote her. A ghost candidate and a political unknown, Iannotti never campaigned in the race that Republican Jason Brodeur won. But campaign ads were mailed on her behalf that were designed to take votes from Brodeur's other opponent, Democrat Patricia Sigman. Now, the unanswered questions surrounding Iannotti's candidacy and the money behind it may be part of a federal investigation." | | Bidenology | | MOODY JOINS IN — "Second GOP lawsuit challenges Biden on social cost of carbon," by POLITICO's Alex Guillen: Ten Republican attorneys general on Thursday sued the Biden administration over its plan to increase the social cost of carbon, the figures used by agencies to quantify the future damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions… The lawsuit, led by Louisiana and filed in federal court in that state, argues that Biden's order reinstating the SCC figures violated notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements despite the figures being used by dozens of federal agencies. | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | NEIGHBORS (SORT OF) — "Fox's Sean Hannity buys townhome about 3 miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago on Palm Beach," by Palm Beach Daily News' Darrell Hofheinz: "Sean Hannity, the Fox News conservative firebrand, has paid a recorded $5.3 million for a seaside townhouse on the South End of Palm Beach. Hannity bought the three-bedroom townhome at 9 Sloan's Curve via a deed recorded in his name Tuesday by the Palm Beach County Clerk's office. Hannity bought the two-story townhouse about a month after it changed hands for a recorded $4.2 million, property records show." | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | FALLOUT — "No swift firing likely for Superintendent Robert Runcie and attorney Barbara Myrick," by Sun Sentinel's Scott Travis and Rafael Olmeda: "The arrests of Broward County's school superintendent and the district's chief lawyer may not be enough to get them fired, at least not without a big payout. A majority of the School Board could fire Superintendent Robert Runcie and Chief Counsel Barbara Myrick under the terms of their contracts. But if board members want to avoid paying hefty severance packages, they'd have to fire them for good cause, which would require more than an arrest." — " Timeline: How a grand jury indicted school chief Robert Runcie and other leaders," by Sun Sentinel's Marc Freeman and Scott Travis — "DeSantis accused of having Broward Schools superintendent Robert Runcie arrested," by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres DIGGING IN THE DIRT — "$3 billion reservoir in western Palm Beach County moves forward after 20 years in the planning," by Palm Beach Post's Kimberly Miller: "On Thursday, the final step was taken to get shovels turning dirt on the reservoir by year's end. An agreement signed by the South Florida Water Management District's governing board with the Army Corps of Engineers was heralded as the last piece in years of bureaucratic machinations and budgetary negotiations to build the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir – the largest water holding tank in the district's 16-county domain." 'THROWING MONEY' — " Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried says taxpayers shouldn't pay Piney Point bill," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: " Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people, Fried slammed state leaders for allowing the problems at the old Piney Point fertilizer plant property to fester for years. What happened at Piney Point is 'because we've had deregulation over the last 20 years of our environment. We've had nobody who had eyes on this,' Fried said. In an interview before the rally, Fried blamed Republican governors and Florida Department of Environmental Protection leaders for the recent dumping of polluted water from Piney Point into Tampa Bay, saying they 'were told this was a ticking time bomb and they ignored it.'" YUCK — "First sign of Red Tide found in lower Tampa Bay, state says," by Tampa Bay Times' Zachary T. Sampson: "Water samples taken this week off Manatee County showed low to very low levels of the organism found in Red Tide, the state said. It is the first sign of Red Tide in Tampa Bay, a discovery that amplifies concerns that contaminated water pumped into the estuary from the old Piney Point phosphate plant property could fuel a bloom. The presence of the Red Tide is 'not thought to be a direct result of the Piney Point discharges,' the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement." | | | | A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx: It's time to stand up to special interest lobbies trying to increase prescription drug costs for Florida families. Florida's independent pharmacies claim that they're struggling, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses around the country were forced to close, while there were 20 more independent pharmacies in the state. In fact, there are 13 percent more independent pharmacies in Florida today than there were 10 years ago. In fact, there are 13 percent more independent pharmacies in Florida today than there were 10 years ago. Florida needs a competitive marketplace to reduce Rx costs, not special-interest-backed legislative mandates that restrict the tools used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to reduce Floridians' prescription drug costs. It's time for the independent pharmacies lobby to come to the table with real solutions to lower Rx costs in Florida.
Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx. Learn More. | | |
| | ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN | | — "Hialeah motorcycle cops charged with issuing bogus tickets to drivers they never pulled over," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle: "Two Hialeah police motorcycle officers surrendered on Wednesday to face allegations they issued dozens of bogus traffic tickets to motorists. Prosecutors charged Ernesto Arias-Martinez, 23, and Armando Perez, 40, with multiple felony counts of official misconduct and falsifying public records. They were being jailed early Wednesday and are expected to post bond later in the day. BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. Randolph Bracy
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